Packaged with the latest module was a major change to crafting in the game, removing the floaty but pretty simple "professions" function with a full fledged workshop instance. Along with it comes the management headaches of hiring people, paying for the creation of goods, using the daily boost to pump out production, and a TON of reading to work out what is needed to make what.
Unfortunately, Cryptic has made numerous stupid design errors in the implementation. Firstly, you can hire a bunch of artisans (20 with a level 3 workshop) but only 3 of them can work at any time, and only 3 can go adventuring to gather material at once. With a full house, that's 14 people idling.
Not that you want to do that, because you have a delivery crate that has a fixed amount of space (24 slots at a level 3 workshop) where the constructed or harvested goods are returned. Run out of space and they stop working, or backup orders so that you have to wait for them to fill the box before you can use the daily boost.
Then there's the matter of actually paying your artisans because this entire thing is meant to be a gold drain. Why you would hire someone who asks a higher fee, or works slower, or both, is beyond me. The most/only profitable equipment to trade is usually found on the easiest tiers and making higher level stuff to sell usually results in a net loss. Nice business logic there.
Why you would want to make higher level goods? To upgrade your workshop! A ridiculous grind which requires 500,000 trade points to reach level 3, and 5 MILLION to reach level 4. What do you get at level 4? 6 more spaces in the delivery box, and more room for more artisans to sit around and do nothing. Really? That's it? Not exactly a fantastic carrot for people to chase.
Sure, for those interested in crafting you can make the highest level gear currently (score wise anyway, functionality wise it would still be hard to beat dropped loot) but you don't need an upgraded Workshop to do it, just a high enough level stronghold.
For a casual like me? I'm using this gold drain to actually make gold (to convert to AD) - which is easier now with this system in place. It's a shame because there's a lot of work that went into this system and it has so much potential.
Firstly, you can hire a bunch of artisans (20 with a level 3 workshop) but only 3 of them can work at any time, and only 3 can go adventuring to gather material at once. With a full house, that's 14 people idling.
ReplyDeleteThat's right out of the original SWTOR implementation of crafting, where you could only send out three of your crew for crafting at once.
Wow, so not only is it a bad system but it's a bad system that they copied? Stay classy Cryptic.
DeleteAnd the thing is, the SWTOR system was designed when your maximum number of companions was six (five acquired in game plus the droid on ship who could craft), and you didn't really get past three companions total until around your upper L20s - lower L30s. I think it was below L24-25 that you could only send out two crew on "missions" (crafting), but that wasn't that big of a limitation as people didn't have enough companions to take advantage of a three crew station until later, anyway.
DeleteI've been waiting to hear your full thoughts on the workshop... I like how the subject line says it all, lol.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay, I did actually give it a fair go before passing judgement but for me it is as the title states. :)
Delete2 years later and it's no better. I've been grinding for months to make 500k worth of beeswax to upgrade to level 3. My reward? A message saying Begum now wants 5 million. Totally demotivating. From now on I'm just going to use it to make healing potions I can sell in the market, the only way I can see to actually make money. The other artisans are only useful to make tools for each other so I can equip the Alchemists with better alembics for potion making. Such a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteCryptic really knows how to wreck their own content.
Deleteabsolutely STOOOPID the starting quests to get it running, after picking artisans and sending them out mindlessly on their first grabs your sent to a stop wall with 'talk to your retainer' who does nothing but give you a list of 20+ level items you need before proceeding. Leaving you with your 1st level workshop crafting abilities and a list of items you need to adventure and quest half way across the game to find and have a months worth or advancement in your artisans to make, real good tutorial!!!! Fantastically moronic story boarding of the workshop questline this is! Since when was Dungeons and Dragons a business management game? Especially one as complex and literally a game within a game as this pile of time and money waste? I seem to remember in my years of D&D play being able to like the old system just hire some hirelings, set up a workshop for them and let them go at it since me being a "insert monster name" killer and "insert dungeon name" delver have no desire, clue, or patience for being a muggle bookworking errand boy toady and money for nothing supply for a bunch of lazy do little craftsmen. Real high fantasy dungeons and dragons found in this workshop system oh yeah... not...
ReplyDeleteYeah, just do what I did and ignore it completely. :P
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