She's Crafty!

[Lucas]

Damn, maybe it's just a matter of the typical "honeymoon" start with any MMOG, but crafting is addictive: at least at the beginning, also thanks to reverse engineering, there seems to be always one more item to craft, one more mission to send your companion on :). Great stuff!

[Sky]

Seeing a definite divide in opinion on RE. Since some are enjoying it and other don't give a shit, I think it'll pretty much stay as is.

I got five orange schematics just before the servers went down, maybe people were dumping them? They were wicked cheap.

[Merusk]

Some people (like me) just don't know the value of things and can't be arsed to browse the fucked up browsing system to find what things are selling for.*  So you just toss them on and let the UI decide what to sell 'em for.


* Why can't I just search the name.  Why do I have to pick the top two options every time?

[tmp]

* Why can't I just search the name.  Why do I have to pick the top two options every time?

Also, no way to limit down the search to specific item slot, and despite the game telling you the 'power level' of the item in the tooltip right after the name, you can't search based on that, either.

The thing is, you'd have to go out of your way not to think about having these, so i can only take it as deliberate design decision. One that makes me go 'what'.

[Merusk]

My gf is 900 miles away, and I'm off work. So I'll happily join in FPs and try to keep you alive. Switched over to full heal spec merc, it's working out okay but I need loads of practice. And FPs will let me send my little minions out to gather up more lovely metals and plastics to turn into mods.

On a related note, what's everyone's RE experience been? I'm getting blue versions on ~5% of my REs so far , which seems awfully low. Its so wasteful of mats it seems pointless. And who makes barrels, because I'm desperate for a more current set. At 25, my armor is better (Thanks Sky and the Light vendor) but my weapons are lacking

In the interest of keeping things in one thread, I'll respond to Rat's question from the Blitz thread here.

I haven't been keeping track of Cybertech like I have with slicing missions, but If I make 10 of a mod I'm usually guaranteed to get the blue version by the time I RE the 10th.  Obviously sometimes sooner, once in a great while it's sometimes later.  It's definitely nowhere near the 5% you seem to be experiencing.

[01101010]

Ok... I said screw artificing. I picked up synthing along with my underworld, arche. I am sure, artificing will be end game must have crafting as it usually pans out with my choices, but synthing is way easier to deal with.

[Sky]

On a related note, what's everyone's RE experience been? I'm getting blue versions on ~5% of my REs so far , which seems awfully low. Its so wasteful of mats it seems pointless. And who makes barrels, because I'm desperate for a more current set. At 25, my armor is better (Thanks Sky and the Light vendor) but my weapons are lacking

Depends on when the Force is with me. I find the earlier figure (10%) was pretty solid, but last night I tried to get a blue version of my gloves and 10 didn't do it (both companions with full queue makes it easy to track). Popping the blues is usually much easier, because of the more available mats, I just grind the skill on stuff I use. That's how I found that you can make multiple versions of the same blue item (like +crit and +power), I just kept RE'ing the greens after I had a blue version (which is probably why I'm still broke at 28). Purples are tougher, as I said, materials. I'm into the 20 minute range for middling tier 3 UT metals, so it's definitely becoming a throttle, along with item creation times also around 15-20 minutes each.

At this point I'm more concerned about the fact I've seen zero tier 3 purple metals. Rat's become my supplier :( So much for self-sufficient armoring.

Right now I can make stuff up to 29, though most of my RE stuff is obviously going to be of the Shield Tech variety due to limited resources. I've mostly stopped sending out companions on missions because money continues to be an issue. I guess I should be a good capitalist, head back to earlier worlds and gather a ton of materials and sell a slew of stuff on the GTN. To be a broken record, I really wish it were the EQ2 broker, as most of my gaming economy experience was with that and the AH-style is so inferior. Ah, well. Enough rambling.

I can make two orange chest/pants combos; hit me up for links if you want a preview. Just know I probably don't have the mats for them, I totally ran out of aluminum (luckily they count as blues not purples, so I don't need the purple metal iirc).

[luckton]

I'm in the same boat with tier 3 mats.  It's probably because tier 3 stuff doesn't start showing up till level 30+ planets, of which Tatooine and Alderan are not.

As for my REing, I'm experimenting with that right now.  Using all these surplus mats to get epic mods and stuff.  There's no real consistency.  It's almost like playing Blood Bowl...sometimes you throw up a nice chain of Defender Downs, and sometimes you get a bad chain of Attacker Downs  

All of that said, I can make purp mods of various stats and varieties.  Look me up if you're wanting to upgrade.

[Draegan]

I picked up slicing and finally got it to the point where all missions are making bank now.  Good times.  Now I need more companions.

[luckton]

I foresee Slicing either...

- Getting nerfed
- Becoming an aux. skill that everyone can have
- Going away

The economy will inflate to high heaven with all the credits floating around from slicers.

[kildorn]

Seeing a definite divide in opinion on RE. Since some are enjoying it and other don't give a shit, I think it'll pretty much stay as is.

I got five orange schematics just before the servers went down, maybe people were dumping them? They were wicked cheap.

Oranges are an oddity, crafting wise. They're pure vanity for the most part, so you're paying only for rarity. They're pretty cheap to make (I've only seen them take blue equivalent mats) so shouldn't really be that expensive.

Orange weapons are a bit more expensive, since you can't bulk produce them.


On a generic crafting note: level 40+ mission skills? DEAR GOD WHAT. I'm not at the highest tier yet, one more to go. But Underworld Trading for rare metals? Corso is dicking around at that for 40 fucking minutes per attempt. I have not really noticed much of a time difference with affection either. I have 4600 with corso and 0 with bowdaar, but they both seem to report identical times to complete those missions.

[luckton]

I'm thinking your companion's actual level (which of course is your level) being relative to the mission might have something to do with time needed to complete as well.  I'm probably wrong though.

[kildorn]

I think it's just an odd scaling factor. Making a green item is about 2 minutes now. Making the blue variant is about 16 minutes. Level 30-40ish mission skills for mats are about 30 minutes, gifts are 15.

All I really know is that they will always complete halfway through trying to kill a gold elite, and the popup window will appear over the party frames while I'm trying to heal. <3

[Der Helm]

I foresee Slicing either...

- Getting nerfed
- Becoming an aux. skill that everyone can have
- Going away

The economy will inflate to high heaven with all the credits floating around from slicers.

If mission times and rewards keep scaling like they do so far, I expect slicing to be much less profitable at the highest level.

[luckton]

I foresee Slicing either...

- Getting nerfed
- Becoming an aux. skill that everyone can have
- Going away

The economy will inflate to high heaven with all the credits floating around from slicers.

If mission times and rewards keep scaling like they do so far, I expect slicing to be much less profitable at the highest level.

I read a thread this morning on the SWTOR boards complaining about this, actually.  A skill 400 slicer was bitching that the best mission reward he could get from slicing was just giving him lockboxes with random greens that sold for less than the mission cost.  Was more profitable to run the previous tier missions.

[Lantyssa]

Similar to Tier 2 Treasure Hunting.  Though I've finally gotten some Rich and Abundant missions, and those seem to have a good return once more.  The blues are starting to roll in.

I'm wondering if being in the appropriate level range or on the proper planet affects the returns though.

[kildorn]

I know the planet does seem to impact things. When I was slumming it doing a bonus series (nar shadda had a level 30ish bonus series, oddly), I couldn't trigger higher level underworld trading missions.

Would be a bit neat if the epic level mats varied by planet.

[Azuredream]

I read a thread this morning on the SWTOR boards complaining about this, actually.  A skill 400 slicer was bitching that the best mission reward he could get from slicing was just giving him lockboxes with random greens that sold for less than the mission cost.  Was more profitable to run the previous tier missions.

The reason for this is because the person with 400 slicing likely was not level 50. From what I've read the rich/bountiful missions are only unlocked when you advance in level. Maybe the planet has something to do with it like Lant and Kildorn are saying but I haven't noticed anything to that effect so far.

[DraconianOne]

So quick query regarding equipment crafting. A guildie had crafted two blue armour pieces with the same primary stats but different secondary stats (one was +Crit, the other +Def iirc) and they had slightly different titles (e.g. +Crit piece was "Critical something something" - they don't seem to be in any of the item databases at this point) Allegedly, he got these two from one crafting attempt and seemed to imply that they were schematics but I'm dubious. So two questions:

Is it more likely that he had a crit?
Does each secondary stat on a piece have it's own specific schematic?

[Ingmar]

I've definitely had people send me blue-quality schematics like the ones you describe, and yes, there are a ridiculous number of schematics in the game.

Typically when you crit when crafting it adds an "augment" slot, not anything with the stats.

[DraconianOne]

Thanks

Follow up: do mods (Armoring, Enhancements etc) have variations with additional stats as well (+Surge, +Alacrity etc) or do they only ever have primary stats?

[Lantyssa]

Blue pieces add a secondary stat.  Critical rolls add an augment slot.  (On armor at least.  I don't think mods get any bonus for criticals [maybe a higher RE chance; that's speculation].)

Different mods add different stats.  Later ones and prototypes might add secondary stats, but I haven't gotten that high in my crafting to know, and they changed what did what up in every iteration of beta.

[Merusk]

Thanks

Follow up: do mods (Armoring, Enhancements etc) have variations with additional stats as well (+Surge, +Alacrity etc) or do they only ever have primary stats?

It's been my experience thus far that blue mods only add more stats and mods can't crit.  However, I'm only crafting shit for myself & Mako and to level-up so it's possible I've just not critted yet.

I haven't critted on any ear pieces.  I Don't know if those can or not, either.

Spaceship parts I'm going to bet will not crit at all because it would be silly.   You can't RE them to create teh purpz, either, just as an FYI.

[luckton]

Purp mods can be RE'ed to make multi-stat purp mods. 

[Der Helm]

What are "exceptional" pieces of (green) armor ? Could not find a difference between them and normal ones.

[luckton]

What are "exceptional" pieces of (green) armor ? Could not find a difference between them and normal ones.

Exceptional pieces have an Augment slot.  Augments can only be obtained through Slicing missions.

[Tmon]

* Why can't I just search the name.  Why do I have to pick the top two options every time?

Also, no way to limit down the search to specific item slot, and despite the game telling you the 'power level' of the item in the tooltip right after the name, you can't search based on that, either.

The thing is, you'd have to go out of your way not to think about having these, so i can only take it as deliberate design decision. One that makes me go 'what'.

Maybe it was a deliberate decision to make the AH just painful enough to use that most people can't use it as a credit printer but still allow some basic inter player buying and selling.

[March]

What are "exceptional" pieces of (green) armor ? Could not find a difference between them and normal ones.

Exceptional pieces have an Augment slot.  Augments can only be obtained through Slicing missions.

I really like the crafting system so far... but the naming conventions for the Item Modification System clearly clearly beat, rolled, and tied the Game Design team somewhere in a dark alley of Beta testing.

Some of it is perfectly intuitive: Hilt = Hilt: Barrel=Barrel.  But slip into armor and I just seem to see synonyms for Mod... with one of the synonyms being, well, Mod.  Augment is like a breath of fresh air... and I only just now connected it with slicing.

[rattran]

Ear pieces can crit for an Aug slot. I made one with a slot yesterday!

[kildorn]

So quick query regarding equipment crafting. A guildie had crafted two blue armour pieces with the same primary stats but different secondary stats (one was +Crit, the other +Def iirc) and they had slightly different titles (e.g. +Crit piece was "Critical something something" - they don't seem to be in any of the item databases at this point) Allegedly, he got these two from one crafting attempt and seemed to imply that they were schematics but I'm dubious. So two questions:

Is it more likely that he had a crit?
Does each secondary stat on a piece have it's own specific schematic?

When an armormech RE's a green, they get a random blue schematic (the +crit, +def variants), unlike the other professions with only one possible blue upgrade to their green. This is where Overkill _____ comes from.

[luckton]

I just updated the Helpful Link post with this gem.  It's a nice in-depth guide that goes over all the prefixes, the augments, and a pretty good explanation of how REing works.

[Merusk]

Ear pieces can crit for an Aug slot. I made one with a slot yesterday!

Oooh, nice to know.  Thanks Rat!  I know what I'll have the 3rd companion doing when I get them now.  

[Lantyssa]

I just updated the Helpful Link post with this gem.  It's a nice in-depth guide that goes over all the prefixes, the augments, and a pretty good explanation of how REing works.

Too bad the SWTOR site has put me in the queue for the last two hours.

[luckton]

I just updated the Helpful Link post with this gem.  It's a nice in-depth guide that goes over all the prefixes, the augments, and a pretty good explanation of how REing works.

Too bad the SWTOR site has put me in the queue for the last two hours.

I'm not logged into the site...seems anonymous people can still browse around without issue.

[PalmTrees]

I don't know if other crafts have this 'issue', but the problem I have with Cybercraft is how damn quickly and trivial the Armor and Mod modifications are obsolete.  So far, I've acquired a few orange pieces through dungeons and questing, but they usually come with mods that are equal or better than what I can craft.  By the time I've RE'ed enough armor/mods to learn blue/purp stuff, I'm skilled enough to make greens of the next tier up.  I'm now at the point where I can make better, but I'm too low in level, and in two levels after that, I can already make the next set.

Seems like it'd be better if they spaced them out a little further apart, creating fewer tiers, but each tier is actually significant.  Just seems silly that I can make a purp Skill Mod 2 when I can also make a green Skill Mod 5 that trumps it.

This has been my experiences with cybertech as well. Armoring comes every two levels which is just too frequent, especially once you add in the blue and purple versions. Earpieces and mods are a bit better as they are every four levels.

I made a few grenades, but I'm just too stingy to kill mobs by throwing credits at them.

Lucked out and got the custom speeder schematic off the AH for 315. Had enough spare materials on hand to make one.