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[shysaursoft]

Uugh, I really could use some help (again xD) on crafting. I just bought 100 jute scraps (1g almost) and ended up with 5 8 slot bags, earning me a few silver, if that. Massive coin loss. How am I supposed to make any kind of money on this (the bags gave me three ranks though so I guess that's nice? currently at lvl 28)? I'm in the tailoring business.

Unfortunately, crafting isn't much of a money-maker outside of level 80 exotic insignia, and only then if you farm the mats yourself. Bags especially are a bit derp, because of the bag rune costs and people flooding the trading post with no-profit bags just to get rid of them. It's something I hope they address one day, but for now don't rely on crafting for anything other than for making yourself things, and levelling a bit.

I hope they one day address the crafting issue, but I think the only way they might do that is to make all mats way, way more rare.

 

[Remfin]

Uugh, I really could use some help (again xD) on crafting. I just bought 100 jute scraps (1g almost) and ended up with 5 8 slot bags, earning me a few silver, if that. Massive coin loss. How am I supposed to make any kind of money on this (the bags gave me three ranks though so I guess that's nice? currently at lvl 28)? I'm in the tailoring business.

You don't craft in GW2

You load up a website that tells you exactly what to make to gain your levels and click the buttons it tells you to click.

Actively trying to "craft" in GW2, as you've discovered, is punished.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Successfully completed defend / retake events in the zone. Escorts and such don't count (though they do improve your ability to defend, so they're still worth doing).

Ah neat. I should've noticed that lol

 

[shysaursoft]

You don't craft in GW2

You load up a website that tells you exactly what to make to gain your levels and click the buttons it tells you to click.

Actively trying to "craft" in GW2, as you've discovered, is punished.

That's a bit simplistic. I rely on crafting for a lot of things, specifically mission-critical consumables and such. I also crafted all my own gear, from exotic to ascended, and my weapons. Crafting is still important, especially for things you can't get any other way, or would be too expensive to buy yourself - but it's very much a "support" thing, and not a primary role.

Sure, if you're just trying to max out crafting for the sake of it, and to get experience, you can follow the various websites that tell you the most optimal way to do it (I did that myself for a few). But once you're done with that, crafting is still important. You *can* make money as well, but not with lower-level stuff because, well, there are millions of people doing it too, since it's so easy: that floods the market with 'ug get this out of my inventory' items, since people don't *need* to care about every material that went into crafting lower level stuff.

Speeding through the crafting by following a guide however, means you don't really learn what you can make, and what does and doesn't have value, so be careful with that. It results in a lot of people maxing their crafts just for the AP, and then never touching it again, thus losing out on some good money-making avenues, or just convenience.

It's a bit of a double edged sword in a way. Crafting in other MMOs can be incredibly tedious, since they require a lot of user input for minimal output - but that results in more "value" since it's more of a time investment, whereas GW2 makes crafting incredibly simple, but the quickness results in "cheap" commodities. We see it alleviated somewhat with time-gated stuff - things that can only be made once per day, tend to have a high sell value, so making those and selling them is worthwhile since not everyone is going to bother making them.

An easy band-aid to GW2's economy would be to make *everything* time gated, but I'm not sure what the long-term repercussions of that would be.

 

[Kos Luftar]

Crafting the two plates of food for Mawdrey everynight nets me about 3-4 gold right now.

I think making rare level 80 greatswords it is still lucrative as long as you are using cheap t5 mats.

 

[Remfin]

Neither one is a very good argument for how crafting is, just how time-gating/laziness can be profited from.

No one ever says you can "go slow" through leveling crafting in GW2...although Miktar just tried to! It's pretty much a crock when anyone says it about adventure levels, but c'mon, seriously? There is no fun to be had in GW2's crafting, no excitement, no discovery (after all, leveling is based around a "discovery" system that is paint-by-numbers).

It's not like you need to take your time to discover certain items sell well. Hell, it's easier to use a website to figure that out with the literally weeks of extra time you saved following a guide than if you tried to power through this shit "organically."

 

[shysaursoft]

There is no fun to be had in GW2's crafting, no excitement, no discovery.

I beg to differ. I leveled up Cooking the old-fashioned way, and I had quite a lot of fun figuring out the recipes in the Discovery section. I enjoyed figuring out how the crafting worked when I started on Leatherworker, and I still enjoy crafting - especially after the sub-item craft QoL improvement.

Saying there's no fun to be had in GW2's crafting might be true for you, but I don't think it's an absolute fact inherent in the way it works.

Sure, you can save a lot of time if you just use tools, websites, and paint-by-the-numbers follow-the-guide systems. Just like you can finish any game if you buy the strategy guide and follow it to the letter.

But where's the fun in that? No discovery, no excitement. But you sure do save time.

How someone approaches GW2's crafting - what attitude they have - will, like with much of the rest of the game, determine how much fun it is. There's no real right or wrong here, it just depends on what you're trying to get out of it.

Can GW2's crafting be better? I'd be first in line to say yes. But since GW2 is focused on being an action game first, I can understand why they decided to opt to have crafting be more simplistic than say, FFXIV's meticulous and utterly hands-on crafting, which I like. But would I want that system in GW2? No.

 

[hockeypuck]

Gotta say, even after 2+ years the Norn heavy T3 cultural still looks really, really good. It's the only armor worth its costs. Except the shoulders, those suck. Gray/white and Norn T3 go hand-in-hand.

So good it has two capes!

 

[Remfin]

I beg to differ. I leveled up Cooking the old-fashioned way, and I had quite a lot of fun figuring out the recipes in the Discovery section.

Sure, you can save a lot of time if you just use tools, websites, and paint-by-the-numbers follow-the-guide systems. Just like you can finish any game if you buy the strategy guide and follow it to the letter.

I was referring to the Discovery section, not guides, which is literally paint by numbers. They even tell you which colors do and don't work with each other.

I'm not saying GW2 needs a crazy crafting system, but the one that exists is just ridiculously flawed. There isn't much of a reason for it to be anything but a gold deposit button to increase levels. I imagine they had high hopes for it (and the Mystic Forge, which at least has some of the benefits of the system), but that clearly didn't work out.

 

[shysaursoft]

I'm not saying GW2 needs a crazy crafting system, but the one that exists is just ridiculously flawed.

Agreed. But it does remain functional and, at the higher levels at least, rather useful for making money or tools that you use in daily play. I can't tell you how often the Watchwork Portals I've made have come in handy and saved me or my friends a lot of time, when we didn't have a pet Mesmer on hand. And I craft all my Pots of Slaying, which are used every time I run fractals. And then there's Mawdry II, which was worth all the trouble I went through to make it.

So yes, I agree with you the crafting needs a lot of work. But where it does work, shows how good it could be if they'd just, y'know... got to fixing the rest of it. Until then, no reason to totally *avoid* it either.

 

[Emitan]

i don't like centaurs

You're on my shit list, Hawk.

 

[Levyne]

Buy order in for Dawn

*waits*

 

[Zeroth]

Buy order in for Dawn

*waits*

My Dusk order filled in minutes. Which is kinda funny because I debated buying it straight away.

Spoiler

Are you buying it for me? Aww, you didn't need to

 

[MattyG]

I've been meaning to get this for a while, but I never got around to it. I was going to grab it for $20 tomorrow, but I wanted to ask you guys a couple things first.

1) Is it going to be difficult for a new player like me to catch up and get into the swing of things?

2) Is the community still fairly active? Is the community friendly to newcomers?

and 3) is this a good MMO to start with? I've played up to lvl14 in FFXIV and like 15 in WoW, never delved real deep into any. (I intend to return to FFXIV at some point though, really liked it.)

 

[Zeroth]

I've been meaning to get this for a while, but I never got around to it. I was going to grab it for $20 tomorrow, but I wanted to ask you guys a couple things first.

1) Is it going to be difficult for a new player like me to catch up and get into the swing of things?

2) Is the community still fairly active? Is the community friendly to newcomers?

and 3) is this a good MMO to start with? I've played up to lvl14 in FFXIV and like 15 in WoW, never delved real deep into any. (I intend to return to FFXIV at some point though, really liked it.)

1) Not at all, it's never a bad point to start and have fun!

2) Yes and yes. The GAF guild in particular will help you get a hold of the game.

3) Yup, it is.

I'm sure soon a more complex reply will come detailing each point.

 

[Ashodin]

I've been meaning to get this for a while, but I never got around to it. I was going to grab it for $20 tomorrow, but I wanted to ask you guys a couple things first.

1) Is it going to be difficult for a new player like me to catch up and get into the swing of things?

2) Is the community still fairly active? Is the community friendly to newcomers?

and 3) is this a good MMO to start with? I've played up to lvl14 in FFXIV and like 15 in WoW, never delved real deep into any. (I intend to return to FFXIV at some point though, really liked it.)

A big hell no to #1 and a big hell yes to all three following

 

[Levyne]

I've been meaning to get this for a while, but I never got around to it. I was going to grab it for $20 tomorrow, but I wanted to ask you guys a couple things first.

1) Is it going to be difficult for a new player like me to catch up and get into the swing of things?

2) Is the community still fairly active? Is the community friendly to newcomers?

and 3) is this a good MMO to start with? I've played up to lvl14 in FFXIV and like 15 in WoW, never delved real deep into any. (I intend to return to FFXIV at some point though, really liked it.)

1.) This game is largely horizontal past a certain point. So catching up is generally a non-issue. There are a few things, such as dungeons, where you have to be a certain level, or the current living story releases, which you can't do until 80 and have missed a few episodes.

2.) Fairly. Being honest there was a lull for a bit since we had a 4 week "break" for the wintersday (xmas) event. But the "living story" ( little update goodies every 2 weeks) starts back up on the 13th which will pick things back up. The community is largely very friendly. The GAF guild is the best.

3.) I think so. No sub, very minor drama or elitism. It's still very pretty, active, consistent updates. It will be different from WoW and FFXIV though, largely because of no trinity system.

 

[MattyG]

1) Not at all, it's never a bad point to start and have fun!

2) Yes and yes. The GAF guild in particular will help you get a hold of the game.

3) Yup, it is.

I'm sure soon a more complex reply will come detailing each point.

A big hell no to #1 and a big hell yes to all three following

1.) This game is largely horizontal past a certain point. So catching up is generally a non-issue. There are a few things, such as dungeons, where you have to be a certain level, or the current living story releases, which you can't do until 80 and have missed a few episodes.

2.) Fairly. Being honest there was a lull for a bit since we had a 4 week "break" for the wintersday (xmas) event. But the "living story" ( little update goodies every 2 weeks) starts back up on the 13th which will pick things back up. The community is largely very friendly. The GAF guild is the best.

3.) I think so. No sub, very minor drama or elitism. It's still very pretty, active, consistent updates. It will be different from WoW and FFXIV though, largely because of no trinity system.

Awesome, thanks so much for the replys guys! That's all I needed to hear, I'm definitely going to be picking it up tomorrow, and I'll be back once I start playing. Can't wait!

 

[zulux21]

one thing I think others aren't really mentioning that I found awesome when starting and wanting to play with other people is that you scale to the area you are in... thus someone with a character who is levels ahead of you can join you and actually not just cheese the whole thing....

though I am not sure how well it works with higher level characters as I am not sure if equipment is scaled much.

 

[Levyne]

one thing I think others aren't really mentioning that I found awesome when starting and wanting to play with other people is that you scale to the area you are in... thus someone with a character who is levels ahead of you can join you and actually not just cheese the whole thing....

though I am not sure how well it works with higher level characters as I am not sure if equipment is scaled much.

Yep, this is also a good point. However, a level 80 with good traits and exotic/ascended equipment will still be much, much stronger downscaled to 30 than a raw level 30 with mismatched masterwork armor and missing traits.

I think it's a good balance for keeping low-level content engaging, but also feeling like destroyer of worlds at time when you revisit an old, lower level zone.

 

[zulux21]

Yep, this is also a good point. However, a level 80 with good traits and exotic/ascended equipment will still be much, much stronger downscaled to 30 than a raw level 30 with mismatched masterwork armor and missing traits.

I think it's a good balance for keeping low-level content engaging, but also feeling like destroyer of worlds at time when you revisit an old, lower level zone.

I kind of figured that might be the case as when I do some of the holiday events and get moved to level 80 I am still easily destroyed

in my case though it means I can play my level 15-20 characters with my friend's level 8-10 characters without me feeling like a god compared to him, where in a lot of other mmo like games that level difference already would have started making my characters feel to powerful to play with for him in the past.

so... the lurael things (or what ever they are called) what is the ideal use of them? I have like 20 of them now and if they are useful when I hit day 28 i might just snag 20 more.

 

[spiritfox]

Laurels are best used to get Ascended accessories, and to convert to cash if you have fully equipped all your characters. They are also used to buy special stuff like material nodes in your home instance, crafting items and recipes, and toys and minis.

 

[Levyne]

I would definitely make your first laurel purchase an ascended amulet with a utility infusion slot.

 

[UltimateIke]

I spend all of my laurels on Heavy Crafting Bags.

One day, I will finish Twilight, and then I can save for Goedulf and the Endless Mystery Cat Tonic.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

I spend all of my laurels on Heavy Crafting Bags.

I thought I was the only one. Probably spend 500 laurels or so on them in total!

 

[Levyne]

September 2013, I made Twilight. Today, Sunrise. I also got over wearing T3 everywhere. Same quiver though.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Laurels are best used to get Ascended accessories, and to convert to cash if you have fully equipped all your characters. They are also used to buy special stuff like material nodes in your home instance, crafting items and recipes, and toys and minis.

how do you convert laurels to cash?

 

[Emitan]

how do you convert laurels to cash?

heavy crafting bags

 

[Thorgal]

how do you convert laurels to cash?

1 Buy t6 mat bags from laurel vendor .
2 sell Mats on TP
3 laugh as you make yourself filthy rich .

 

[UltimateIke]

Tonight I played some Engineer.

Her level 10 story quest's Black Lion Chest Key opened a chest containing a Total Makeover Kit, so she was the lucky recipient. Exclusive hair, face, and eye color!

I also got to find out what is inside Abandoned Caverns (Access Prohibited).

 

[Kos Luftar]

Tonight I played some Engineer.


Her level 10 story quest's Black Lion Chest Key opened a chest containing a Total Makeover Kit, so she was the lucky recipient. Exclusive hair, face, and eye color!


I also got to find out what is inside Abandoned Caverns (Access Prohibited).

Finally decided to become a good player, congrats.

You only get access to that area of you picked a certain path of the personal story.

Since everyone is showing off, I just made Twilight this morning!

My warrior and rarely player Charrdian have two legendaries to wield now.

 

[Minamu]

Sounds like crafting won't be profitable until I get to a much higher level then. I think a guide would be perfectly acceptable to me, as I absolutely hate to lose any kind of cash xD

Not that I'm having troubles in PvE, but it's been a long time since I reached lvl 80 and I have no idea how to get better equipment. Maybe that Laurel route is the way to go? I don't have anything ascended or like that. What I've been wearing comes from one of the Karma vendor priests in Orr and the looks are getting outdated fast :/

 

[Nemesis121]

Sounds like crafting won't be profitable until I get to a much higher level then. I think a guide would be perfectly acceptable to me, as I absolutely hate to lose any kind of cash xD

Not that I'm having troubles in PvE, but it's been a long time since I reached lvl 80 and I have no idea how to get better equipment. Maybe that Laurel route is the way to go? I don't have anything ascended or like that. What I've been wearing comes from one of the Karma vendor priests in Orr and the looks are getting outdated fast :/

If you have Exotic it's not outdated, Ascended only boost your overall stats by 5%, you are not missing out on a lot by not having Ascended, only one of my characters is full ascended, the rest are Exotic gear and i do great in dungeons...Ascended IMO is a big waste of fucking gold and time..

 

[Minamu]

If you have Exotic it's not outdated, Ascended only boost your overall stats by 5%, you are not missing out on a lot by not having Ascended, only one of my characters is full ascended, the rest are Exotic gear and i do great in dungeons...Ascended IMO is a big waste of fucking gold and time..

I see, that's good to know. I have the Aurora set on my Mesmer main. But don't I need ascended armor with some special infusion slots or something for the special dungeons I've only been in once and completely screwed up? :lol

 

[Emitan]

Tonight I played some Engineer.


Her level 10 story quest's Black Lion Chest Key opened a chest containing a Total Makeover Kit, so she was the lucky recipient. Exclusive hair, face, and eye color!


I also got to find out what is inside Abandoned Caverns (Access Prohibited).

She looks just like my warrior. Maybe they're twins

 

[theMrCravens]

New trailer up:
Point of No Return

More fugly Sylvaris.

 

[spiritfox]

Looks like it's time to fight whatever is at the western end of the Silverwastes. Hope it's as good as the Marionette.

 

[Emitan]

New trailer up:
Point of No Return

More fugly Sylvaris.

Sylvari are beautiful

 

[Kos Luftar]

Hard to see from the trailer but if the world changing event is just us fighting a Mordrem Marionette than that is kinda of a let down but I hope something more happens. From trailer seems like Camp Resolve doesn't even change that much or get attacked.

Happy to get back into living world but also not sure what will happen after episode 8 so kinda worried another big break is coming because people keep wanting expansions and nothing else.

I know Leif worked on this last update so I know at least the boss battle will be awesome.

 

[spiritfox]

I think Camp Resolve does get attacked. It's a split second shot near the end of trailer, where you can see the vines in the camp. Not sure if it actually does something other than vines though.

 

[Kos Luftar]

I think Camp Resolve does get attacked. It's a split second shot near the end of trailer, where you can see the vines in the camp. Not sure if it actually does something other than vines though.

http://i.imgur.com/20oUF96.jpg
I guess the vines make it to camp resolve but it still looks intact. Can't wait to see all the NPCs act like nothing has changed.

 

[Moondrop]

I like the fundamental design of the crafting system. My gripe is with the disjointed experience curve, which too often leads to wasted gold to reach the next tier and is particularly unforgiving to new players. I'm currently working on Artificer.

Happy to get back into living world but also not sure what will happen after episode 8 so kinda worried another big break is coming because people keep wanting expansions and nothing else.

The cycle of hype and fear is strong in this one. Let go and be content.

 

[Kos Luftar]

The cycle of hype and fear is strong in this one. Let go and be content.

First, fuck you.

Second, I hate you.

 

[Moondrop]

First, fuck you.

Second, I hate you.

And yet I only feel love and gratitude toward you. What evil hath desire wrought.

 

[Levyne]

fade to black

fade to black

Spoiler

fade to black

 

[Retro]

September 2013, I made Twilight. Today, Sunrise.

Congrats!

Sounds like crafting won't be profitable until I get to a much higher level then. I think a guide would be perfectly acceptable to me, as I absolutely hate to lose any kind of cash xD

http://www.gw2crafts.net/

Looks at the Trading Post and gives you a customized guide based on the cheapest materials / maximum return on profit. If you're just going to burn through crafting, that's probably the best way.

As for the whole crafting discussion, GW2's crafting isn't exactly thrilling, but it gets the job done and isn't tedious (like a lot of MMOs). Adequate is the word I would use. I would like something more intense like Vanguard's crafting, so long as there were also quick ways to craft in addition to the more "mini-game" like method.

Crafting is one of the line items on the "features every MMO needs to have" list so it's very easy to find bad examples (FFXIV's is pretty tedious), cases where it feels more like an afterthought (most Korean MMOs) and the rare occasion where it's done well (Vanguard, SWG). GW2 falls smack dab in the middle; generally inoffensive but nothing to cheer about.

New trailer up:
Point of No Return

Mostly old footage, looks like Caithe and Faolin found themselves a Dragon Minion in their little adventure. Wonder if bumping into the dragon is what sealed the deal on Faolin going into Nightmare, either because it felt like the ultimate betrayal by the Pale Tree or the dragon's influence overwhelmed her. Which makes me wonder how (and if) Caithe was spared the same fate. Guess we'll find out.

 

[Cathcart]

Everybody lookin' good with their Twilights. So many moneys.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Kinda annoyed that "specialty" boxes aren't affected by Compact (as in, if you use Compact in inventory, it will compact items inside their own bags but will not make them consider the spaces from other boxes if they are available). Is there a way to change that?

heavy crafting bags

1 Buy t6 mat bags from laurel vendor .
2 sell Mats on TP
3 laugh as you make yourself filthy rich .

Ah.

...maybe after I make my first Legendary.

New trailer up:
Point of No Return

More fugly Sylvaris.

...doesn't really seem to show new stuff sadly other than the ravaged base

 

[Wanderer5]

http://i.imgur.com/20oUF96.jpg
I guess the vines make it to camp resolve but it still looks intact. Can't wait to see all the NPCs act like nothing has changed.

Maybe they're too stupid to notice them still. I mean they did jack when those vines were moving towards there, sooooooo.

 

[nataku]

Looks like the upcoming release is the finale. Weird to have only one episode after a break, but oh well.

Next week will see the release of the 8th and final release in Guild Wars 2's Living World Season 2. The episode, Point of No Return, picks the story back up that players witnessed at the end of 2014. Glint's egg is still missing, but players will still need to rally their allies and the pact fleet as they launch an assault against Mordremoth. In this finale episode, players will face a decisive moment as they reach "a point of no return."

http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=35576

I'll be surprised if we don't get an expansion announcement at the upcoming event. I'm just wondering how long it'll take to get released.