Artisan Archive
Thread: Grind to Weaponsmith
the fastest way to earn crafting xp is by making tons of travel packs. youll need domestic arts 4 in order to be able to make the packs and youll also need tons of fiberplast and polymer. once you have gotten a good amount of the resources you need then make 3 crafting kits and arange them in your inventory so that they are all in a row. double click the first kit, choose travel pack from clothing menu,double click the resourcesyou use to make packs (much faster and less frustrating than click and drag method), just keep hitting "enter" rather than point and clicking yes on the rest of the steps. the reason you need 3 kits is so that you no longer have to wait for the prototype in order to start making the next pack. im able to make 3 packs in the time it used to take me to make one pack the old way.
i know most of you probably already know all about these shortcuts but some of us wasted a lot of time before someone was nice enough to clue us in so im just passing along the info to other noobs like me.
I tried to find a high-xp method for grinding instead of the Muzzle theory, and I tried Labour Jackets. But, eventually, I learned that Muzzles (or any weapon powerup, for that matter) were quick to make, and at 40 gcxp each, it went much faster than I had thought. In a day or two, I made novice Droid Engineer, which is 7k more than Weaponsmith. So, it's a pretty good plan . . . good luck!
I find that making wrapped skirts give me 62 xp. It's takes 25 units of Fiberplast and 5 metal.
Fiberplast is easy to find and mine, I have 12k in the bank with only 1 small harvester running it.
Also I find miking things up a bit, such as making muzzles for a while then skirts, even metal fasteners will break up the grind. Find what you like to make the best and take the time to do the experimenting and don't pay attention to the xp; after awhile your be surprised at the amout of xp you'll have. Hand craft those weapons, put your heart into it.
All weapon powerups are a 4:1 XP to Resource return. So if you want the most efficient XP per resource, use barrels or couplers. (lower difficulty, so they craft faster).
If you want less actual items crafted, do travel packs or bone armor chest plates. They are approximately a 2:1 return on GCXP to resources, as are most items. Not sure how much UXP exists in other items...
Ditto on the double click and 2 or 3 crafting tools.
Factory made powerups are only a 0.4:1 return on XP to resources. You don't have to click as much, but they will chew through 10 times as many resources.
Ohh man, if you're complaining about becoming novice weaponsmith, you will be very very mad when you get there. Just to gain ONE level in weaponsmithing, you have to get 35,000 exp!!! You can only make ONE gun, and that ONE gun is not as good as a CDEF! That one gun can only give you 200 exp each time you make it. That's a lot of guns to equal 35K for the first level. The second level is 49K, third is 63K and 4th is 77K! The other catch is that if you were lvl 4 firearms crafter, you still can't make a good gun cause you would have to have at LEAST lvl 3 crafting in order to make a gun that will sell, so in order to make a gun that will sell, you have to be at least lvl2 firearms and lvl 2 weapon crafting! That's 173,000 exp! I am a weaponsmith, and I have been grinding non-stop for about 1 week now...It's not a fun time...and by the time you get up to where you can sell guns, there is always someone out there who is a better weaponsmith that will undersell you, and his gun is better than yours. If I had my choice, I wouldn't be a weaponsmith anymore, but it's too late cause I have put so much time in it. All I am saying is RE-THINK IT!!!
It sounds like DE is the same way with mouse droids. I've seen so many people giving them away.
I made it to MArt, but now I'm not sure where to go. The crafting professions seem pretty saturated. I feel like I won't have a market till I make master. If I do it, I'll probably go architect. At least that way I can make cool stuff for my own house. Maybe DE because I can take a path other than the droid specs (that everyone seems to take) to sell modules to other DEs.
At any rate, I stopped grinding, and I'm just hoarding resources and playing with experimentation now. It seems to be a much funner game when you get out of the leveling mindset... 
Lund:
I agree 100%.
I'm an Artisan trying to get enough experience to get to Weapon and/or Architect (I make structures as well).
Since I play around 2-3 hours per day - 50% of the time is going around maintaining my 10 harvesters.
Then, the other time is going to the bazaar and selling the VAST amounts of resources I'm getting (3-4 cr per).
And, if I have the chance and/or the opportunity, do some hunting (while I'm out doing harvester stuff) to get bones and hides.
As long as you don't think that you have to level all the time (and, besides, us non-powergamers are already too late) it's a better. much more enjoyable experience.
Star Lin
GOOD GOD GUYS.... Did any of you play DAOC? It took WAAAAAAY longer then this... Way longer. Feel privilaged :-)
heh.
*goes back to grinding*
I agree with Starlin. I'm in the huge gap between eng 4 and novice weaponsmith. It's pretty depressing whenever I look at how much xp I need just to get to novice. I'm spending more time hunting right now to break up the boredom of grinding.
I don't really grind anymore (I experiment on everything) but it still feels like it. click click click click click......... alright one good power-up 120 xp click click click click click.........
I've been considering throwing a couple factories up and cranking weapon upgrades through them while I sample/craft close by as well. Haven't tested it but have heard it helps.
I have come to the sad realization that my opportunity to be the "first" anything has passed me by. So i am grinding diligently, but i know perfectly well, that those points needed to hit Novice Droid Engineer (a profession that i kick myself everyday for wanting to be, hehe) will come eventually. I can't play the game if all i want to do is level up ALL the time. You know what i mean?
Lu'uka E'amnu
Novice Architect/Soon-to-be Novice Droid Engineer Corbantis
: