I Quit!

[Ysall]

I should have known better. I quit DoN GM cultural 3 months ago when I only succeeded 1 in 7 times on a run of BPs and legs, breaking my bank in just 5 mins.

But I'm the only HIE smith on my server, and felt guilty about denying my race DoN GM stuff.

So, under pressure, I tried again. In my last 9 combines, including 4 BP's, 2 legs, 1 boot, 1 bracer, I've succeeded only once, and now I'm broke again. Im max 300 smithing, max BS Mastery, and Max salvage, but the success cap that makes all those hard earned skills useless, and makes me just the same as someone with 262 skill, has finally beaten me.

I quit.

[crystilla]

/comforts the elf

[Ndaara]

ouch =(

[Angelsyn]

Rule #247 of Tradeskill wackiness...

If you fail twice in a row on tough, non-trivial combines... quickly switch to making some junk combines for awhile. Try knocking the RNG out of it's rut.

Rumor #umpteen-million of Tradeskill wackiness...

There's an Enchanter spell line that reduces fizzles (I think?), or it increases your effective casting level, or something like that. People have claimed to have better success rates when they have this buff. YMMV

Rule #248 of Tradeskill wackiness...

Never spend all your cash on supplies. You're practically setting yourself up for failure.

Rule #249 of Tradeskill wackiness...

Always buy a bit more in supplies than you might need for a set of combines. For example: If you plan on making a GM BP, GM Legs & GM Bracer, buy 8 or 9 Metallic Drake Scales. It's almost like you're less likely to fail the sub-combines if you've prepared for failing a sub-combine! Again, YMMV.

[Anahka_slivermane]

Some days are rough no doubt. The RNG can be without mercy. But then one day karma or ying/yang or whatever you wanna call it will favor you and the average will balance out.

Just yesterday I made GM Half Elf Chain BP, Legs, Arms, and Boots as well as the 4 GM Symbols to go with them with 2 fails. Both fails, thankfully, on the Symbols. On one of witch I salvaged the Scale and the Water. All the these combines took place inside 30 mins or so for one customer. You can believe he was quite pleased (So was my bank account after he payed me for my services).

I havn't kept too close track of my success vs. fails. But I am certain I am at least 80%, I rarly fail at all. Atm I have done no less than 5 sets of plate, 4 sets of Chain, and 2 sets of Leather...with various odds and end single pieces for people or for myself to sell from scales I get xping. I have also done no less than 50 GM symbols of various types and dieties with a few Masters tossed in and 3 GM charm sets.

I dunno how this compairs to anyone else as far as success % goes...maybe I have just been really lucky. I think though, having 300 skill, a 15% mod, and 450str/dex - 415wis as well as Mastery3's and Salvage 3 has helped a ton.

Keep your head up. The nice thing about the RNG is it will always even out in time. (-'

[Wyvernwill]

Luck, not your mods, skill or anything else. Those items have already been proven 100% worthless at 300 skill.

[Baldary]

While I only recently got to 300 in both Smithing and Tailoring, I refuse to put a large chunk of my cash to risk doing the GM cultural combines. I will do combines for people though for a flat fee, payable upon success. Thusly I have shifted the risk to the buyer since they provide me with the scales or hides. Will I make less plat that way? Yes. Will I make some of my plat back that I used when skilling up? Yes. Will I protect my existing plat? Yes. This does not mean that I will not make some armor on spec. It does mean that I will not do it to excess.

Baldary

[Phantron]

From my experiences with GM armor, I'd say you need to have enough capital for about a stack of scales/hides to cover for the bad luck if you want to turn a profit by selling. Of course the exact amount also depends on what you can sell those for.

[Prexis]

Wasn't there some talk somewhere that those with 300 skill in tailoring & smithing were having horrible rates on successful combines of GM armor vs those with less than 300 skill? I know personally I have 300 smithing + mastery 3, and have made a total of 12 BP/Leg combines including symbols. Have been 4 successes for 7 combines on armor, and 1 success on 5 symbol combines. Not a very large sample, but discouraging enough I generally stay away from cultural combines unless asked to do the combines by someone.