[dev1200] Why the drastic reduction of prices?

[Technolust]

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/26963

I understand why these prices are being reduced in price but aren't you screwing over low level crafters in the process? Now there will be no point in making low level gear because everyone will be able to buy it for usually a much better price. What will crafters under rank 30 really do? With such a limited selection on armor these days you really are hurting those that have found a niche in making low level armor.

While I agree the rank 10-15 armor should be made affordable the rank 20-30 armor shouldn't be. Don't take that away from low level crafters.

[Alhanelem]

1) crafters make like six million jillion of those lower-level items. No one's making money of them
2) the price reducitons are not that drastic
3) the price reductions are in line with the cutbacks in gil rewards from levequests. Most newbie players look for NPC vendors to buy their early gear, hence why they should be more affordable.

Crafters are not being screwed by this. Not every item is available on the NPCs, and just as with the combat classes, the real oppertunity for success is in the higher levels, not the lower ones.

[Khaz]

From my experience crafting my own starting armor, the material costs of crafting the items is typically 10-50% of the new NPC prices, which should still leave lots of room for crafters to make a profit.

[Technolust]

From my experience crafting my own starting armor, the material costs of crafting the items is typically 10-50% of the new NPC prices, which should still leave lots of room for crafters to make a profit.

Yeah if you farm all of your own materials it is, but time equals money in any MMO. Also now why would I fill my bazaar with items I'm only going to make a small percentage in profit? Instead of providing a service to mid level players I will now need to find another niche until my crafts are higher.

And no I'm not one of those people that overcharge for items.

[Technolust]

1) crafters make like six million jillion of those lower-level items. No one's making money of them
2) the price reducitons are not that drastic
3) the price reductions are in line with the cutbacks in gil rewards from levequests. Most newbie players look for NPC vendors to buy their early gear, hence why they should be more affordable.

Crafters are not being screwed by this. Not every item is available on the NPCs, and just as with the combat classes, the real oppertunity for success is in the higher levels, not the lower ones.

And this is where I will disagree with you. Some of the items are drastic, when you have a 100k item selling from NPC and they drop it to 20k that is drastic. Like I said in my OP I'm fine with low level gear being sold by NPC for cheap, but come on mid level gear?

[Khaz]

The highest level gear that had a price reduction appears to be for about level 20. I don't think that is considered mid-level yet. And a lot of those level 20 gears use many of the same materials as level 10 gear still, as far as I can tell from browsing recipes, so having NPCs charge 5x as much was ridiculous to start with.

[Alhanelem]

Like I said in my OP I'm fine with low level gear being sold by NPC for cheap, but come on mid level gear?

Mid level gear shouldn't cost 100k. Maybe some reductions were a bit steep, but really, I see no problem with this. Frankly, I don't buy gear off the market at all. I buy the materials to make stuff for myself, because I like crafting and don't like gathering.

Crafting in MMOs is never profitable until you max it out. The fact that you can't make a profit in the mid levels is nothing unusual. It was actually worse in FFXI- since people would only pay much for HQ, for most crafts you generally had to max them out or come close before you could start trying to make money. If you could make money on the way up, it was by selling obscure stuff that's cheap to make but not many people want, or consumables.

Again, you're acting like every single piece of gear in those level ranges is sold by the NPCs. All you have to do is make the stuff that isn't.

[Technolust]

Mid level gear shouldn't cost 100k. Maybe some reductions were a bit steep, but really, I see no problem with this. Frankly, I don't buy gear off the market at all. I buy the materials to make stuff for myself, because I like crafting and don't like gathering.

No where did I say mid level gear should cost 100k. In many MMO's gear from NPC's are always higher then what can be purchased from an AH or Market System. Crafting at any level can be profitable, or should be profitable at any level. If you can't figure out how to make money with crafting at any level then maybe you should take a look at what you are doing wrong.

Again I'm not acting like anything so stop making assumptions. I'm merely posting something that I thought was off, don't be so caustic in your replies. Neither one of us are right or wrong, it's two different opinions no need to be rude.

[Alhanelem]

Crafting at any level can be profitable, or should be profitable at any level.

If you bend over backwards to do so, yes. Otherwise, most people synthesize at a loss to reach the highest level faster. THEN they craft profitable items.

Neither one of us are right or wrong, it's two different opinions no need to be rude.

I'm not being rude, there is no reason for you to be so defensive.

[Technolust]

If you bend over backwards to do so, yes. Otherwise, most people synthesize at a loss to reach the highest level faster. THEN they craft profitable items.

I'm not being rude, there is no reason for you to be so defensive.

Yeah and yet you don't have to bend over backwards to make a profit with low level crafts. I'm not going to watch this topic devolve into a pissing contest so I'll leave my perception at the door.

All I'm saying is now there is no point making gear under 30 at all. Period. There was a market because gear is now consumable, but now that market doesn't look like it will be anywhere near as good.