Specialist Compromise

[Fife_Muggins]

I know the pros and cons of the specialist systems have been argued plenty of times and while I am not a fan, I understand there are plenty of people like it.

It seems that it hasn't helped a whole lot with people who want to just level 1 or 2 crafting classes, so at this point it is mostly to prevent 1 person from controlling all the markets with the top tier crafts and is attempting to encourage crafters to work together. And though I find it annoying to have to bother other people to make ingots and feel the people who want to control the markets level an alt and do it anyway, I can see some merits to the system on the economy.

I've resigned myself to the fact that the specialist system isn't going anywhere, but here is my proposal: Let me make my own gear. I didn't get into crafting to make a whole bunch of gil that I don't spend anyway. I do it because I like to see my signature on all my gear. I just want an ability to toggle on (similar to the collectable synth) that lets me make untradable, non-specialist gear for myself. Especially when it is crafting gear (i.e. ironworks). Maybe it's stupid and I should just wait the 4 months until the gear is irrelevant, but I just want to make my own gear since that's why I started crafting in the first place.

TL/DR: I want to make my own gear.

[Laurima]

Ironworks gear isn't specialist anymore, any of it, you just need 3 stars on BSM, GSM, LTW, CRP and WVR to craft everything now

[Fife_Muggins]

Ironworks gear isn't specialist anymore, any of it, you just need 3 stars on BSM, GSM, LTW, CRP and WVR to craft everything now

Not at this point. I'm referring to when it is relevant.

[ZhaneX]

Not at this point. I'm referring to when it is relevant.

Except Ironworks gear is still relevant, even though it's no longer Specialist?

[ZhaneX]

I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I understand.

What, pray tell, is stopping you from making your own gear?

[Zetsumei_Tsunarashi]

I think the situation we had during the 3.5star recipes (ironworks) was the best balance.

Materials were all non-specialist and only the final synth was locked behind specialist. I'm fine with this, but when I have to ask my friend to craft me 9 HQ ingots and oh btw can you please also craft me 5 more final synth items, it's just too much of a hassle and as a 4 star crafter myself I wouldn't want that burden placed me and so I wouldn't want to do it to someone else either.

[Fife_Muggins]

^This! It's too much! Between ingots, disolvents, etc. and then to need 4-5 specialists to gear 1 class. I completely agree.

[Silverbane]

but when I have to ask my friend to craft me 9 HQ ingots and oh btw can you please also craft me 5 more final synth items

You don't have to do that, you never did. Just buy the stuff off the marketboard, using the money you made selling your own stuff there.

[OoglieBooglie]

You don't have to do that, you never did. Just buy the stuff off the marketboard, using the money you made selling your own stuff there.

Oh sure, let me just sell these things that NOBODY'S BUYING FROM ME ON MY SERVER. Not enough demand for the competition to sell at a speed faster than molasses, and it all sells super slowly. So if I want to make a full set of something for myself, I'd have to spend millions on mats that would literally take weeks to sell enough mats to recoup the costs of, or pester a friend to make me a bunch of mats. I hate pestering friends, especially when they're already being pestered by 20 other people to make the same mat.

In addition, there are literally only TWO recipes outside of bsm/arm that require heavy metal ingots, both weapons. I gave up on making any money on the few heavy metal ingots I made. Obviously, I can make different things, but it's the principle (and bsm is my favorite crafting class). Very little of the crafted gear has a full page in the selling history.

[Silverbane]

Oh sure, let me just sell these things that NOBODY'S BUYING FROM ME ON MY SERVER.

Clearly, you're doing something wrong then.