Sarizaddi
04-29-2004, 11:50 AM
This has been a topic on my mind for a while now, and I guess its about time to start a real discussion on it, because since my focus in the past and towards the future has been on questing and crafting, a good discussion on this might help me decide what I need to spend time on.
I've reached a point in Weaver skill specifically and will in all crafts eventually were I am somewhat unable to progress because of my levels. Around the 50s in any craft, the materials begin to become more and more rare, or more to the point become available off of monsters that become harder and harder in difficulty. For instance although silk are fairly good in availability to low levels, around level 55-58 I need to switch to making Rainbow Threads and cloth, which are made from spiders silks. Spider silks are only available on higher level spider creatures, which realistically you need to be in the fifties+ to farm. Beyond that, materials become even harder to get, some of them only available of rare NMs and HNMs that can take full parties of level 70s to farm. This happens to all of the crafts, where there are instances of materials that need to be harvested from areas where you have to be in mid 60s to low 70s or you will get agro from mobs that spawns in the same area.
I'm guessing I should spend time leveling, and get my Ranger or some other class up to those levels, but take notice of how long it takes some to reach level 70s, and especially think of the fact that we don't even have any level 70s in the LS yet. I then assume that if I want to level, I really need to put a hold on all other pursuits in order to level. Granted, I'd have to take the time to farm occasionally, as a RGR/NIN is an expensive class to level. But the whole point is that leveling seems to be required in order to progress crafting. Now here's a dilemma. Once I've gotten to the point where I can farm these level 65-70 areas and mobs, why am I still crafting? I've been reassured that at the point, money isn't a problem anymore. If money isn't a problem, then why make my own stuff? Why not just buy everything I need? Why not just farm what I need off the NMs?
So there might be another solution. I forgo leveling as fast as everyone else does and focus solely on crafting. That solution however, requires others to sacrifice their time to farm high end materials for me to level off of. I'm not sure this sounds entirely fair, as those materials are just as easily sold for bundles rather than given away. If you think of it this way, why should I or anyone else get a level 70 Weaver skill (which will take about another 1.5 mil in gil to get), and then farm the Damasclene cloth for a Vermillion Cloak, when one can just farm the Damasclene cloth 3 times, sell the cloth, then buy the Cloak?
Besides bragging rights, I'm having trouble seeing where the profitability is in crafting. The materials for items is where the real cost of the item comes from. Then there are those cases (which everyone has seen them) where I (or any other crafter) will FAIL the craft. Imagine failing the craft on a Vermillion Cloak and losing 3 million gil worth of materials! The real way to make a profit off of crafting is by farming the materials yourself for what you're creating. Then that puts me right back at square one. I need to level.
Okay, so I need to level. But there is quickly coming the time where everyone else is wanting an item that can only be created with crafting. They can get the materials, but who will craft for them. I would like to, but I'm not there yet. And if I'm out leveling, I won't get there. At least, not in the time frame that benefits everyone else.
My position as an LS Crafter is somewhat in question. I'm getting to the point where my skills are beneficial to a low level player, but we aren't low level anymore. Besides that, most of us have plenty of money to buy low level (level 30 or so) equipment ourselves, no big deal. So what good am I as an LS Crafter, if the only thing I really have to offer is advice on leveling a craft yourself?
I'm curious what everyone thinks an LS Crafter should be, should do, or most specifically what they could do for you and what you would be willing to do for them. And how much pressure should I be feeling to level crafting vs. leveling my character? And how do you suggest I get to the point where my skills would benefit the LS, or how far away am I from that goal?
I've reached a point in Weaver skill specifically and will in all crafts eventually were I am somewhat unable to progress because of my levels. Around the 50s in any craft, the materials begin to become more and more rare, or more to the point become available off of monsters that become harder and harder in difficulty. For instance although silk are fairly good in availability to low levels, around level 55-58 I need to switch to making Rainbow Threads and cloth, which are made from spiders silks. Spider silks are only available on higher level spider creatures, which realistically you need to be in the fifties+ to farm. Beyond that, materials become even harder to get, some of them only available of rare NMs and HNMs that can take full parties of level 70s to farm. This happens to all of the crafts, where there are instances of materials that need to be harvested from areas where you have to be in mid 60s to low 70s or you will get agro from mobs that spawns in the same area.
I'm guessing I should spend time leveling, and get my Ranger or some other class up to those levels, but take notice of how long it takes some to reach level 70s, and especially think of the fact that we don't even have any level 70s in the LS yet. I then assume that if I want to level, I really need to put a hold on all other pursuits in order to level. Granted, I'd have to take the time to farm occasionally, as a RGR/NIN is an expensive class to level. But the whole point is that leveling seems to be required in order to progress crafting. Now here's a dilemma. Once I've gotten to the point where I can farm these level 65-70 areas and mobs, why am I still crafting? I've been reassured that at the point, money isn't a problem anymore. If money isn't a problem, then why make my own stuff? Why not just buy everything I need? Why not just farm what I need off the NMs?
So there might be another solution. I forgo leveling as fast as everyone else does and focus solely on crafting. That solution however, requires others to sacrifice their time to farm high end materials for me to level off of. I'm not sure this sounds entirely fair, as those materials are just as easily sold for bundles rather than given away. If you think of it this way, why should I or anyone else get a level 70 Weaver skill (which will take about another 1.5 mil in gil to get), and then farm the Damasclene cloth for a Vermillion Cloak, when one can just farm the Damasclene cloth 3 times, sell the cloth, then buy the Cloak?
Besides bragging rights, I'm having trouble seeing where the profitability is in crafting. The materials for items is where the real cost of the item comes from. Then there are those cases (which everyone has seen them) where I (or any other crafter) will FAIL the craft. Imagine failing the craft on a Vermillion Cloak and losing 3 million gil worth of materials! The real way to make a profit off of crafting is by farming the materials yourself for what you're creating. Then that puts me right back at square one. I need to level.
Okay, so I need to level. But there is quickly coming the time where everyone else is wanting an item that can only be created with crafting. They can get the materials, but who will craft for them. I would like to, but I'm not there yet. And if I'm out leveling, I won't get there. At least, not in the time frame that benefits everyone else.
My position as an LS Crafter is somewhat in question. I'm getting to the point where my skills are beneficial to a low level player, but we aren't low level anymore. Besides that, most of us have plenty of money to buy low level (level 30 or so) equipment ourselves, no big deal. So what good am I as an LS Crafter, if the only thing I really have to offer is advice on leveling a craft yourself?
I'm curious what everyone thinks an LS Crafter should be, should do, or most specifically what they could do for you and what you would be willing to do for them. And how much pressure should I be feeling to level crafting vs. leveling my character? And how do you suggest I get to the point where my skills would benefit the LS, or how far away am I from that goal?