Hirelings . . . do they work?

MaxBat

Yesterday, I added three skill points to hirelings for blacksmith, clothing, and woodworking. These are the first level hirelings. Still nothing.

What am I missing? How do they work? Does someone run up and give you something, am I supposed to pick them up somewhere, or are they e-mailed? I've got nothing in any way.

Also, what do you get? Iron or whatever? Is it level dependent?

And is it better to invest in hirelings or the extraction skill?

Thanks in advance.

Isibis

Hirelings will send you a piece of mail every day (24 hours after you unlock it). They send you crafting appropriate mats with a somewhat rare chance of upgrade items, which are all the hirelings are good for. I would highly recommend maxing extraction on your actively questing crafter.

MaxBat

Thanks, Isibis. I'll give it another 24 hours in case there's an issue.

Isibis

Don't worry they'll be there. Also, do read the messages, they are hilarious.

Tarukmockto

It's important to note, you must log in to get the mails. They do not accumulate if you're away for a few days. This is true for each alt you might have as well.

MaxBat

Tarukmockto wrote: »

It's important to note, you must log in to get the mails. They do not accumulate if you're away for a few days. This is true for each alt you might have as well.

Yes, that's very good to know.

So they don't stack, they replace each other. So I have to log in every day?

Tarukmockto

Yep, afraid so. It's also noteworthy that the 24 hour clock resets when you log in and receive the emails. So it gets a few minutes later each day if you're punctual. Hours later if your not!

Most folks lose at least one day a week, unless you get up at all hours to keep the clock going.

Potenza

MaxBat wrote: »

Tarukmockto wrote: »

It's important to note, you must log in to get the mails. They do not accumulate if you're away for a few days. This is true for each alt you might have as well.

Yes, that's very good to know.

So they don't stack, they replace each other. So I have to log in every day?

Even if your online at the time you are suppose to recieve the mats, you will have to relog your character to get them. Thats how it has been working for me.

Censorious

If I were you, I'd rush to the re-dedication shrine and get my skill points reset.
Spend them on something of value.

The hirelings AND the extraction buffs are useless.

Sendarya

Censorious wrote: »

If I were you, I'd rush to the re-dedication shrine and get my skill points reset.
Spend them on something of value.

The hirelings AND the extraction buffs are useless.

That very much depends on your playstyle. I sell my foods, and am lucky enough to have a lvl 45 and lvl 50 consummate recipes, (crossing fingers for v5 purple as well).
Every oat and tomato is money in the bank for me, plus increases my fun to be one of the few people in the world who can make those things. I get tells sometimes (you can make THAT?), and I can, but only because my hireling....occasionally...decides to bring me the right ingredients. Not often enough IMO, but those 3 points are very, very worth it for me. If I could spend another point in hireling to tell him to specify food over drink ingredients, I would. I'd spend 3 more points for that, actually....

Even if you have not got those recipes yet, if you start saving your oats and tomatoes now from your hireling, you'll be a very happy camper when/if you get one of those recipes down the road. For instance, I don't yet use tomatoes, but I'm stockpiling them for future recipes.

Laharl_Overlord

Material - You'll receive the highest level material your character can create with. (A maxed Blacksmith will receive Voidstones)
- 1/3 3 units
- 2/3 4 units
- 3/3 5 units

Upgrade Material - RNG based, but receive bonuses bases on hireling level.

You'll also randomly receive race and trait gem materials. As you level the type of material you can create with, you'll eventually receive the more rare ones (Copper, Argentum, Palladium and Daedra Hearts)

Enchanting hirelings will give a random assortment of type and amount. Essence runes will be random. Potency runes will be one level above what you can use, at 9/9 you won't get Potency runes. Aspect Runes are RNG but receive bonuses based on hireling level.

The hireling timer starts as soon as you receive your mail. Once you receive your first mail tomorrow, it starts a 24 hour timer. You then have to log in to receive the mail and only then will the timer start again. The mail will not arrive if you don't log in. At 3/3 hireling, the timer changes to 12 hours.

mumok

Don't waste your points on the 3/3 in any hireling unless you plan to log in every 12 hours and check your mail. In my opinion this is the most ridiculous set up of any passive in game. I would imagine that most people, like myself, don't have the luxury of logging in every 12 hours EVERY DAY just to get a sack of wood.

I do have two hirelings to 2/3 and get a pretty steady stream of items from them. Its not going to support your crafting alone so don't expect that.

MaxBat

Damn .... sounds like a respec is in order ...

I was told last night - in game - that I would get rares that I could sell for thousands of dollars. Sigh.

Tarukmockto

MaxBat wrote: »

Damn .... sounds like a respec is in order ...

I was told last night - in game - that I would get rares that I could sell for thousands of dollars. Sigh.

And you might, occasionally. You can't win if you don't play. Without the points you get nothing. That having been said, you will get a lot more rares from refining ores than from your Hireling.

Sendarya

Laharl_Overlord wrote: »

Material - You'll receive the highest level material your character can create with. (A maxed Blacksmith will receive Voidstones)
- 1/3 3 units
- 2/3 4 units
- 3/3 5 units

Upgrade Material - RNG based, but receive bonuses bases on hireling level.

You'll also randomly receive race and trait gem materials. As you level the type of material you can create with, you'll eventually receive the more rare ones (Copper, Argentum, Palladium and Daedra Hearts)

Enchanting hirelings will give a random assortment of type and amount. Essence runes will be random. Potency runes will be one level above what you can use, at 9/9 you won't get Potency runes. Aspect Runes are RNG but receive bonuses based on hireling level.

The hireling timer starts as soon as you receive your mail. Once you receive your first mail tomorrow, it starts a 24 hour timer. You then have to log in to receive the mail and only then will the timer start again. The mail will not arrive if you don't log in. At 3/3 hireling, the timer changes to 12 hours.

Can you really get copper and daedra hearts, etc.? I was at 8/9 for over a week, at 9/9 now finally, and the only way I have found any of those is through decon, and twice I have looted them.

If so, that would seem to make hirelings even more useful. Daedra hearts are like 1k each, and the rest are not cheap or easy to get either. At least in my experience so far.

AreoHotah

Ever since launch i recieved from hirelings 32 tempering alloys, 34 rosin and 61 dreugh wax. They sell for 3k EACH. You do the mat and tell me hireling are useless

Laharl_Overlord

Sendarya wrote: »

Laharl_Overlord wrote: »

Material - You'll receive the highest level material your character can create with. (A maxed Blacksmith will receive Voidstones)
- 1/3 3 units
- 2/3 4 units
- 3/3 5 units

Upgrade Material - RNG based, but receive bonuses bases on hireling level.

You'll also randomly receive race and trait gem materials. As you level the type of material you can create with, you'll eventually receive the more rare ones (Copper, Argentum, Palladium and Daedra Hearts)

Enchanting hirelings will give a random assortment of type and amount. Essence runes will be random. Potency runes will be one level above what you can use, at 9/9 you won't get Potency runes. Aspect Runes are RNG but receive bonuses based on hireling level.

The hireling timer starts as soon as you receive your mail. Once you receive your first mail tomorrow, it starts a 24 hour timer. You then have to log in to receive the mail and only then will the timer start again. The mail will not arrive if you don't log in. At 3/3 hireling, the timer changes to 12 hours.

Can you really get copper and daedra hearts, etc.? I was at 8/9 for over a week, at 9/9 now finally, and the only way I have found any of those is through decon, and twice I have looted them.

If so, that would seem to make hirelings even more useful. Daedra hearts are like 1k each, and the rest are not cheap or easy to get either. At least in my experience so far.

To be honest I don't remember receiving Copper from them, but I've most definitely received Daedra Hearts and Palladium, so I assume Copper is in there as well.

neueregel

I have got plenty of copper, and a motif

Stonesthrow

neueregel wrote: »

I have got plenty of copper, and a motif

The hireling sent you a motif?

GTFO… lol

neueregel

I believe so. One day I had an empty pack, like 27 items (that is empty for me), and I received the emails. I didnt have any motifs in my pack. It was post two patches ago and the motif drops were nerfed. I read the mat emails and didnt look at them closely. I looked in my pack to see what I got, and there was a motif in my pack that wasnt there earlier... so I assumed it was from a hireling. It wasnt a rare, it was a 1-9...

zhevon

I think its BS that you have to login to get your packages; you should at least get a days worth saved. Its a real ripoff if you invest max hireling points because you have to login twice a day to get them.

Having said that I really enjoy hirelings messages : Pacrotti is a hoot, the adventures of Stoneheaver and Plucky, etc. Eventually I will put a least one skill point in all the hirelings just for that reason.

Oluthon

If you go get the Skyshards in your faction's zones (Coldharbour included), and do the Main Story, you *should* have more than enough points to do whatever you want to with them. I have three different Hirelings maxed out. 9 points is really nothing when you look at how many points you get in relation to how many skills you can actually use at any one time effectively.

Censorious

Do they work?

They sit on their arses all day, then send you a parcel containing a pretty stone and a piece of wood they found under a tree.

You could call it work.

Laharl_Overlord

Laharl_Overlord wrote: »

Sendarya wrote: »

Laharl_Overlord wrote: »

Material - You'll receive the highest level material your character can create with. (A maxed Blacksmith will receive Voidstones)
- 1/3 3 units
- 2/3 4 units
- 3/3 5 units

Upgrade Material - RNG based, but receive bonuses bases on hireling level.

You'll also randomly receive race and trait gem materials. As you level the type of material you can create with, you'll eventually receive the more rare ones (Copper, Argentum, Palladium and Daedra Hearts)

Enchanting hirelings will give a random assortment of type and amount. Essence runes will be random. Potency runes will be one level above what you can use, at 9/9 you won't get Potency runes. Aspect Runes are RNG but receive bonuses based on hireling level.

The hireling timer starts as soon as you receive your mail. Once you receive your first mail tomorrow, it starts a 24 hour timer. You then have to log in to receive the mail and only then will the timer start again. The mail will not arrive if you don't log in. At 3/3 hireling, the timer changes to 12 hours.

Can you really get copper and daedra hearts, etc.? I was at 8/9 for over a week, at 9/9 now finally, and the only way I have found any of those is through decon, and twice I have looted them.

If so, that would seem to make hirelings even more useful. Daedra hearts are like 1k each, and the rest are not cheap or easy to get either. At least in my experience so far.

To be honest I don't remember receiving Copper from them, but I've most definitely received Daedra Hearts and Palladium, so I assume Copper is in there as well.

@Sendarya. Got Copper today, so you definitely get them all.

Gillysan

SP well spent, gotten a few Legendary components as well as other quality levels.

Stonesthrow

neueregel wrote: »

I believe so. One day I had an empty pack, like 27 items (that is empty for me), and I received the emails. I didnt have any motifs in my pack. It was post two patches ago and the motif drops were nerfed. I read the mat emails and didnt look at them closely. I looked in my pack to see what I got, and there was a motif in my pack that wasnt there earlier... so I assumed it was from a hireling. It wasnt a rare, it was a 1-9...

Gratz then!

Anyone else EVER received a motif or a recipe in a hireling mail?

Curious now...

MaxBat

So I invested one point in each and, as others have said, the e-mails are fun and I'm getting level specific materials on some days. So Saturday I just got 4 pieces of iron. Sunday I got iron, tempering materials and race style materials.

I give it a bit and see how it goes. Thanks to all for the help.

Pallmor

Dear Hireling,

Thank you for your recent letter. It was very funny. I think that comedian would be a better line of work for you, as you're clearly not cut out to be a miner. You sent me three pieces of iron ore yesterday. What was that, about 5 minutes of work? Obviously, your brothers were right. You really do suck.

Love,
Your former boss