My question for the Crafting Q&A

[Wynn]

There are far more effective ways for SE to stabilize the economy than taking away the crafter's ability to level.

[SHJcules]

Putting the economy aside for a moment, I feel there are a few other reasons why we should consider a craft limiting system, that some people may overlook.

Crafting as it is now, is generally pretty easy and painless to level. It is really just a time sink, and not a ton of cost or market manipulation is involved. Leves alone provide with you enough materials and shards that you can take it as slow or fast as you fancy. When/if the crafting cap is raised, and servers become populated again, there will be a good number of hardcores around and people with time to burn, people that can very feasibly cap every craft they want to.

But look at casual Joe six-pack gamer, his only dream is to make high level and high quality skimpy leather equipment for his friends, his ls, and to sell for profit, this being his main source of income. He devotes half of his in game time to leveling this craft pretty much, so he can reach the cap and make a name for himself, a master in his craft of choice. Hoards of hardcores beat him to the punch though, and as his dream comes true, he feels all but totally empty inside.

The people with the time to max all crafts will have total market power, and too much of an advantage I feel. You cannot really compare it to maxing all battle classes, because DoW work together with each other, whereas crafting is more of a rivalry. Someone with all DoW classes maxed is an asset to have for any group! and can't really, in any way, make other players feel so obsolete.

This is mainly a concern for the future. As we sit now, all caps at 50 is fine to me! There is little in game content atm, so people who want to invest the time and effort in leveling all crafts should definitely be rewarded as such. But I would hope later on, that maxing a craft is a huge LS party worthy accomplishment, and makes you stand out a little more.

I'm not saying everyone here is wrong I am right! all points bought up are good ones, this is just some food for thought going forward

[Physic]

Putting the economy aside for a moment, I feel there are a few other reasons why we should consider a craft limiting system, that some people may overlook.

Crafting as it is now, is generally pretty easy and painless to level. It is really just a time sink, and not a ton of cost or market manipulation is involved. Leves alone provide with you enough materials and shards that you can take it as slow or fast as you fancy. When/if the crafting cap is raised, and servers become populated again, there will be a good number of hardcores around and people with time to burn, people that can very feasibly cap every craft they want to.

But look at casual Joe six-pack gamer, his only dream is to make high level and high quality skimpy leather equipment for his friends, his ls, and to sell for profit, this being his main source of income. He devotes half of his in game time to leveling this craft pretty much, so he can reach the cap and make a name for himself, a master in his craft of choice. Hoards of hardcores beat him to the punch though, and as his dream comes true, he feels all but totally empty inside.

The people with the time to max all crafts will have total market power, and too much of an advantage I feel. You cannot really compare it to maxing all battle classes, because DoW work together with each other, whereas crafting is more of a rivalry. Someone with all DoW classes maxed is an asset to have for any group! and can't really, in any way, make other players feel so obsolete.

This is mainly a concern for the future. As we sit now, all caps at 50 is fine to me! There is little in game content atm, so people who want to invest the time and effort in leveling all crafts should definitely be rewarded as such. But I would hope later on, that maxing a craft is a huge LS party worthy accomplishment, and makes you stand out a little more.

I'm not saying everyone here is wrong I am right! all points bought up are good ones, this is just some food for thought going forward

So what if they can cap every craft? does it matter? Is it really going to be any different if 1 LS of different specialized crafters pimp the whole server, or 1 LS of crafter of everything pimp the server? the server is still pimped.

Its just jealousy, the only fact of import is sub skills, but if they dont make them go past 60 for effectiveness, it will be virtually the same.

and yes battle types with multiple jobs at 50 have an advantage, they can cherry pick the most useful skills, and adapt to almost any situation. they have all the IIs, some IIIs, they have all the special traits, and all bonus to subjob skills. So yes, they are getting an advantage.

Esseintially people want to limit crafting, not because its too much power, its just jealousy, they dont like the idea someone can do everything they can, and more, they want less competition. They want to only have to take one job high level to be equal to someone else. Its just not the way the game is in any discipline, why should it be different in crafting?


I see no tangible benefit to limiting people from multi crafts.

[SHJcules]

^I agree, it is partially a problem of jealously. Jealous of the people with all that power. SE wishes to bridge the gap between casual and hardcore in XIV, and I feel this mentality is here to stay. Someone with only enough time to master one craft, would definitely feel jealous, as well as disheartened, if they saw a slew of people maxing everything by psuedo-afk crafting and watching netflix in the background with their mountains of free time. That could ruin a lot of enjoyment in crafting for people, and make it not even feel worth the effort.

Also yes, having multiple 50 battle classes can make someone crazy powerful, in comparison to someone playing their single highest class in a group, at the moment. I see this and it seems SE sees this too as a problem, and I think large changes are headed our way because of thing such as this. I predict one way in the form of these superpowered classes shining in solo play, so that group play welcomes all with a more even playing field.

The tangible effect, aside from the severe lack of accomplishment people will feel, is potentially hurting the casuals means to compete in the market and make their virtual living. Also, I think by making people choose, it will increase comrade-re and make crafters more reliant on each-other, as others are on crafters, so they all become even more important and indispensable to Eorzea.

[KaiKatzchen]

So what if they can cap every craft? does it matter? Is it really going to be any different if 1 LS of different specialized crafters pimp the whole server, or 1 LS of crafter of everything pimp the server? the server is still pimped.

Have to agree... if someone (or a group of people) really want to control or manipulate the economy that bad they will find a way, with or without a 'limit' on how many crafts someone can take to cap. If there is a cap, they will just make sure 1 person has every single craft to cap in the group and do what they want with the economy as a group.

There will always be people who want to do something just for gil, but a lot of (at least that I know) crafters do it just to help people and because they enjoy it, like myself. I also don't think that putting a cap on crafting will help the economy, we need more money sinks and some time in the game to stabilize the economy. New MMO's don't magically have a balanced economy, it's something that has to be created as the game is out longer and longer. The games that I have played from start, usually it seems that things usually balance out in about a year-ish with a new MMO. Also I think it will take longer for FFXIV to stabilize due to the fact that we are still basically in a type of beta and we don't have a stable amount of people playing, and people keep coming and going.

I don't know about jealousy... maybe some people are jealous of those who enjoy crafting because they don't, don't no clue. All the people that I know who don't like crafting seem happy not to do it, and seem happy to have crafters in the LS who are willing to help them out if needed.

So as said before... I don't agree with capping crafting. If people want to be hardcore players and rank up all their fighting classes to 50 then more power to them! If I choose to be a hardcore crafter and I want to take all my crafts to 50 because I enjoy doing it, then don't tell me I shouldn't be able to and it should be capped.

[Physic]

^I agree, it is partially a problem of jealously. Jealous of the people with all that power. SE wishes to bridge the gap between casual and hardcore in XIV, and I feel this mentality is here to stay. Someone with only enough time to master one craft, would definitely feel jealous, as well as disheartened, if they saw a slew of people maxing everything by psuedo-afk crafting and watching netflix in the background with their mountains of free time. That could ruin a lot of enjoyment in crafting for people, and make it not even feel worth the effort.

Also yes, having multiple 50 battle classes can make someone crazy powerful, in comparison to someone playing their single highest class in a group, at the moment. I see this and it seems SE sees this too as a problem, and I think large changes are headed our way because of thing such as this. I predict one way in the form of these superpowered classes shining in solo play, so that group play welcomes all with a more even playing field.

The tangible effect, aside from the severe lack of accomplishment people will feel, is potentially hurting the casuals means to compete in the market and make their virtual living. Also, I think by making people choose, it will increase comrade-re and make crafters more reliant on each-other, as others are on crafters, so they all become even more important and indispensable to Eorzea.

If subcrafts get limited to 60, as in the highest subcraft you need is 60, then what huge advantage does a crafter with 10 crafts at 100 have over someone with 1 at a hundred and everything at 60 in that particular craft? nothing. the fact that he can make other things is irrelevant. most people will not want to take every craft to 100.

basically what your saying is exactly the same as if they made you pick only one battle class to level to top, your same reasoning applies, they are more valuable to a ls, they can play any role the party needs. even if they limit class uniqueness, the fact remains if you leveled it to cap, you can still whip it out on the hard dungeons.

They basically have made this a one charachter game, you work with one charachter and build that. what your saying would probably only generate crafting alts as a way of life. for hardcore crafters, and thats the only people who are going to take many crafts to cap.

[Mikita]

I do not want to see limitations put on crafting levels.

I know a lot of people with multiple crafts at 50 or in their high 40's, and I can honestly say that neither I nor any my friends are doing it to get rich.

Mostly people actually enjoy making things, want to be able to give gifts to their friends, or perform repairs -- and very few of these people ask for money in return.

As for the economy, things seem to be fairly stable on my server (of course others may not feel that way) despite having a lot of high level crafters. I can usually find what I want at reasonable prices. Or if I can't find what I want, I know who to talk to in order to obtain it. ^^