Is YOUR server this way?

[Bearforce]

Lately since Yoshida has been changing so much regarding crafters (sticking them in a backseat) I've seen a drastic decrease in the crafters found on my server. Usually you could enter Ul'dah and find the streets littered with them. These days I see more people idling around than even crafting. It's quieter than usual aside from the random shouts for a party, and synthesis requests go unanswered. Prices for items have made a drastic increase too.

Being an archer I rely on arrows for my damage, on Besaid the price of Cobalt Arrows is 150G per single arrow. I've gathered up the materials on my own and spent a good chunk of time shouting for a carpenter to create them. No response, and this hasn't been the first time. I can spend up to an hour or more doing shouts for a simple materia melding and having all the goods on hand and ready. Yet most often there's no replies, no responses. So I'm wondering, is this the same on the other servers? Besaid was supposed to have had the most talkative community if I recall when the game came about, now it's more silent than before.

EDIT: And it's not just me that's had the problem. I saw one guy doing shouts for a repair and materia melding with a generous reward, two hours later I came back and he was still shouting. I ended up asking a friend I knew to come do it for him. With a community like this I can only fret the game's going to be a ghost town before 2.0 hits.

either your server is dead like mine or carpenters Wants you to buy thier cobalt arrows in the market wards.

either way iam hoping SE to make segregate servers to find more people near my timezone so i can party,trade,etc etc...

[neizero]

. I can spend up to an hour or more doing shouts for a simple materia melding and having all the goods on hand and ready. Yet most often there's no replies, no responses. So I'm wondering, is this the same on the other servers? Besaid was supposed to have had the most talkative

Are you offering a reward? You may even want to quote how much you're offering, people want to know if it's worth their time helping you. I have often helped out "random shouts" for crafting, only to find out they not only not give any tip, but they expect me to use my own crystals.

And as for repairs, DON'T offer a dark matter (waste of time for the crafter). Offer gil that's a bit more than the cost of the matter and you will get repaired fast.

[zaviermhigo]

Selbina is as full of crafters as ever.

[Mihana]

Are you offering a reward? You may even want to quote how much you're offering, people want to know if it's worth their time helping you. I have often helped out "random shouts" for crafting, only to find out they not only not give any tip, but they expect me to use my own crystals.

And as for repairs, DON'T offer a dark matter (waste of time for the crafter). Offer gil that's a bit more than the cost of the matter and you will get repaired fast.

If you had read through the thread you'd see I answered that, I always do offer tips/rewards for doing the task I need done. I've made efforts to gather up the materials myself, review the recipe including shards/crystals needed. Generally they don't want the shards, so I try to offer something else to cover it like gil. For example... To make the cobalt arrows I needed I offered the following:

All materials
All shards
10,000G

All the worker had to do was accept the items from me, craft it all and they'd earn themselves an easy 10K. There was no need to use their own materials, their own shards or anything. I did find a crafter through a friend who did it all for free using just my materials and shards, and the end result too is he's offered to craft anything if I need it now. Like I said I know a few crafters, and normally this is because I always try to tip/offer reward. Even if they don't request anything I try to be generous and give a large sum of shards (Up to 200-300 shards sometimes, or 50 crystals of whatever would most benefit that class, no useless crap like water shards/crystals but earth, wind, lightning.) as reward.

Now, repairs aren't really an issue, I put up an item, base my gil reward on what the dark matter typically goes for (1K for Grade 1, 1.5K for Grade 2, all the way up to about 3-3.5K for Grade 5.) and it gets repaired by morning, no sweat. The overall problem is the lack of willingness to take time aside to help people. I know I may seem impatient perhaps, but as I've stated before there's a great deal less crafters around than there used to be and it's starting to hurt the community. What if a new player, fresh out of the game, starts leveling and eventually gets to a point where they need new gear not found on the wards? Naturally if they've done research they can find it's possible to gather up the materials and have it made for you. Now as long as they're polite, respectful, and are willing to tip/pay a reasonable fee then it shouldn't be an issue.

If someone has to take a bit of their time to do something for you by all means they should see some form of compensation for it, it's common courtesy. However it's all for nothing if they're completely ignored or can't find a crafter because there aren't any around. Looking back I realize maybe more of this was just a personal rant but it doesn't make my point any less valid. Right now the community has some serious issues with helping one another these days and going into the future months it could get worse I fear.

[Isaveron]

not made easier? how about the removal of training, not needing guild support, big bonus sp on turn in, next patch the hq process is being made 100% known in advance. all of those things made crafting easier no matter how you look at it. it took a hq system that was fun and rewarding and ruined it.

It was neither fun nor rewarding. Besides, most used bots or macros because crafting in this game is mind numbingly boring.

[Rau]

Another factor I'd think is that there is simply no demand for Cobalt Arrows at the moment. Crafters seem as prevalent as ever on Rabanastre.

[Ilethius]

To get back on topic, Wutai seems to be running normally lots of people still craft the streets of U'ldah and I still see shouts for crafters, also noticed a increase of crafters in Grid and LL.

A NPC who dishes out player created crafting leves is a very good idea and deserves its own thread. seriously.

[Lebannen]

Well I have some good crafters in my LS, so this hasnt been a problem for me. I play on cornelia btw.

[Hitoriki]

Not to derail the intended conversation too much, but this is where some sort of commission system would really come in handy. You hand over the goods to an NPC, set the price for how much you'll pay for someone to craft it, and then you sit back and relax.

Crafters can then pick up player-created leves from the Adventure Guild. Some simple rules to make it more appealing for everyone:

• Each leve comes with a timer (30 minutes or less or you get your materials back), so they're always completed promptly.
• There is no risk of losing materials. If you fail, you can retry it again. Maybe for a reduced exp/gil reward as the Adventure's Guild will need to replace the items.
• These leves do not detract from your overall leve count.

Holey crap amazing idea!

[Mikita]

I see a bit less crafters around in Ul'dah on Saronia. There are probably a few reasons for this and the lack (and higher prices) of items in the market wards:

1. A lot of people hang around the entrance to the Bowl of Embers or beastmen strongholds now.

2. A number of the old regulars no longer log in.

3. Grinding a craft is noticably harder since 1.19.

4. People are experimenting with Materia melding instead of making other items for sale.

5. There has been a slight shift of people to Limsa and Gridania for crafting because of the guild locations.


Personally, my motivation to craft has gone down since 1.19 and I no longer make things to sell in the market wards. For me it's reasons 1, 3 and 4.