Crafting Profession Balance

[Baldur 0]

Blacksmith
Tailor
Artisan
Alchemist
Cook
Performer
Fisherman
Merchant

 

I am a merchant, so I will start there.

Merchant - I think their role should be the "Standard" for "common items" aka because they work differently (they can't run out of stock on their items) they should provide the baseline, so that if you can't get the item from the "specialist" then you can still get it from the Merchant. They should also have some "utility" items, such as the Dimensional backpack. I would also like for them to be useful to other crafters. As in, rather than having a bottomless "convert Col into mats" (which will make all other merchants useless once someone reaches that impossible rank 5). Instead, I recommend that Merchants "craft" Col into mats, the way other crafters turn mats into items. This creates a Col sink, and a reciprocal relationship.

So for example, a perfect T2 DMG crystal gives the player +6 damage. A Merchant would have a supply of uncommon T2 Dmg crystals, which would give +2 dmg. Obviously you would rather have a rare or perfect item from a crafter, but if you ask them, their uncommon items already aren't selling, so while this isn't a loss to them, or a gain to the merchant, it does mean that come a boss fight, players can get (sub-par) items of everything they need, and they can get them for Col (where as most crafters are material starved). Merchants would not sell crystals, only potions, so that is another absolute advantage Alchemists would have over Merchants, however, the rules would need to be amended to match canon, showing that potions can be used on other (willing) players in a post action.

Merchants also need a revision to their "vendoring" of items. e.g. the process by which craters can get rid of their unused good and uncommon items. With being able to craft Col into mats, and this getting a slight buff to the Col sale of good and uncommon items, I think this will help create a good exchange between the trades.

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Tailor - They have always had an awkward existence besides Blacksmiths as I'm sure @Ariel - The Crowned Lion will tell you. I think now that a difference has been established (to some extent) between Light and Heavy armor, that has helped. I might adjust it so that they're the ones who create whips, rather than a blacksmith. Unfortunately, they'll always be a little second fiddle to blacksmiths since they can't create weapons (where-as blacksmiths create 2/3 equipment slots, Tailors can only make 1). Perhaps if we made some other vanity item stuff, it could help. Loathe as I am to give up Dimensional backpacks, "bags" are something that tailors make in WoW, and it's something players always want - a way to increase inventory space. Perhaps they can create bigger ones on a perfect roll.

IMHO, Dimensional pouch +1 item, Dimensional Backpack +2 Item, Perfect T1 Backpack +2 items, Perfect T2 backpack, +3 items?

The only real way I see to improve them is by adding more equipment slots. I also don't see a way to add a consumable to the tailor kit. Maybe a "Light Armor repair kit" and when you use it, it increases your MIT & EVA? Maybe +9 Mit +1 EVA for T1, and +18 MIT +1 EVA for T2?

They should be able to make crafting clothes, so clothes that give +CD, +craft XP, +Craft attempts.

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Artisan

I feel like they have a pretty good roll. They make our trinkets, they make our +CD tools. Basically they have 1 equipment slot that is their sole jurisdiction. The problem becomes that once every player has their trinket, they don't need anything else. Housing is so rare, they don't really get anything out of housing accessories.

What they need is a consumable. Perhaps something like maps? If you had a map consumable, you got a bonus to LD for finding dungeons, or chests. They could also be the sole manufacturer of consumable "Picking tools" to give a bonus on the picking skill for chests.

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Alchemist.

The best profession bar none in terms of usefulness. Everyone needs healing items, and they've got the only good ones (merchants only have +15 HP potions, not even different Tiers). The trick here is going to be balancing them without taking too much away from them. Having the market cornered on healing items only would still put them ahead of everyone else in terms of usefulness, but I think that would be too much of a grab from them. One of the problems that they, and other crafters face, is that there is no use for their "good" items (it's basically a fail), and their "uncommon" items are never in demand except perhaps from the newest of the new.

Alchemist items, therefore, should be reworked for their enhancements. For example, no 3 slots of +DMG, or MIT, or whatever. Instead, every perfect should be a synthesis. So an Alchemist could do 2 slots +dmg, 1 MIT, or 2 Mit & 1 dmg, or maybe they can get post buffing items, such as a crystal that gives +6 DMG for that post, but it also heals for 20 HP. If we change things this way, Alchemists should see an increase in their traffic, while also allowing other crafters a niche in consumables.

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Cook

This should be the out of combat buffers house. Bonus to crafting, bonuses to S&D, looting. They can provide the "well fed" bonus, which increases the HP of players in a raid (and it should be exclusive to them, minus the Merchants weaker version).

This is also where energy items could continue to come from, as well as HP and NRG regen items (e.g. gain a bonus like Battle Healing and your Meditation).

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Performer

IMHO, there shouldn't be "product" coming from this class (though perhaps vanity items you could sell for people for music, etc..) Instead, they should be an "in combat" crafting class. This type of character in MMO's typically gain bonuses for playing songs in the moment. I could see this tying well with people who want to be Medics and not fight. They could have songs to reduce people's hate. They could have songs that heal. Songs that give bonuses to S&D, or regen, or minor AoE recovery, but they would be rolling for it -in the moment- and it would effect everyone in their party (not the entire raid). These would stack with everything except other Performers.

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Fisherman

I had a good idea for Fisherman, but I can't remember what it was. Fishing should be changed however.

BD - If you catch a fish or not
CD - What effect you catch
LD - The quality of your catch

Let the Fishman catch a whole array of buffs, even if they over-lap, since they're random as far as what they get. It should cost bait to fish. Bait could be picked up from a merchant. Bait only gets consumed if you're successful, otherwise you can re-use it unless you roll a BD 1.

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This thread is meant to be a constructive discussion, so please, present your ideas! @Rain @Oikawa @Calrex @Endilix

[Oikawa 1]

*rubs chin in thought*

[Calrex 0]

Still kinda busy, but I'll focus on the fisherman aspect for now, since I think I'm still one of the few with the profession.

As it currently stands fisherman tends to be seen as a less rewarding cook profession, since the two tend to share the same enhancements. The only difference between the two is that a cook relies on the CD, while a fisherman has three dice to deal with. Of course, this means that it's that much harder to get decent fish with enhancements, because you're crossing your fingers for good results on three dice in a single roll.

Giving fisherman a larger variety of buffs to randomly be given may be a good way to go about it.

 

[Baldur 0]

I look forward to hearing it @Calrex you're a fisherman, aren't you?

[Lowenthal 0]

As for the Tailor/Blacksmith roles, tailors can already create whips. (Only leather ones) but only with damage. Im fune with how blacksmiths and tailors currently stand.

What I do want to see if the clear difference between light armor and heavy armor. Heavy armor is slow, cumbersome, and thick. So it shouldnt get enhancemebts like Recovery, or Evasion. Whilst the same is vice versa. Light Armor shouldnt have damaging enhancements like thorns (how does that even work?) Or mitigation past 1 rank. Light armor should be used by those who don't want to get hit, and dodge every attack. Heavy Armor ahould be used by those who can take a beating.

Performers are another concern of mine, as I play bards all the time in other table tops. Performer songs should be able to do either one or the other. And that is either buff the party or debuff a mob. If we adapt your proposed boss battle system then a performer would be a godsend.

1 tank, 1 dps, 1 performer, 1 support.

Tank for soaking damage, dps for dishing it iut, performer to provide appriate buffs either it be a dmg buff or something else, and the support to keep everyone alive.

Thats just my 2 cents on the subject, i can type more when in jot on a phone xD

[Itzal 0]

They could have songs to reduce people's hate. They could have songs that heal. Songs that give bonuses to S&D, or regen, or minor AoE recovery, but they would be rolling for it -in the moment- and it would effect everyone in their party (not the entire raid). These would stack with everything except other Performers - Baldur

Performers are another concern of mine, as I play bards all the time in other table tops. Performer songs should be able to do either one or the other. And that is either buff the party or debuff a mob. If we adapt your proposed boss battle system then a performer would be a godsend - Lowenthal

 

I agree with Lemon on this one.  Songs are generally heard by multiple members at once and therefore could be a party item.  I personally had an idea which originated from a character skill in Lord of the Rings the New Age game, called leadership skills which buffed the party, or in rare cases, debuffed the enemy so I'm all for group affecting.  I honestly think that most of the songs should be debuffs though I do like the idea of monster/familiar calls, and I do like the idea of +LD.  Personally I don't think songs should reduce hate or heal, as healing can be done with many other items and hate can be removed if you have a tank with you, which should be encouraged IMHO.  Not to mention that there aren't really debuff items out there and speaking of which:  I strongly think that bosses should be able to be debuffed for a limited time.  As the game progresses they will definitely be getting harder and once everyone reaches level 100 they can't really get any stronger can they?  Boss battles will become bloodbaths if the bosses are extremely powerful and can't be reduced in any way. 

If what I had just presented is useless please excuse me, I'm good at coming up with ideas but they're not necessarily going to be good ones XD