Thread: Specialist System in 3.0

If specialization is introduced, I don't think that the problem of folks leveling alts in order to continue to max out all crafts will be as widespread as people fear. For one thing, unlike in FFXI, you pretty much need all crafts to 50 to be an effective crafter in even a single craft. In FFXI, the only reason you needed multiple crafts leveled is for certain recipes which required a "subcraft", and in general a given craft would only have two, maybe three other crafts that made much of an appearance in its recipes. Though, to be fair, the effort to level ALL crafts to 50 in this game is only a drop in the bucket compared to the ludicrous grind it took to level even ONE craft to 100 in FFXI. Or even one craft to 50.

For another, due to trade restrictions between alts, crafters will need to find other ways to exchange goods between their characters. There are several options, and all of them are pretty ugly in one way or another:

- You could pay for multiple accounts to Friend each other, one for each craft you want to specialize in. That costs a lot of real life money.
- You could become the leader of a Free Company to use the common-area storage. This prevents you from joining other Free Companies.
- You could join a linkshell that specializes in swapping goods between players' alts. This depends on the goodwill of the folks in that Linkshell - and to be honest, the main value of being a do-everything crafter is so that you DON'T have to depend on other people to craft, so this is a step back to square one anyway.

Will these things happen if specialization is added? Sure. Will it grant unfair advantages to those who do? Probably. Will it be rampant? Not likely. Most crafters will pick a specialization and stick with it, and not futz around with alts or multiple accounts, or anything of that nature. The folks jumping through all these hoops will be rare and outside the norm.

Originally Posted by LineageRazor

Most crafters will pick a specialization and stick with it, and not futz around with alts or multiple accounts, or anything of that nature.

Or stop crafting at all, or just stop playing.

I look forward to it and though this was needed for a long time. To many people can make to many things because it was to easy to level all crafts. Now if you specialize in Alchemy your alchemy items become way more in demand or what ever you specialize in because it gets rid of some of the competition .

It also creates demand. If a goldsmith recipe requires something from alchemy it creates demand for your alchemy items.
If it is like FFXI most basic items you can still make if leveling all. It also makes people work together.

There is a second option too:
I am guessing you might still be able to craft all things but it might just be easier on what you specialize in.

im assuming its similar to job crystals : gsm+bsm= machine specialty perhaps?

Originally Posted by Gillionaire

Most people don't go 4 star on everything as it already is. If we introduce a higher barrier to the lucis equivalent in heavensward and perhaps also introduce class specific armor, then I think people will specialize to maximize efficiency on their own. Of course, eventually there will be master crafters that have it all, but that won't be for a while if the gate is set high enough

If people want to specialize, by all means. I know a few people doing exactly that with crafting. But there's no reason to force it upon us.

Also, I think most crafters are of the merchant mindset. We want to sell to the entire server, we want to be self sufficient, not resort to partnerships or work for the big man.

Completely agree Gillionaire.

It's fine if SE wants to make it so that getting the Level 60 "Top End" Recipes / Tools just takes a while / dedication, and that inherently will make it so there are fewer Omni Crafters (just time, hassle, etc.).

But please *don't* Lock Out Players from working their way to Max Level / Recipes on All Crafts in Heavensward.

I totally get the Specialist angle: It does create more "demand" and trade, but the downsides are there as well. If we had Specialization / Lockout:

1. On Low / Mid Population Servers, there might be very few Crafting Specialists for [X]. As a result, they would have a mini-monopoly, charging astronomical prices for their crafts (until some players are forced to level up Alts / switch their own Specialization to that [X] Craft).

2. Trying to *find* a Specialist Crafter at a certain hour might be difficult: Not everyone plays the game at the same hours. Let's say you log in (at a non-prime time hour) and need help / want to hire someone to craft XYZ for you. You /shout and put up PF, and... nothing.

You're stuck waiting for the MB, or trying to find someone on the weekends, etc.

3. If FF XIV slows down (subscriptions drop off), Specialization / Lockout might actually make some items no longer crafted / extremely hard to find / get someone to help you craft, unless someone steps up and puts in the insane hours to get that Specialization deficiency.


Yoshi P has made FF XIV all about *accessibility*. He doesn't design Raids / Instanced Dungeons to require ONLY a Monk, or ONLY a Scholar, for example. It's made so that All Jobs are viable.

So why should Crafting be different? It shouldn't.

Originally Posted by HrumHrum

Or stop crafting at all, or just stop playing.

Another slim minority. I'm sure SE is terrified of the lost subscriptions. Don't let the door hitcha!

Originally Posted by Kiara

I totally get the Specialist angle: It does create more "demand" and trade, but the downsides are there as well. If we had Specialization / Lockout:

Your arguments aren't bad - except for the fact that things like monopolies, finding crafters, etc., only become a concern if there's something the crafter can make that you absolutely have to have. There isn't. Crafters make glamours, furnishings, and side-grades to equipment that are already sub-par. Anyone that tries to pump up prices due to holding a monopoly will find that people simply won't buy. If you want your stuffed cabbage minion, but none are up for sale and you can't find a CUL specialist, well, the world keeps turning - it's not like you can collect every minion anyway, given all the preorder and event-only minions whose boat has sailed.

In FFXI, situations like you described could be a problem as, at various points in the game's history, certain crafted items WERE the best items, and people were willing to shell out bigtime for them. Crafting in this game has been painstakingly nerfed to ensure that nothing a crafter makes is essential, and I don't anticipate that policy ever changing.

I am neither for nor against specialization in crafting. If it happens, I'll shrug my shoulders and keep on keepin' on. I certianly don't see it as any kind of dreadful horror, though. I think folks are overreacting.

I'm sure SE is terrified of the lost subscriptions.

They surely were when 1.0 hit...

Originally Posted by Gillionaire

Because you can't have both.. It's one or the other.

If people want to specialize, by all means. I know a few people doing exactly that with crafting. But there's no reason to force it upon us.

Except with the current system there is no benefit to specializing in a single craft.

Also, have they stated if you will be limited to a single specialization or will it be comparable to desynth where you can get up to 3?