Make or Buy - Leveling Advice

[Frizze]

If you enjoy crafting, making your own gear feels good. That said, leveling up multiple crafting classes will cost you something. When leveling crafting classes you either pay in gil or in time. Paying in gil would involve buying other peoples high quality crafted items to turn in for leve-quests to speed level, paying in time is gathering materials and making your own turn-ins(turning in lower quality items for less exp until you learn to make hq items, etc) along with using other leveling methods. You arent far enough in the story to have started unlocking friendly beast tribes, but a few of them are in need of crafters to help them with projects(and as such, their quests involve crafting and give crafting exp) - something to keep in mind for later. So for upgrades in the meantime, my advice would be to look at how much of an upgrade youre actually getting from an item. Gear goes up slowly in power until you hit 50, then it jumps wildly up(51-59 is a medium build, 60 is a jump, 61-69 is medium, 70 is a jump - obviously theres a pattern). Jewelry in particular gets very little boost before 50. If your armor and weapon are within 10 levels of you(until you get to 50), you should be more or less fine. If you need a boost to get by something, the biggest difference comes from your weapon(then chest/legs, then arms/hat/boots, then belt and jewelry). Check the market board(sometimes things will be really cheap), but keep in mind that the most recent outpost youve been to will probly have an npc selling white gear for a fairly reasonable price(often less then players will list something for - never by normal quality white gear from the board without checking first). Also, if youve made any higher level friends who craft sometimes your upgrades will be ridiculously easy for them to put together if you ask(as a level 70 omni i could gather the materials and craft a full set of gear for a level 40 monk in under 20 mins if i felt like it - it might honestly take longer to make the list of everything i needed then to gather it all and put the items together). And of course, an extra dungeon run or two is always an option too.

[Mikazuki]

If you enjoy crafting, making your own gear feels good. That said, leveling up multiple crafting classes will cost you something. When leveling crafting classes you either pay in gil or in time.

*snip*.

Thank you Frizze with your very quick response. I was unaware about buying HQ items to fill quests and leve returns; this may be beneficial for starting my crafts off and giving me a quick boost and keeping costs and time low! I also wasn't aware of the friendly beast tribes, is that something like the Sylphs? I have just done that MSQ part and so they may give me crafting quests?

It's good to know what to focus on first in terms of items. It's difficult with my game time as it is lacking and when I do play I just want action and story! So usually want a quick fix. Maybe I just need to chill and tell myself the story isn't going anywhere, and do a bit of crafting :P

[ChameleonMS]

It's good to know what to focus on first in terms of items. It's difficult with my game time as it is lacking and when I do play I just want action and story! So usually want a quick fix. Maybe I just need to chill and tell myself the story isn't going anywhere, and do a bit of crafting :P

If you do more of the optional quests, the game will provide you with all the gear you need for you first class/job. If you plan things out correctly you will also be given enough gear for a second class/job too.

as a level 70 omni i could gather the materials and craft a full set of gear for a level 40 monk in under 20 mins if i felt like it - it might honestly take longer to make the list of everything i needed then to gather it all and put the items together

I would like to reiterate this point. I am also a lv70 omnicrafter and it my Free Company's policy to freely provide levelling gear for our members as the materials usually very cheap and easy to create HQ. As a newer player, I would recommend you find a free company which offers progression support to new players or levelling.

[Mikazuki]

I would like to reiterate this point. I am also a lv70 omnicrafter and it my Free Company's policy to freely provide levelling gear for our members as the materials usually very cheap and easy to create HQ. As a newer player, I would recommend you find a free company which offers progression support to new players or levelling.

Ahh may come in handy to ask around, I did join a FC quite quickly due to a helpful fellow although since then it has been very quiet and seems not much happening or on offer. Would a FC be offended if I leave? Don't want to feel tied down but don't want to be rude of course! Maybe I can ask if one of them can sort me out first

The crafting tribe in the ARR section of the game are the Ixal. There are friendly non thralls of any tribe you've had to kill a primal for. Starting in Heavensward the game will give you HQ gear. With crafting up to 50 at least get everything to 15 because of the skills you can use in the roll slots that will make it easier to craft things and make HQ gear.

Thank you. I've heard that all to 15 is a good starting point for those crossover skills. I will just have to progress as I haven't come across the Ixal yet.

I would say its always worth having your gear up to date, especially as you progress to the instanced dungeon content. You wont be any good to your team if you're under geared when trying to progress through a dungeon as part of the main story. Crafting is an investment of your hard earned gil either way unless you make more than you need and sell it on the market as all those materials have gotta come from somewhere!

Yep I'm always conscious of my gear and wondering if its the best I can have, usually I'm getting stuff from story missions and it's worse! Which I can only imagine is a good thing!