Need more sources for non-combat Materia.

[icy_]

While looking more seriously into non-combat gearing, I've noticed a discrepancy between combat and non-combat materia given out by the game. Let's start with a combat example.

Sources for Savage Aim Materia VIII:

• Norvrandt shops for 240 Bicolor Gemstone (FATE ShB currency)
• Crystarium/Eulmore shop for 400 Sack of Nuts (The Hunt ShB currency)
• Il Mheg shop for 6 Fae Fancy (Pixie tribe daily quest; can get 3x/day in addition to the questline rewards)
• Ul'dah vendor, might need BLU Masked Carnivale unlocked first, for 400 Allied Seals (The Hunt, esp the weekly soloable B-rank marks, perhaps from other marks; also from Blue Mage Masked Carnivale first-time and weekly rewards)
• A Tempest MSQ quest
• Crystarium/Eulmore shop for 1 Cracked Stellacluster

Sources for Cracked Stellacluster:

• Various high-end duties (not too sure here, I believe was once Copied Factory but is now just newest stuff?)
• Some duty roulettes, (Adventurer in Need, maybe others)
• Wondrous Tails (trade in commendations)

Ok, now let's look at non-combat example.
Sources for Craftsman's Command Materia VIII:

• Scrip Exchange for 500 White Crafters' Scrip
• Ishgardian Restoration vendor 300 Skybuilders' Scrip
• Two quests from Crystarium crafting chain
• Crystarium/Eulmore shop for 1 Cracked Stellacrystal

Sources for Cracked Stellacrystal:

• Wondrous Tails (trade in commendations)

Hopefully now you can see what I'm getting at The lovely choose-your-own-noncombat-VIII, in the form of Cracked Stellacrystal, is painfully infrequent -- just the weekly Wondrous Tails, really, while there are clearly several dynamic sources for its combative sister.

Instead of enjoying the open world and its high-end dailies and naturally acquiring high-end materia from time to time, a crafter must instead stop and grind the mini-game of either White Scrips or Skybuilders' Scrips. Let's be real, these are mini-games, and we're pigeonholed into acquiring non-combat scrips in this way.

Combat materia torrents are in stark contrast to the non-combat materia droughts. We could certainly use a lot more sources for non-combat materia.

[Sabora_Makingai]

Have to disagree. On top of the spirit bond changes that get you a ton of DoH/DoL materia if you do it regularly, getting scripts is suuupppeeerrr easy to do. I believe I casually got 4000 white scripts in like an hour the other day from crafting collectibles.

you mention that there should be more sources for non combat materia, what sources would you suggest? I'm looking at the obvious here but you would need to craft to get crafter materia so not sure what else to do beside what is already implemented. for gatherer materia I could see them adding VII and VIII materia to timed nodes to be collected like the 80 maps (only able to get 1 every 18Hrs). Idk but there are a few more options for DoL than DoH.

[DrWho2010]

they're supposed to be rarer. but now that extracting materia is a thing without losing the equipment everyone is basically a crafter/gatherer materia printing press now.

[icy_]

they're supposed to be rarer. but now that extracting materia is a thing without losing the equipment everyone is basically a crafter/gatherer materia printing press now.

Ok, yeah, I'd forgotten about this extra, sorta hidden source. i430 or higher DoH/DoL gear to eventually extract VIII?

Have to disagree. On top of the spirit bond changes that get you a ton of DoH/DoL materia if you do it regularly, getting scripts is suuupppeeerrr easy to do. I believe I casually got 4000 white scripts in like an hour the other day from crafting collectibles.

you mention that there should be more sources for non combat materia, what sources would you suggest? I'm looking at the obvious here but you would need to craft to get crafter materia so not sure what else to do beside what is already implemented. for gatherer materia I could see them adding VII and VIII materia to timed nodes to be collected like the 80 maps (only able to get 1 every 18Hrs). Idk but there are a few more options for DoL than DoH.

Would like it integrated into other dailies, like a crafting duty roulette, perhaps with crafting adventurer in need. They're creative -- I'm sure they can come up with a fun duty. If there's no immediate idea for crafting duty, then just have it be similar to the Gathering MIN/BTN levequests but give out daily Stellacrystals

[Ursa_Vonfiebryd]

You forgot maps. Depending on the level of map you do, you will usually get some of the higher level materias. Some of the maps you can solo will drop them too. Diadem (once its open again--haven't checked if it is or not) will drop spoils that you can trade for some. Once its updated (they are making it gathering only i believe) that should have the higher level bits available. And Im not totally sure but i though i thought you could get some thru bi gemstone trading but I might just be thinking of certain mats. Also, i thought you could get them with hunt currency and last tier ones with gelmorran potsherds/whatever HoH drops but that might just be battle types. Also Eureka lockboxes maybe.

Maps for sure though.

[DrWho2010]

because you can craft ad naseum to get as much materia as you want to put effort in.... do you have an aversion to crafting collectibles for scrip to buy materia with?

[Ethelwind]

430 and 460's can give 8's, but its about 2-3x the amount of 7's you get vs 8's (its random, eg. haven't seen GP/ CP VIII in last 20 or so materias)

[Cleanse]

Prices should also drop with the new Extract Materia mechanic.

[Caimie_Tsukino]

Adding the selectable "Cracked" ones in Wondrous Tails is not a bad idea though!
It should be done.