Elemental pottery lacking?

[Wandor]

It seems like to me that the rewards for elemental pottery are not on par with the items being made from other trade skills. Maybe I am being paranoid, what do you guys think? Should pottery items be looked at?

Take a look at the plane of air items:

Featherwood compound
damage 24, delay 24, AC 10, STA 10, WIS 15, AGI 15, HP 100, mana 100, sv magic 35, range 220
skill mod: archery 5%
effect: ethereal strike

Cloudy ring of pneumatic force
AC 9, DEX 15, WIS 10, AGI 15, HP 75, mana 75, sv magic 20

Robe of immaculate air
AC 25, STR 5, DEX 12, INT 10, AGI 12, HP 90, mana 90, sv magic 25

Farwater plate greaves (water smithing, air should be similar)
AC 43, STR 10, DEX 8, STA 6, WIS 6, INT 6, HP 100, mana 40, sv disease 12, sv poison 12

Ceramic totem of xegony
DEX 12, WIS 5, INT 5, AGI 12, HP 65, mana 65, sv magic 15
effect: spell haste IV

Keeping in mind the difficulty of just getting to the elemental planes and the rarity of the drops, I think pottery is a little short on the stats. While the other trade skill items are not the best items in the game for the slots, they are certainly items that will be used by people at this level of play. On the other hand, the pottery items would not be used by most people at this level unless they need the effect, which is not likely due to the abundance of focus items on elemental drops.

[Tharkis]

so far of all the elemental tradeskills, pottery recpies have THE rarest components of them all. it's half inpossible to make anything, iv'e done 2 Incense burner of ro combines for my guild, because in all the time we've been in the elemental plains that's basically all the magma we've got, ever. (btw 1 success 1 failure on the burner)

[Sebilrazen]

If that ceramic totem is pottered, i'll give my left leg for one,if it's druid useable that is the mana is okay the wis is decent for ranged(it is ranged isn't it?) and the spell haste 4 is what I really want,

Mana Preservation IV + Spell Haste IV + Extended Range IV = Uber Kiter

Ceramic totem of xegony
DEX 12, WIS 5, INT 5, AGI 12, HP 65, mana 65, sv magic 15
effect: spell haste IV

[Cantatus]

Well, I think the reason they don't have the best stats is because they have a focus effect. These items are some of the only in PoP that have these focus effects and are droppable. The 4 focus effects from the Elemental planes are probably the highest in demand too - Spell Haste, Mana Preservation, Improved Healing and Improved Damage.

[Wandor]

This is exactly my point Cantatus. All of these effects are very common on stuff dropping in the elemental planes but in more powerful versions. Do a search for any of these effects at Allakhazam's and you will find all kinds of gear that drops in th lower planes with these effects.

You would think that these would come with 100hp/100mana or at least be on par with other mob drop items that are easier to aquire. We've been in the elemental planes for over an month and we have gotten exactly 2 solidified magma, 3 alabaster beaks, 0 shattered crystal, and 1 oil of a frog.

Look at the other trade skill's products. Those items are good enough that people in an elemental planes capable guild would actually use them and the parts are considerably easier to get.

I would compare the quality of the pottery items to the Secret of the plane before it was upgraded.

[Velurian]

If that ceramic totem is pottered, i'll give my left leg for one,if it's druid useable that is the mana is okay the wis is decent for ranged(it is ranged isn't it?) and the spell haste 4 is what I really want,

Mana Preservation IV + Spell Haste IV + Extended Range IV = Uber Kiter

If you give your left leg for one, won't you have a hard time kiting?

[Demorgoth]

The pottery item effects are flat out awesome.

The bows are overpowered for droppable/tradeskillable, no argument there. The air and earth bow parse better than ANY other bow outside the elemental planes, including those dropped in VT and from Seru. Add to that they're 100/100 range items and even I concede they're OTT. Earth bows people want for the +atk on AoB. Water and Fire bows I can hardly even give away to guildies.

With smithing, air temper componants aren't even in game yet, fire is rarer than pottery, earth I've never seen, but apparently it's out there, and water is rare, but not too bad. Also bear in mind that for every pair of Plate greaves, you need 5.5 tempers baring no failures on the pre-combines. Smithing and tailoring stats actually NEED a boost in comparison to pottery. With pottery, the saps are just flat out rare.

Jewelcraft is fairly disappointing too with the limited number of options and rarity of the drops.

I think the pottery sits in the middle of the pile for fulltime 'usefulness', then comes out way on top in terms of situational use. It also has by far the greastest value to an underequipped alt or secondary character.

[Cantatus]

All of these effects are very common on stuff dropping in the elemental planes but in more powerful versions. Do a search for any of these effects at Allakhazam's and you will find all kinds of gear that drops in th lower planes with these effects.

My point was more or less that these are pretty much the only sellable items with these effects in the game. Not everyone has access to the elemental planes and a lot of people don't even have access to mobs that do drop items with these effects. Also, comparatively speaking, the stats on these are a lot better than the pottery items from Tier 1 and 2 planes.

I see your point though. The fletching, smithing and tailoring items are pretty much up there with what you'd expect to find in the elemental planes. Perhaps they'll look into upgrading the stats on these when they look into rebalancing some of the tradeskill items.

However, as always, I'd suggest using /feedback, submitting a comment to the Developer's Corner or an email to eqfeedback@soe.sony.com if you want your suggestions to be heard.

[panamon]

I think your comparisons are inappropriate. You are comparing a low-end (quality-wise) pottery item to the better smithed armor. You also compare the stats to a bow, the featherwood bow does not hold up to the stonewood bow, but at this point of the game, many comparable bows are available.

I think the pottery items have great effects. I think you are trying to mislead other potters by comparing the "worst" pottery item with the "best" smithed item.

Comparisons:
vs. Smithed: Need 1 solidified magma vs. 3 soapstones. The PoWater chest items are the "best" smithed items in-game. You should compare it to this.

vs. Fletching: Many other bows are available at this point. There are nine bows in magelo (not counting planar bows) with 100 or more hitpoints. While the damage/delay improvements are great for rangers, that accounts for ~3-5 members/guild. The comparison also does not account for the many range slot items available.

vs. Tailoring: Players in the elemental planes are likely to have better robes than the comparison, again you are comparing the "best" tailored slot against a mediocre pottery item.

I don't think the planar tradeskill items were designed to be common, nor were they designed to be great. I think they are good for gearing up new members of elemental-tier guilds.

You also leave out the fact that a player may make use of 3 pottery items, receiving all effects. If they do not have the effect elsewhere.

[Sylphan]

Maybe you have a point. Verant obviously thinks the focus effects are so wonderful that people will want them despite the low stats. You are saying that anyone fighting in those zones will already have these focus effects. I'm going to assume you're correct.

But... do people actually use the items from other trades? Do your druids covet the cloudy ring? Do your casters clamour for a robe of immaculate air, with no FT, no focus effect, and no clicky effect? Are your paladins eager to get some farwater plate greaves?

I figured AC 40 platemail with 100hp would be something your warriors already have by the time they get to plane of air, just as often as your casters have Spell Haste IV. I'm not in a guild like yours... but are you sure the armor and jewelry are upgrades but the focus effect isn't? They all look about equally great from my decidedly non-uber perspective.

[Demorgoth]

I'm an officer in the elementally active guild on my server, and a 250 tradeskiller in everything but pottery (223+5% - we have several other 250 potters). As such, I handle distribution of all raid obtained tradeskill items. I can tell you for a fact, that the pottery items are the most sought after, followed closely by the air and earth bows (but a more limited market). Jewelcraft rings are substandard for the majority, and though there are a few fill-in pieces of armor, there's nothing making people jump up and down for them. Plus the fact that pottery requires a single rare piece, and smithing requires 3-5 tempers (hence 3-5 of the rare drop part) per attempt.

[Sebilrazen]

If you give your left leg for one, won't you have a hard time kiting?

I wolf form usually when i kite, just call me tripod.

[Gnastassja]

[as per Dem's guild:] I can tell you for a fact, that the pottery items are the most sought after, followed closely by the air and earth bows (but a more limited market). Jewelcraft rings are substandard for the majority, and though there are a few fill-in pieces of armor, there's nothing making people jump up and down for them. Plus the fact that pottery requires a single rare piece, and smithing requires 3-5 tempers (hence 3-5 of the rare drop part) per attempt.

This is very encouraging! Thanks Demorgoth for sharing this... especially since (of all the tradeskills) I least look forward to working on smithing. Guess I only got started there because I needed some of the low-end smithed items to pursue some of the other skill-ups I was working on.

And, Sebilrazen.. tripod-ubah-kiter

[Wandor]

You are comparing a low-end (quality-wise) pottery item to the better smithed armor

Thank you for illustrating my point exactly. There is no reason that any trade skill item from the elemental planes should have reason the be refered to as "low-end (quality-wise) pottery". The elemental pottery items should be the similar in quality to the other trade skills.

I think you are trying to mislead other potters by comparing the "worst" pottery item with the "best" smithed item.

What would you consider the "best" pottery items then? All 4 elemental pottery items are similar in stats with 65hp/mana. Is there something better than these that I missed? The only redeeming value is the effect, which for a guild in the elemental planes is easy to get in a more powerful form on a decidedly better item.

You also leave out the fact that a player may make use of 3 pottery items, receiving all effects. If they do not have the effect elsewhere.

There is no way in the world someone in an elemental planes guild is going to sacrifice 3 slots for these items. Even with my sub-par (for the level of my guild) gear equiping 3 of these items would be a huge hit in HP, mana, and resists. I am already using the ID4 item, but it is the only effect I don't already have elsewhere. Like I said, go do a search for focus items from tier 3+, you will find that there are dozens of items with these effects or better that are relatively easy to get.

Many other bows are available at this point. There are nine bows in magelo (not counting planar bows) with 100 or more hitpoints. While the damage/delay improvements are great for rangers, that accounts for ~3-5 members/guild. The comparison also does not account for the many range slot items available.

Ummm, wrong. EVERY archery capable melee in an elemental planes guild has to have a good bow to use. If you don't know why, then it is apparent you haven't face any elemental bosses. Plus you forget to account for the fact that having a 100/100 bow allows melees to always equip their bow and save them from having to swap out a range item for stats. It also saves them from having to spend DKP in 2 range items when the bow can also be used for stats.

but are you sure the armor and jewelry are upgrades but the focus effect isn't?

For comparison, 100hp/mana is usually the baseline by which items are compared. I can't think of a single piece of gear that cost DKP that doesn't have a minimum of 100hp/mana or in most cases higher than 100 in one or both. Most of the elemental trade skill items are not necessarily an upgrade, but rather nice fill in slots while people wait for the boss drops. In most cases the elemental trade skill items would be comparable to VT or high end Ssra drops while the pottery items are more in line with ST/NToV drops.

I can tell you for a fact, that the pottery items are the most sought after

The last ID4 item I made went to a cleric. The bows are hot items for sure, the Air ring is also very popular in my guild. The robes are actually pretty nice to have since getting new robes for people would involve going back to farm old content to equip 2-3 people and would be a waste of time. The silk legs are also pretty nice since a lot of casters are still in shiney metallic pantaloons (no HP on them). I suppose the demand will vary from guild to guild, but the fact remains that all other elemental trade skill items are good enough that they can be used to fill in spots that are lacking, while the pottery items are only good for the effect - which can easily be obtained on other items. Once you have the effect the pottery item will get banked for a much better pri/sec/range item.

It also has by far the greastest value to an underequipped alt or secondary character.

Exactly. Elemental items, dropped or trade skilled, should not be going to alts or secondary characters.

[Wandor]

oh yeah, I forgot ...

Thanks Cantatus, I will be forwarding a comparison of elemental trade skill items to SOE with my opinion on the quality of the pottery items.