Crafting theories discussion. Dev craft talk in OP

[miokomioko]

Equipping an off-hand tool does not affect your immediately shown stats. I think that suggests that your stats will shift if you decided to use your off-hand tool. The same goes for gathering classes. I got a Willow Fishing Rod (rank-12) and its stats bumped me up to 4 attempts at a Grade-3 fishing point. Since I'm still using a piece of shit Bronze Gig (rank-1) for spearfishing, my number of attempts at a Grade-3 spearfishing point did not change.

It becomes apparent that some crafts are supposed to be better at mass production while some are more focused on quality. e.g. A Carpenter's main-hand Saw yields bonus quantities while it's off-hand Claw Hammer yields +1/2/3. Since the main-hand tool of any class has far more options in progression, I think it suggests a proficiency in one type of HQ.

Though, I have only discovered the tools' HQ outputs of Cooking/Alchemy/Woodworking.

[bruiser]

I don't think the tool you're using has any influence at all on the difficulty.

The only effect as far as I can tell is that one gives you more quantities of normal items during an HQ, and one gives you +1s, +2s, etc on an HQ.

sometimes I've noticed certain synths seem easier with an offhand tool, but that could just be the RNG

[miokomioko]

The type of tool itself, no, but the stats of the tool, most likely have an effect on your crafting.

[izembo]

ive had the same thing, so if im having trouble with a synth ill use my offhand and make it with room to spare, so i dont really think they're even

[miokomioko]

Is there a complete list of what type of HQ outputs each tool has? If reports of off-hand being easier are accurate to the class that the tools line up for, it might suggest that crafting is easier if you've got no chance for a +1/2/3.

Alembic: +1/2/3
Mortar: Quantity

Skillet: +1/2/3
Culinary Knife: Quantity

Saw: Quantity
Claw Hammer: +1/2/3

so on so forth... unlessss the quality-vs-+1 changes tools depending on the recipe (I doubt). Then she's going to get confusing.

[Zeille]

I've only really looked at a few crafts, but it seems there are way more main hand upgrades than there are off hand.

If the only thing off hand affects is what type of HQ you're after, then why bother upgrading it at all, assuming you don't really care about what type of HQ's you're getting and just want to level?

In this case, you might as well save on inventory space and gil and just drop the off hand. It sort of makes the off hand tools not worth investing in if they really have no other use.

[miokomioko]

Well, to be fair, even in the pure skilling-mode we are all in right now, there's some use for quantity HQs. For example, I had some HQ items I was going to Alchemize into ingredients for a Cooking recipe I was repeating a lot for skill. I used a Mortar to get extra quantity HQs so I would have more sets of ingredients for cooking, aka: more cooking skill.

But you're right, the whole off-hand tool thing isn't super important until later in the game when we're synthing things that matter as well as skilling up. +1/2/3 probably will not matter a whole lot for things like ammunition so I could easily see people crafting with a focus on quantity for bullets in the future. (Carpenters' main hand focuses on quantity and they make arrows, somewhat of a correlation.)

I've only really looked at a few crafts, but it seems there are way more main hand upgrades than there are off hand.

Each class has 5 main-hand tool upgrades and only 1 off-hand tool upgrade.

[Maaglin]

I've also noticed that for some recipes off-hand tool performs better. Just because SE didn't say that, doesn't mean it isn't intended to happen. They only mentioned the HQ part, but there could be many more ways in which the different tools perform. They obvioulsy aren't going to blow their entire load in one post.

[Zeille]

Hmm, I guess that is one good use. Nice for those who have multiple crafts that complement one another. I'll probably mess around some more with off hand tools for fun.

[Meresgi]

Would it be better to use a brass head knife or an iron awl for leatherworking at rank 16? I cant seem to find a brass head knife.

[Ratatapa]

Would it be better to use a brass head knife or an iron awl for leatherworking at rank 16? I cant seem to find a brass head knife.

You mean use a bronze since you can't find a brass?

[Rysa]

Is there a complete list of what type of HQ outputs each tool has? If reports of off-hand being easier are accurate to the class that the tools line up for, it might suggest that crafting is easier if you've got no chance for a +1/2/3.

Alembic: +1/2/3
Mortar: Quantity

Skillet: +1/2/3
Culinary Knife: Quantity

Saw: Quantity
Claw Hammer: +1/2/3

so on so forth... unlessss the quality-vs-+1 changes tools depending on the recipe (I doubt). Then she's going to get confusing.

At least from my experience, the HQ results with Main/Off hand do depend on the recipe. Last night I HQ'd a bronze plate using my main hand and got 2x Plates as a result, but when I am making bronze rings/chain sheets or buckles using my main hand, I get +1/+2 when I HQ. I stopped using my offhand pliers since I got a better tool than the starter one.

[Meresgi]

You mean use a bronze since you can't find a brass?

No I mean use my offhand as an Iron Awl, since the stats are better then my bronze head knife, for all my crafts. I havnt used an offhand tool at all, so not sure how they factor into stats, if they add to your overall stats, or if the tool stats are not combined if you have both.

I know offhand or mainhand tools can provide different outcomes to certain synths, but im just wondering overall if it's a good idea or not.


Another question. Anyone uncovered the pattern for tortoiseshell harpoon materials? I'd like to know what all goes into making the tortoiseshell head, and the pine spear shaft. Both are not listed anywhere I look. I know how to make tortoiseshells and im guessing the head is like harpoon head, wherein it required bone chips, femurs and glue...but im not sure what the tortoiseshell harpoon head requires other then shells and glue.

[Olo401]

Wanted to go back to the colored synth orb for a moment and present some observations from extensive testing I've done with the time meter..

Testing environment:
Classes - Various (Alchemist, Goldsmith, Weaver, Carpenter and Blacksmith) from ranks 1-10.
Enhanced synthesis: - 200 gil level (from guild or campsite)
Items Synthed - Various from guildleves, and various rank 1-5 synths for each class.

Results:
White Orb - Works best when the timer is over 60% remaining. Good for any type of synth, but is most consistent with Standard.
Blinking Orb - You want to use Wait here and try to get a solid color orb. If you do synth, the most consistent results come from Standard and/or when the timer is 75-50%.
Yellow Orb - Seems to be the most unpredictable. Successful results only happen about half the time, and best chance comes when the timer is just under 50%.
Red Orb - Works most consistently when the timer is almost up (25-10% remaining).

Other observations:
- If you use Wait on a Blinking orb and it keeps blinking, treat it as a White Orb.
- Rapid Synths have a relatively low rate of success regardless of the timer or orb color, so your best bet is to use it only for your first try.
- Red Orbs with Bold Synths are a double-edged sword.. If you succeed, the gains are usually very high with low loss of durability. If you fail, you lose a fuckton of durability (25-35 points). That said, using the timer properly I was able to succeed about 75% of the time on Bold Synths with a Red Orb.

[Elcura]

I didn't think time remaining had anything to do with it really. Might be nice if it did, but I doubt it...

[Olo401]

I didn't think time remaining had anything to do with it really. Might be nice if it did, but I doubt it...

I didn't think it would either at first.. I actually started this experiment to determine if a particular orb color showed affinity to a particular type of synthesis, so the results were a bit of a surprise.

[Ratatapa]

So when should you use standard vs bold?

[Elcura]

I didn't think it would either at first.. I actually started this experiment to determine if a particular orb color showed affinity to a particular type of synthesis, so the results were a bit of a surprise.

Interesting, when I get home I'll try out some of your theories when making some canvas.

[miokomioko]

There's so many unaccounted for variables here it's making my head spin.

[bruiser]

Unless your sample size is over 200 synths per orb color, I don't think this really means anything unfortunately.