Observe?

[JeniLinsky]

What is the point of the "Observe" action in crafting? Every craft seems to have it at a relatively early level, and I haven't seen anything that requires it... so what's the point of it?

[Gabbelgak]

To get a better condition.

In the bottom left under durability there are conditions, either Normal, Good, Excellent or Poor.

Observe is a skill that you don't normally even begin to realize any use for til you get at least great strides. (doubles the effect of next quality skill) You can use great strides then observe if you have a normal in the hopes you get a good for a big quality boost.

[JeniLinsky]

Ah, okay. Thanks.

[APilgrim]

I use it occasionally after an excellent condition (when a poor condition comes up).

[Tarta]

I use it occasionally after an excellent condition (when a poor condition comes up).

Yep, this is the reason I use it most often.
Or when my last 32 points after a string of normals, I feel I'll have a Good quality, so I use it then basic touch.

[Conradus]

I use it occasionally after an excellent condition (when a poor condition comes up).

I've had cases at the end of a synth where I have more than enough CPs for a standard touch (and this class doesn't have advanced touch yet). I'm out of extra Durability, so throwing in a Hasty Touch is no good. I've got no other use for the extra CPs; Steady Hands is up, I don't have any other usable buffs, and the synth condition is Normal. Use Observe to roll the dice and see if you can come up with a Good.

[Laryndra]

I have never once used observe.. It's a pretty useless ability even in the instance of hitting an excellent. I'll either Careful Synth II on poor or Great strides again.

[Raminax]

Myeah, once you get the crossclass skills rolling and such, Observe feels like a waste of CP when you have a million other methods of doing something that's productive with your CP.

Then again, it's not as if Observe is the only culprit. Piece by Piece and Flawless Synthesis are pretty poor as well, so I suppose I can't complain.

[Roth_Trailfinder]

Then again, it's not as if Observe is the only culprit. Piece by Piece and Flawless Synthesis are pretty poor as well, so I suppose I can't complain.

I can't speak for Piece by Piece, but Flawless Synthesis has proven valuable to me. That was the first class I took from 30 to 40, leveling them all relatively equally, and so I did not have any of the Brands, yet I had this skill. It proved valuable to me for doing the Qarn Restoration recipes prior to unlocking that class' Brand skill, enough that I have simply not bothered with the Brands yet at all, with 3 crafting classes at 50 and a fourth on the way up from 40.

[Astarica]

Observe is fine. You won't always have something else to do while waiting for your Great Strides to hit a Good/Excellent and Observe is still the cheapest way to do it. Just keep in mind if you get into a situation where you have to use Observe 3 times in a row you're probably doing something wrong with your CPs, unless you're only level 20 or so and have nothing else better to do with your CPs.