Help: How can I effectively utilize my crew skills?

[armeniaforever]

I've come to the realization that I don't know how to effectively use my crafting skills to make money. It's like I'm a child who walks into a movie theater halfway into the movie and asks, "What's going on?"

 

Right now I have 3 characters I'm working on and the crew skills look like this:

 

Underworld Trading 400+

Synthweaving 400+

Archaeology 400+

 

Underworld Trading

Scavenging

Cybertech

 

Underworld Trading

Scavenging

Armortech.

 

So far the only thing I've seemed to grasp is that low level to mid level oranges on my synthweaving character can sell for about 3-5k and purples can sell for maybe 2k if I'm lucky. The purples tend not to be worth it, while the oranges are a bit of the profit.

 

I am however sure that I am "Doing it wrong." I can't figure out what I should focus on for synthweaving, cyber, and armor to make any real money. GTN is very unpredictable from my experience and if I want to sell anything, it seems I have to sell for quite low. Can anyone give me any advice?

[NOTACTICS]

I've come to the realization that I don't know how to effectively use my crafting skills to make money. It's like I'm a child who walks into a movie theater halfway into the movie and asks, "What's going on?"

 

Right now I have 3 characters I'm working on and the crew skills look like this:

 

Underworld Trading 400+

Synthweaving 400+

Archaeology 400+

 

Underworld Trading

Scavenging

Cybertech

 

Underworld Trading

Scavenging

Armortech.

 

So far the only thing I've seemed to grasp is that low level to mid level oranges on my synthweaving character can sell for about 3-5k and purples can sell for maybe 2k if I'm lucky. The purples tend not to be worth it, while the oranges are a bit of the profit.

 

I am however sure that I am "Doing it wrong." I can't figure out what I should focus on for synthweaving, cyber, and armor to make any real money. GTN is very unpredictable from my experience and if I want to sell anything, it seems I have to sell for quite low. Can anyone give me any advice?

 

I think it is difficult to make any real money from Armourtech and synchwething in particular basically beacuse so much armour drops in general loot that it is too easy to obtain green and blue for your level. The GTN is flooded with cut price Greens so prices are low because the supply is too high. Its even diffucult to make it useful for leveling yoruself since you get enough gear from drops anyway that the stuff you craft is no better than what you get in drops especially if you take into account heroic areas and flashpoints for your level. I guess you sometimes get the one off Custom schematic from missions which can make a bit of cash, but generally the only useful part of armourtech and synchweathing is the Arguments Kits and Arguments themsleves you can craft once you hit the top level.

 

The whole balance of Loot drops needs reducing and I would persornally limit the random mob drops to the odd boss kills and elite kills in Heroic and flashpoint areas and keep the majority of Loot as Quest rewards. I think since more and more go down the moddable route some extra mod awards would be useful or increase the number of comm rewards to balance it out.

 

Cybertech, Atrtice and Armstech seem abit better for leveling as you can produce your own mods with these which in turn mean you can save comms. on mods and use some comms by buying commendation gear and sell that on GTN instead. Although not amazing you can still make steady money from These crafts on the GTN by making Armourings barreLs and Hits since these each cost 7 Comms each so sometimes it more econmical to buy from GTN if you have the credits. The current 100 Comm limit is not enough to fully kit out a fully moddable gaer set so players may still need mods from GTN also. In fact its quite difficult to get anywhere near a full 100 Comms on any one planet unless you grind like mad as you tend to average out to between 50-75 per planet if you take comms on each quest rewards and do them all.

[Nmyownworld]

I approach selecting crew crafting and gathering skills based on what would save me credits, rather than what would make me credits.

 

For one toon, I selected Biochem / Bioanalysis / Diplomacy. I use stims, and medpacks, and the cost of buying those items from vendors was a credit drain for me.

 

I was always dropping credits, and comms, on armor modifications (armoring being the biggest drain) so I have a character with Cybertech / Underworld Trading / Scavenging, and make my own armoring (and mods).

 

The most effective use of crew skills for me has been to select what I need most, and then see if I can make credits off of my selected crew skills. I make some credits off the GTN from selling crafted items, or materials (mats). The only way I know of to determine what to sell is to check what is selling, and for how much, on the GTN. The GTN is fluid. Sometimes a particular item, or extra mats, sell quickly, and for a good amount of credits. Sometimes, they don't.

 

I never list an item or mats for less than I'm willing to accept. I check the GTN before I craft a particular item I intend to sell. If there are 8 pages of that particular item, I don't craft it, because it is unlikely to sell at the price I want to set. With mats, again, check the GTN prices before you list.

[Nmyownworld]

I think it is difficult to make any real money from Armourtech and synchwething in particular basically beacuse so much armour drops in general loot that it is too easy to obtain green and blue for your level. The GTN is flooded with cut price Greens so prices are low because the supply is too high. Its even diffucult to make it useful for leveling yoruself since you get enough gear from drops anyway that the stuff you craft is no better than what you get in drops especially if you take into account heroic areas and flashpoints for your level. I guess you sometimes get the one off Custom schematic from missions which can make a bit of cash, but generally the only useful part of armourtech and synchweathing is the Arguments Kits and Arguments themsleves you can craft once you hit the top level.

I have been wondering about Armormech, and Synthweaving, for just these reasons. I thought by the time I leveled my Armormech or Sythnweaving high enough, I would have already received equipment via drops.

 

Armstech has barrels, but so far, I either get barrels from drops, vendors using comms, or the GTN. I use, at most, two barrels at a time -- one for my character, and one for my companion. Whereas armoring, mods, and enhancements, I need 14 armoring, 14 mods, and 14 enhancements (IIRC) for each time I upgrade them, once I've decked my character and companion in orange, or purple modifiable, gear.

Edited July 11, 2013 by Nmyownworld

[Joesixxpack]

Do you use + crit companions for corresponding crafting or missions? If not I suggest you do, and max their affection.

 

With Underworld Trading you can run the highest tier Rich companion gift missions. It's not good for fast wealth but fine for accumulating over time.

 

On my server blue level 5 gift sales may pay for the cost of the runs, or you can bank them to get companion affections up quickly. Purples can make a relatively decent profit. For example I had 3,000 credits on an old alt, and just from selling gifts got it up to about 800,000 in a few weeks with very limited log in time.

Edited July 11, 2013 by Joesixxpack

[ImmortalLowlife]

I've done pretty well without bothering with crafting. My main has Diplomacy, scavenging, & slicing which provides companion gifts, medical crafting components, crafting materials, schematics & actual credits.

 

And my alt has underworld trading, slicing, & archaeology. I basically try to focus on things crafters actually need to craft with and sell that stuff on GTN. And along with schematics slicing provides actual credits which really add up very quickly.

[Deathstalker_]

My question is how you get Schematics for higher level stuff. I was using Cybertech, then realized that the mods I was creating by Reverse Engineering the stuff I made were actually the same level, but higher rarity. I therefore stopped taking Cybertech, as it seems that you still need to spend the money to get the schematics. Given that you have a 1 in 5 chance of getting a schematic off of any given RE attempt, it seems you would spend about the same amount of comms (if not more) getting at-level gear so you can RE it to make better quality mods. You'd be better off just buying the mods and using them as-is rather than as RE fodder. I'm probably missing something here, but I don't know what.

[NOTACTICS]

My question is how you get Schematics for higher level stuff. I was using Cybertech, then realized that the mods I was creating by Reverse Engineering the stuff I made were actually the same level, but higher rarity. I therefore stopped taking Cybertech, as it seems that you still need to spend the money to get the schematics. Given that you have a 1 in 5 chance of getting a schematic off of any given RE attempt, it seems you would spend about the same amount of comms (if not more) getting at-level gear so you can RE it to make better quality mods. You'd be better off just buying the mods and using them as-is rather than as RE fodder. I'm probably missing something here, but I don't know what.

 

I presume you realise you get new schematics for every 20 level of craft you advance blues aswell as greens from the trainer relative small cost aswell, I only mention this just incase your a new player I did not realise this.

 

Anyway you can often get good schematics returned on Underworld trading and Investigation missions, but ensure you use companions with a critical chance on that mission type to maximise your chances of getting these schematics.

 

Ensure you are leveling up you UWT/investigation mission and scavenging skill as least as high as your craft skill if not higher so your always getting useful stuff back you can use in your highest level crafts. You can also buy good schematics from the GTN aswell, prices vary massivly on schematics from the GTN especially for Custom orange ones as its hard to know what value to place on them , so have a good look on there for bargains.

 

RE only gives you a 20% chance as you say to get from a green to a blue and then from blue to a purple but this often seems to work in batches you try 10 Times and will not get nothing then all of of sudden get like 3 in a row. Basically don't go out your way to produce stuff just to RE it. The cost and time put in on obtaining metals and compound often out weights the benefit of getting a slightly better schematics for the item especilly with only having that 20% chance and considering you level up so quick.

 

Cybertech is decent for leveling and one of the best crafts to do, providing you keep the craft level up high enough as you go along so that you can craft mods and armouring for your current level, which will save on comms and on credits. It gets easier once you have more crew members as sending them all out boosts your skills much quicker then. Feed you cybertech with lost of metals from any scavanging skills any of your alts have, sometimes you can pick up good deals for a stack of metals from the GTN aswell..

[psandak]

With your crafting skills...Augments Augments and more Augments. Sythweaving and Armormech make all the primary stat augments (STR, WIL, CUN, AIM), and all the tanking stat augments (DEF, Shield, Absorb), and alacrity and command (presence).

 

And with Cybertech, ear pieces, armorings, and mods sell OK too.

 

Piece of advice - ditch one or two of your UWT for slicing. Augments require Sliced Parts.

 

Second piece of advice - do not focus on the best of the best. I almost exclusively sell blue quality item modifications and ear pieces because they are cheap to make and the profit margin is VERY good. You will not make millions overnight, but they are a consistent and persistent source of income.

[Deathstalker_]

I didn't realize the new schematics were every 20 Crew Skill levels. That's good to know. Thank you.

 

Of course, you've now given me a headache on what Crew Skills to take. Cybertech>Scavenging>Underworld Trading will allow me to make my own Armoring and Mods, which is great, but that leaves me without Slicing, which is a great source of income. It sucks that you can only have 3 Crew skills. I'd be perfectly happy with 4, myself.

[Maelael]

 

Underworld Trading 400+

Synthweaving 400+

Archaeology 400+

 

Underworld Trading

Scavenging

Cybertech

 

Underworld Trading

Scavenging

Armortech.

 

Cybertech: Sell the grade 9 Scaveneging mats. Every now and then sell armorings and mods, but mostly they operate at a loss. The Basic com ears do decent but take a while to sell. The crafted 54s do still sell but will stop selling if/when BW nerfs them down below partisan.

 

Synthweaving/Armormech: Sell MK-9 aug kits at profit. Even better if you can just RE for Aug Kit parts. Sell level 55 augments. Make and sell blue and purple Skill, Absorb, and Reflex ones, only do the Shield ones by request. Synthweaving do Redoubt, Resolve, and only do the Might ones on Request, although your server may be weird and might ones may sell. You will make money hand over foot if you RE aug kit parts and make Mk-9 augment kits for profit, and make money hand over foot if your server has a dearth of augment crafters as well.

 

The math:

Mk-9 Aug Kit parts cost about 4-6k to RE for. They sell for 10k easily.

Mk-9 Aug kits cost about 45-80k to make, they sell for 100-135k easily.

 

Blue Augments cost about 5-7k to make, sell for 15-35k.

Purple augments cost about 60-100k to make (Way cheaper if you get some lucky purps while missioning), and sell for 100-150k.

 

People will pay these insane prices because they are at end game, and will actually just farm PvE dailies to finish their gear out - and they don't mind, cause they only have to pay once per slot.

 

Unfortunately, selling the cool crafted armor, even at endgame is a crapshoot. When I was shopping for my jugg, there were people selling the same stuff for 15k and 50-60k. I bought the 15k stuff. I looked up the mats, its about 15kish or less worth of mats. I saw the same chestpiece by the one guy at 50k up for over a week while I was getting the rest I needed. I bought mine for 15k.

Edited July 11, 2013 by Maelael

[Kerensk]

People always advise to get slicing but you only pass those free credit lockboxes while doing class missions. Once you finish the story and dive in to elder game content slicing becomes a waste.

 

Find a niche in your server's GTN and exploit it. All you need is something that sells for higher than it cost to make (low price mats) and sells fast. Since I have a new revenue stream and different server I'll let you know my two old money makers:

Ship mods and synthweaving purple light armor.

 

The ship mods fluctuate alot so you have to hold stock sometimes and the liquidate when prices go up again.

Purple light armor was awesome because the purple fabrics sell as low as the blue fabrics. So the cost to get purple mats was cheap.

 

For both I was selling stock at 10-20 times my cost in materials. 30mins of work every night before grinding PvP comms brought me 100-200k a night.