Shipwright Archive
Thread: Do Shipwrights actually exist?
TIME.
Since I cannot use factories for my SW products, it would take me a lot of time to keep a vendor well stocked. I love crafting, but there's other things I like too, and I won't spend all my time (I'm a casual player) crafting and stocking a vendor.
On the other hand, I am pretty sure that because of RotW and /respec there is now a bunch of new SW working on their resources before starting his SW business.
AhrienTerrik wrote:
I don't know why there is no SW in your server, but I can tell you why I don't have a vendor on mine and only craft for me and myself.
Should have been "[...]and only craft for me and my guild".
Keeping a shipwright vendor stocked is nearly impossible and for awhile lowballers where making it completely unprofitable. Our vendor on bloodfin usually has around 1500 parts on it, but it takes 2 of us tag teaming it to keep it up (and we don't even stock the new POB stuff because space mining is such a tedium with little reward). Between having to hand craft everything and constantly trying to fulfill the massive resource needs shipwright is a labor of love and most shipwrights do in fact seem to do it just to RE their own parts and maybe service their guild. That being said, RoTW has caused a massive boom in our business and we've rapidly built up a loyal and patient customer base so none of what I'm saying is a complaint, just an explaination as to why SW's are so hard to find.
And now the shameless plug, Dustbowl Industries: Bloodfin, Valley of Shadows, Tatooine 7060 -3770
SW takes time and dedication. But they might start feeling the pressure likea lot of craftersdo with dumb tells. but that could be fully false.
It takes a lot of resource gathering and a lot of time producing, so when a SW charges for the time and work, most complain its to high. I think that is really the big problem. To make money as a SW only, it really does cost a lot on the players time and efforts so many either burned out real quick by lowballing and not making a profite or tried to make the credits he/she was worth and was in tell hell for charging to much. But there is also a ton of new customers so, vendors are harder to keep stocked up.
Ask other high level long time pilots, they know where many of the good SW who still exist are hiding at. A lot ofcrafters do that too. You hide from the tells and the constant orders to keep some sanity left. 
Kalano wrote:
SW takes time and dedication. But they might start feeling the pressure likea lot of craftersdo with dumb tells. but that could be fully false.
It takes a lot of resource gathering and a lot of time producing, so when a SW charges for the time and work, most complain its to high. I think that is really the big problem. To make money as a SW only, it really does cost a lot on the players time and efforts so many either burned out real quick by lowballing and not making a profite or tried to make the credits he/she was worth and was in tell hell for charging to much. But there is also a ton of new customers so, vendors are harder to keep stocked up.
Ask other high level long time pilots, they know where many of the good SW who still exist are hiding at. A lot ofcrafters do that too. You hide from the tells and the constant orders to keep some sanity left.
I feel that most shipwrights still sell themselves short on their pricing (we sell at 11cpu and get nothing but compliments about our low prices). At higher prices people will buy your stuff anyway, because most likely you're the only one that's got it and this gives you the capital to go buy additional, high quality resources for 4 or 5 cpu and still turn a profit and keep your vendors stocked. People want their parts now. If they visit your vendor and you don't have it you've lost a customer for good. Think long term.
Stick to your guns, keep your vendors stocked and be helpful and people will shop with you. Those that complain can shop elsewhere, SW is too rare and too much trouble to give into those that won't pay an extra 3 to 15k for a part when they're selling an entire inventory full of loot partsbefore visiting you.
JTL has always been a mystery, players were forced to figure it out on their own from day 1 and this is an additional cross that shipwrights bear. They are an outlet for information and do get an outrageous number of tells, but most people are appreciative and very patient and understanding and again this helps build a very loyal customer base.
Xstarbracer, shipwrights complain about not being able to make the new ships because they've invested all kinds of time, resources and money into a profession then for example find their entire stock of X-wings to be relatively worthless since anyone can do a quest and get one with an additional 80k of mass.
Shipwright is a real profession choice. It is not something you can really do well as an alt. Sure crafting parts for yourself is great, but to run a real shop it is going to take time. Serious time. I was able to keep my shop stocked crafting 3 hours a day with no breaks doing anything else. When I took on this corr position, I had to scale back production. If I want to craft now, most of the time I just log in and wait for the first tell.
Since I stopped mass producing ships and components I've actually enjoyed it even more. I feel like a real custom shop now rather than a dealer/parts store.
One of the things that would have made shipwright not as fun to me would be factory support. Remember that I will always pass community feedback to the devs if I agree with it or not, but my personal thought on it is this.
Shipwright is a new profession. One that has been created with all the lessons learned from the last crafting professions. In current form, it encourages ATK shipwright play. Every ship component out there was crafted by a shipwright. You cannot fill your vendors with a weeks worth of stuff run on 10 factories. Every part is handmade.
What does this do for me? Well, it makes sure the market for ship components stays healthy. It means that every minute I spend crafting is likely to bring me some profits. It creates a huge demand for parts. If I want I can craft 100% of my time and still sell everything! My competition has to work hard too. Even with extra lots from guildmates, and tons of credits everyone still has to craft by hand. I think that is pretty balanced.
Sure I can't setup everything to run and then go play my smuggler for a few days and expect to come back with a load of parts ready. I have to play a shipwright to win as a shipwright. Perhaps this doesn't appeal to everybody. If they are going to be click click clicking, they'd rather be in the wilds killing something. Perhaps, just perhaps, there will be some additional content in the future to draw people to the crafting professions.
Until then Shipwright remains a new market. It's still open, there are big players, but there is still a chance for the little guy to get in and make a name.
Message Edited by IIscandar on 06-08-2005 10:30 AM
IIscandar, I totaly agree with your. The only mass stocked items are Missiles, low lvl ships and RE parts (buy from players). The rest are hand made for custom orders.
Even the Elite parts, i go out and harvest on the fly for an engine or shield. The only factory pieces I have are the components, I make the best and then run off 50 of each, then make the part to order, depending on the customer. So either the overload or limiter. having these pre-made is a bonus.
The peronal touch makes it more enjoyable. And they always come back.
I too am a brand new shipwright on bria. I grinded on Monday and Tuesday(w/out double xp) bought all my resources to grind ran outa money and had some guild help
If you have the resources I can make whatever you want 
you cna just /t or email me ingame