Underwhelmed by the Woodworking Crafting Quest

Joy_Division

Two points first:

- I understand any MMO has to err on the side of being cheap with rewards.
- I'm guessing these are intended to actually level up the skill, but that's no reason to make it wasteful for max level crafters.

The simple fact is these are a neat idea but a waste of time and resources for a max crafter and that is a shame.

I am a woodworker and it costs me 99 pieces of sanded wood to create the 9 nightwood staffs to fulfill the quest. This is for one day. To have 99 pieces of sanded nightwood takes a considerable amount of time harvesting resources in Craglorn. Just today I walked from Belkarth to Bangkorai Gate to Dawnstar to the Howling Sepulchers to Spellscar - basically most of the perimeter - collecting every resources and I got 58 nightwood. In short it requires a lot of gametime when you are not questing, doing dungeons, PvPing, etc., to acquire the raw materials to do a single's day woodworking requirement. By contrast provisioning's mat requirement takes 90 seconds at most.

For those hours of walking, harvesting wood, and engaged in a life and death struggles with the bee swarms in Craglorn (that are way too aggressive compared to other creatures), I was rewarded with inspiration points that are pointless for a max crafter, some gold, an (white) intricate level 9 staff (also pointless), 1 bloodstone (to add to the 800 I already have), a grand repair kit (this I actually do appreciate). This in no way even approaches the time invested for those 99 sanded nightwoods. Note: the map you can find for woodworking will yield zero Nirncrux whereas a single blacksmithing map will yiled you more than you will probably ever use. Basically it is pointless to do woodworking. By contrast, the 90 seconds I invested in provisioning gave me valuable mats I can only get from vet vendors and a purple recipe.

The blacksmith and clothier writs run into the same problem of underwhelming rewards for the time and resources invested in them, except with those you can at least get nirncrux...which would be nice if there was an actual way in the game to acquire more than 1 nirnhoned weapon/armor without having to buy it from other players.

So, my suggestions:

- Please lower the requisite 99 sanded nightwood we have to use to complete a writ for *single day.*
- Please reward max level crafters with something they can actually use, i.e. no inspiration points and intricate level 9 staffs.
- Maybe this is a way to get nornhoned weapons from actually *playing* the game as opposed to buying them from other players
- Please replace the bloodstones that we don't need with the occasion Rosin that would make us genuinely excited about doing tomorrow's woodworking writ.
- Woodworkers need nirncrux just like blacksmithers.
-The reward should scale with what you give them. Those who provide a level 14 blue precise staff should get rewards that *blow away* those who are cheap and give level a 9 white plain staff. after considering this, it probably would be too difficult to implement.

As someone who loves crafting I want to be genuinely excited about doing these. As of right now, the provisioning writ is the only one I feel is interesting.

Anvos

I do agree that the non consumable writs are largely meh in their reward for the resources required. (though writs do appear to be the easiest way to level currently, well if you could level vet that is)

Also there is the insult in some that you for some reason get low vet resources from your lush patches in craglorn.

Do agree as well that it would be far more useful to switch out the common trait gems with stuff that is more usefull, as once you max refinement and deco you'll easily have more of these than you need.

As for scaling rewards I would say no as there is realistically no way to accurately reward the cost of using higher level refinements of items.

Rodario

BS surveys being the only ones rewarding Nirncrux was one of the failed changes in 1.5.3, so that should get better if they manage to get it to take tomorrow.

The other thing is: Aren't processed resources basically worth nothing? I.e. 400g if you vendor them, but virtually nobody buys them for over say 600?

So the 377g quest reward, plus repair kit, plus sometimes a 250g ornate staff, plus raw material from the occasional survey (plus several nirncruxes once that has been fixed) are surely worth more than that stack of wood.

Try not to factor in time spent gathering wood. Look at it this way: If you're just picking up wood along the way while doing other stuff, and if once you have a complete stack you complete the writ instead of vendoring the refined mats because you don't need them, it's a decent profit.

Nestor

Rodario wrote: »

Aren't processed resources basically worth nothing? I.e. 400g if you vendor them, but virtually nobody buys them for over say 600?

Yes and no. It depends on what you do with them. If I am making an item for someone (either to sell or just give to them) then the refined materials have a great deal of use in the time I don't have to spend gathering them. I can also make far more than 400 to 600 Gold when selling things I make from that stack of materials.

While the Crafting Writs are best suited someone who is leveling their skills, I find the Wood and Clothing Writs to be counter productive to complete for a Max Level crafter. It serves me no purpose to get back less than I put into the process.

The main issue is, why to I have to make 6 Bows, 6 Staves, and I forget what the third item I have to make multiples of for the writ. Cut that down to 2 each and maybe the rewards are worth it as they stand now. I don't know how many the low level writs ask for, but if it is a similar amount, then I won't do any of those for my crafters I might level.

Enchanting seemed like a decent return for the required items (1 Rune, 1 Glyph) other than putting the Survey location right in the middle of a VR11 Wasp Nest. I hear the Provisioning one has a nice return for the materials expended. It's just the Armor/Weapon crafting seems to be out of balance.

Joy_Division

Rodario wrote: »

BS surveys being the only ones rewarding Nirncrux was one of the failed changes in 1.5.3, so that should get better if they manage to get it to take tomorrow.

The other thing is: Aren't processed resources basically worth nothing? I.e. 400g if you vendor them, but virtually nobody buys them for over say 600?

So the 377g quest reward, plus repair kit, plus sometimes a 250g ornate staff, plus raw material from the occasional survey (plus several nirncruxes once that has been fixed) are surely worth more than that stack of wood.

Try not to factor in time spent gathering wood. Look at it this way: If you're just picking up wood along the way while doing other stuff, and if once you have a complete stack you complete the writ instead of vendoring the refined mats because you don't need them, it's a decent profit.

- the patch notes noted clothier's lack of nirncrux and blacksmith's surfeit of them. nothing about the none nirncrux in woodworker's maps.

- the point of these quest, or at least what should be the point, is to give us crafters quests that make us genuinely excited about our craft. sure, i will admit the "reward" for those 99 sanded wood is marginally better than selling them...but why would i ever go want to do these quests as a max crafter before i wind up with 99 sanded nightwood in my bank?

- what you are basically telling me is that i should do these quests instead of vendoring the wood. i guess, but then what is the point if this is just another way to trade excess refined mats? shouldn't these quests genuinely interest crafters and make us want to do them?

Joy_Division

Anvos wrote: »

I do agree that the non consumable writs are largely meh in their reward for the resources required. (though writs do appear to be the easiest way to level currently, well if you could level vet that is)

Also there is the insult in some that you for some reason get low vet resources from your lush patches in craglorn.

Do agree as well that it would be far more useful to switch out the common trait gems with stuff that is more usefull, as once you max refinement and deco you'll easily have more of these than you need.

As for scaling rewards I would say no as there is realistically no way to accurately reward the cost of using higher level refinements of items.

you are probably right about scaling rewards.

MrGhosty

I couldn't agree more about how bad the non consumable crafting writs are. One instance actually required me to use more than a stack to make the items and I got less as a reward than I would have just flat out selling the stack. I think the surveys are a nice idea but I don't like the fact it's a roll of the dice, I would much rather know that if I do five writs I will get one survey or something of that variety.

The provisioning writ was horrible for me as well though, some of the mats were nice but it gave me a green recipe...that was the same item I had to craft for the writ, surely there is a way to at least ensure you get something you need. Recipe prices have plummeted so it's not like it would even be worthwhile to sell.

I'm all for some give and take, but as a master crafter you lose the upshot of "well at least I'm leveling my craft" . I would gladly grind away if I knew I had something to look forward to rather than crossing my fingers each time I turn in. Honestly until some things change in regards to this I'll just keep my mats.

Woolenthreads

It all works perfectly well for developing characters with developing crafting skills. That I suspect is part of the problem, they failed to give enough consideration as to whether L50 crafting characters get anything worthwhile out of it. Clearly, from the number of complaints I've seen, they are not. I do know that the crafting writs, even for a developing character, require using up more materials than the characters seem to gain in return.

baratron

I've had two Craglorn Blacksmithing Surveys and one Craglorn Woodworking Survey. Each of the Blacksmithing Surveys gave me 5 x Nirncrux of one type or another, as well as an average of 4 pieces of raw metal from each of the 8 ores. The Woodworking Survey gave me an average of 4 pieces of raw wood from each of the 8 logs, and nothing else. What was the point of that?

An interesting point is that you don't need access to tier 9 materials in order to get the Surveys. You just need to be level 50 in the skill and have access to Craglorn. I've never bothered to level my crafting skills above the material which I need to make my own items, so my V4 crafter only knows up to tier 7 materials. But I'm still getting Surveys from Blacksmith Chest VIIs.

abigfishy

Rodario wrote: »

BS surveys being the only ones rewarding Nirncrux was one of the failed changes in 1.5.3, so that should get better if they manage to get it to take tomorrow.

The other thing is: Aren't processed resources basically worth nothing? I.e. 400g if you vendor them, but virtually nobody buys them for over say 600?

I have been trying everywhere to get Nightwood. Every guild vendor, advertising in chat, all my guild stores. Finally got 3 stacks for 1200 a stack. For sanded! Since this patch they have become incredibly hard to find.

EQBallzz

abigfishy wrote: »

Rodario wrote: »

BS surveys being the only ones rewarding Nirncrux was one of the failed changes in 1.5.3, so that should get better if they manage to get it to take tomorrow.

The other thing is: Aren't processed resources basically worth nothing? I.e. 400g if you vendor them, but virtually nobody buys them for over say 600?

I have been trying everywhere to get Nightwood. Every guild vendor, advertising in chat, all my guild stores. Finally got 3 stacks for 1200 a stack. For sanded! Since this patch they have become incredibly hard to find.

If you don't do the writs (or have enough extra) and instead use the mats to sell them to other players the prices have already started going up a lot. I saw someone begging for a stack for like 1500 yesterday. Considering max level mats were barely selling at all for 600 before this patch that's a big increase.

Woolenthreads

baratron wrote: »

An interesting point is that you don't need access to tier 9 materials in order to get the Surveys. You just need to be level 50 in the skill and have access to Craglorn.

Er.... no? I'm getting them with a L16 blacksmith character, with the survey indicating a spot in region 2. Like any of the skills, it's about what level your skill-line perks are at, so the ability to make steel goods will get you a survey for high iron ore nodes.

Rodario

EQBallzz wrote: »

abigfishy wrote: »

Rodario wrote: »

BS surveys being the only ones rewarding Nirncrux was one of the failed changes in 1.5.3, so that should get better if they manage to get it to take tomorrow.

The other thing is: Aren't processed resources basically worth nothing? I.e. 400g if you vendor them, but virtually nobody buys them for over say 600?

I have been trying everywhere to get Nightwood. Every guild vendor, advertising in chat, all my guild stores. Finally got 3 stacks for 1200 a stack. For sanded! Since this patch they have become incredibly hard to find.

If you don't do the writs (or have enough extra) and instead use the mats to sell them to other players the prices have already started going up a lot. I saw someone begging for a stack for like 1500 yesterday. Considering max level mats were barely selling at all for 600 before this patch that's a big increase.

Then the writs have increased the value if processed materials, meaning farming them can now actually yield a profit.

KenjiJU

At minimum I think they should award character XP in the future, specifically when Champion comes.

Rodario

Joy_Division wrote: »

Rodario wrote: »

BS surveys being the only ones rewarding Nirncrux was one of the failed changes in 1.5.3, so that should get better if they manage to get it to take tomorrow.

The other thing is: Aren't processed resources basically worth nothing? I.e. 400g if you vendor them, but virtually nobody buys them for over say 600?

So the 377g quest reward, plus repair kit, plus sometimes a 250g ornate staff, plus raw material from the occasional survey (plus several nirncruxes once that has been fixed) are surely worth more than that stack of wood.

Try not to factor in time spent gathering wood. Look at it this way: If you're just picking up wood along the way while doing other stuff, and if once you have a complete stack you complete the writ instead of vendoring the refined mats because you don't need them, it's a decent profit.

- the patch notes noted clothier's lack of nirncrux and blacksmith's surfeit of them. nothing about the none nirncrux in woodworker's maps.

You're right. I just assumed they also meant woodworking and forgot to mention it it the notes.

Then again, I also assumed when they said fortified honey brittle will no longer look like a steak, they also meant the consummate version.

I guess I'm attributing too much common sense to ZOS.

Magdalina

abigfishy wrote: »

Rodario wrote: »

BS surveys being the only ones rewarding Nirncrux was one of the failed changes in 1.5.3, so that should get better if they manage to get it to take tomorrow.

The other thing is: Aren't processed resources basically worth nothing? I.e. 400g if you vendor them, but virtually nobody buys them for over say 600?

I have been trying everywhere to get Nightwood. Every guild vendor, advertising in chat, all my guild stores. Finally got 3 stacks for 1200 a stack. For sanded! Since this patch they have become incredibly hard to find.

o.O Wow.

I get more than enough sanded mats(with 0 extra effort) just from running daily dungeons and deconstructing all the white+ trash that drops there^^ That way it's actually a nice dump of like a stack+ of each kind of mat you get that way. Or you can sell it I guess, if prices have really gone up that much.

But yeah...more reward would be nice.Got a Carnelian for smithing writ today, wow, much reward. And a bloodstone+GREATER repair kit for clothing. So far I got a few surveys, one of them was smithing, got 5 nirncrux out of that, but 0 out of the other. Saving my 2 last Upper Crag surveys(clothing and woodworking) to see if maybe I'll find nirncrux there after(..if?) patch 1.5.3 finally works today.