So, I went on the PTS today to test out some of the new crafting (particularly the refining) changes that the game has implemented.
I saved up a large supply of raw top-tier materials by collecting a whole bunch of surveys (on Live), so that they'd be in my character's crafting bag when they copied over the templates to the PTS server.
A couple of notes first.
There is a limit of 1,000 refines at a time (10,000 raw mats)
There is a + and - button to select what you want to refine (as well a a "min" button, which selects 1 refine, and a "max" button, which selects the maximum possible). The default option is MAX
You can refine multiple items at the same time, however the ONLY option with this is "ALL", you cannot select different amounts
The process is truly instantaneous. Takes as long as 1 normal refine does currently on LIVE.
Results:
Woodworking.
11,710 raw ruby ash refined
9,962 sanded ruby ash (85.07% drop rate)
174 pitch (1.48%)
145 turpen (1.24%)
92 mastic (0.79%)
53 rosin (0.45%)
Blacksmithing
12,420 rubedite ore
10,588 rubedite ingots (85.24%)
172 honing stone (1.38%)
168 dwarven oil (1.35%)
72 grain solvent (0.57%)
66 tempering alloy (0.53%)
Clothing
6510 raw ancestor Silk
5494 ancestor silk (84.39%)
92 hemming (1.41%)
87 embroidery (1.33%)
54 elegant lining (0.82%)
31 dreugh wax (0.48%)
5020 rubedo hide scraps
4290 rubedo leather (85.46%)
89 hemming (1.77%)
56 embroidery (1.12%)
37 elegant lining (0.74%)
22 dreugh wax (0.43%)
Jewelry
10760 platinum dust
9142 platinum ingots (84.96%)
162 terne grains (1.50%)
140 iridium grains (1.30%)
77 zircon grains (0.71%)
62 chromium grains (0.57%)
The drop rates for all of these are within statistical normal drop rates of 85% return on material, 1.5% for green, 1.25% for blue, 0.75% for purple, and 0.5% for gold materials. So it appears that nothing has changed there!
Tenacious Dreamer - Hurricane Herald - Godslayer - Dawnbringer - Gryphon Heart - Tick Tock Tormenter - Immortal Redeemer - Dro-m'Athra Destroyer
The Unchained - Oathsworn - Bedlam's Disciple - Temporal Tempest - Curator's Champion - Fist of Tava - Invader's Bane - Land, Air, and Sea Supremacy - Zero Regrets - Battlespire's Best - Bastion Breaker - Ardent Bibliophile - Subterranean Smasher - Bane of Thorns - True Genius - In Defiance of Death - No Rest for the Wicked - Nature's Wrath - Undying Endurance - Relentless Raider - Depths Defier - Apex Predator - Pure Lunacy - Mountain God - Leave No Bone Unbroken - CoS/RoM/BF/FH Challenger
65,385 achievement points