Worst fears about specialist crafting are realized

[Rock_Biter]

I think this is fantastic! I was hoping they would change the system and make it so not everyone was an omni-crafter.

[Silverbane]

My wife and I have already split the Crafting jobs between us, just to make best use of MHs and OHs available. Unless there's some need to Specialize as a CUL or ALC, we're set.

Don't have a spouse or BFF who plays FFXIV with you 40+ hours a week?
Then get one!

BTW, I'm "the spouse." She's the one who got me playing FFXIV.

[Ibi]

I kind of agree and understand the purpose. On my server there is one person who pretty much took over the whole market. Anything that sells high he is in there selling and if you try to sell the same item he just undercuts till everyone stops and raise the price super high. He must play all the time and watch the market all the time. I think this helps the market too get prices up on some stuff.

If someone's willing to invest that much time into making sure they're on top of the market at all times, leveling an alt (or two) so that they still have access to all the specialties isn't even going to make them flinch.

You'll get a brief window (since they likely have the funds to power level an alt's DoH to 60 in no time, so getting a battle class to 50 to access Ishgard is the only thing that will slow them down) where they're slightly limited, but then it'll be back to the status quo again. Actually, even worse, because now they have access to all the recipes via their alts, where anyone who already didn't have the time to compete with them is now restricted to three specialties.

[SendohJin]

Then let me say it another way: why are you comparing our complaint...

Cause these two started it ...

Time to force battle classes into specializations too - only fair.

I wonder how well people would take if they could only utilize three job stones at a time for combat classes. Sure, you could trade them about, but it'd probably require the current high-end tomes to really hammer it in.

If you want to make direct comparisons, then start making them.

i can do Red Crafter Scrips on every DoH job without specialization. i can farm Esoterics on any DoW/DoM job as well without Savage or Esoterics gear.

anything more advanced than those, if you need to gear specifically towards those for the 6 month patch cycle, so be it.

that's the direct comparison.

[Nashred]

If someone's willing to invest that much time into making sure they're on top of the market at all times, leveling an alt (or two) so that they still have access to all the specialties isn't even going to make them flinch.

You'll get a brief window (since they likely have the funds to power level an alt's DoH to 60 in no time, so getting a battle class to 50 to access Ishgard is the only thing that will slow them down) where they're slightly limited, but then it'll be back to the status quo again. Actually, even worse, because now they have access to all the recipes via their alts, where anyone who already didn't have the time to compete with them is now restricted to three specialties.

Probably true. There are always those that will play the system. But you only quoted part of what I said. I kind of understand both sides of this.
I mean what is the real answer to this?
People want crafting to be worth something.

I think part of the problem is everything is not need or handed to you in FFXIV.
In FFXI alchemy had prism powders, sneak oils because people needed them.
Food was used by all classes in FFXI, I barely see anyone take food in FFXIV except crafters.
Carpenter could make arrows in FFXI because they needed to buy them, in this game they are unlimited.
In FFXI most the time no matter what level or what craft there was something you could make sell to make money or at least break even. In FFXIV there is little worth anything and everyone fighting to sell the same thing.
People can say what ever they want aobut what SE is doing here but what is the answer? how do you fix it?

[Mindy_Macready]

My wife and I have already split the Crafting jobs between us, just to make best use of MHs and OHs available. Unless there's some need to Specialize as a CUL or ALC, we're set.

Don't have a spouse or BFF who plays FFXIV with you 40+ hours a week?
Then get one!

BTW, I'm "the spouse." She's the one who got me playing FFXIV.

You're literally the anecdotal evidence, the corner case. Not everybody SO/BFF wants to become a crafter.

What happens if your SO/BFF/crafting buddy takes a break from the game? Or can't play for some reason or another?

[Thunda_Cat_SMASH]

I will never understand people that want to play an mmo like a solo game.

[Mindy_Macready]

I will never understand people that want to play an mmo like a solo game.

No offense, but your understanding of "people that want to play an mmo like a solo game" isn't really required, desired, or sought-after regarding specialist crafts being a poor direction for the game to go, because that's not what (most) people who think it sucks are actually arguing.

[Gyson]

I will never understand people that want to play an mmo like a solo game.

And I will never understand why some people think every aspect of an MMO needs to be a group activity.

I'm not sure what's with the implications that crafting needed the addition of a social aspect to begin with. If you wanted to add a social aspect into your crafting there was nothing stopping you from reaching out to other crafters and doing it. How is it a good thing when a game forces an unwanted activity onto a player?

When I want to be social with the community, I turn to raids, dungeons, FATES, hunts, guild chat, this forum, etc. When I want to quietly do my own thing, I turned to crafting because it was the union of two things I enjoy: crafting, and quiet-me-time. So, please explain why I should be excited that crafting now also requires a level of social interaction as well? Because I'm really feeling like I lost an option and playstyle choice here.

Also, why do we keep pretending like interacting with the community is this wildly desirable activity every MMO player wants? Because I'm really not feeling the love for community interaction whenever I look at a majority of threads on the FFXIV forums. Seems more like people want as little to do with each other as possible, yet people keep talking about community interaction like we've all taken leave of our senses and it's this appealing selling point.

[Slateboard]

Forced Social Activity is the worst kind. I prefer to let that stuff build organically.