CUEmu - Thread Posts

RaiCella

Mon Jan 26, 2004 10:43 am

First off, let me tell you that I admire you all emensely.

However, I thought I could add to the growing body of evidence that Master Weaponsmith is not for everyone, in fact, it's hardly for anyone. What follows is my story. I hope it saves people some misery.

I am a Master Smuggler and former Master Merchant who runs a very sucessful retail sliced weapons shop on Tatooine. I buy from the best WS on my server, slice and resell for a modest profit. I can move several million credits worth of merchandise in a week, but most of that goes to buying the weapons (I tend to pay retail prices for my inventory).

After Christmas, I got the holocrons with everyone else. I decided to peak and got Weaponsmith. "Well" I thought, "This might just work". Boy, was I wrong.

I promptly came to these boards, read the FAQ, posted some thoughts, and read many of the issues I would soon encounter. I am an intelligent, well organized, mautre individual.. so I thought that I could overcome these obstacles. I figured that I already had that most elusive of things: An established customer base! Turns out I needed much more.

I started harvesting like mad. I talked to several of my friendly MWS who nicely shared the current best waypoints with me. (I was after all a good customer). I plopped down 7 13BER harvesters at a time on several good spawns, and started the Metal Staff grind.

Weeks passed.

My shop still consumed a lot of my play time.. selling 20-30 slicedweapons a day takes a lot of importing/shopping on my part. But I continued to move my harvesters to new spawns, become familiar with swgcraft.com, and click away like mad on those Metal Staffs. Eventually, I hit MWS!

The joy passed as soon as I closely studied the scematics I had printed from swgcraft.com. The list of specific resources was daunting. I couldnt even make an advanced blaster power handler! There's no way the guns I could make would compare with what I was currently selling. My customers wouldnt buy them!

So I sucked it up, withdrew millions from the bank and headed to Coronet. Like a drunken star-sailor I dumped huge quantities on the bazaar for specific resources. I checked my shopping list and computed conductivity/overall quality as well as Shock resistance/Unit toughness for hundreds of metals that were available. I payed anywhere from 2 CPU to 10 CPU, and even answered tells from sellers who had more on their vendors. I spent 4 million credits in 4 hours on resources alone.

I took my overflowing backpack to my shop, added it to my original resource pile (maxing my house capacity along the way). And realised that there were only a few items that I could make. So i decided to try.

I went to our citiy's 42point crafting stations (we are a research center as well) and crafted a few items. I got a lot of good results on the components, even an amazing or two. Assembled the item and checked the result...

Everything went dark...

This item I was holding... this one that cost me 4 Million credits in resource aquisition, 1 month of grinding, pages of hand written notes and detailed spread sheets, was still WORSE than those I could buy by the crateload from my friendly neighborhood weaponsmith.

It seems that there were several old resources that many MWS have stockpiled in the 100's of thousands of units that I will never see. I found myself outclassed and unable to compete.

My only options seemed to be:
1.Wait several months till new spawns outclassed the old stockpiled ones... treating everyday like a full-time mining job, or

2. Open the next holo.

Guess what I chose?

THE END.

Oh, and if you need some 2nd best resources for an average of 5 CPU, let me know

Rai Cella
The Master Smuggler of Tusken's Bane

The Hidden Fist: Fight Club and Black Market
Spices/Sliced Weapons/Slicer Tools/ & More

Just outside of Tusken's Bane, Tatooine
(-4811, -5652)

VaMage

Mon Jan 26, 2004 11:10 am

#2

Yep, that about sums it all up. You missed having your work invalidated by the new uber drops, being told by your clients that you need to cut your prices at least by 90% on the uber drop items because they are now "junk".

But you at least didn't miss having all the work you just did thrown out the window if you don't unlock before the Jedi nerf.

Johnny-Umah
Weaponsmith
Kaadara, Nabbo, Chilastra 3717,5920
American by Birth but Southern by the Grace of God

Xieflow

Mon Jan 26, 2004 11:16 am

#3

eh, I don't do *any* of my own resource harvesting, I can already make almost every "Advanced" component, and almost every gun in the Firearms Crafting Tree...

I joined a guild, and the guys are really helpful and nice, and provide me with what I need.

I can even sell guns for a modest profit build with resources I picked up myself off the bazaar. You gotta price your guns according to the quality. You would be surprised how many players out there can't even afford a 10,000 credit gun.

Cyndane00

Mon Jan 26, 2004 2:42 pm

#4

Wow, I can totally relate. I haven't even made master yet (have a few boxes on the melee and munition tree to go), but I have been feverishly looking for resources and have traveled to many places and have only found a few of the resources needed for advanced components. It is so frustrating it is unbelievable. I feel the majority of the components aren't even available anywhere on my galaxy Im not sure what to do. I do agree tho that I have made a few things being only an "expert" weaponsmith and although I price less than masters I have sold a decent amount of things on the bazaar. I feel my weapons come out decently but I am aware of the lower quality of my items which is why I try to sell them for less. And I did this not for a Holocron, but just because I thought WS would be fun

. If there are any WS out there on Scylla that would like to help me out, please let me know, lol.

Cyndane/Mi'erin
Scylla

SdDarktide

Mon Jan 26, 2004 5:02 pm

#5

I was fortunate enough to play as a weaponsmith during beta so I hit the ground running at launch. I begam stockpiling resources straight away knowing that when i hit master I would need them. As was mentioned tho, just price your weapons accordingly.

Corede's One Stop Gun Shop Corona Prime - Naboo

Sliced Weapons at Ketflair industries Theed -5500 5500

Soar

Mon Jan 26, 2004 6:08 pm

#6

SdDarktide wrote:
I was fortunate enough to play as a weaponsmith during beta so I hit the ground running at launch. I begam stockpiling resources straight away knowing that when i hit master I would need them. As was mentioned tho, just price your weapons accordingly.

Wow, there are so few of you guys left around now. I missed the first few months myself. Most of the oldest resources have been rolled over now, but a few really nice ones are still holding up on my server

The thing with being a weaponsmith is it is not a dabbler-able proffesion. You either are or you aren't, or you are really bad at it. I hope that all crafting proffesions will be this way eventually. The set-up allows for the very wide spread of quality we have here, visible even on a single server.

Skedoozy

Mon Jan 26, 2004 10:59 pm

#7

You collected all that stuff in 6 hours? hehe

U Skedoozy - Weaponsmith/Architect/Artisan/Merchant k
Skedoozy Mart - Weapons, Architectual Items, Smuggler Goods
Juganoth Valley, Tatooine - Chilastra. Waypoint -6615 -4790

++ Krusos Darksun - Master Smuggler/Master TK/Pirate ++

Anjinquaw

Tue Jan 27, 2004 3:52 am

#8

I made Master last week . No reality has really set in. I worked two days just to get the resources for 700 mines. Geez I see why not many sell them. I have been looking for a specific reactive gas for about 3 weeks now. Of course you know what Im talking about, irolumn , and have been unable to find it on Kauri server. Nobody has it for sale. Its nowhere in thegalaxy on the Bazzar and i havent seen it spawn at any quality. Well to me it just keep things interesting. I have found other ways to make millions really fast but if thats all my game experience was , I'd be gone ion a week. This is a challenge indeed, but I'm looking forward to it. If I can hold off the newbies that want a "Max Damage Krayt Republic blaster" for just a while longer I'll be ok. Good luck to you. I kow you are right when you say its not for everyone.

Anjin

AbelDamodred

Tue Jan 27, 2004 5:56 am

#9

I slowly grinded, built up my customer base slowly but surely. Though the best thing i have found is similar to your M.O. - Sell at high quantity to a master mechant.

I sell my weapons, a bit cheaper, in bulk. So lets say i normally charge 10k for laser carnines under 4.0 speed. To my retailers, i charke 7.5 or 8k. So i make 80k on a crate of ten, and the vendor can turn around, and sell them for 11k, or even 12(in the bestine/anchorhead hub, people will buy anything)

Valcyn - Jahar Narishma
Mastered Marksman - Weaponsmith - Brawler - Architect
Future Combat Medic

Deathrobe

Tue Jan 27, 2004 8:24 am

#10

Ive been a master weaponsmith since july i would like to add my 2cents..

I welcome everyone who gets into this proffession, people outside this proffession have no idea what goes into just to be competive

Then we come to the fun part customers..

either everyone wants stuff for free, or they give you a hard time for not having what joe smoe down the street has...

i make 3 different quality graded weapons..

General all-purpose (cheap weapons)

better then average

great ( reserved for my most loyal customers, friends and guildmates..)

First know this guns degrade insanely fast what does this mean? It means we command the market.. Sure there are alot of us but let me tell you guns get destroyed so fast, that i cant keep my vendors stocked long

ive slowly raised my prices

i was charging about 3k for a scout blaster , when the demand is very high i crank that up to about 6 or 7k.

(note other weaponsmiths charge way more then me, but then again at times i charge way more then them..)

In regards to resources i am still using some earlier spawn stuff, on my server (starsider) some miners and ex-weaponsmiths sell there resources for incredible amount of money...

Let me give everyone a bit of good advice on becoming rich and playing casually

FIrst things first STOCK PILE RESOURCES DURING YOUR GRIND ITS A MUST

get 2 factories atleast.. and make crates of all your basic weapons.. the fast movers.. get like a 100 weapons for sale..

then switch to making everything else by hand, heres why u keep track of your resources better plus you get a better feel how to make a good gun..

LET ME DEBUG A myth that alot of smiths hide behind (I have the best resources on the server)

so what who cares really .. i have endura steel with 1000 shock i also have another duraloy steel , which i forget the name of 960 shock...

once i had the various ingredients there is no difference in final results using either..

also the way you place your points makes a difference you dont belive me thats fine your lost....

Let me tell you what makes a good weaponsmith from a great weaponsmith..

a good weaponsmith will supply what you want and make you happy for the moment..

a great weaponsmith will always be a weaponsmith.. I never intend on dropping weaponsmith... i like it too much its a great source of money and great way to meet people..

my vendors have never been empty,

which is why im glad the devs are thinking of a better way to become a jedi, because i didnt plan on abandoning the people who depend on me for there weapon needs... just to open the jedi slot ( which by the way i would like to do) but decided to sacrifice it for my customers..

you lasted 6hours.. I have news for you there are dozens of smiths out there who couldnt make a gun to save there life..

damage is important, range is important, efficiency is important

weaponsmithing is a great proffession but its not for everyone especially holo-grinders because you guys miss the whole point of crafting and business.... so thanks for visting my proffession

anyhow i just wanted to drop my 2 cents i have no real point good luck

cpcosmo

Tue Jan 27, 2004 2:03 pm

#11

hear hear...

MWS is not easy - no one claimed it was. When the last good spawn of Ostrine Carbonite Ore popped on Kettemoor (mid summer) I was there with less than $20K to my name and 6 personal BER 1 mineral harvs. I am still drawing from that small stock of ore - about 24K left now.

I am a life long MWS....and I learn something new about the craft and art every day.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Malvito of The Dune Sea
Master Weaponsmith, Twilight's End, Naboo
Please people....send email.
Kettemoor (The Roleplaying Server)

RaiCella

Wed Jan 28, 2004 1:59 am

#12

I just want to add that although this profession was on my holo didnt make me a "hologrinder"

I had planned to stay Master Smug/Master Weaponsmith for a very long time, and spent a month getting there instead of the 3 days it could have taken if I was just grinding.

I really wanted to do it right, and invested a lot of time and energy to learn what I did about the profession. My biggest problem was that It would have taken me another 6 month to be able to make the sort of weapons that I am currently selling to my customers. I do not have a newbie client base, but a high-end one. I was unable to make the sort of weapons I can sell.

I could have, eventually... I see several weaponsmiths whose work continually improves... It's just that doing so would have taken over not just my game time but my REAL LIFE as well for the next several months. That was too much to ask of me.

Anyways, thanks again for your comments, and I hope that those who proceed down this path are more comitted to it than I was.

Rai Cella
The Master Smuggler of Tusken's Bane

The Hidden Fist: Fight Club and Black Market
Spices/Sliced Weapons/Slicer Tools/ & More

Just outside of Tusken's Bane, Tatooine
(-4811, -5652)

Arrya

Wed Jan 28, 2004 9:31 am

#13

Nice Post

I think that most of the time, it really takes about 2 good months of resource collecting to get up to par with most of the good WS out there. If some particular resource is really being stingy though, it could take you a little longer for a particular item. A WS does have to stockpile ridiculous amounts of resources though - managing all those and trying to plan your mining and pricing so that you don't run out is probably one of the biggest challenges for the profession.

For newcomers, one thing I would recommend is to specialize. Start gathering all the resources, but if you cannot get high quality stuff for particular weapons, just don't make it. You can still be very profitable only selling a couple different kinds of weapons, and you can expand as you go and build up your resource collection.

_______________________________________________________
Arsenal
The little green Napoleon
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