Guild-funded crafting

[ATownArmy]

I know I'm the new guy, but I had an idea and I wasn't too sure what to do with it, so I thought I'd put it here to get some feedback.

Basically, I noticed that end-game crafting is going to take a LOT of time and effort, but the reward is supposedly worth it. Much of what I've seen talks about things taking 24 hours to craft, and a lot of hours being put in to collecting. It seems from what I've read across a lot of forums and fan sites is that if someone could spend a bunch of time non-stop crafting and collecting, it would have a big payoff.

What about making a Pax Republica crafting account? An account that anyone in the guild can log into and run a character around for crafting purposes? We have a lot of people in time-zones spread out so that it could be run almost 24-7, and then we can have a few badass chars on that crafting account make us top level stuff without us having to all put in the same amount of time. I don't know what our finances are, but if money allows, I think it would be a cool feature for us to have.

I read on one of the BioWare interviews that they have crafting set up so that top of the line stuff will be so good, you'll be seeking out one or two characters crafts, because you wont be able to get gear like that anywhere else but from the people that have put insane amounts of time into crafting. We can break that up and have everyone doing an hour or two here or there with the same result.

Just thinking out loud, let me know your thoughts.

[Arkathos]

Basically I've had the notion for awhile that later on we'd be having material farming parties where we figure out a region rich in high level materials, and we can put together teams to focus on gathering and acquiring these for crafters who would then turn the items out for free with the materials being provided for them. Provided we get a guild bank (unlikely at the immediate outset but hopeful) we would give all the materials to my character Gaiutus and I would hold them on my ship. I am one of the most active in game players going from early morning to early morning the next day :P so over 24 hours at times - so I am mostly always available.

The issue with a character everyone can log onto means we'd need to buy the game again for this account. But over all a good idea and we'll do what we can to make it happen.

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[Landscaper]

Great idea and I encourage Admin to explore it further, but...it won't work.

As soon as one with access to the account decided to leave guild, they could cause havoc and 'raid' the account to high heaven or give account access away to the enemy. I've seen it happen with guild banks before in WoW, and this is just asking for it, imho.

Personally, I plan on being around 10 years from now playing this game, so I see no reason to worry about the time it'll take to reach those higher levels of crafting. The mats to craft will come by our commitment to reach the higher lvls of PvP/PvE epicness as a group!

As for the 'crafting raid' idea, I've seen those happen in WoW, EVE and STO with great success with the only limitation being bank size/storage. These events usually happen when a majority of the participants are max PvP/PvE lvls and are planned and organized as with any successful raid.

P.S. I sure hope Bioware plans on placing a calendar in game.

[IgotRocks]

I don't mind donating materials to someone crafting consumables. My experience with pvp is that it's normaly causes you to run through alot of consumables and I get bored to tears crafting.

[Arkathos]

Hence why I figure it best if I run the personal storage mule :P I can't really leave Pax. Im stuck here. For life... shit. Im stuck.

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[ATownArmy]

Landscaper wrote:

As soon as one with access to the account decided to leave guild, they could cause havoc and 'raid' the account to high heaven or give account access away to the enemy. I've seen it happen with guild banks before in WoW, and this is just asking for it, imho.

That's actually a really good point. Just sitting here I can't think of a good way to give access to the char to anyone wanting to do some crafting, without also leaving the account vulnerable to someone jacking all the good stuff. One way would be to store all the goodies on another account (Gaiutus being the obvious choice, since we have him conveniently trapped).

I don't know how valuable raw materials will be though. The value of this account would more likely be in the crafting skill of chars. Once something's crafted, it can be sold easily and the money either equally dispersed amongst PR members or given to a treasurer of sorts. Thoughts on that?

I think it will help keep "anonymous" from logging on and stealing everything, if there's very little hard assets to steal. I think another question would be, the stuff that we sell on the market, what do we do with that $$$? I think the primary benefit of a crafting account is that we can get great gear for our members, but an added bonus is selling extra gear. what would we do with that?

[Hart of Hircine]

I was thinking of a different way. For example we will select people randomly every selected timezone for the crafters so we are not all just relying on just a few and crafters can help out each other crafters with mats and items to re-engineer to have blue prints on those items. In the long run we will be top guild in game with the best armor and the top on the auction house.

[Atka Talin]

I've never crafted before, but with TOR's crafting systems, I'd love to try it out. I think the idea of a community account is cool, but very impractical or impossible. As stated before, there will always be some jerk who will earn our trust, take our stuff, and leave. If allowed to do so, at least.No matter how strict our recruiting, or how well we think we know them, the internet makes it very, very easy to turn good people bad. Just look at some ex-members.

With my limited crafting experience, all I know was I would go about my business, n00bing it up, find some materials here and there, would run to the guild hall when done, and just drop them all off, usually just saying to an officer, "Hey, I put in ___ and ___ in case anyone needs them." Seemed pretty useful and easy.

Still, you're talking about having dedicated crafting teams, and I think that's a cool idea. Especially with such a menial job, it's best with friends. I know certain people like Rebmac are into crafting, maybe, more so than PVP, so I doubt we'll ever lack.

[timaselj]

I <3 crafting too, so, as Atka said, and I am 100% sure that in time, I will have all crafting professions on my alts. And I will always give the stuff I don't need to others. I've always done so, and don't see any reason to stop.

[Hart of Hircine]

timaselj wrote:

I <3 crafting too, so, as Atka said, and I am 100% sure that in time, I will have all crafting professions on my alts. And I will always give the stuff I don't need to others. I've always done so, and don't see any reason to stop.

Same!

[Landscaper]

Personally, I'm a collector.

I like to learn and understand where to go on the map/dungeon and fight/barter my way to obtain the mats in question. I'd mine and gather the mats, and then either sale them in the AH, give them to the guild bank or give them to the guild member/crafter in need.

Anyhow, I'm more comfortable with the Guild Leader holding and distributing the mats if he's up to it, but honestly I won't wish that job on my worst enemy! I mean, damn, It'll turn into another layer of paper pushing for the poor Canadian and he'd hardly ever enjoy the game.

And you guys know what happens to fun starved Canadians don't you? and that's just the beginning!

[Cmelt]

you forgot

[Pax Eternus]

The guild is pretty open about wanting to help new members gear, but it doesn't necessarily have to be done through an organized means. I've seen guilds get pretty bitter about guild bank use, and I'm sure there is going to be a very controlled and monitored access policy here in Pax.

One strategy is to help new members by giving them a loan.

Personally, I will support this strategy and plan to sell all my mats on the ah and then donate proceeds to the guild bank (secretly it's really just to get the medal). Money is more liquidable and adaptive than piling up a bunch of useless stuff that's just going to get thrown at someone who may then leave the guild.

One policy I'd like to see is that members who leave the guild without paying off their debts to the guild bank, don't get to come back.

[Arkathos]

One policy I'd like to see is that members who leave the guild without paying off their debts to the guild bank, don't get to come back.

^ Yes. If we do take the loan approach, then that is how it will be.

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[Hart of Hircine]

Landscaper wrote:

And you guys know what happens to fun starved Canadians don't you? and that's just the beginning!

Is that on the US Canadian border and if so that would be hilarious if that guy had the money to build a gaint fence around his yard.