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So I'm at the point in the game where I've reached 3* requirements + 3 specialist classes (WVR/LTW/GSM) and I was wondering whether it's worth investing in an alt? Particularly to avoid buying materials (e.g. Luminous - and whatever else they decide for upcoming patch)
Those that have invested in an alt, has it been worth it thus far? and will it be worth it with upcoming patch and possibly next expansion?
Probably not worth it if you're leveling a whole new character through the story and gearing up their crafters from scratch (and worse, melding them *shudder*) JUST for that.
I have an alt character with crafting leveled and a couple specialists I didn't have, but it was really just a "I have this character anyway so I may as well", thing. Having to get alchemy, carpenter, and cul up for the cross class abilities and then melding stuff all over again was really annoying.
An ALT does give "additional daily limits" for things such as Beast Tribe items or Roulette bonuses. The benefit of an ALT is only realised with significant spare time.
It's time consuming to have an alt, but more inventory if you love crafting. You can work at over time.
My wife and I have enjoyed leveling our two (each) alts. If you don't enjoy it, you may be better off spending the time making gil, and then buying whatever you can't make yourself.
Imo it makes sense when you need more inventory space and retainers for selling things, but it will never pay off as a way to get 3 more specializations. Going for an alt for more specializations means you still need to bring most if not all of the crafters to 50, 3 to 60, then spend 25+ mil worth to fully gear and overmeld at least your three specializations, and you'd have to regear twice as many characters as new patches occur. The only way you could recoup the cost and make more profit this way is if you craft an insane amount.. I am guessing like 5+ hours a day every day.
A better way is to simply befriend other crafters who can make the things you lack. You spend less time making ingredients and finished products blocked by specialization requirements, and allocate that time to making the ingredients and finished products that you are able to make, and the end result would be very similar amount of labor to profit ratio.
I have some friends who make me luminous fiber, I get it at 10-30% lower than marketboard prices. On Cactuar server, many of the alchemists doing luminous fiber have to gather their own because they can often LOSE money by buying the raw ingredients instead of the finished HQ luminous fibers from the marketboard. Because of this, it often makes it pointless to have alchemist specialization without gatherers on my server. Just FYI so you check mb on your server to see if it is even worth going alchemist specialist without gatherers.
If you are doing it to save gil, ask yourself a question - if you spent the time to level and meld the alt crafting, wouldn't you make more gil with less effort?
I would suggest finding an eternal bond partner with different specialists, even if you have to power leve them, it's a better option than the alt in my opinion.
If you enjoy being self-sufficient and have time on your hands, I say go for it.
If you absolutely can't stand the idea of ever buying something off the Marketboards, then yeah, it's worthwhile.
Otherwise, no. If there's something you want that you can't make because it's a specialization you don't have, make some stuff that you DO specialize in, sell it, and use the money to buy the item you want.
What I've started doing is hoarding Soul of the Crafter tokens. If I want to make gear/items from a specific specialist, I simply use one to switch and eventually switch back if I ever have the need.