The 9-Trait Crafter Dilemma

radiostar · September 2020

Player asks for 9-Trait gear. You ask if they have ALL the mats needed for the gear and take the mats and make the gear.

Then they want yellow enchants, which they have NOT given you mats for.

Make it from inventory? Say go get the mats to make it? Say go to the local public enchanter and get white glyphs?

What do you do?

I mean, either way, you get trashed in zone, right?

shimm · September 2020

Just do that for guildies...

AndrewQ84 · September 2020

I only craft gold for free for my wife. I ask for gold mats for guildies, anything up to purple I do for free for them. For rando's running around, I do up to blue for free. Anything higher I ask for mats. No haggling. That's the deal. And no, no gold equivalent. I need the mats to do it. That's how I do it and it works for me and seems the most fair.

Chaos2088 · September 2020

Ask them for the matts, for friends I would do it, if they asked, but thats just rude asking for something for free.

TradoTheOne · September 2020

You are the crafter, you choose what you want to give them and the prize you want for it.
If I craft anyone anything, i always want them to be clear and confirm that we agree.

woufff · September 2020

Most of the time I "only" craft the gear, anyone can upgrade themself. Or I ask that the mat for upgrade is sent to me first.

In any case, I am the crafter, I decide what and how, especially because I do not ask for any retribution, I do not need to earn money on it, I just don't want to loose anything

zvavi · September 2020

You are giving them your time, don't give them free materials too. I usually craft for mats (no ESO+) so it is mats or gtfo, any spares/gold are welcome, but I ain't charity

pod88kk · September 2020

You're the crafter it's your rules or they can bugger off

Thalmor-Nordmaster · September 2020

For my guild I will craft 9t including epic and legendary. We have the mats in the bank to cover it. For anyone else they provide mats tempers the works including traits. I will explain ,why ,when Wrothgar came out someone asked me for a set of TBS and they said infused on large and divines on small.So that is what I did then they asked for gold glyphs for poison and disease
which I made. I even asked them if they were sure as TBS works best with 9t divines they said yeppers

SO I make this stuff and send it to them they then said that they had asked for all divines and wanted large divines and gold glyphs at my expense. I always screen cap transactions. And told them so and that was that.Not scamming me or my guild members.

Same with Jewelry send me the mats/platings/trait and poof you have it. Crafters do not let the clients mistake kindness for weakness.

johnjetau · September 2020

I have lots of materials, so now I just charge people a gold value for crafting items/sets. I give guild members a slight discount.
Most accept that. Some get upset, that I expect them to pay though.

Alamakot · September 2020

I'm crafting just for mats refund. And I'm always asking before I touch station: "will you improve and enchant on your own?" Usually answer is "yes", but if not, I'm listing mats and amount needed

redlink1979 · September 2020

I don't mind helping but players from zone chat but they need to provide me ALL the required mats. If anything is missing, I mention it.

Trashed? Why? You are doing them a favor...

PS - What happened to me awhile ago: someone asked for jewelry to research after seeing my char's title (grand master crafter), expecting me to send it over without them sending me the mats... They waited until now, at least.

preevious · September 2020

I always use my mats, and I price the stuff accordingly.
All players I meet agree to the price, most even kindly give extra.

Sometimes, very rarely, one expect me to craft for free or to craft for mat price.
It never happen (for cp 160 stuff), even for friends. Friends understand the cost of being a master crafter and would feel horrible not paying.

Donny_Vito · September 2020

Either price them for my mats or they must provide, no middle ground. I've been fooled before, so I'm upfront about it now.

bmnoble · September 2020

I don't see the dilemma, what part of asking do they have all the mats did they fail to understand.

The only time I would consider throwing in free gold enchants, is if the person provided a large tip up front when they sent the mats if not they can go get the mats, meanwhile I will have finished the order the requested with the mats the provided and mailed it to them.

Guild mates get as high as purple quality glyphs for free, can't do gold ones since I sell the Kuta.

I am not going to wait around for people to go shopping, your not ready your wasting my time and I am moving on simple as that.

That said I refuse to make tri stat glyphs for low level gear, I always talk the person out of it, its a waste of gold and should only be done on CP160 gear.

Pevey · September 2020

You are being scammed, no way do it for free. They are nuts for asking.

Hapexamendios · September 2020

Be upfront with what you expect for your services. Any hesitation on their part and call it off. No need to waste any more of your time.

linuxlady · September 2020

If I have the mats I will accept gold for mats but if I have not the mats they must go bring the mats if they want it made. I’m a crafter not a shopper. Do your own shopping or go without. The trade system I hate and I’m not running around looking for nirncrux or anything else. If I don’t have that mat and I need it for your request then you must provide it.

Just to be clear, I gave two accounts and just doing crafting dailies and survey maps and crafting writs takes up 3 hrs before I even begin playing the game. And you expect me to do all the shopping for mats? All the in game gold in Tamriel isn’t enough.

Gythral · September 2020

The door is ->
they CAN exit via it
or spend the 6months learning everything

I dont care which

L_Nici · September 2020

Well I usually require the base mats, and will craft the gear up to purple, because you have plenty of that upgrade items anyway. If they want it gold, I ask for the gold upgrade item and then do it.

JKorr · September 2020

radiostar wrote: »

Player asks for 9-Trait gear. You ask if they have ALL the mats needed for the gear and take the mats and make the gear.

Then they want yellow enchants, which they have NOT given you mats for.

Make it from inventory? Say go get the mats to make it? Say go to the local public enchanter and get white glyphs?

What do you do?

I mean, either way, you get trashed in zone, right?

For under cp160 gear I'll make it for guildies for free. If they want above blue improvements, they have to give me the tempers. If they want gold enchants they have to give the kuta. For cp160 they need to give me the mats, and above blue tempers and the kuta for gold enchants.

After more than a few unpleasant exchanges, I don't do random crafting in zone chat anymore.

Sahidom · September 2020

OP. This is the common trend with guildies asking for something crafted.

Please craft [x] set, [x] armor/weapon trait. When asked to provide mats the common response: I'll just pay you in gold for the value.

What you should say is this: You buy the mats and send them via game mail with what you want crafted; this does two things:

a) doesn't use up your mats and,

b) the requester can shop for mats than gamble their concept of gold compensation is far below what you'd actually might end up spending,

Both cases puts the effort on their part to get the mats needed. This avoids the "you're too slow," case scenarios where you crafted everything without their mat contributions only to be told, "sorry, I had someone else craft it," and your still out mats and the guild master usually doesn't repay you for the mats spent in kind.

MY SUGGESTION.

DO NOT CRAFT ANYTHING UNLESS FOR A VENDOR OR SOMEONE WHO CAN PONY UP THE MATERIALS.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to calculate how much mats are needed, and the requester can shop around and do all the prep work.

anitajoneb17_ESO · September 2020

radiostar wrote: »

Make it from inventory? Say go get the mats to make it? Say go to the local public enchanter and get white glyphs?

Neither.
Make it from inventory and the "client" will never learn (and possibly never refund you the mats)
Say "go get the mats" and you're stuck explaining the wheres and the hows and waiting waiting waiting

Just say you haven't invested skill points in enchanting and they should ask someone else. (Diplomatic lie)

JKorr wrote: »

After more than a few unpleasant exchanges, I don't do random crafting in zone chat anymore.

Unfortunately, many people's behaviour lead to this policy, which I have adopted for myself too.

Pandorii · September 2020

OP, I've had this happen a few times as well.

It start with someone asking for help from a master crafter in guild chat. I agree when I am feeling helpful. Then it turns out they have no idea how crafting works (no surprise since that's usually why then need help from someone else) and think 1 stack of rubidite ingot is enough to cover the crafting of a full set of gear, in purple.

I think about 80% of the time it comes from ignorance of how crafting works. I don't think they know how much it takes in mats to make 160 gear. I don't think they know how many upgrade mats it takes and the cost of purpling out each piece (~3k a piece). I don't think they know that some of the fancier style mats can go for 500-1k gold a piece.

My solution, I only volunteer to help when I am feeling extremely generous and patient. Even when they 'have mats', the convo usually goes like this "I have mats, how many do you need?" Ugh. You want help? You should do the math beforehand. Unfortunately, it's not an easy calculation in my head to determine how many mats they need for full sets, esp when they're asking for different pieces in different weights and sets.

A full set will take me 30 minutes, easy. Even with that, I often make a mistake with a piece, have to decon, and eat the cost of the lost materials. There's just a lot going on.

I don't blame people for not knowing how master crafting is a lot of work. I just also assume a person asking for help from a crafter probably hasn't leveled it up themselves so they have no idea how it works. I bet there's a way to create a QOL change in-game to ease this, like a commission board where people post their requests and the crafter accepts it like a quest.

JKorr · September 2020

The amount of mats varies, of course, for under cp160 gear. For cp160 gear....

chest - 150 ingots/hides/bolts of cloth
legs - 140
hands - 130
feet - 130
waist - 130
shoulders - 130
head - 130

Yes, I had to look it up enough times that it is firmly embedded in memory. Along with the comments of "You're kidding. That's ridiculous. You're out of your mind." Kinda goes along with the all time favorite request, "Just make it look cool." That one always sets off longing for D&D Rainbow Armor, or the option of crafting in pepto-bismol pink.....

PizzaCat82 · September 2020

I don't craft for anyone but close friends. If I have not seen you in real life don't ask me to craft stuff.

LadyNalcarya · September 2020

I only craft for free for my friends, sometimes guildies and random new players I meet while fighting world bosses and whatnot. And of course, free gold tempers and enchants are only for friends.
For anyone else, I just ask them to provide the mats. I think it's fair, collecting motifs and learning traits takes a long time. I'm not crafting for profit, and I don't want to lose money in process.

Tyrobag · September 2020

What dilemma? They don't give you the mats they obviously don't get the item. If they demand that you give them gold enchantments for free they're an entitled jack***.

dcam86b14_ESO · September 2020

I never craft anything for free idc if my mom asked for a full set. If you don't have the mats or the gold to cover the mats, then bye. lol.

I don't fuss with zoners.

EvilAutoTech · September 2020

I've stopped using the Grand Master Crafter title and hammer.

Iwwould ssplain butMMS totally bbroke mmy ffrickin keyboard. I hope they don't do ESO like they did SwiftKey.

gatekeeper13 · September 2020

When people ask in zone for crafters, I always tell them to bring the mats and necessary alloys, rosins etc if they want a specific quality. Otherwise it's a no from me.

Why? Because once I agreed with a player to craft him around 10+ pieces, he didnt have mats, I didnt either and agreed to buy them and he would pay extra. While I was spending tenths of thousands of gold in buying the materials, he suddenly said he couldnt wait any longer and vanished.

After that incident, I only agree to craft gear for someone else only if he brings ALL the mats.