Artisan Archive
Thread: Artisan Poll: Harvester Certifications: Yes or No
But can you please explain even one negative thing that certs would do inside the profession of Artisan. I'm not talking about consequences for elite crafting professions, none of which has master artisan as a pre-requisite. Just within the profession of artisan I can see nothing but positives.
I don't want to go into to many details here since I already made a very heavy post (and since Guru wanted just a yes or no)...
But...any reduction in the harvesting levels on the server will lead to less resources being available out there...that's a given fact...less resources out there will lead to higher prices on resources (greed is also a fact)...Less resources will also mean less crafted items available (which isn't that bad to have demand higher then supply)...The issue is that with higher resource costs, Artisans will be forced to raise, not lower, their prices...
That's the inside negative...to see the full impact you have to also look at the outside issue...removing a source of income for combat professions means less money they have to spend on crafted items...so in effect you have higher cost on crafted items and less people buying them...That's why I have been saying that if you are going to remove or lesson a source of income for outside professions, there needs to be a replacement...and if the devs do go with this (creating a new source of income AND cert'ing harvestors to artisans) then they will also need to drastically increase resource grant amounts to make up for the lost level of resources ingame...the game mechanic effects of the whole idea are probably enough to make a programmer sweat...lol
garvin,
That negative is entirely theoretical.
I don't see artisans buying large quantities of materials and making things in bulk. Maybe there are some who do, but I have the sense that this is definitely the minority.
I have yet to buy a single resource other than hides from anyone. Because most artisancrafts (other than powerups and tools including repair tools) aren't quality dependent. They also aren't generally needed in such bulk that my own lots won't provide the resources if I go out and survey for them...(and IF all the spots aren't taken by TKM/commandos).
I don't think artisans...who can get their own resources...would be forced to raise prices. They might be ABLE to raise prices and benefit from the price increase. But I don't see how they would be forced to raise them. Because they can get their own resources.
I chuckle every time I see harvesting inorganic resources looked upon as a source of income for the combat professions. Under existing rules, that's exactly what it is. And it's up to the devs the kind of game they'd like to have.
(I'm personally not in favor of plus experimentation, etc LOOTED clothing attachments and the like either, but that's just me.)
I am going to have to give this a resounding....
NO NO NO NO NO NO
That negative is entirely theoretical.
I don't see artisans buying large quantities of materials and making things in bulk. Maybe there are some who do, but I have the sense that this is definitely the minority.
Actually it will be the majority...remember, less resources will effect every elite crafting profession above...so higher resource costs could lead to higher Tailor costs, higher WS costs, higher Architect costs, etc...this all leads to higher prices...it's not theoretical...it's proven everytime a resource becomes scarce on a server...the rare resource cost goes up and the price of items made via that resouce goes way up.
I have yet to buy a single resource other than hides from anyone. Because most artisancrafts (other than powerups and tools including repair tools) aren't quality dependent. They also aren't generally needed in such bulk that my own lots won't provide the resources if I go out and survey for them...(and IF all the spots aren't taken by TKM/commandos).
My Master Artisan / Master DE / Master Architect often buys bulk resources...the costs of the resources help determine how much I charge for the final items...
I don't think artisans...who can get their own resources...would be forced to raise prices. They might be ABLE to raise prices and benefit from the price increase. But I don't see how they would be forced to raise them. Because they can get their own resources.
If you remove lot swaping and reduce the amount of folks out there harvesting you will reduce the amount of resources available in game at any time...how many Architects, Armorsmiths, WS, etc buy their resources in bulk or will need to once they can't harvest as much as they do now? Where does that additional cost go? that cost will be passed to the consumer.
I chuckle every time I see harvesting inorganic resources looked upon as a source of income for the combat professions. Under existing rules, that's exactly what it is. And it's up to the devs the kind of game they'd like to have.
In RL I invest in things to suppliment my income...In SWG I invest in harvestors to suppliement my low Combat Pay...I can't survey so I hire Artisans to use their survey skills and find me good deposits (Just like in the RW I might higher an investment broker)...Supplimenting incomes is a good thing for the economy because that extra credits is what eventually ends up in the crafters pockets...If I make 100K a month via combat loot + selling harvested good and I spend 100% of that income every month, what happens when you remove the harvested good sales from my income? How does that effect the crafters I typically buy from each month? How does the fact that the resoruces I use to harvest are no longer in the system effect the crafter?
(I'm personally not in favor of plus experimentation, etc LOOTED clothing attachments and the like either, but that's just me.)
Not every combat player gets good loot...that's a myth...look at the Various Auction forums and you'll see it's mainly made up of the same people...85 to 90% of all combat players make their money via missions that have small payouts and average loots (that pay less then running missions)...Many suppliment their income by selling minerals and power...That new FT and set of Armor I bought was because of the income I made harvesting (when I first started the game)...
Garvin,
It's sometimes hard for me to follow your posts because the things I wrote aren't separated from the things you wrote. Of course I remember what I wrote. 
I was talking about Artisans as Artisans and not as members of an elite crafting profession when I was saying that we usually don't buy many resources. Of course the elite crafters do. The current system means they don't know when the next spawn of xxxx resource needed to make yyyy item will be. So they must stock up. (Of course their stocking up means that the very best items stay around and available for longer. I don't necessarily think it would be a bad thing if the average weapon or armor didn't meet today's standards due to lack of "the best" resources.)
The prices on "the best" items will of course go up. But given the stockpiles currently existing with respect to "grinding quality" resources, I think it will be a long time before you have a shortage of average-quality items. (Average in the sense of what I presuppose the devs to have originally intended for the game, though I might be wrong.)
I don't mind your supplementing your income by making an investment. But I don't see the analogy between investing in the RW and actively mining resources using complex machinery you don't have any skills relating to in the SWG world. It's not as if you're investing in a mining company. You're running the machine yourself.