Fan Faire Write-up, Part 2: Tradeskill Super-Trophies

[Daikoku Ashikaga]

1 trophy = 5% mod to skill
2 trophies combined = 6% mod to those 2 skills
3 trophies combined = 7% mod to those 3 skills
4 trophies combined = 8% mod to those 4 skills
5 trophies combined = 9% mod to those 5 skills
6 trophies combined = 10% mod to those 6 skills
7 trophies combined = 11% mod to those 7 skills

and so on... for the tinkering, alchemy and poison making skills too.

It's just an idea, I'm sure it will get shot down.

-Fin

Not really wanting to shot you down, but as it has been mentioned, the Mod factor is rather irevelent, and 240+ person is at cap (252) with a 5% mod, upping the mod would just be a way to help people with the plat to put out multiple trophy attemts at low level get capped faster, not help those already capped.

Dai

[Fin]

Thanks Dai. I knew something was flawed, and was bugging me as I wrote that. But that's the general idea behind it. Maybe the stats could be improved if the trophies were combined, and increase like the LDoN adventure stone, or the PoP charm?

-Fin

[Tudani]

And where I cant speak for anybody mut myself, I will *NEVER* be elementally flagged, and there are a lot of things I will *NEVER* be able to make because the guilds have a lock on the planar ingredients needed.

Never say never. On at least one server there's an open raiding group that recently killed RZ. As far as being able to get ingrediants, I know several people on my server who have ingrediants for many ep or other high level pop combines without being elementally flagged, and me, with elemental flags, doesn't have as much. Yes, I can go farm it, but I get at least as much of my elemental tradeskills items from vendor mining as I do farming, if not more.

[kiztent]

I really wish they would take us nonraidguilded scum into account when they make recipes.

They do. Unfortunately, anything you can do, baby eating ubers can do better, faster and more often. So if you can make anything worthwhile it will be soon made useless because the market will be thrashed by people who will make more of them quicker. So you'll have a cool item of your own, maybe some plat if you are first to market and you'll bemoan how unfair it is the item you can make that seemed so snazzy doesn't sell and start something in PSR about evil undercutters.

You want the freedom to play the way you want, that's the price for it.

Although you could get flagged for tactics and get the living coal yourself - it's a somewhat common drop.

[Cedir]

I don't mean to be negative, and maybe I just don't understand. But if you want a super-trophy, that requires all trade skills, and has stats that are good enough you'd want to wear it all the time... aren't you just talking about the Blessed Coldain Prayer Shawl, or the Signet of the Arcane?

Isn't this already in the game?

The only difference is that it should also have tradeskill mods and summon no rent bags?

[Jetfire]

Never say never. On at least one server there's an open raiding group that recently killed RZ. As far as being able to get ingrediants, I know several people on my server who have ingrediants for many ep or other high level pop combines without being elementally flagged, and me, with elemental flags, doesn't have as much. Yes, I can go farm it, but I get at least as much of my elemental tradeskills items from vendor mining as I do farming, if not more.

Very true. The guild I'm in barely has enough people on able to hunt in the planes, let alone go after the targets, but I've made lots of friends who are in the upper guilds and from them so far I have gotten most of the basic flags. "All" I need now to get to SolRoTower (my primary goal at the moment) is the actual god kills (Bert, TT, Saryn, Zeks, Marr) and Agnarr. A lot of big names yet I know, but understand that I'm only L63 right now and a non-epiced cleric (hoping to change that this weekend.

As for the discussion at hand, I love many of the ideas mentionned. Still, since these are Tradeskill Trophies, it would be nice if they could modify your success rate over 252.

I know the devers have said that it is nearly impossible due to 253-255 being 'special' skill levels, but you'd think it would be possible to tweek the actual Success function to take in the percentage and add some checks to round around the special levels or something. Wistfull dreaming I know.

[Timper Tantrum]

Just make it like the bags of armor mages can summon. the su[per trophey summons a bag with a geerlock for each tradeskill all at once no need to cycle click to get the one you need just summon on tradeskill goodie bag with everything you need sure make it all no rent whatever like the phantom stuff.

[Lickity]

I am really concerned about this from a balancing point of view. It is my feeling that the tradeskills rewards have diluted the overall value of tradeskilling. We used to be able to make money on Solstice robes, cutting sickles etc, because the money it took to GM these skills made it not worth the while of the typical gamer to do it. While I personally love the Aid Grimel quest, and I am close to finishing it, I wish it did not exist. It encouraged a whole slew of new GM Smiths and Tailors to flood the market in these items, as it was a side effect of getting their new uber earring. If this super trophy is too good, it will just be another incentive to further dilute the value and more importantly the uniqueness that comes with being a 1750 tradeskiller. As such I have seen 2-3 decent ideas that gives some sort of value post-regular trophy, while preserving the identity/heritage of the tradeskilling community.

1) Summoning a Coin WR bag from a trophy with comparable stats to the regular trophy. This is balanced because a coin bag is not terribly useful to your typical raider while raiding, but would be more valuable to your casual tradeskiller who is carrying around bags or ore etc (I am not foolish enough to say bags of money, as we are all broke after we finish =) )

2) A trophy with a similar ability, but 1.5x the stats. This would still be a sub-EP item, and would be valuable to a casual gamer. The only concern with this is the casual gamers feel disenfranchised from EQ and that the game caters to the EP crowd, however, if this was in place, it would be the reverse. The EPers would not be able to use the meager device, as compared to a Secret of the Planes manual or something similar.

3) And this is my new idea. Perhaps the 7 trophies could combine together to make a CHARM. There are so few charms in the game that are worth getting, that it would make sense to create one. There is already 2 extremely powerful charms, the PoP one and the new GoD one. If the Super trophy created a Charm that "Gains in Power as you Master new Tradeskills," it would be something we are all proud to wear. The end result of the CHARM would be comparable to the PoP Charm, making it not worth while for an already EP flagged player to get, but still would be useable by an EPer who wanted it as a symbol of their success. For the casual players, this would be an abolsute boon because of the stellar stats on it. The the risk/reward or a casual player would make it not worth the time for them to do unless the had an interest in the skills. The sheer amount of money/time going into tradeskills would make getting a +100 mana/hp and +15 to all item for 500k+ would not be worth the effort when they could gear up bazaar upgrades totaling these numbers for loads less. ( and as a shaman, it might be nice to a little something added for those of us with an extra tradeskill, like an extra 10 hps, and +1 stat to symbolize the extra skill, but nothing significantly beter.) It would not be terribly difficult to code in a +5% modifier to all tradeskills when the trophy was completely full, as focus effects have been added to other trophies already, and the +5% is essentially a focus effect.

EDIT: I asked that it Gain in Power as you Grandmaster tradeskills, because we all know that you can make a trophy with lower skill, but this way you would still have to max yourself to 250 before you gained the stats. For a point of reference, there is a CHARM slot item that references your learned rare languages for the stats on it, making a perfect template for the developers to work from.

[Maevenniia]

<snip> It would not be terribly difficult to code in a +5% modifier to all tradeskills when the trophy was completely full, as focus effects have been added to other trophies already, and the +5% is essentially a focus effect..

Nope, developers have previously stated that it is not possible to have more than one skill modifier on the same item. As an example, you can have an item with +5% to baking OR +5% to brewing, but not both. And there is no modifier that is "+5% to ALL skills".

[Lickity]

Hmm...that seems rather contradictory to some of the time items. They have many items in Time that have +% mods to various skills. Granted, these are not tradeskills, but mods either way. I don't see why this would not be possible. However, even without the mods, the charm idea would still be wonderful.

It may be that they are not willing to do this, which is fine, I can carry a geerlok bag like I always have.

[Meryddian]

I will *NEVER* be elementally flagged, and there are a lot of things I will *NEVER* be able to make because the guilds have a lock on the planar ingredients needed.

As somebody pointed out... never say never; it's possible to get EP flagged these days and not be with any kind of uber guild.

Also the only nodrop/looted items for this quest are the waters in Valor and the Hope Stone (EP drop).

The "lock" on planar ingredients is unfortunate but rather true; for example, you have to get pretty far into Air to find spiders to drop the silks needed. At least most items are tradeable so you can find a way to negotiate your way for items if you're persistant enough. Flags are another matter.

That's why what I suggested only checks your skill level for the combine, not flags, not character level. Ok fine, have the combines be no-fail too, but the whole point of it was that you cannot make it without being 250 in every skill. It wouldn't care if you weren't "uber"; you made the time and the effort to get the reward. So people who just tradeskilled to 220 to pass AG still have a lot of work to do.

Lot of anger towards ubers and their twinks... people who go through the effort to make two 1750 characters are doubly insane than the rest of us! You still have to take a massive amount of time/effort to level tradeskills - the only "advantage" an "uber" vs "non-uber" would have in that department is possibly better cash flow for items.

[Meryddian]

Here's a suggestion for the board moderators: how about for people who're 1750's, they get "1750 Club" instead of ___ in their title slot?

It'd be stat free but a fun little tag that tells everyone "woo-hoo, carpal tunnel (250)!"

[Cubwynn]

As somebody pointed out... never say never; it's possible to get EP flagged these days and not be with any kind of uber guild.

For some of us, it's more a question of having zero interest in raiding.
"Gee, it takes 6+ groups of people to do this zone? No thanks, count me out."

[Ngreth Thergn]

Here's a suggestion for the board moderators: how about for people who're 1750's, they get "1750 Club" instead of ___ in their title slot?

It'd be stat free but a fun little tag that tells everyone "woo-hoo, carpal tunnel (250)!"

We decided we did not want the "1750" club to get special treatment on EQTC... sorry! I know you FEEL special! You just have to post like everyone else here to get a title change

[wminc]

Brilliant

This toolbelt idea goes way beyond brilliant, I love the keyring as I have fun seeking out keys and a /toolbelt would create the one thing all tradeskillers need most, more bank space and less hassle in finding implements. Much like the other folks here, I persue numerous tradeskills. no trophies yet, but a trophy augment seems a great idea as long as the augment is replaceable.
Short of being able to get my own house in game where I could have additional bulk storage with labels I can attach and allow access to for anyone I designate, that toolbelt is the most desireable idea i've heard in a while. I would also support a title flag of some kind on several levels, 1) the GM tradeskiller deserves some recognition, thats more work than any other phase of the game. 2) The potential customer could then do a /who all GM Baker and actually find one, thus increasing our profits small as they are. and 3) I'm a Muse, an awesome title I worked hard for, a badge of service if you will, I am also 200 plus in 7 tradeskills and can't wait to join the 1750 "club" I don't want uber equipment, I want a good time with my friends, hence a small guild, please, whatever the end result of this is, Keep the killing of monsters requiring 40 groups and the flag process out of it, lets make it about the countless hours i've spent figuring out what things are for, then aquiring the skill to use them.