How to make Armortech, Artificer, Synthweaving & Weapontech worth it 1-50 and beyond

[Mephane]

Please add the following to the OP:

 

Artifice: Allow to reverse-engineer ANY color crystal in the game and thus learn the schematic to create that type of crystal. Also allow learning color crystal schematics from fixed weapons (like the purple PvP sabers which have no removable parts, but sport purple/cyan color).

[LeonBraun]

1. Give modifications to the classes that can use them.

 

Armormech : Aim / Cunning based armoring mods

Synthweaving : Strength / Willpower armoring mods

Armstech : Fine as is

Artifice : Fine as is

Biochem : Fine as is

 

And then what is Cybertech good for? Answer = Nothing.

 

Armormech and Synthweaving serve a ton of armor slots. More than Cybertech does.

[TheCynic]

1st things 1st. the devs need to figure out where crafted gear is supposed to fit in with itemization. As it is now, any mods a crafter can make can just be bought from a vendor, meaning crafter made mods are useless.

 

Armor is only valued if its orange and you can get a nearly fully orange set in your 20s.

 

Crafting a protype or artifact is WAY too expensive.

 

At max level the gear grind means crafted gear is useless so crafters become useless.

 

 

So the Fix, for 1 to (max-level -1) crafted gear needs to fit between premium quest rewards and orange drops. So crafted prototype needs to be slightly modable, 1 - 2 slots, and needs to be MUCH cheaper to make. All artifact gear should have augment slots by default.

 

At max level every crafter needs to make a consumable that is useful in PvE and PvP. OPs/FPs/WZs/daily life.

 

EVERYTHING a crafter makes should be sellable!

 

I'd also argue that there is no need to make 22 versions of them same item over the course of 41 levels, but again this is also the itemization of the game.

[Aethyrprime]

Please add the following to the OP:

 

Artifice: Allow to reverse-engineer ANY color crystal in the game and thus learn the schematic to create that type of crystal. Also allow learning color crystal schematics from fixed weapons (like the purple PvP sabers which have no removable parts, but sport purple/cyan color).

 

Technically that's covered in the OP as Idea #1 with the "Everything that can be found in game even shops can be RE'able to a pattern" concept

[Demorak]

Wrist - Grappling Hook Attachment -

Activation: Instant

Range: 20 meters

Cool down: 5 minutes.

Effect: Fires a grappling hook at your target and pulls you to it. Chance to fail on targets above <y> level. Only one attachment can be used on an item.

 

Wrist - Rocket Attachment -

Activation: Instant

Range: 20 meters

Cool Down: 5 minutes

Effect: Fires a rocket at the target stunning for 2s and dealing <x> damage. Chance to fail on targets above <y> level. Only one attachment can be used on an item.

 

Wrist - Shield Attachment -

Activation: Instant

Range: 20 meters

Cool Down: 5 minutes

Effect: Places a shield which absorbs <X>% of the next <y> hits. Chance to fail on targets above <y> level. Only one attachment can be used on an item.

 

Wrist - Net Gun Attachment -

Activation: Instant

Range: 20 meters

Cool Down: 5 minutes

Effect: Fires a net at the target preventing it from moving for <x> seconds. Chance to fail on targets above <y> level. Only one attachment can be used on an item.

 

Whilst I like the fact you are trying to be constructive I feel I should point out that things like this are not a good idea.

 

Crafted items should only be allowed to effect your base stats, they should never be allowed to grant you additional abilities. Abilities are defined by your class and that's the way it should stay.

 

Imagine the impossible task of balancing the game if any class can get access to speed boosts, or a pull/push mechanic, or mitigation shields, especially if as you suggest they come free at no resource cost.

 

The only exception to this rule are items that generate a basic attack of some kind, these items should be on a long cool down, and be destroyed on use, an example of this are the grenades.

 

Keep crafting bonuses related to stat modification and you have some good ideas.

[DSWSithlord]

I think what we really need is the rift style crafting dailies and artisan tokens. Add dailies which are available to all levels which reward a level specific box and artisans tokens. The box which until level 50 contains crafting gear and maybe a rare recipe. Once at 50 the box has a chance to contain a crafting commendation which can be used to buy level 50 raid quality schematics. Artisan tokens are used to buy 1-50 blue and entry raid gear. I personally loved this system in rift.

[_Flin_]

And then what is Cybertech good for? Answer = Nothing.

 

Armormech and Synthweaving serve a ton of armor slots. More than Cybertech does.

 

This.

 

Let's gimp Cybertech, because they have grenades on a 5 min cooldown, earrings and minigame equipment for those too bad to play the game without outgearing.

 

How about limiting the earrings to Cyborgs only, because, you know, doesn't it say so in the name (like "armor" in "armormech")? (sry, couldn't help it)

 

Did it ever occur to you that the principle of this crafting system is that Armormechs and Synthweavers provide the slots, and all others provide the stuff that goes into it?

If Synthweaving & Armormech get armoring, they actually have as many mods as Cybertech. And part of the core definition of Cybertech is the upgrading of armor with mods.

 

Cybertech - the technical expertise to construct gadgets and components for Droids and high-tech armors

 

That's what it says on the website.

If armoring is taken out of Cybertech, there is not much left, and armormech and synthweaving become straight better than Cybertech in almost every possible way.

 

Then Cybertechs can make armor for 3 out of 40 companions, while Armormech/Synth can make armor for 19/18 out of 40.

Cybertechs can make 1 armor slots for 100% of characters (without armor, though), Armormech/Synth can make 6 armorslots for 50% of characters each.

Cybertech gets grenades, Armor/Synth gets orange items.

Cybertech gets shipparts, Armor/Synth has nothing comparable (and utterly irrelevant for the real purpose of the game).

Cybertech gets modifications, Armor/Synth gets armoring, which is essential, while modifications aren't.

 

So in every single area except for the shipparts (which are rather useless, because there is nothing to be gained for the game from space combat, except a social light armor), Armor/Synth would be better than Cybertech. And by a huge margin.

 

If you want armoring, why not exchange it for orange armor? Oh wait, because orange armor is... well... rather important. Better to take something rather important away from others.

[Aethyrprime]

Whilst I like the fact you are trying to be constructive I feel I should point out that things like this are not a good idea.

 

Crafted items should only be allowed to effect your base stats, they should never be allowed to grant you additional abilities. Abilities are defined by your class and that's the way it should stay.

 

Imagine the impossible task of balancing the game if any class can get access to speed boosts, or a pull/push mechanic, or mitigation shields, especially if as you suggest they come free at no resource cost.

 

The only exception to this rule are items that generate a basic attack of some kind, these items should be on a long cool down, and be destroyed on use, an example of this are the grenades.

 

Keep crafting bonuses related to stat modification and you have some good ideas.

 

That is your opinion. I highly disagree with it. I've experienced this in other games. It is actually the opposite as what you think in terms of balance. It makes it easier to balance not harder.

[Aethyrprime]

Think of it like this. No class left behind. Through crew skills any lacking area can be modified achieving a semblance of balance.

[Sildadar]

Reasonable and would add a lot of end game utility to crafting. Personally I've been able to get competive synth patterns out of eternity vault but I'm mindful that not everyone is an end-game raider and if you take the time to bring a crew skill to max there should be a practical end game benifit. I was very disappointed by the two epic BoP patterns I trained for at 400.

[jasta_]

I'd like to see Synth/Armortech be able to make something that can be added to any existing piece of chest armor that immediately adds an empty mod slot. Call it Ceramic Plating or something. This would be quite an expensive thing to craft, would require 400 in that crew skill to use and only work on chest armor. That way you can get an amazing piece of end game loot, and yet still be rewarded for having maxed out a crew skill.

 

Artifice/Armstech could do the same thing with blasers and sabers.

 

If an empty mod slot is too OP, maybe just single stat buffs that are in line with the advantage cybertechs and bio's get from grenades and medpacks.

 

This means that if you had two people with identical gear, one with 400 Synthweaving, the other with say 400 Artifice, then one has a noticeable advantage in defense, the other in offense.

[Demorak]

That is your opinion. I highly disagree with it. I've experienced this in other games. It is actually the opposite as what you think in terms of balance. It makes it easier to balance not harder.

 

It's not just my opinion I'm afraid, look at crafting in almost any MMO and you will see that whilst they have a lot of creative ways of doing it all they do is modify the stats of the user.

 

The exceptions are as I stated and maybe granting abilities that either no class or all classes have such as siege weapons, housing and mounts.

 

It's a shame you don't see why this is important but hey your opinion is just as valid, just don't expect to see it in game.

[Ignimortis]

Great ideas, all of them. Though I would split the mods between Cybertech and Artifice - strength/willpower one to artifice, cunning/aim to cybertech.

[CriticalMasses]

No.

 

Because what you are doing is helping a couple of professions and breaking the others even more.

 

First, it's impossible to get Mods to begin with because only 1-2 people are making purples on my server. So giving them more items to learn to make their professions "better" is only going to slow that process even more. We spend so much $$ and Time (Mission skills, crafting time) that it takes forever to learn the artifact version of 1 item, much less 10.

 

As it is there is not a single person out there on my server who is making Resilient Mods, they are going to "Learn" it, but that could take days or weeks depending on how unlucky they are with the RNG.

 

FIRST: Bioware needs to fix crafting in some way, some how. There are many ways they could do this, and so far they have not even acknowledged that it is a problem. These forums have been FULL of complaints and there hasn't been a single response by Bioware on the subject of all crafting professions needing serious help (besides Biochem).

 

We as the players need to focus on getting them to A: Acknowledge that they need to make crafting professions more viable from 1-50 and at end game (with a suggestion to START at end game crafting and work their way back, since not everyone is at 50 yet, fixing it before they get there would be a good thing). B: Start implementing the fixes before we go any further on taking away from one profession and adding to another.

 

Mods are hard to come by at end game, especially with the upcoming PVP requirements for completing dailies on Ilum (which you can spend 2-3 weeks doing JUST to get ready for Ops and Hard Mode flash points)

[Aethyrprime]

Great ideas, all of them. Though I would split the mods between Cybertech and Artifice - strength/willpower one to artifice, cunning/aim to cybertech.

 

Thanks, the base armor mod should be made by the profession that makes the armor. Amortech -cunning/aim, Synthweaving Strength, Willpower.

Edited January 17, 2012 by Aethyrprime

[Aethyrprime]

For boosts instead of nerfs!

[ppzheng]

Armstech and Artificing needs some love for sure. Synthweaving and Armormech is fine.

 

Tier 1/2 recipes drop like it's going out of style in ops. Some of those dropped recipes allows the creation of BoE gear. Let's not forget that Synthweaving and Armormech get to make 2 BiS pieces.

[ppzheng]

No.

 

Because what you are doing is helping a couple of professions and breaking the others even more.

 

First, it's impossible to get Mods to begin with because only 1-2 people are making purples on my server. So giving them more items to learn to make their professions "better" is only going to slow that process even more. We spend so much $$ and Time (Mission skills, crafting time) that it takes forever to learn the artifact version of 1 item, much less 10.

 

As it is there is not a single person out there on my server who is making Resilient Mods, they are going to "Learn" it, but that could take days or weeks depending on how unlucky they are with the RNG.

 

FIRST: Bioware needs to fix crafting in some way, some how. There are many ways they could do this, and so far they have not even acknowledged that it is a problem. These forums have been FULL of complaints and there hasn't been a single response by Bioware on the subject of all crafting professions needing serious help (besides Biochem).

 

We as the players need to focus on getting them to A: Acknowledge that they need to make crafting professions more viable from 1-50 and at end game (with a suggestion to START at end game crafting and work their way back, since not everyone is at 50 yet, fixing it before they get there would be a good thing). B: Start implementing the fixes before we go any further on taking away from one profession and adding to another.

 

Mods are hard to come by at end game, especially with the upcoming PVP requirements for completing dailies on Ilum (which you can spend 2-3 weeks doing JUST to get ready for Ops and Hard Mode flash points)

 

Mods/enhancements are easy to get. Just rip them out of the the purples no one's going to need anyways. You can start running HM the day you hit 50. Do your Ilum/Belsavis Dailies and buy the armoring/barrel. If you've been running D7 from 46-50, you can buy all the pieces you want from the Corellia token vendor or a couple of purple level 50 locked boxes.

 

You just need to consider all avenues of obtaining pieces you want instead of tunnel visioning on a singular craft. The option to obtain it via crafting is certainly there, it just may not be the fastest.

[RycheMykola]

Thanks, the base armor mod should be made by the profession that makes the armor. Amortech -cunning/aim, Synthweaving Strength, Willpower.

I disagree. It would pretty much leave Cybertech as a useless profession.

 

The Mods - You can already get better than crafted for planetary and daily commendations

 

Earpieces - Better could be gotten for daily and planetary commendations.

 

Woot, you would basically making 5 ship parts at end game. And a mediocre grenade with a 5 minute CD.

 

The only way I would support that is if Cybertechs were refunded all the credits they spent on patterns, refunded all materials used to craft, and then just drop the profession.

[Giolon]

Many of the suggestions here are good. Something needs to be done, because nearly everybody is still dropping any other crew skill for Biochem. Even post-nerf, Biochem still has Adrenals and Stims outweigh that any other benefits granted by the other professions Edited January 19, 2012 by Giolon

[Danakar]

I disagree. It would pretty much leave Cybertech as a useless profession.

 

The Mods - You can already get better than crafted for planetary and daily commendations

 

Earpieces - Better could be gotten for daily and planetary commendations.

 

Woot, you would basically making 5 ship parts at end game. And a mediocre grenade with a 5 minute CD.

 

The only way I would support that is if Cybertechs were refunded all the credits they spent on patterns, refunded all materials used to craft, and then just drop the profession.

 

Agreed, you can't fix one profession by simply crippling another. And even what Cybertech has now, it's in a sorry state. Armoring and Mods: Get better ones from dailies/tokens. Droid Parts: Get better/custom ones for tokens. Ship Parts: Just a minigame. Earpieces: Get better ones for daily tokens.

 

So that leaves us with nerfed grenades on a 5min cooldown. And people suggest yanking out Armoring mods because 'it fits better with Armormech/Synthweaving'?

 

Also, the OP seemed to ignore my suggestion of adding 'Augmentation Devices' to Armormech/Synthweaving. To me that's a lot better than taking away Armoring on behalf of 'fixing' Armormech/Synthweaving.

[Lexster]

IMO, armor/synth should only produce orange level gear(as in moddable). Then, green should have no augments, blue 1x, and purple 2x augments slots.

 

This makes armor desirable and useful all they way up. Make the higher level gear look better than lower level gear(perhaps even add the ability to color higher level gear)

[Aethyrprime]

Agreed, you can't fix one profession by simply crippling another. And even what Cybertech has now, it's in a sorry state. Armoring and Mods: Get better ones from dailies/tokens. Droid Parts: Get better/custom ones for tokens. Ship Parts: Just a minigame. Earpieces: Get better ones for daily tokens.

 

So that leaves us with nerfed grenades on a 5min cooldown. And people suggest yanking out Armoring mods because 'it fits better with Armormech/Synthweaving'?

 

Also, the OP seemed to ignore my suggestion of adding 'Augmentation Devices' to Armormech/Synthweaving. To me that's a lot better than taking away Armoring on behalf of 'fixing' Armormech/Synthweaving.

 

Incorrect I think that you got it backward. Give the Augmentation devices to Cybertech and the base armor part to their respective groups, Synthweaving (force), Armortech (tech). Making armor that doesn't even have armor in it kinda blows.

 

As a 400 Synthweaver I can tell you it is not worth it. Not ok. Anyone who is saying "Synthweaving is fine" is NOT a Synthweaver. I can only assume the same for Armortech as well.

 

The items BiS, etc are junk loot. The amount of time/effort required to be capable of even looting and producing the patterns is not worth the reward of an ugly piece of armor that is basically useless for anything but an RP/PVE server. Meanwhile 2 of 6 classes get clickable objects.

 

Give all classes clickables or no classes clickables. People will never allow the crafted items from any crewskill to be the "best" of situation and that leaves the entire class to be useless at end game.

 

I know for a fact when I get my little lvl 20 Sorcerer alt to 50 if a suggestion like mine has not been put in to place I will be dropping my 400 Synthweaving on my 50 Assassin and going biochem like everyone else on all my characters except my Healer BH who will get the stun grenades from cybertech.

 

So unless you want to see everything nerfed to useless then best to get on a bandwagon of hoping something good can come from this otherwise disaster.

 

PS not all of this was aimed at who I quoted.. just the first part. The rest is aimed at the 2 naysayers.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Aethyrprime

[Darthmoriquendi]

I think my biggest complaint would be that there are not full sets to craft when you buy recipes at the skill trainer. I mean you have to craft a matching set all set at different levels so you end up having to change out and used mix matched sets anyway until you start getting the good recipes down the road. At least implement a full set for each level crafting in all heavy, medium and light armor. I mean purple pants with a red chestplate.......lol c'mon! Same for synthweaving. Also would like to see a color palette choice as well so if we do have to use mixed matched levels of armor at least we can get the colors to mach. Would make our characters a little more unique.......

[ZingFreelancer]

Rework Reverse Engineering into something that dont require you to RE 100 of items to gain ONE SINGLE pattern of your desire.