Wanna give me some pointers?

nosillalouise · September 2014

Basically, I'm level 20 and now just getting into crafting.
I want to craft for my gear and weapons, so that I no longer need to buy them anymore. Is it actually worth crafting, or should I just continue to buy my gear?
Also, with me just now starting to craft it's been a bit hard to level my crafting due to lack of supplies. Can anyone give me some tips on crafting?
Maybe even Enchanting... because that's just like a foreign language to me at this point.
I miss how easy it was to craft in Skyrim

Thanks in advance!

kieso · September 2014

step 1: deconstruct everything you wont need

KleanZlate · September 2014

...and if you know anyone in game who's higher level than you, get them to send you higher level gear to deconstruct.

Start collecting and researching armor and weapon traits straight away as it takes a looooong time to research. Get Research assistant addon to help with collecting traits.

Nestor · September 2014

I only wear and use Crafted Items. I have never bought any gear for other than research purposes. Never use dropped sets as I never find all the pieces before I level past them.

The main reason to use Crafting is to make Crafted Sets. To make Crafted Sets, you need to Research Traits. There are some awesome crafted sets that only require you to know 2 to 4 traits, so it's not like you need all them researched to make headway.

Fortunately, you can find cheap items with the traits at the Guild Kiosks (never spend more than 200 to 300 gold on an item your just going to research). Hit me up and I can make you traited gear to research for 100 gold each for most traits. Some I charge more for like Training as those trait gems are precious to me.

Get either the Craft Store add on once its updated or the Research Timer and Research Grid add ons to help keep track of this process. Craft Store does both in one add on.

I get most of my materials from Deconstruction, although I do buy stacks of materials if they are priced at 800 or less gold. But I have tons of Tempers, Racials and Trait gems from this process. The Passives in the crafting lines really help with what you get from deconstruction and refinement, so get some skill points to use in those. You can get tons of loot farming public dungeons at your level. Just wait for a group to go through and follow along or request a group so you get more loot.

Because everyone is chasing the extraction achievements, you can get stacks of materials pretty cheap now. In fact, I have a bunch I am trying to sell in the guild stores. Look me up tonight and I can sell you some cheapish. Or, hit me up with a message and I can take you through a couple of farming runs. Just empty your bag off to an Alt first so you can stay in the dungeon longer.

Soloeus · September 2014

Decon everything, don't bother actually crafting.

Your big priority is to pick one thing and begin researching Traits.

1. I would perform ONE craft in every category. My starting set was: Light Armor, Staves/Bow and Heavy Armor. Now, I am doing Medium Armor, Metal Weapons and I have mastered all wood except Nirnhoned.

You should trade crafted items with another player for items of equal level and decon. Use the leftovers to craft new, repeat.

Crafting isn't done just because. Crafting lets you make item sets like Torugs Pact, Hundings Rage and Willow's Path at crafting stations throughout the world. Most zones have 2 Stations.

Crafting these sets requires either 2 traits, 4 traits, 6 traits, 8 traits. Doesn't matter which traits. For that reason, its best to start with the best traits like Divines and Impenetrable. You will rely on researching traits for there to even be a point in it.

2. Make other characters. You might decide to play them someday. You need to level it to about 20. You can grind that in just 2-3 days if you play 3 hours a day. Easy work. Collect some lowbie skyshards too. Why?

These characters will take points in Hireling. This will give you blue/purple/gold mats every day. I have 5 characters who have Hireling 3 in EVERY craft. Actually, I am just one of many people who do, I am not special. Most have 6-8, but I left a few character slots for new classes if any are ever added.

3. You can benefit from buying crap from guild stores. Most players know the only reason you are buying our level 35 staff is to decon it, and we price it as such. 150-500g depending on style, trait and level. Prices range, but that is what I usually sell all loot and crafted green items for.

Sell all Weapon Traits! Most players are happy to pay 100-500 each per trait you have that they are missing, this can get you income.

Soloeus · September 2014

And-

I run main crafts on my main. I have one alt that does Provisioning, and Alchemy. I have a third character that does Enchanting. All provisioning containers are leveled to YOU so you need to harvest those items now. You can 50 provisioning on level 25-30 recipes.

Alchemy and Provisioning go up quickly.

Nestor · September 2014

I will add that there are benefits to just making regular "Non Crafted Set" Gear. So, even if you can't make a Crafted Set, you can still make a nice set of gear with the traits you want on them to get you going until you can make a crafted set. Assuming you have researched the traits that you want. For example, while leveling, I make a set with 5 or 7 pieces traited with Training. Gets me to the Armor Passives faster.

Frar · September 2014

Forgive me if you feel like this is hijacking the thread, but it seemed a natural follow-on question...
From a perspective purely of leveling a crafting skill, is it worth it to create multiple lower-level items with a given stack of mats, or fewer higher level items? For example, if I have 40 rawhide, should I make 20 level 1 items at 2 rawhide each, or 2 level 12 items at 20 rawhide each? (I know the numbers aren't real world, but I wanted the math to be simple). How do you get the most levelling bang for the buck? I thought I had seen a table somewhere about this, but haven't been able to find it again...

Nestor · September 2014

If your grinding crafting by making things, make the lowest level item you can for the material you have. In other words a L1 Iron Dagger gives just as much exp as a L4 Iron Greatsword (or where ever the cut off is) but a L6 Steel dagger gives a bit more.

I will say that I ground out a bunch of excess materials I had one day (blacksmithing was in the 30's somewhere at the time) and I went through a couple of 100 stacks of ingots to gain a level. Where as Deconstructing would have given me more exp (it seems) for the same effort (other than farming of the loot in a public dungeon but that also gives experience for the character, and it's fun)

So, I don't think making things is the best way to gain exp in crafting, Research and Deconstruction is. I don't seem to get that much from Improvements either, but I have never checked the bar while doing so TBH.

Frar · September 2014

Awesome answer, thanks Nestor!

Sindala · September 2014

To be honest, if your just getting to Level 50 by doing the PVE quests then you don't need to craft any armour.
I'm on my 2nd time thru after completing the whole questlines the first time and ending as a Level 47 char. (another over-sight by Zos)

This time thru i'm doing it as a Sorcerer/2-hand sword/Full heavy armour and i'm now about to beat up Molag Bal at Level 43........half naked (armour is pointless for PVE)

If your after PvP then I think that stuff is given out in Dungeon runs and such? not sure on that as I don't do it.

Nestor · September 2014

Sindala wrote: »

To be honest, if your just getting to Level 50 by doing the PVE quests then you don't need to craft any armour.

If your willing to give up the Crafted Set bonuses, and don't care about Traits and the positives you get from them, yes, the game can be played completely with Dropped Armor.

Sindala · September 2014

I didn't even know what those little icons ment on the map with my first char. I though they were dungeons and avoided them. Thought set armour only dropped from mobs. lol
Just show's how little it is required........unless your endgame/PvP.

nb, I almost killed Molag Bal in just my pants at Level 43 but I screwed up with a damb double roll and blew it. Trying again

Ourorboros · September 2014

There are much better things to spend gold on than armor or repairs. Crafting your items or using drops while you level is much cheaper. No one mentioned Racial Motifs, but it's a good idea to get as many of these as possible. They allow you to use all the racial stones you find for crafting. That will save 15g per item, as compared to being forced to buy them from a vendor. After a while, these stones are like trash, but in the early going they have their use. Other than that, you have been given good advice. Deconstruction is the key, and the higher the level item, the better. Finding someone to trade items at your level helps a lot if you are harvesting mats to create items. Put points in skills to work at the highest level you can. Right now mats are cheap, so you can get mats like voidstone and quicksilver long before you make it to a zone where you can harvest yourself.