Artisan Archive

Ok.. I've done a lot of testing, and worked it out this way... dark's original post is pretty good and accurate, so really not much more I can say about it.

There are a LOT of items that, while experimentation LOOKS like it should do something, it doesn't. It may in the future, but right now, for anything that has no stats when you examine the finished product (like survey tools and crafting tools) it makes NO difference what you make it with or whether you experiment. I made a weapon/droid/general crafting tool with the worst possible materials I could find, and no experimentation (had like 1% and 2% for its qualities), and another that I used the best and experimented with 12 points and some good and amazing successes... it was 74% durability and96% effectiveness.

I tested making weapons with both of these, and the weapons always came out the same (base pre-experimentation) with the same materials used (low quality materials always gave weapons based with the same percentages in both, high quality materials always gave the same higher percentages when using the same materials in either kit)... and in limited testing (only about 100 attempts per kit) I got about the same results for experimentation results (same general number of crit failures, failures, successes, good successes, etc, as well as same percentage increase for each).

Mineral survey tools, I did the same... no difference.

Same with a harvester... harvesters have experimental hopper size, but I've made harvesters with horrible materials in the field, and harvesters with 900+ quality resources at a crafting station with full experimentation, and both produce a deed with no stats... building the harvesters, they both had a 25000 size hopper.

Weapons, powerups, some things with multiple charges, etc can be improved by experimentation, but from what I can tell, items with no stats, it doesn't matter what you use or what you do to them, y ou get the same results.

Now, I had the same question about materials lacking a specific stat. For example, weapons base off of conductivity, and take a chemical component.. most chemicals don't have conductivity, but there ARE a couple that do. I am going to test this, I want to know if it's better to use a material that has a very low stat over one that doesn't have the stat period, or if that stat is ignored for the chemical slot since most chemicals don't have conductivity (all materials have Overall quality and Durability, so that value of the chemical is definitely used).

Once I get a definitive answer to that, I'll mention it.

A couple of comments:

Materials and making crafting tools:

Someone asked about the materials they should use to make crafting tools. This does make a big difference. Last night I made some with some high quality copper with high conductivity. Standing next to the public crafting station I was amazed at the experimentation options. The tools all turned out great and I quickly replaced every tool I had. If you get some high qual copper with high conductivity, you must do this!

Making bowcasters:

About the bowcaster question that someone else asked: you are probably going to have to spend some credits to get the materials you need to make them. I have harvested my own steel, but haven't seen the right iron in my harvestor options since I started looking for it. The iron I am using was purchased from another player. I am also currently having to buy my blaster power handlers in factory crates. Still, all the expense and trouble has been worth it to carry on a fine wookiee tradition of crafting bowcasters.

Also, TTBMOK, only wookies get the schematic for bowcasters.

The main site, and the forums at SWGCraft.com have several basic guides and how-tos that are very good.

Ok, I didn't read the entire thread so I hope I'm not repeating anything. My apologies if I am.

In regards to JMnITup's post about resources that don't have a stat listed (such as conductivity for gas), I read a dev post somewhere that says if it's not listed on the stats then the item does not have that quality at all.

I was previously a master surgeon (4/4/3/2 doc) before switching professions and I can tell you that the quality of resources makes an enormous difference in the raw product. With successful experimentation, it makes an enormous difference in the finished goods. When I really started paying attention to quality, for doc it's all about Potential Energy and Overall Quality, I noticed that my base products, before exp., were better than some of my finished goods.

Then I went a little nuts, I made sure I had all top quality stuff. Not just resources, but also crafting stations both the small and large ones. I made sure all my components were 900+ in the stats I wanted to work with. I was stunned the first time I cooked up some meds and this really sparked some interest for me. I was having a ton of fun trying to make the best meds possible and I was blown away by how well these worked. I felt kinda like a mad scientist in his lab, working on meds only to emerge for a round of superb healing.

Anyways, great thread!!! I wish I had seen something like this when I was a noob. Hopefully some other new players will find this and be spared the steep learning curve that some of us had to climb.