It should be noted that some recipes require the Specialist stone equipped as well. (Not via stats alone, but simply like you can't even try to synth it without being a Specialist)
It should be noted that some recipes require the Specialist stone equipped as well. (Not via stats alone, but simply like you can't even try to synth it without being a Specialist)
Also if you're making an airship without an actual FC to help you out you're going to want to be maxed crafter with a lot of mats at hand. Airship might be a better incentive for maxing crafting than anything else you can make with it.
So what are the actual benefits to an airship?
Turning FC credits into gil after months of getting rank 50 on your ships and unlocking the later routes. Doing Diadem Hard....which has been relegated to a gathering zone these days.
small example;
The 22 control materia alone from one ship that came back is worth 4m total and craftsman materia was about 1.5m
Spoiler: show
What Survey/Retrieval do you need to get them? I assume you send them to Sector 13 then 17?
13/17 are my big ones I send to often, sometimes 23/24 trying to get extra mounts for those missing it and music sheet that doesn't exist.
Parts are Invin. Hull, Bronco Sail, Tant fore/after castles. Takes about 4~ days to return so kind of set it and forget it deal. They'll bring in a good haul like that now and again or jack shit. RNG life. At times of sending to other sectors you get T5 VIT materia so good if you raid/upgrade right side or T5 INT materia to wait for 5 and gamble at the goblin.
Do you just send them to the two sectors, or do you plan a longer route that just includes those?
Just those two, the speed stat is low but retrieval/surveillance is high.
If I left after 3.0 and didn't enjoy the unending gear-gets-outdated-every-six-months model, do I have any reason to play again?
nope
no
Were you interested at all in pvp? Specifically frontline? If so the new shatter might be some fun for a month or two (or three) depending on how long it takes for it to die.
Which of the tanks reign supreme now? It was Drk and War when I left, with Pld kind of left straggling behind. Is this still the case? How difficult is crafting to get into nowadays if I haven't crafted since level 50 cap days?
War is still the best, but PLD/DRK are even now. Crafting will be tough to get into unless you have the resources to buy/craft the catch up i170 omni set (new to this patch)
Endgame crafting? Hard, unless if you want to climb the gear ladder. They did give you i170 omni and easy i180 unmelded per class gear though. To level crafting? Now is a great time because they just released Moogle beast tribes which is Ixal heavensward edition.
Sleaking of crafting, can my i230 wep be melded by someone else or do I have to level up my bsm for that?
Also, how do I tell the stat limit for materia boosts again?
Can be melded by someone else.
I just check http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/ for stat caps for each equip.
there's an NPC in the shire that melds for you for 1k gil without needing a catalyst
Good. My highest craft is only 21.