Few at a time vs. hundereds...

[Draggar]

I don't know if this has been discussed before, but:

Which do you think would provide with more consistant skillups:
Performing tradeskills a couple at a time, say, as you collect the raw materiels, or doing them in one hugh carpal-tunnel filled run?

Thanx!

[Faymar]

/shrug

who knows?

You are dealing with a random number generator so realistically it makes no difference at all.

Today, doing 83 combines I had two skill ups. Doing those in one run meant I got something ... the two skill ups made me feel better about the total run. Doing it piecemeal wouldhave meant the two imps counted for less.

On the other hand, if you do it piecemeal you don't end up counting each combine, so it's easy not to realise that you've done 83 combines, so you just happily do bits as you get them and get pleasure if you happen to get an imp.

I've done both methods, saving up for a combine session and making each bit as I get it. It comes down to personal preference really ... for me, I like to go back and forth beetween the two.

[Delfontes]

So far...

Seems random...

Granted I don't think I'm yet past 500, let along 1750 in tradeskills, but I don't see a difference in attepts per skill-up if I do 1 at a time or 500 at once.

[Zeralenn]

I've gone two stacks without a skillup, and then come back and done 2 combines and gotten a skillup. I don't think it matters.

I think there is a certain personal satisfaction in doing a lot at once, not to mention just the plain hassle of getting all your tools out for a job, putting on any attribute-enhancing gear, getting buffs, etc. That's why people tend to do large runs rather than 1 or 2 piecemeal.

...Zera

[Chenier]

Which do you think would provide with more consistant skillups

It's random (well, insert gripe about RNG not really being random, but it's random enough for this discussion).

As to "save up stuff for a big runs" or "do combines as you get them":
When I was tailoring, I would do the actual tailoring combines when had collected the last ingredient (the tannin/oil, done the stud combine, collected the hides - whatever was last). When I was doing robe combines, I was a factory - process as much as I could bare since the actual tailoring combine was the easiest part. When I was higher level (and still playing actively), I combined as I had room on my seller mule for product to sell (i.e., I had materials for actual combines, but didn't do them until I had room on my seller mule to hold successes to sell).

It varies for everyone: seller/farm mule account or not, cash level, character level, casual vs. play-all-the-time vs. raider.

I think you'll find that most hard core tradeskillers will compile large runs of combines; but honestly, I don't think that makes a difference. For casual players/tradeskillers, doing that would take forever and become incredibly boring and evil; a few combines every once and a while and a skill every once and a while is enough to keep them going.

Though I certainly understand the perception that you're not a "true tradeskiller" unless you do big runs - nonsense. Don't let tradeskiller peer pressure dictate how you tradeskill nor what recipes you use. We do this for pride and pleasure - and for comradery when the RNG gets us down.

Do what is comfortable for you - the EQ Trader's community will be here to support you. =)

[Raiyaeq]

From personal experience, I’ve only gotten 1 point so far from small amount combines. I do tradeskills on 2 chars. Main - raiya with 4 tradeskills in 250 (pottery, brewing, tailoring, baking), alt - jinling with 250 in smithing. I can say I've done enough tradeskill to tell the difference. If I need to raise skills, I'd choose to do mass amount each time. I just have bigger chance of getting skill increase.

This is how it should happen logically. Since it's all RNG, you have bigger chance to see the skill increase when you do big amount of combines instead a few here and there. I am pretty sure, at the end it all adds up the same though.

So go with how you feel that day. If you feel like you want to do some combines and have the material, why not. If you hate to do little amount here and there then wait till you have several bags worth of material then do your combines.

[Angelsyn]

It really depends on what I'm doing.

If I'm doing Mithril Plate for an order... then it's as many as I need, plus a few extra if I can get someone to sit around long enough to enchant the Mithril. Otherwise I try getting as much Mithril enchanted as possible and hammer out just the Folded Sheets & Rings until I feel I have a large enough stock to make a "run".

I just recently ran my Cleric through the Shadowscream quest and got 2 skill-ups (209 & 210) in just 5 combines. Then I got my Ethereal supplies out and got 2 more skill-ups in just 14 combines.

Now I'm gathering up more supplies for Shadowscream. I've got a bunch of used-up Humming Orbs that have been waiting on this for awhile. Any more Humming Orbs I make will get tossed over to my Paladin for use while xping before they get made into Shadowscream.

In the end, it's Random... sometimes you'll have better luck with short runs, sometimes you'll have better luck with long runs.

[Alkee]

My personal preferance is to wait until I have pretty much filled up the bank with combinables and then do a big skillup session in 1 go.
The reason for this is because I have a seperate full suit of Wisdom gear for skillups and find it a nuisance to keep changing in and out of it all the time. Secondly once I have bagloads of stuff to combine I can sort it into a tidy order for skillups, get a KEI to raise my Wisdom to 252 then click away until finished or until KEI runs out.

Cheers

[Bennan]

For Smithing I do 20 combines of Shadowscream in a sitting, on the two occasions I have done more, its been 80.

There is just something more satisfying about doing a large amount of combines.

I have not noticed either of the two methods bring that much more skillups. Its just 20 combines at a time (for Shadowscream) suits my online time.

[Morgrist]

I simply don't want to burn out my hands IRL. For example,I pulled 80 or so paddings and did my last (to 188 at last-woot!) fine plate work.

That was more than enough for my poor abused fingers!

I did Wu's to 158 from 131 in a few short weeks when the new armor showed up. My fingers STILL can feel it months later. :P

[Tobin Itharel]

This does make a difference I think - a LONG time ago when the Verant boards were open, they said there was code that was in the system to discourage power skilling.

[Iustus]

I prefer to do big sessions of a lot of combines. Mainly for me this is for effeciency's sake. It takes time for me to set up to do a lot of combines.

Depending on which skill I was working on, I would often take a death in order to leave bags on corpse and get 7 or 8 fresh empty bags to do combines.

Additionally, I would usually have some tradeskill components on a mule, so it would take time to get those items off the mule. (This might be items to raise my WIS more, or special containers, gearlocks, or actual items to combine with such as leather paddings).

And then there is the assembly line factor. Once I start doing combines, I can get into a rhythm and do combines pretty fast. May as well work this as much as it is worth before stopping.

Finally, there is the simple managing my time issue. If I am going to do tradeskill combines, I would rather schedule a block of time to do it, rather than to try to fit it in between exp groups. It is easier for me to do it at a specific time than to do a little bit here and there.

-I

[Queletan]

I would say that mass volume is better, but I think what it comes down to is: with volume you can keep track. (you're aware of what you're combining, and how much of it).

I averaged, no matter what I was doing... 60 sickles in one go, or 20 Acrylia's over time, smithing.. just shy of 1 skill up per 20 combines. If you can't handle the nothings that come with a few combines, than by all means, wait till you have 20-30 skill ups, you might get one. On the other hand you might not.

Leveling Pottery, I would guess (have not recorded) that I am looking at an average of 80 combines per skill up post 199.

These are just my experiences in two skills, hopefully I'll have more experience post 200 soon, hehe

Q

[kiztent]

With the exception of my JCer, I don't think I've done more than 40 combines at a go.

Less than 10 combines really is hardly worth the time to me.

[Khazdim Ironhand]

I do all my skills sporadically -- prolly why they're so low.

But I have fun with all of them. I just tend to plop down and do skills when I find tradeskillable items on a mob or a vendor.

I find it commendable when tradeskillers get to 250, get their trophy, et al. I'll get there too. Maybe not in all the skills, but brewing and smithing for sure. And, I'm not in any hurry to get there.