Weaponsmith Archive
Thread: Disgruntled Weaponsmiths Thread
Guys,
Ok, I agree about the splitting of crafted items. What has worked well for me over the last few months is.
You bring mea sythe scheme I make two slice two you (The customer) get the best one.
I no longer craft dxr's or sonics for people who bring me the scheme. This is a losing money venture. I have crafted several legendary krayt sonics, and while yes, the seller tipped me back some credits, they made 10 times their investment. I buy sonic schemes at 4 million and dxr schemes at 50k.. my customers know this and I get a full supply.
Now, I buy white cubes at 5k, red, green and yellow at 25k. If it is a set of 7 yellow red or green I pay 50k per cube.
Now, how I make my money off these 4 million credit schemes is this. I wait till I have 5 sets of 7 green cubes. This makes me 30 sonic pistols from the one scheme. Ususally I can get 2.3 speed decent damage and a condition over 1000.
Then I get them sliced and sell them from anywhere from 499k to 1.6 million.
Now, looking at the costs,
13.34K credits per gun due to the scheme costs
58.34k credits for the cube (Remember one is used in making the scheme)
30k for the adv. powerhandlers, metals and subs.
So total cost per gun is about 101k.
Now, end results where
10 at 499k = 4.9 million
5 at 699k = 3.5 million
5at749k = 3.7 million
6at 899k =5.4 million
4 at 1400k= 5.6 million
Total gross revenue = 23.1 million credits
Minus costs of 3 million in materials
Minus Cost of 4 million for scheme
Total Net Revenue = 16 million
So I 4 timed my investment. Not a bad day at all.
Folks, I keep spreadsheets on all my costs and sales. I know where my weapons stand in regards to the competitors. And I do not feel compelled to sell my weapons which are in the top 5 on the server at bargin basement prices. I have never had a need to use any of the weaponsmith exploits like the krayt duping or resource duping. I made all of my credits the old fashion way. The ONLY edge I have is that I have 2 accounts so I have more lots open to me. But all I do is craft, I rarely hunt except for metals 
So before you go handing your profits away to someone else, do the math. If you lose on a buisness deal it's your own fault. Also, if more weaponsmiths did this you would see that you wouldn't get screwed by people as often. The monkey manufactures can rarely make weapons as good as long time dedicated smiths with +2. Use it to convince them to sell you the materials, don't combine it for peanuts while they forum it off at 10 times what they paid you. Pride or not, I provide excellent weapons at a fair price considering my time and effort involved.
Deceptus Starfox
Master Weaponsmith
Chilastra
I think the way loot schematics worked with geo cave schems is pretty fine. The components are generic and easy to find even if that 20 max dam yellow cube is harder to find. What I don't like is the later schematics, Berserker and DE-10 which also requires a looted hard to get component. And the guns are not even that good.
I and my partner probably have 30-50 DRX schematics, 5 or more Geo Blaster schems a couple of Scythe schems (but those go more quickly) and Berserker (my partner even have the DE-10 schem which is only 1 use if I remember correct). Not a problem to get schematics. Some people want me to make guns for all uses and also have all components, with other I make deals like (most common with Scythe) "I make you one free if I get the other use". I am surprised that there are not more people reasoing "why give the ws the other uses when I can get all and then sell them for XXX". 9 out of 10 who want me to make use of all uses on the schem wnat the guns for their own use. Most of the time I get to keep the left over componets (like the 6th yellow cube when making Scythes) which is an extra bonus.
I charge 20-50k / weapon + normal weapon cost (usually for making normal guns; not the loot schematics). Most people respect that. I had a customer yesterday who wanted me to make him 2 Scythes using his schematics and components and when I told him it would cost 50k / each he was "why I provide everything" but he accepted when I said that I charge this for all custom orders. That reaction will get him a reduced price.
Many weaponsmith and armorsmith turns down custom orders (might be a good decision since nothing burns you out faster than custom orders). But making custom orders is a good way to build a loyal customer base. And with loyal customers comes good loot.