Why do Tradeskills ?

[Rorgg]

I have a couple answers:

1. I had extra money at the time and it was something different to do.

That's why I started doing alchemy. I had scraped together 300 or 400 pp to buy some item, and the deal fell through. Wow, what was I going to do with all this money? Well, hey, I'd been thinking about the just-revamped (for the first time) alchemy. I'll spend some of it there.

This is also primarily why I started doing skills heavily more recently (everything up to 200 and working on my 4th GM). I'd gotten smithing to GM, and used it to make and sell some cultural armor, and used that money to buy my missing level 65 spells and had a bit of a nestegg left over. I spent a little of it outfitting a twink, then started pouring the rest into tradeskills. Why?

2. You can make neat stuff.

By GMing smithing, I was able to make a full set of cultural armor for my warrior, giving him insanely good stats at terrifically low cost. The whole thing proably cost under 10k to make. I can also now churn out Solstice earrings, and before too long, I'll be able to aid Grimel (ba dum dum). Speaking of Solstice earrings, there's reason

3. Positioning to make a TON of money

Every once in a while, a new recipe comes out that people just HAVE to have, and if it requires a skill you have that's difficult to achieve trivially, you can get in on it early and make a TON of money. I've never been in that position, but the next time it comes up, I'll be ready. We didn't see them in LoY or LDoN, but they're coming.

[Salitorn]

Why do tradeskills is like asking why play the game. I am just as addicted to tradeskills as I am this game. I would go so far as to say that I continue to play this game just for the sheer enjoyment of making things.

Example: I made my first piece of Tae Ew armor the other day, chain breastplate at that. Wife couldn't understand why I was so happy for a couple of days. What made the feeling even better was giving it, yes giving it, to a guildie that could use it.

Everyone plays this game for their own reasons. Furor and the raiding type plays to raid, I play to tradeskill. To each their own

[Abazagaroth]

I do tradeskills for the fun of it. I like making new things out of random materials.

I originally did smithing before kunark, and got to banded, but it was a big waste of time in many respects, and was hard to do since nothing stacked. That character died a long time ago, and my current character got back into tradeskills when the blue diamond cultural came out.

No one was making it, and everyone was talking about how skilling up was going to be nerfed, and so I took all the plat I had scrimped and saved to buy a nice haste belt and put it into smithing (I did ornate for all the skill points I could after banded), and when I ran out of money I sold my "prized" (oh how things have changed) Matchless dragon legs to give me enough plat to burn through to 242 on fine plate.

I did that because after seeing the stats, I knew I had to have them for my character, and the investment would be worth it if at the least I made myself a full suit. About the time I hit 242, no one was selling the cultural still. I received so many tells when I started selling the couple of fine heraldic pieces I had made, with people wanting stuff, then the money just started rolling in (and soon after trivials were changed further closing in the market).

I can estimate that I have made around 4 million platinum off of smithing in the past 20 months or so. Much of it is gone into friends after quitting a couple of times, or went into other tradeskills, or various "fun" stuff. So yes, they can be profitable LOL.

That example is enough reason for me to work on other skills and if they ever extend the skill caps, work on the skills asap to get them maxed on the off chance new recipes ever go live. Not so much in order to make plat, but in order to be able to make stuff I can use and my friends can use.

[Grenoble]

A. It's fun and a break from the grind.

B. I'm pathetically obsessed with making my numbers go up. You have become better at something (###) really gives me a sense of accomplishment.

C. I'm an artist/set designer in RL. It's a creative thing.

[OutcastAssassin]

I do tradeskills becuase i like being Self sufficient. Although im new to them, the idea of being able to make a Blessed Faydark Thunderbolt for my ranger just seems awesome. It frustrates me when i buy stuff that i can make in the long run (and, depending on the item, for LESS than i would end up paying for it...)

[Kritta]

I *twitch* tinker because *twitch twitch* I *twitch* can.

[Nolrog]

I do tradeskills because it's a nice change of pace some times from the XP grind. It also helps pass the time while you are sitting there in Iceclad for about 90000 hours camping StormFeather. I also have some tradeskilling goals. My first goal is 700. I'm well on my way too. Got 4 (baking, brewing, fletching and pottery) into the mid 100s (though those are the easiest 4 to get there.) I have 66 in tailoring, by making woven mandrake, and I started reading about smithing yesterday. Once I get high enough, I will help everyone in my guild with the PotC quest.

[Daniel310864]

It's perfect Waste of Time.....

...and I LOVE it!

in real life I've spent lots of time painting 700+ miniatures and producing 6m²+ table-top scenery. Yielded nothing.....

....but i sold 3 watercolor pictures for each 100$. So why do I still paint 25mm instead of portraits? because thats the difference between fun and business!

And thats why my Rogue will make his own Armour and Weaponry. In real life I can make real money but no Levis 501 myself. But in EQ its exactly opposite

...have I mentioned I LOVE it?

[FeroceFV]

First off, tradeskills ARE profitable. You just have to have the right trade skill at the right time, and be of the right level. When Halas Meat Pies first came out, I made about 60kp off of them. I've made quite a sum off of the LDoN armors. Tailors made a lot when the LoY robes came out.

When you do tradeskills to skill up, you will lose money. When you do tradeskills for money, you'll make some. You just have to be good at selling/hawking your product when it's new and no-one else makes it.

Feroce

[Goresmash]

why do tradeskills?

Because some times it is just more satisfying that sitting around LFG.

And because genetically gnomes are just required to tinker.

[Fyste]

Because it's fun

Because in EQ there are SO many different ways to improve your character, and SO many people are focussed on the exp grind, or AA grind, or LDoN grind, that simply sitting and improving a skill not directly related to level advancement is uncommon. And doing it to GrandMaster status is rare, moreso depending on the skill. I preferr the path less followed

Because I want to be part of the group of people that think EQ is more than "point, bash, nuke, kill".

Because it's cool to see something that you make ( even virtual things ) that you did by your own perseverance ( skill in EQ being a function of how long you can force yourself to click buttons ). And know that you are one of the few people that can actually DO that.

Because I like knowing, if I need something I can MAKE it if absolutely necessary. I hate feeling dependant on anyone for my basic necessities.

Oh, and did I mention... because it's fun

[Muldamai]

Another reason to tradeskill:

Signet of the Arcane:

LORE ITEM MAGIC ITEM NO DROP
Weight: 1.5 Size: TINY
Slot: EAR
AC: +25 Str: +25 Dex: +25 Sta: +25 Wis: +25 Int: +25 Agi: +25 Fire Resist: +15 Disease Resist: +15 Cold Resist: +15 Magic Resist: +15 Poison Resist: +15 HP: +130 Mana: +150
Classes: All Classes
Races: All Races
Slot 1: Type 7
*This item is the result of a raid event.
Required: Yes

Last updated: Thu Oct 9 16:32:32 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Effect: Flowing Thought III
2: Increase Mana by 3 per tick

Type: Worn


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Focus Effect: Preservation of Xegony
1: Decrease Spell Mana Cost by 15%
2: Limit: Max Level(65)
3: Limit: Spell(Complete Healing excluded)
4: Limit: Effect(Percentage Heal excluded)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taken from Allakhazam (tm) and not linked

There reaches a point where money is meaningless, and this is about the point. I have a friend who put aside 350K in plat just to do the tailoring portion. There are many reasons to tradeskill, and making money does fall way down the list.

If you are looking to make money, buy low and sell high in the bazaar.

[cloudwlker]

for fun and time

I can't spend hours with lfg on ...so I made a druid...soloed almost all the way to 62 and just pasted 1450 in tradeskills.

I had all but fletching and jewelry past 100 before I got lvl 20....

I have been playing for 3 and half years with the same char...all I have to say...

'It's been fun!'

[Milenax]

you can't make a ton of plat off it.

Actually you can!
I make several thousands each day on baking and brewing, but the money didn't start flood in until I was over 200 in skill. Now it's my main money-maker.

And I only need to spend less than an hour to make the money. Misty Thicket Picnics, Qeynos Afternoon Tea, Prismatic dyes and such.

The main reason I'm doing tradeskills though is because I enjoy it.

[Neckwringer]

Originally posted by Arghargh
As well stated above, there are lots of reasons to do tradeskills. By far the most important is that you enjoy it.
You can make more plat doing other things for sure. Many trade skill items only make a few plat profit. However, taking all my tradeskills together, I've made more than I've spent. This may change if I ever grandmaster tailoring.

Arghargh Grumble, Darkblood
64 Ogre Shaman of Rallos Zek

Ya Gm'ing tailoring will change that profit margin that's for sure. Tailoring is a platinum black hole and they should add that recipe.

Platinum Black Hole
Slot: Head
Charisma -50
Stamina -50
Strenght -50
AC (This is tailored if you want AC you have to go to a plane)

Hey you can tailor robes that you make earrings out of. How flipping crazy is that.

Hey Mezzerina why the heck you got a ROBE and a Picnic basket hanging from a gold loop in your ear?

It's the TAILORING BLING BLING.