Artisan Archive

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SinjenRandall wrote:

My memory could be playing tricks on me, but isn't this the way it used to be? Back when the game first went live? I could swear that I remember crafting artisan clothing and bone armor using an Armor / Clothing tool. I thought I remember this changing and the WDG tool got more tabs, and I thought it was broken. I think they just waited a very, very long time to fix it.

Can anyone remember that far back or am I just getting old?

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You are right, as I have been informed. Doesn't change the fact that a lot of folks are going to be caught flat-footed by this change.

Appreciate the history on it, though.

Take care,

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sciguyCO wrote:

Argon, maybe I can cover the points you make:

Thanks for helping.

1) As stated a few times, the "magic WDG tool" that can be used to make anything was a bug that crept in after launch (around the Mount publish, IIRC). Is it a nerf if a feature gets brought back down after a bug inadvertantly makes it too "powerful"? Starting artisans don't need to buy every station, every NPC city has public stations just lying around. Crafting tools are basically a joke to make. If someone can't craft one of each in a single play session starting with no resources, a generic tool and a mineral survey device, they may want to look into another profession. Generic tool -> chem survey tool -> crappy WDG -> experimented WDG -> experimented rest of tools. It's not like the effectiveness of tools/stations has been shown to have a huge difference (although the cumulative effect of high quality tools + station + research center + bespin port does tend to get into the noticeable range).

A nerf is when yesterday I can make a 14.73 Crafting Tool and today (even after the hotfix) the same materials make a -6.03 Crafting Tool. This is not merely re-organizing the list and fixing 8 month old bugs. This is not a huge problem but being able to experiment is both fun and profitable. I would rather make better tools than crappy tools.

2) Generic items are just that: items that aren't armor, clothing, food, harvesters, BE tissues, stimpacks, etc. Everything under the "Misc" tab, for example: fireworks, crafting tools, powerups, droid batteries, repair tools, camps, traps, etc. If every item in the game could be crafted with a single tool, why would they even bother with the rest? I mean, there was really no need for a armor tool before, you could make everything up to composite with a WDG tool and station. Same with food, medicine, structures, and clothing.

Be careful here. Your understanding differs from the Devs. They list the Generic items under "Misc". Look at the Bird Cage. But they list the Generic Crafting Tool under Generic all by itself. The level 3 Droid Engineering General Droid Module Socket Cluster is now a generic item craftable with the Generic Tool without being near a Weapon, Droid, General Crafting Station. Although you would be a fool to do so. Can you explain the logic behind this again? What is the difference between Misc and Generic and how are the schematics logically organized? By whim?

3) Not being able to make a generic tool with a WDG is a bug, plain and simple, and its being fixed.

And after today's hotfix it still is a bug, plain and simple. ETA on the fix?

4) I don't know how you'll take the news, but the "crafting quest" is in Pub9, available for you to take now. But it boils down to yet another "kill lots of NPCs for loot-only components then combine into item" quest (the blue/orange rug, loom,and glass-top table items). Find a junk dealer who gives the conversation choice "what do you have to sell" (or something along those lines) to start it. I'll save my opinion of those for another rant, though. I'm not even sure if artisan is required for the combine.

I'll take the news just fine. Played TC and TC2 tried to make a DE Jedi (I think I saw that in a movie once). Also looked for the "crafting quest" but all I could find was another thinly veiled combat mission quest. This is not a crafting quest at all. I know it, you know it and the Devs know it. But I could be wrong. Should I make an avatar on your server so you can show me how a Master Chef takes out NPCs for loot. I got the waypoint for some Raiders and some Nightsisters...lol...we can throw pies...

Crafting professions haven't been getting much attention because for the most part, they work. Sure some things could work better, a few little bugs are skittering around, but there aren't really any game-breaking problems with crafting.

All the more reason for the Devs not todabble with changes. And you are almost right, I worry that crafting is becoming Work. If you are going to re-organize the schematic list or better yet the bazaar then take the time to do it right. You'll have less problems, less bugs and less hotfixes. The bazaar was a mess on TC and look what happened on Live.

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