Crafting, macros and you!
Hello everyone~ I've been fielding a lot of questions in my linkshell about the most effective way to level crafts; so far I have 5 at cap and I haven't quite lost my mind yet, but I'm getting there... XD
I was asked about crafting macros once and I was curious so I decided to see if I could make some; and much to my delight I found that you can, and here's where this little guide comes in.
**** Pre-warning: This is not botting, this is not even fully autonomous, you do have to sit, and pay attention and babysit it at all times. In no way do I endorse botting, cheats or anything of the sort. This guide is merely here to get your button presses per craft from 15+ to around 2 per grind synth. If you are looking for something fully autonomous, you won't find it here and you should feel bad >:O****
My main problem with crafting is that it was easy for me to hit the wrong skill and completely screw my rhythm up; this is not a fault with the system however, it is my own fault for being too easily distracted... and now with a couple of well thought out macros I can overcome that.
You need to write the macros on a per-synth basis; this is only suitable for grinding out xp, so if you've got like 400 batches of megapotions to make, it's going to cut down your time a little and make it a bit easier. If you're trying to HQ a specific item, then it is best that you complete the synth manually.
The timing of macros is key:
/wait 2 between buffs
/wait 3 between synthesis actions (touches, synthesis etc)
Key skills:
Careful synthesis: WVR 15 = Increses progress, Success rate 100%. (The lv50 version has an efficiency of 120% which is really nice, but this takes out the 'chance' aspect of progression.
Hasty Touch: CUL 15 = Has a 50% chance to increase Quality without spending CP
Waste Not: LTW 15 = Reduces Durability loss by 50% for the next 4 steps (the lv 50 version will reduce durability loss for the next 8 steps, which is pretty darn sweet).
Great Strides: Any craft - Lv21 = Doubles the effects of the next 'touch' action
Inner Quiet: Any craft - Lv11 = Grants a bonus to control with every increase in quality. (This is really nice for boosting the quality of your items, and quality = more xp!)
Now for the macro: ***Make a note of exactly everything you do and the order you do it in. This will become your macro ***
The order I buff in is:
Inner quiet > Great Strides > Waste not. This will make sure you get the absolute max out of Waste Not because it goes on a per-step basis and every action you take = 1 step.
You'll now want to use your best 'touch' action, which will be either basic, standard or advanced touch depending on your level and CP remaining.
Next:
Use Careful synthesis (I or II) and count how many times it gets you to 'near' completion. You want to stop progress 1 action short of completing.
Then:
Use hasty touch until you have durability left for one action, and to finish off, use Careful synthesis to net 100% completion.
Now's time to write it up: you'll need a minimum of two macros. ALL crafting actions are written in this format: /ac "Action Name" <me>
Your Macro should look something like this:
/ac "Inner Quiet" <me>
/wait 2
/ac "Great Strides" <me>
/wait 2
/ac "Waste Not II" <me>
/wait 2
/ac "Standard Touch" <me>
/wait 3
/ac "Careful Synthesis II" <me>
/wait 3
/ac "Careful Synthesis II" <me>
/wait 3
/ac "Careful Synthesis II" <me>
/wait 3
/ac "Hasty Touch" <me>
The next should look something like this:
/ac "Hasty Touch" <me>
/wait 3
/ac "Hasty Touch" <me>
/wait 3
/ac "Careful Synthesis II" <me>
(This is a direct copy of my macro for my current grindsynth which is Mahogany lumber - 40 Durability with 100% success rate.)
This macro is by no means perfect, it is always better to manually synth so if you have skills like Byregot's etc you can pump out quality like a pro! But if you're having a lazy day and that pile of 400 hides feels a little too daunting, then macro away!
I hope this helps; please remember that these macros MUST be written on a per-synth basis, there is no one-size fits all macro that will magically poof your items into HQ. Work with your current skillset and see how you can push quality and progress efficiently.
You can't leave this unattended; you must pay attention at all times and even though it's macropressing, it still requires a little leg work on your part. Please respect the ToS if you do use my macro method.