I am returning to the game with 3 of my friends, for 4 people what crafting should we focus on as we level through the game. What would be best for a group play focused team?
I would recommend Provisioner as one, for food and drink. I would pick a profession that can make bags/boxes so either Tailor or Woodworker (Tailor for bags and cloth/leather armor, or Woodworker for boxes and bows/arrows/staffs depending on the classes you all will be playing). I think Jeweler would be another good one so Jewelry and charms can be crafted for everyone. And then finally perhaps pick one that covers either armor or ability upgrades based on class makeup (armorsmith for chain/plate armor, or alchemist for potions and fighter ability upgrades, or Sage for Mage/Healer spell upgrades).
I've been told that many people create characters just for crafting; they never level them up. So all you'd have to do is provide them with the harvests, recipes and fuels to level them up. Per this link, http://eq2.zam.com/wiki/Crafting_Classes_(EQ2) EQ2 has 9 crafting classes and 2 secondary classes. So if you and the other three players make two extra characters just for crafting, you'll have everything covered (plus one) if you wanted.
Provisioner is a no-brainer (everyone need foods/drinks) then Alchimist, mainly for potions - as a bonus you'll have poisons and Fighter CAs if anyone in your group use that. 3rd Woodworker for totems and ammos. The 4th depends on your group set-up TBH. Just know that Weaponsmith is mostly useless and there's a bazillions Sages on every servers already.
Less than that (everybody can lvl tinkering/adorning - you don't even have to be a crafter) With 4 ppl one alt would be enough then /random for the Weaponsmith
Also carp can make coffins. Even for whole group. ConcealFate asked for OP question whose answer is needed to add something here. If Xsarec answers this question, then he himself will answer his previous question. These two (carp and woodworker), as well as provisioner, are perhaps ones you need more than others. In case you will buy skills for the db
You forgot transmuting. Everybody can learning transmuting just like tinkering and adorning and you will want to transmute stuff to get powders and shards and such for adorning.
True but Transmuting isn't a "secondary tradeskill" - at least not since you had to do your first skillups in Adorning with transmutes
I always start a jeweler on a new server, they make spells for scouts and the most gear slots of any crafter (and for everyone), then I go with a tailor to make cloaks, belts, backpacks (sometimes jeweler makes the belts, depends on level) for everyone and cloth/leather for those that use that. I then pick an armorer for the plate/chain classes, then depends on u, I go through a LOT of arrows/crossbow bolts and totems, so I pick a woodworker for my 4th. I use only 5 hour + food/drink so I don't generally have to get any that often, although you could pick a sage or alchemist for spells if you are geared more for upgrading spells. Jeweler though is definitely my first pick. Carpenter if you are into decorating.
There you go! When in doubt, I always make 9(+) toons for each server. With the fancy higher level tradeskill signature quest products being Heirloom, we can all help each other out with those, if we're high enough level. ;-> And definitely make anything the others would need. Uwk who blesses the day we could buy extra Character Slots... ;->
Also, when choosing, you can pay attention to racial traditions https://eq2.fandom.com/wiki/Traditions (see - tradeskill - increases progress). Let's say to get an increase in speed when pumping craftsman. I, like many, tried to pump everyone to masters (only sometimes I turn to one of not mine), having crossed line of 95th level..
Ok if we are confessing, the only reason any of us go is for the coffee, tea, cake, ice cream, doughnuts, cookies, and now that we have Gero going, diet soda!!!