Why are there no alchemy hirelings? (aka not enough alchemy mats to go around)

GnGEmpire · March 2016

Was wondering why there are no alchemy hirelings, this makes alchemy plants less abundant than any other crafting material in the game, which is a shame because they are probably the most used materials in the game. Now with all the raiding guilds stocking on lady's smock/corn flours, running spellpower potions is more taxing than it's been in a long time.

What do you all think?

STEVIL · March 2016

Well, i noticed it but thought it was due to alchemy seeming to me to not be ad dependent on level-based ingredients. With the other crsfts they are highly dependent on level-limiting materials and/or quality-based ones. Eith alchemy the only level dependency is the solvents and you get four doses per, so for instsnce, the dragonthorn or cornflower you pick in Glenumbra makes every bit as good an essence at vr15 as it did a sip at the beginning.

Not really thr same as say flax snd ancestorvsilk.

So, as i saw it, a hireling dropping me ssy two plants snd s lorkshsvtears every 12 hours would be a lot more powerful than the one dropping me a few ancestor dilkd and embrodiery.

My alchemist is serioudly overstocked, as sre mynother crafters. Not seeing any msjor deficiemcy by comparison. Most often its the enchanter runningboutbof level appropriate or quality appropriate stones.

AllnIMO YMMV of course.

WhiteCoatSyndrome · March 2016

Stick with the Cralorn Writs if you're running out of plants; the Surveys from those have eight plants, the Wrothgar Surveys only have seven.

starkerealm · March 2016

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

Stick with the Cralorn Writs if you're running out of plants; the Surveys from those have eight plants, the Wrothgar Surveys only have seven.

Yeah, but Wrothgar writs pay out with Lorkan's Tears, Craglorn only coughs up for Star Dew, as I recall.

starkerealm · March 2016

GnGEmpire wrote: »

What do you all think?

Because Alchemy is the only crafting profession with no rare materials.

Originally Provisioning had three or four ingredients that could only drop from 3/3 hirelings (tomatoes, and oats, as I recall, though it's been awhile). That changed when provisioning got switched over to the current version (pre-overhaul there were over 150 different ingredients in the game), though I still think the hireling and writs are the only way to get the purple ingredients.

Enchanting has Kutas, and originally 3/3 hirelings paid out with those way more frequently than now.

Equipment has the upgrade materials.

Alchemy... the plants aren't particularly rare. The level 40 solvent used to be stupidly rare, due to an oversight, not an intentional design choice, but otherwise, there's nothing rare in the entire tree that would make a hireling particularly useful.