Opinion: Crafting Profession Material Changes

[Meltharos]

Since Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm, Blizzard has sped up the leveling process considerably. While it's much easier to get characters up to end-game content now, there are some problems, the biggest one I can think of being the crafting professions.

It's still relatively easy to keep up with Alchemy and Inscription as you level, but the sheer material cost of some of the items in Leatherworking, Blacksmithing, Tailoring and Engineering require you to grind quite a lot just to get a couple skill-ups. In the older expansions, this made sense because leveling was a bit slower, and setting some time aside to farm for a new tradeskill item wasn't a problem.

Today however, farming what you need for a couple skillups could make you level once or twice, further increasing the distance between your current level and the level of items your profession can make. Why bother making something 10 levels beneath you when you can get better gear from faster methods? What many people are doing because of this problem is ignoring tradeskills entirely until they hit the level cap, where professions are much easier to farm up to the max level. If that's the case, then the mid-range of crafting professions are completely useless.

I think that Blizzard should lower the costs of making items in the mid-level ranges (say level 20 to 80). Because of the changes to dungeons and questing, farming to make your own items just isn't worth it right now unless you're prepared to sink a whole lot of money into the AH to keep up.

As a side note, Blizzard should also revamp the stats on the crafted items. For example, making some bracers that give just attack power aren't worth the effort when you can get bracers with stamina, agility and attack power all together at a lower level by just dungeon running or questing.

[Duridi]

Yes, they certainly need an update, even though they have already been updated once.

I wish they were more interesting, so that you actually gained something from what you could craft while leveling up.

I've already got all professions maxed, but I also enjoy creating new alts where I level professions a second, if not third time. Often particular for that reason, because it gives me a new goal. A recent second hunter with second time engineering is my last attempt of this, but I was majorly disappointed by the items. Since ammo was also taken out of the game, I can't even get that while leveling engineering side on side with the character. It is also very disappointing that all headpieces from low level engineering is still targeted towards casters only. They are always cloth, and if I remember correctly, they all have intellect, spirit or stamina as their stats. Can use stamina, but the hat is still cloth and it's a very boring stat. Can't doubblecheck my maxed engineer as my account isn't active anymore. I just know I felt completely let down.

So yes, I really do wish low level professions were more interesting than they are. They are pretty much nothing but a timesink as it is, because the professions no longer match the leveling pace aswell as other changes to the game.

[Pachycrocuta]

When they said that crafting something that required more than normal mats, or was a blue item, that you were going to get multiple skill-ups, I thought they would have done that with the classic, bc, and wrath crafting as well. I was greatly let down that it was only for Cataclysm crafting. Also, at least with humanoid mobs and their cloth drops, I wish they wouldn't have changed it. You hardly get wool anymore, and you can get linen cloth off of level 26 creatures. Made leveling tailoring really annoying.

Also, crafting is completely useless. People only get them for the stat bonuses, because quest rewards and dungeon/raid drops are so much better than what you can craft. Crafting needs a complete overhaul. It's a complete joke now, and it will still be that way in MoP

[capitano666]

I totally agree, I also felt like this.
Raising alchemy with my main just came natural with the herbs I collected while levelling. With my engineer, leatherworker and blacksmith on the other hand it was kinda grindy and I capped them way after hitting 85.

[Breccia]

For example, making some bracers that give just attack power aren't worth the effort when you can get bracers with stamina, agility and attack power all together at a lower level by just dungeon running or questing.

I agree with most of what you said, but I do need to point out two things here.
1) Blizzard had said before Cataclysm that most items/buffs would no longer buff attack power, but strength or agility directly. Most of the items were correctly updated. Any items, especially any crafted ones, that are not updated are a failing in that item, not the crafting skill itself.
2) Besides variants in the stats, crafted items are always a 100% drop and cost money in the AH instead of time on the quest or dungeon. Some people are willing to make that exchange, especially alts swimming in gold from their main. Also, dungeon drops are not 100%, and will feel PAINFULLY lower when you really want the item in question.

Otherwise, good post.

[Palisis]

Why do you guys post such things here? Do you relay the info to official forums?

---------- Post added 2012-02-13 at 05:59 PM ----------

Just to throw my 2 cents in... I think they should just give you the option to master a skill just like they do with riding. Just give us the option to dump 5k, 10k whatever, into a skill to place it at the base level for the current expansion.

[Vampiroth]

If anything needs updating its engineering needs something profitable. Patterns for trinkets or something.

[Nodata]

Two things need to happen, imho:

1- make professions trainable to max level from past expansion (IE 450 during Cataclysm, 525 during Pandaria) for a large gold sync. You don't train any of the formulas, you just get your profession at that level. Let's say 3k for 450 and 5k for 525.
Like this you add a gold sink, you let people not use it if they don't want to, but it's there for those who want to burn the cash and save time.

2- leveling professions need to be interesting. And how to make that happen? Imho there needs to be an array of patterns that are drop-only, or quest-reward only, and these patterns "reward" you for going out in the world to find them, because they either: stay orange for longer, are cheap, or give you several points at a time, like the most recent ones. That way, if you pick your professions and level them while questing, you're rewarded. If you do instances, then they drop, and you're rewarded for playing the game instead of mind-numbingly sitting at the AH buying mats and clicking like a moron.

[Duridi]

1- make professions trainable to max level from past expansion (IE 450 during Cataclysm, 525 during Pandaria) for a large gold sync. You don't train any of the formulas, you just get your profession at that level. Let's say 3k for 450 and 5k for 525.
Like this you add a gold sink, you let people not use it if they don't want to, but it's there for those who want to burn the cash and save time.

The downside about this is that this would completely break down the trademarket. Particulary for new players.

Any older player would just give the money and mats(vendoring it due to much more difficult trademarket - see how it is on low population servers already) to the NPC, rather than through sales with new players.

[Palisis]

Two things need to happen, imho:

1- make professions trainable to max level from past expansion (IE 450 during Cataclysm, 525 during Pandaria) for a large gold sync. You don't train any of the formulas, you just get your profession at that level. Let's say 3k for 450 and 5k for 525.
Like this you add a gold sink, you let people not use it if they don't want to, but it's there for those who want to burn the cash and save time.

2- leveling professions need to be interesting. And how to make that happen? Imho there needs to be an array of patterns that are drop-only, or quest-reward only, and these patterns "reward" you for going out in the world to find them, because they either: stay orange for longer, are cheap, or give you several points at a time, like the most recent ones. That way, if you pick your professions and level them while questing, you're rewarded. If you do instances, then they drop, and you're rewarded for playing the game instead of mind-numbingly sitting at the AH buying mats and clicking like a moron.

I wouldn't say #2 'needs' to happen, but sure would be interested and dynamic. #1 is pretty much what I was getting at.

[landyn]

Yes, they most definitely need updating