Crafting Alts Needed?

Nimushiru · July 2017

So I've decided I really want to get into ESO after not playing for a long while. I didn't get far during my first attempt (Level 10 sorc) and decided to focus on healing this time around (magplar). That being said, I've started looking into Crafting, but not heavily investing in it as I've heard it can be a serious money sink early levels. I've also learned that you can do all of the crafting skill trees on one character.

What I haven't learned or heard is, is there any downside to this? Can I just play one character and have everything I want on that one toon, that way if I decide to make another in the future I can just craft from that one character despite what class he is or what I used him for beforehand?

MAEK · July 2017

The only downside to crafting everything on one character is that you will need a lot of skillpoints, but you will have plenty of those if you get lots of skyshards. A few bonuses however, to crafting everything on one character, is that you'll be able to craft all furniture (as some requires skills in several skill lines) and a lot of convenience.

Nimushiru · July 2017

So the better idea is to craft only what I need on my main, and then create a trade/craft toon to handle everything else, typical MMO fashion right?

MAEK · July 2017

Nah, you can handle everything on your main. There isn't any big downside to it, and it can be very convenient.

Nimushiru · July 2017

Gotcha. I've been hunting down skyshards wherever I could find them. I'll keep this in the mind for the future. Thank you Maek!

MAEK · July 2017

Just make sure you start researching traits as soon as possible, because it's gonna take a long time.

IcyDeadPeople · July 2017

Nimushiru wrote: »

So I've decided I really want to get into ESO after not playing for a long while. I didn't get far during my first attempt (Level 10 sorc) and decided to focus on healing this time around (magplar). That being said, I've started looking into Crafting, but not heavily investing in it as I've heard it can be a serious money sink early levels. I've also learned that you can do all of the crafting skill trees on one character.

What I haven't learned or heard is, is there any downside to this? Can I just play one character and have everything I want on that one toon, that way if I decide to make another in the future I can just craft from that one character despite what class he is or what I used him for beforehand?

It's not exactly a money sink, but it uses a lot of skill points you might want for combat skills etc. Eventually you can do it all on the same character you play in PVE/PVP, but I am always short of skill points, even on my magicka DK who only crafts wood/cloth and potions, with Alliance Rank 35 (provides 35 extra skill points)

At launch I split up blacksmith, clothing, woodworking, enchanting and provisioning among 3 different characters. It made it a bit easier at first, but ended up being a lot more expensive to buy multiple motifs and PITA to craft stuff for other people because you keep having to switch characters and go to some set station location.

Also learned too late that eventually you want to have all your characters research every trait (excluding nirnhoned).

If I were going to do it again...

I would have one crafting character/mule make all blacksmith, clothing, woodworking stuff. Just level it up a little bit and then do all the public dungeon group challenges for skill points, plus skyshards.
2nd crafting character/mule to make enchantments, provisioning, potions.
At the same time, I'd have all 14 characters learn all the traits (except nirnhoned) and max out every crafting skill. It will take time, but it makes a big difference when you want to get master writs. You don't need to spend all the skill points for every craft skill, just enough to be able to do the highest tier writs, max hireling passives, faster research time and the alchemy passive to improve the potions you drink.

All of the crafting skills you can level up very fast, from 0 to 50 in about 5 to 10 minutes, either by deconstructing or (in the case of provisioning/alchemy) making large batches of stuff with cheapest ingredients.

zaria · July 2017

If you have one completion character who get all the skyshards do all the quests with skill point, do all dungeons and some pvp you have enough skillpoints to do all the crafting skills on him as least if you keep the other focus a bit narrow, don't use skillpoints on stuff you don't use.
Do TG and DB but then recover most skill points.
This is nice for funiture crafting as you need to be well rounded and learning all blueprints on multiple characters is an pain, however for funiture crafting you don't need to max out everything in skill.
Alchemy and enchanting is the easiest to do on an alt. Provisioning is second because of the recipes.

IcyDeadPeople · July 2017

zaria wrote: »

If you have one completion character who get all the skyshards do all the quests with skill point, do all dungeons and some pvp you have enough skillpoints to do all the crafting skills on him as least if you keep the other focus a bit narrow, don't use skillpoints on stuff you don't use.
Do TG and DB but then recover most skill points.

In my case, on my character with the most skill points, I did all the main story, cadwell silver/gold skill point quests, all public dungeon group challenges, 372 out of 381 total skyshards, plus IC, Dark Brotherhood and about half of Thieves Guild, plus 35 skill points from PVP, and I am still always short of skill points, even though I'm only doing a few of the crafting skills with this character. Also note it's a magicka build (stam builds need even more skill points for all the stam weapons).

Total /played on this character since launch is 140 days, with 337 total skill points and I still need about 20 more for daily writs, plus a few more for some abilities and passives.

Now I regret not making a mule character for crafting only back when I started playing at launch.

Sunah · July 2017

I recommend doing all crafting on one character. Its not hard to get enough skill points, just do all the dungeon quest and go sky shard hunting. This way when you create items for your home that requires multiple crafting skills you will have them all on your main character.

Integral1900 · July 2017

All my charecters are at 320 skill points and climbing so I just take all the crafting stuff, every passive for the gear I use and then the abilities and misc stuff like the mages and fighters guilds. Besides, I'm a completionist... who draws the line at pvp...

Danikat · July 2017

I found I was unwilling to commit skill points to crafting on my main, I kept putting them into combat skills instead and then my crafting was left behind.

Instead I made a dedicated crafting character who just crafts, collects sky shards and collects the crafting surveys. He only has 3 combat skills (1 from each class line), which is just enough that he can survive to get sky shards. I could easily afford to put more points into combat skills but at this point I kind of enjoy the challenge.

I definitely think the benefits of having all the crafting skills on 1 character out-weigh the negatives, regardless of whether that character does other stuff too.

resdayn00 · July 2017

Honestly, I think there are more than enough skill points available. I use only one character and it has all crafting skills, enough combat skills that I can switch between PvE/PvP, and passives in different trees like DB and legerdemain. It's the most convenient option possible imo. I seriously can't understand the need for so many combat skills when you can only use 2 ability bars.

Magdalina · July 2017

Just something to add, even if you decide on not doing crafting on your main/later alts it's still beneficial to level at least alchemy and provisioning on them for extra food/potions duration passives.

Surragard · August 2017

I run it all on one character. There are many skill points available. Get a group to run a Cyrodil skyshard run with you. I actually think the bigger issue is bag space. You want to consider a sub for the unlimited crafting bag.

Taleof2Cities · August 2017

End game characters generally are near or above 300 skill points. That's enough to max all the crafting skill lines and still have plenty of room for combat ...

Megamatch · August 2017

Hey man,

I just returned to the game and I was also wondering this, constantly stretched for skill points. I did however do it differently from most other responses.

First of I had alot of motifs since long time ago and many traits researched on my main and really couldn't be arsed to get them again, but I was constantly lacking skillpoints (as a matter of fact I still am but working on that).

So what I did was:

On main: Get all those skills that allow you to use metals of highest quality and 3/3 hireling and researched all the traits except Nirnhoned. For the consumer professions I leveled them up (most easy by far) and just used the passives like food lasts longer, and no negative effects from poisons.
Basicly I use this guy to craft white stuff.

On crafting alt: I leveled the proffs up to 50 and put skill points into all the passives. I use this character for upgrading stuff, refining the ore and such.

This way I saved a few precious skill points on main and didn't waste alot of time to get new motifs and research stuff again. Sure I have to relog to my alt to upgrade refine etc but she is parked in a small town that is fast to load to, saves me trouble heading to the crafting stations on main anyways.

IcyDeadPeople · August 2017

Taleof2Cities wrote: »

End game characters generally are near or above 300 skill points. That's enough to max all the crafting skill lines and still have plenty of room for combat ...

I have 337 skill points and still need about 20-30 more just for crafting writs and some passives. If it was a stam build, or if I was going to do all the crafting with this character I'd need even more.

Megamatch wrote: »

On crafting alt: I leveled the proffs up to 50 and put skill points into all the passives. I use this character for upgrading stuff, refining the ore and such.

This way I saved a few precious skill points on main and didn't waste alot of time to get new motifs and research stuff again. Sure I have to relog to my alt to upgrade refine etc but she is parked in a small town that is fast to load to, saves me trouble heading to the crafting stations on main anyways.

That is the way to do it, very smart. Wish I'd realized this back when I started playing ESO. I'd suggest to research all the traits and learn the motifs on this character as well, make him your all around crafter.

Taleof2Cities · August 2017

IcyDeadPeople wrote: »

I have 337 skill points and still need about 20-30 more just for crafting writs and some passives. If it was a stam build, or if I was going to do all the crafting with this character I'd need even more.

That's interesting ... may I ask what non-crafting skill lines you have maxed or close to maxing?

I don't have any issues on my Stam DK ... who is maxed in the crafting lines except a few points left out of Provisioning.

IcyDeadPeople · August 2017

Taleof2Cities wrote: »

IcyDeadPeople wrote: »

I have 337 skill points and still need about 20-30 more just for crafting writs and some passives. If it was a stam build, or if I was going to do all the crafting with this character I'd need even more.

That's interesting ... may I ask what non-crafting skill lines you have maxed or close to maxing?

I don't have any issues on my Stam DK ... who is maxed in the crafting lines except a few points left out of Provisioning.

Ardent Flame 16
Draconic Power 20
Earthen Heart 18
1H & Shield 13
Destro Staff 21
Resto Staff 22
Light Armor 13
Medium Armor 2
Heavy Armor 7
Legerdemain 8
Soul Magic 5
Vampire 15
Dark Brotherhood 2
Fighters Guild 13
Mages Guild 17
Thieves Guild 1
Undaunted 10
Assault 15
Support 15
Racial 9

Then, to craft and research everything on one character will require 129 skill points. Clothing, Woodworking, Blacksmithing or would require 19 points each. Another 9 points if you want max hirelings and 9 more for highest node visibility. Alchemy needs 15, Provisioning needs 19. Minimum for crafting glyphs is 14, plus optional 6 more for runestone extraction and hirelings.

Probably for all your characters you will want to plan on eventually being able to do highest tier daily writs and get max hirelings and gradually research all the traits. This will require 48 points for Clothing, Blacksmith and Woodworking, 8 for Alchemy, 13 for Enchanting, 9 for Provisioning...for a total of 78 points plus another 12 if you want keen eye passive to see the nodes from a distance (excluding Enchanting nodes which are already illuminated).

Any character you will actually spend time playing and not just crafting writs / mule, I would plan on spending additional 3 points for the Alchemy passive Medicinal Use.

Curtdogg47 · August 2017

I do everything on character. Still have 52 skill points unused and I will get 12 more back once I am done researching traits in a day or two.

If you know how you are going to play and what skills and passives you will need or want. Then you kind of calculate if it works to do everything on one toon.

I play with Bow and 2H and play the same way for PVP and PVE with a few skill changes. I don't run trials and rarely do vet dungeons. So the way my build and playstyle work I have plenty of skill points to craft and few left over to try other skills.

You may want to have more options and max out more weapon types in which case you will need more points. And crafting may not work for taking up skill points.

Its all about what works best for you.

FakeFox · August 2017

The only problem with having every profession on one character is that it takes quite a few skillpoints, but it's doable. I have everything on my main and still can have pretty much every other skillline fully skilled. Given I have pretty much every skillpoint you can get.