Cheaper and Easiser to make ammo?

[Oddwaffle]

There aren't that many people level Rangers anymore. Even people with Rangers aren't using them. This makes the high level ammo market for Rangers pretty dead. Anything above demon arrows and silver bullets level are pretty much non-existence or just over priced. It's obvious because there are very few buyers so craftsmen aren't making them.

People who want to level Rangers will usually have to make their own ammo if they want the best possible ammo. My attempt to make the new ammo for myself has proven to be overly difficult as well. Not only I need multiple crafts at high level (ex: Antlion Arrow) that I will not have if I already have a high level craft, I also need decently high synergy skill to make them effectively - this makes a high level crafting mule pretty useless.

Perhaps SE should consider lowering the difficulty of ammo making? From Arrow, Bolt heads and ingots to arrow wood; those materials craft level should also be lowered to a reasonable level that you don't have to get a new mule to level.

[Catsby]

The difficulty behind higher level ammo is a tremendous error. Once a ninja or dark knight equips their weapon they don't need to worry about getting a new one after 100 swings so why do Rangers need to drop 100k for a stack of bullets?

[RabidSquirrel]

The difficulty behind higher level ammo is a tremendous error. Once a ninja or dark knight equips their weapon they don't need to worry about getting a new one after 100 swings so why do Rangers need to drop 100k for a stack of bullets?

Not sure why you chose ninja in your example. Additional tool cost is as close as any other job gets to an additional ammo cost.

[Urthdigger]

And some ninja use shuriken.

[Catsby]

because the cost of tools is laughable when compared to ammo.

[Urthdigger]

...not really? Past Demon Arrows, there just aren't very many on the AH to begin with. On my server at least, demon arrows are 7k a stack. Tsurara and Kodoku are the only ones cheaper (and Shihei is slightly cheaper, if not gotten as toolbags).

That said, I'm not sure why antlion arrows are so nonexistant. 2 colibri feathers, one bone chip, one antlion jaw, and 6 arrowwood logs are enough base materials to make 6 stacks of arrows. And that's assuming you only NQ everything. And outside of the antlion jaws, none of these should be difficult to get. The only thing that I think could be an issue is lack of crafters, as you'd need enough clothcraft for the fletchings, bonecrafting for the arrowheads, and synergy, bonecrafting, and woodworking for the final synth. Can you really not find ANY woodworkers, bonecrafters, or clothcrafters on your server?

I'm just trying to make some sense of the OP... are you asking that they not make anything worthwhile that requires over level 60 in a craft?

[Tagrineth]

Part of the problem is that modern RNGs don't have Woodworking leveled, so modern Woodworkers are maintaining at least partial profit on the arrows.

But you've gotta keep one thing in mind. RNGs hit hard for what they're paying. For example, with Antlion Arrows (D:41) and... say... a Vision Bow (D:97), RNGs are effectively firing a weapon with 138 base damage. With Gandiva you're looking at 144 base.

It's even sillier when you look at guns - a Bedlam (D:51) plus Dweomer Bullet (D:90) nets 141. Bump that up to an Armageddon (D:64) and you're looking at a whopping 154 base.

Even a 90 Apocalypse - the highest base dmg is on Scythes - you "only" hit 140.

Is it enough of a difference to merit the kind of price RNG currently have to pay? Probably not, but it isn't entirely without merit.


edit: Also, pdif caps (MUCH) higher for ranged attacks than it does for normal weaponry.

[Raksha]

The reeason why antlion arrows are scarce is because they are synergy and not regular synthesis. So you have to find a synergist, a woodworker, and a bonecrafter in order to make any. I'm willing to bet ppl who have synergy leveled are busy making loads of gil on other stuff to want to bother with arrows.

RNGs have always payed for their damage, and they have always been able to put out high numbers, but these days my non-emp RNG gets outdmged by my non-emp DNC.

[Sparthos]

It isn't Synergy alone, its the fact that new ammo uses absurdly difficult items.

Antlion Jaw are rare drops off Antlions.
Oberon Bullets require a Campaign drop.
Fusion Bolts use ore mined solely in a CoP zone.
Dark Adaman requires Darksteel and Adaman ores.
Dweomer Bullets require a Campaign drop.

Unless you go out of your way to farm these, GL ever being able to find a stack for a reasonable price. Theres nothing wrong with paying for ammo but when a single stack is ~30k-80k, its ridiculous.

[Raksha]

FFXIAH shows ~5 Antlion Jaws sold per day on our server, and almost all of them are bought by that bot who buys stuff then NPCs it, so less that vendor price. Not a phenomenal supply but doesnt seem like materials are the bottleneck (for antlion arrows).