Is crafting necessary?

callahan9119 · August 2015

I'm a magicka DK, I read somewhere you should begin doing provisioning and alchemy early, as you won't find the materials necessary to improve them if you're a higher level. I can't find any food recipes or alchemy materials.

Also, do you need to level up other crafts? If so what should I pick to be my profession based on my class?

Kobaal · August 2015

Do all of them. That's what I did. This is because my class role changed many times throught the game. I did DPS for a while, then Tank, then Heals, etc, etc.. It's best to lvl up all your crafting professions.

BeardLumber · August 2015

You can do crafting at any level. When my crafter reached vet levels thats when I decided to get into alchemy. Only took me a few hours to max it out.

Provisioning on the other hand, you might need to go to lower level zones to find some of the ingredients and recipes. But that isn't really all that much of a hassle.

Cuyler · August 2015

Alchemy and prov are the only necessary professions as the passives increase the lenth of time your potions and food last in addition to making 4 with each crafting attempt. Buying and selling these as well can be profitable.

Crafting weapons and armor is not necessary although convenient. Once in a guild most will make it for you for free as long as you have the materials. Class makes no difference but as a magicka build it would make sense to go after light armor first as compared to medium (more for stamina users).

Again join a guild and you can get low level recipes for free usually. Also begin doing the two respective writs, alchemy and provisioning and that will get you started.

DenMoria · August 2015

I learned that crafting is my friend! Even at level 7 I've created better armor and weapons and glyphs than I could ever find just out awanderin'! Plus, I like the process. Sure the tables and smithy's are crowded as all get out, but, hey, whatcha gonna do.

My only complaint is that I can't see what I'm about to create. Don't get me wrong, I love my Templar's new armor and weapons, but, it ain't for their looks.

Tessie · August 2015

DenMoria wrote: »

...My only complaint is that I can't see what I'm about to create. Don't get me wrong, I love my Templar's new armor and weapons, but, it ain't for their looks.

@DenMoria I hate that we can't get an in-game preview. I usually use http://eso-fashion.com/ and the from the armor menu, show them by weight.

Thymos · August 2015

A good tip, if you're going to get into gear crafting, it's best to do all 3 on a single character. That way you will only need one of each motif that you do want to craft.

Nestor · August 2015

callahan9119 wrote: »

I'm a magicka DK, I read somewhere you should begin doing provisioning and alchemy early, as you won't find the materials necessary to improve them if you're a higher level. I can't find any food recipes or alchemy materials.

Not really an issue any more with these. If you farm Zone 1, you will find L1 Recipes. Or, do L1 Writs you get L1 Recipes in the reward. Used to be that recipes were tied only to character level, but not any more.

As far as Alchemy goes, it was never an issue to find lower level waters, it was just harder. Now, if you farm Pure Water sources and Water Skins, you get water for that level zone.

These two above level very quickly so you can level them any time you want in an hour or so.

As for equipment crafting, and Enchanting for that matter, you can level those crafts as you play just by deconstructing the loot you get. You don't need to put any points in, other than maybe the Extraction Passive to get more Tempers back.

If you are going to craft, you do want to start researching your traits as soon as possible. Learning enough traits to make good gear does not take that long, maybe 2 weeks if your diligent. However to make the powerful stuff, figure about another month. And to make the top traited sets, figure on 6 months or more. But, the sets you need to know 2 or 3 traits to make can carry you to VR Ranks easily. The Research Passives can really help with this.

DenMoria · August 2015

Tessie wrote: »

DenMoria wrote: »

...My only complaint is that I can't see what I'm about to create. Don't get me wrong, I love my Templar's new armor and weapons, but, it ain't for their looks.

@DenMoria I hate that we can't get an in-game preview. I usually use http://eso-fashion.com/ and the from the armor menu, show them by weight.

Thank you! This is great!

Fruitmass · August 2015

Crafting isn't a necessity but it may make your life easier. What professions to level, how to do it and how you'll use them is entirely up to you. You could choose to learn them all so your prepared should you want to level and outfit an alt or decide to change your build later. You could choose to only learn what's most relevant to you and what you'll use most. You could choose to level your crafting simply to maximize your gathering and refining efficiency to make money selling materials. You could max all professions on one character or spread them out among many. The choice is totally yours and there's no wrong way to go.

You can start working on any craft at any time there's no restriction. Depending on how you look at it may be better to start early or later. But it will be no more or less difficult/tedious to max it at v14 than it would be at lv10.

What you've read about provisioning mats not showing up is likely from an outdated guide related to the early incarnation of the Provisioning craft and how ingredients/recipes scaled with level. They've revised Provisioning a while ago so that regardless of level or location you still have a chance to find what ingredients you need. You can start working on that whenever you'd like no problem now.

Muizer · August 2015

callahan9119 wrote: »

I'm a magicka DK, I read somewhere you should begin doing provisioning and alchemy early, as you won't find the materials necessary to improve them if you're a higher level. I can't find any food recipes or alchemy materials.

Also, do you need to level up other crafts? If so what should I pick to be my profession based on my class?

I'd do woodworking, clothing and blacksmithing on your main. While you level your main, collect glyphs (not runes) and recipes (not ingredients) and store them in the bank or on an alt. When you get around to leveling up your alt you will have the necessary stuff to level alchemy, enchanting and provisioning a lot faster than if you try to "level as you go". Yes, you will need at least one alt. If you try to level all crafts on one character you'll experience a shortage of skill points.

Woodworking, clothing and blacksmithing require lots of research, which I find is best done alongside questing. Besides, unlike the other crafted products, weapons and gear will make leveling through questing notably easier.

About the stuff you'd keep for your alt, glyphs don't stack in your inventory, so you may find storing them too expensive in that sense. Be advised though that leveling enchantment is almost exclusively done by deconstructing glyphs, not by creating them. For provisioning, you don't have to keep all recipes you find. Just a nice spread of levels so you don't end up leveling with recipes lower in grade than your passives permit. Alchemy is pretty easy to level along with your character. Crafted potions are more of an end-game requirement though. They won't really make a difference when questing.

TeamGizzy · August 2015

I started late, and regret it much. I wished I would have started them all at the beginning. Very off kilter now

Mitchblue · August 2015

I seem to not find enough recipes so I have a ton of mats taking up all my bag space.

callahan9119 · August 2015

Nestor wrote: »

callahan9119 wrote: »

I'm a magicka DK, I read somewhere you should begin doing provisioning and alchemy early, as you won't find the materials necessary to improve them if you're a higher level. I can't find any food recipes or alchemy materials.

Not really an issue any more with these. If you farm Zone 1, you will find L1 Recipes. Or, do L1 Writs you get L1 Recipes in the reward. Used to be that recipes were tied only to character level, but not any more.

As far as Alchemy goes, it was never an issue to find lower level waters, it was just harder. Now, if you farm Pure Water sources and Water Skins, you get water for that level zone.

These two above level very quickly so you can level them any time you want in an hour or so.

As for equipment crafting, and Enchanting for that matter, you can level those crafts as you play just by deconstructing the loot you get. You don't need to put any points in, other than maybe the Extraction Passive to get more Tempers back.

If you are going to craft, you do want to start researching your traits as soon as possible. Learning enough traits to make good gear does not take that long, maybe 2 weeks if your diligent. However to make the powerful stuff, figure about another month. And to make the top traited sets, figure on 6 months or more. But, the sets you need to know 2 or 3 traits to make can carry you to VR Ranks easily. The Research Passives can really help with this.

What are traits?

Nestor · August 2015

callahan9119 wrote: »

What are traits?

The real reason you craft in the first place.

They add buffs to various things. Like increase your Critical Strike chance or Increase your armor. You can only apply one trait to a piece you make. There are Special Crafting Stations that require knowing a certain number of traits on an item in order to craft a special item with Set Bonuses. It does not matter what traits you know, only that you know a certain number. Note, yes, you have to know the trait to apply it, and you have to have a Trait Gem to apply the trait. You learn traits by researching an item that already has the trait on it, and you can get those as loot drops or buy them from another crafter

http://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Traits

Sithisvoid · August 2015

Thymos wrote: »

A good tip, if you're going to get into gear crafting, it's best to do all 3 on a single character. That way you will only need one of each motif that you do want to craft.

This and researching traits takes a long time. You don't want to be all over the place or doing this on multiple characters.

callahan9119 · August 2015

So I should do equipment on my main, and make an alt for potions and whatnot?

waterfairy · August 2015

I started crafting as more of a hobby then something really useful. Looted sets and other items seem to always trump what I can create and I rarely use consumables so I have no need to make them. I've heard that crafting becomes obsolete for end game characters so what's the point in pushing it to the limit?

NewBlacksmurf · August 2015

It's up to you as someone needs to buy stuff others are making. If we all craft then...kinda is pointless to be online.

waterfairy · August 2015

Mitchblue wrote: »

I seem to not find enough recipes so I have a ton of mats taking up all my bag space.

Do you play Xbox NA? I sell all recipes I find in my guild trader (mainly green and blue with a few purple) but I would be willing to work something out with you if you like. PM me if interested as they don't like talks of trading in the forum.

predkill29 · August 2015

I did blacksmithing, clothing, and alchemy on my main then I'm going to do woodworking and enchanting one second. I don't want to do provisiong right now.