The final craft for the weekly tradeskill mission has been made significantly more difficult.

It's no worse than a writ. Maybe they need a timer to add some excitement, like the Thurgadin shawl.

That is the way it was when the game first came out. There was a very really risk of having the station blow up and kill you if you were not paying attention.

That's awesome.

LOL, yep for a while after the game launched, the forge was the number one player killer. Literally.

Let me start by saying I still do not object to this change. The reward, even as an un-doubled free character, is quite tasty and I don't mind the time investment.

Okay, so I threw on *all* of my crafting gear for the final combine in Fishing up Fauna. Just shy of 5 minutes for the combine, and I will join the "not harder" crowd. I didn't get more events, I never had to fight for durability, I still was able to make high-number rounds, and I never felt at risk for losing the combine. It was longer, and I had to pay attention, but it was not "hard."

I wonder what the actual skill level of the combine is?

Because of this thread I timed my combines for the weekly tonight. The 5 initials plus the main report took me 6 minutes 51 seconds straight. The initial 5 took roughly 2 minutes 20 seconds of that total making my final combine 4 minutes 30 seconds. I don't have much in the way of crafting gear and did not use any potions.

Now, harvesting the fish in Vespyrr on my 80 adventure toon was an experience. It was my first run of this quest and I died a couple times to the aggro mobs around the pond. I think I'll be able to avoid that next time. Because of the deaths plus flying around looking at the ponds I suppose the entire quest may have taken around 20 minutes. I'd call that very easy for a weekly especially since my time should go way down on the fishing next time.

What tradeskill class are you? Something that uses the desk as their main crafting station perhaps?

As an Alchemist the 5 pages were as easy as they have always been, I wore all my crafting clothes including the shawl and used no potions.

I started a stopwatch when I started putting the pages in the book. It took me exactly 13 mins and 47 secs to finish the last combine.

During that time I had to stop using any buttons 3 times (except to counter detrimentals) to get power back to be able to finish.

For classes who don't normally use the desk, this isn't as easy or as fast as you are making it out to be.

And if you are not playing a sage or a jeweler, and weren't using any crafting clothing or potions I humbly suggest that you either very got lucky or are trying to pull our legs.

Oh it isn't harder at all. Not once did I feel that I would fail, but it sure is tedious now.

Slow and Tedious does not = harder.

That being said, I only have to do it once a week, and I don't do alts, so I can live with it.

I did the weekly today on this toon (Rotherian). The final combine took just over 5 minutes for me. I wasn't wearing crafting gear and I forgot to grab the potions. I don't engage in leg-pulling, and given how quickly most of my other crafts tend to go, I doubt that luck played a major role.

I primarily used my progress reaction arts, except when durability got close to the left edge of the fourth bar. In those cases, I would use durability reaction arts until the durability was a lot closer to full.

Oh. And I'm a Carpenter. not a scholar.

Well then, that gets us back to my thoughts on the RNG in this game and how some toons were born unlucky.

Because almost the entire last session the bar was moving a few millimeters at a time, and I missed no counters.

And I always use the progress reactions unless I see my power going down too fast then I switch out a few times.

*edit* And Roth, luck does have a lot do with everything in this game.

Alchemist, Jeweler, Woodworker, Woodworker, Tailor, Sage - all under 5 minutes on the final combine. Level 95, no crafting gear or potions. Did have crafting AA and Prestige(*) spent either to the Goblin, or Mass Production.

If the Sage went any faster, it was marginal...

(*) Is there any chance that's the difference? Sub 95 crafters without Tradeskill Prestige spent?

Edit: Some of my gear on some characters does have some power regen on it? Was running out of power the major factor in your elongated time?

@ Ynnek No idea I only have Storm to craft with and she is 95 max AA with all points spent.

I was wearing: Coldain Prayer Shawl, Othmir Shell Armor, Earring of the Solstice.

I have the Unyielding Determination Racial Ability

I have 5 points in Swift Creation and 5 points in Rapid Manufacturing.

So yes over 13 mins found me being slightly annoyed when it was finished.

I will attempt to perform a more controlled scientific study, but it'll have to be next Thursday...

I'm going to respec for next Thursday and put 5 points in Artisan's Discipline as well to see if it makes a difference.

No thanks.

It is a Thaumaturgy combine, being a Sage or other scholar will not make a difference. If you are having power issues then I will give the usual tips - craft 'naked' (or at least remove any non-crafting gear), use drink, use a power totem.

I have done it on all types of crafters, with potions and without. My slowest was 4 min 30 sec and that was due to excess lag, normally, potionless, I can do the final in 4 min, with Progress 1 min 55 sec, with Progress and Innovation 1 min 25 sec. I was using potions on some this week for testing, in the future I probably won't bother. I spam the 3 progress arts each round, unless I need to counter one that doesn't match my rotation, I only had to use durabilty arts once and that was the time I had lag. I wasn't looking at my power bar, but I didn't run out.

So it is a RNG issue.

*edit* And regardless of what type of combine it is, I've always found recipes that use the crafting table your class isn't made for takes longer.

Forge, Desk and Stove being the three where my toon always takes longer on.

It may not be a lot but it is there.

It is a level 90 Thaumaturgy combine - for any level 95 crafter, even without the good gear, this should count as 'easy'.

It is easy. But tedious.

Hello dear righteous players,

To all of you who will struggle with the weekly because it is so tedious remember to do the dailies as much as you can. If your Gold, it is doubled.

Example: Zone to Mara, purchase Return to Mara, take Obol Plains Spirit Anchor, craft 4 items = total time 3-4 minutes, 2 Etyma

You can always run just a few toons thru the weekly and not be overwhelmed.

The goal is to have fun. If the weekly is not fun to you don't do it. Some really love it.

Kindest Regards ~