Synergy ruined crafting for me

[Felren]

A long long time ago, I decided to level smithing, and invested time into it and expected something back from it. I got a decent profit synthing haubergeon+1s and a few other things, and I was happy with my investment paying off.

Then there was a very long period in which crafting was neglected.... not many new gear synths were added, and most synths that were popular were for salvage mats. The benefits of being a high-level crafter around ToAU/WoTG lessened more and more.

And then came a slap in the face for people that spent millions of gil and/or many hours leveling their profession to a high level- Synergy

The basic idea of Synergy I do find sort of cool- combining the skills of multiple craftsmen together to make something better than the craftsmen could make seperate. However, this isn't all Synergy was used for.

Most of the new synthesis since Synergy was added have been Synergy ones. Yes.... some of these require a high-end level craftsman in your party standing next to the furnace, but there are only a few synergy that take two crafts above 60.. this means there are many synergy synthesis that could easily have been non-synergy synths, or could have at least had a non-synergy equal synth added as well. Due to this, I'm finding myself not using my blacksmithing at all anymore... If I wanted to use it, I'd have to level synergy, or find a synergist.

And I hate using and leveling synergy... It uses one of FFXI's (and FFXIV's) biggest weakpoints, the clunky NPC interface. I've tried to level it, I've tried to push through it, but its boring and I refuse to try it anymore. I'd much rather not touch synergy again than having hopes of making my blacksmithing useful again.

So since synergy has been added, crafting has been ruined for me. Every old synth is becoming obsolete, flooded, and only a few have a profit now. This happens while Synergy gets nearly every new synthesis that is of any use whatsoever. I could even understand of most armor being synergy, but its not only that, its EVERYTHING. Even new ammo is synergy only, even though the other crafting requirements may be minimal. I feel like this is a huge slap in the face to non-synergy professions.

The only thing that could really be done to make this less annoying is to make non-synergy equivalent synthesis for synergys that dont require 2 60+ crafting levels.

[Bhujerba]

I miss crafting , the only thing i still craft is guild point items...
menu dancing is silly >.> and it gets old pretty fast, if you just want to level Synergy, don't bother doing anything else just feed your furnace to oblivion!

[Claquesous]

I agree completely.

Another point is that even Synergy gear pales in comparison to Empyrean gear which seems much easier to obtain.

[Crazze]

I completely agree with the OP I have been a long time artisan of the FFXI crafts and even through the less profitable times I have really enjoyed it all.

That was until synergy. I absolutely hate this system and am enraged that it is getting the ability to augment items which will make it even more important to skill up and use.

This system is a major let down to the artisans and in my opinion a failure to the community. I know many people that crafted, and continue to craft occasionally but it is not the same. Again I will agree with the OP and say every time I see new crafts are added and that they are always synergy only it is like a swift kick to the groin.

Instead of adding more to the system I wish they would either improve it first or just do away with it. Oh and delete the whole evolith system while you are at it.

[SheKicksHigh]

I agree delete synergy from the game and raise crafting caps above 100.
and augs i think maybe make that a separate craft where you trade someone your armor to get an enchant put on it

[xbobx]

Synergy was a slap in the face to all high level crafters. It should be removed from the game. All it was, was another time sink to throw in the game to keep us from paying, instead of adding any real content at that time.

It destroyed things like ammo etc.

[Redfrost]

I agree with these postings 100% and to me the only thing synergy has really accomplished is to screw up each servers economy by having 2-4 people blowing the market up for items that can only be done with "synergy". It has ruined any Veteran's craft unless they have also leveled synergy. It benefits people who have never crafted at a Veteran level (or any level for that matter), but in all honesty I would rather spend all of my time and gil crafting all of the other crafts that ever have to touch synergy.

[Nephilipitou]

I must be the only person that disagrees. I hate the old methods of crafting to an extent. I hate losing every single item in a synth and having to try again. I can be a bit more risky with synergy synths. If I want to make antlion arrows I get 1 stack per synth and up to 3 per synth for an HQ. I don't have to have EVERY single thing up to lvl 60 or higher I can find people to help me out.

What's even more important is imagine going to go and upgrade Homan's gear in the new synergy stuff that they are doing, and you synth fail and OOOPS! Go aquire a new Homan's piece. Try it again.

It's nice to have something new to play with, you don't have to level synergy, just get it, and pay high level synergists to help you out. Fewell is cheaper in a lot of cases than getting all new items when ever a synth utterly fails and you lose everything.

But honestly don't take my word for it. Continue to hate synergy. Less competition will work in my favor.

[Arkanethered]

As a 100+ Crafter and a 70+ Synergist I can agree that I really dislike the system. While interesting for augmenting gear it was and is a slap to the face of anyone who invested a lot of gil and effort into their craft. I honestly don't mind synergy augmenting old items but being the only source of profitable items is just ridiculous.

[Redfrost]

I must be the only person that disagrees. I hate the old methods of crafting to an extent. I hate losing every single item in a synth and having to try again. I can be a bit more risky with synergy synths. If I want to make antlion arrows I get 1 stack per synth and up to 3 per synth for an HQ. I don't have to have EVERY single thing up to lvl 60 or higher I can find people to help me out.

What's even more important is imagine going to go and upgrade Homan's gear in the new synergy stuff that they are doing, and you synth fail and OOOPS! Go aquire a new Homan's piece. Try it again.

It's nice to have something new to play with, you don't have to level synergy, just get it, and pay high level synergists to help you out. Fewell is cheaper in a lot of cases than getting all new items when ever a synth utterly fails and you lose everything.

But honestly don't take my word for it. Continue to hate synergy. Less competition will work in my favor.

You probably never really crafted to make real items did you? Or really even know what this topic is about. This isn't about "failing on upgrading an item" This is about how there were absolutely no synths for dedicated crafters besides through synergy. Of course it is nice to have something new to play with, but at the expense of years and vast amounts of gil? No chance.

"But honestly don't take my word for it. Continue to hate synergy. Less competition will work in my favor. " So you're one of the few people on Phoenix making 100mil a month off synergy? I think not, so plz stop.