Getting into Crafting

[Shivan Aquilarnus.8417]

Evening,

 

Had a look on the forum and when you search 'crafting' the search engine didn't bring anything up - was bringing up PVP topics and guilds etc...

 

I'm finding GW2 crafting a much tougher thing to get into than crafting in any other MMO I've played. I think at first I made the mistake of not realising you have to harvest then CLAIM what you've harvested from nodes as two separate actions. So for the first 10 levels or so, every node i harvested I didn't actually benefit from at all. Then I moved onto harvesting iron and now I'm stuck, because I have almost no materials that are low-level enough.

 

Am I right in thinking that the ONLY way to rectify this problem is to go back as a level 46 character into starter areas and roam around mining copper and beating up bad guys for weak vials of blood?

 

I absolutely love gw2 - totally hooked - but so far the crafting is by far the poorest element in it. Hoping it'll pick up once I manage to just get it off the ground!

 

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

Stevey P.

[Khisanth.2948]

19 minutes ago, Shivan Aquilarnus.8417 said:

I think at first I made the mistake of not realising you have to harvest then CLAIM what you've harvested from nodes as two separate actions.

There is no need to do that, turn on "Autoloot: Autopickup"

The most efficient solution is simply buy whatever material you are missing. 1-400 for most of the crafting professions is around 18g total without factoring in the refund from selling the result https://gw2crafts.net/

[Lyssia.4637]

27 minutes ago, Shivan Aquilarnus.8417 said:

Am I right in thinking that the ONLY way to rectify this problem is to go back as a level 46 character into starter areas and roam around mining copper and beating up bad guys for weak vials of blood?

 

Low level materials are fairly cheap on the trading post, and you really don't need tons of them to push your crafting up to the next level mats.  If you really don't want to go back and mine them, than your best bet is probably just to buy around 250 of whatever you need.  That way, even if you do have to farm, it'll be gold and can be done in your level-appropriate zones.

Edit: Khisanth beat me by a minute.  😊

Edited December 17, 2021 by Lyssia.4637

[Shivan Aquilarnus.8417]

Amazing thanks guys - I thought that might be the case - I'm totally new so had to also look up what the trading post was! But I am assuming you can buy everything on there (from viles of blood to the actual materials etc...)

 

Thanks again!

[Khisanth.2948]

For ores, rich nodes are useful for a guaranteed amount from a fixed location. They can be mined once per day per character. Permanent Rich Node Locations

Pretty much anything that isn't bound can be bought and sold on the TP. For crafting purposes sometimes it is also cheaper to buy the component(like shoe soles, insignias, etc.) than to make them from the raw ingredients due to people sometimes crafting a lot for leveling.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Khisanth.2948

[Sticky.2653]

Something that you may or may not know.  When in a crafting window and there is a component you need, right-click the icon of the component.  If it is available on the trading post a link will pop up that you can click to buy the item from the TP.

Once you level one crafting ability it gets easier to level others because they all are similar in how they work.  Learning curve is kinda steep at first for sure.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Sticky.2653
pagination

[Shivan Aquilarnus.8417]

I did NOT know that - than you very much! That'll be a huge help.

[Ozymandias.7561]

You haven't said why you are interested in crafting. If you just want to get the levels up then you can easily find levelling guides on the net. They will suggest what you should buy and make to level quickly. Some of them will let you use an Anet API key to let them look at your stored materials and tell you how much more you will need. This is an example but there are many others https://gw2crafts.net/ You can get an API key by logging into your Anet account https://account.arena.net/login?redirect_uri=%2Fapplications.

If you're getting into crafting because you want to make money then there are also plenty of sites that will work out if you are likely to make a profit and recommend things for you. This is based on what they think the latest TP prices are for the mats and the finished articles. I have made a fair amount by crafting but I would recommend that you always double check the TP prices yourself. I have made money where they thought I wouldn't and lost it where they thought I would do well. Never forget the 15% Anet tax for selling through the TP either.

[Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.294]

Don't forget to grab the crafting booster from the bartender in the guild hall.  That crafting boost saves quite a bit and makes the crafting level go much faster. 

[Shivan Aquilarnus.8417]

Thank you all - I'm interested in crafting because I was hoping to craft some good material and I heard that you can eventually craft legendaries although it takes a long time.

 

I just like crafting hence wanting to get into it.

 

I just tried buying my way up past the 'copper' phase and it's already cost me a couple of gold which in my world is quite a lot of money still. So - I remain a bit stuck.

 

I'll look at that booster that's been suggested and I'll have a look at more guides (already looked at one - the guy in the video had HUNDREDS of mats already so it was a piece of cake, didn't find it very helpful because MY problem is I've moved past the zones where you collect copper. Got lots of iron, too much platinum) - I'm guessing that crafting in this game is a slow, long haul process 'cause you either need lots of time to gather resources or lots of gold and BOTH take a lot of time and research.

 

If I'm missing an obvious trick here and anyone can point me to a guide that doesn't already assume you've been playing for hundreds of hours - that'd be amazing 🙂

[Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.294]

1. A. Zones.  Your character level may be above level of the zones that copper nodes appear in, but, if you go back into those zones, you will be "leveled down" to match, and you still get experience.  You'll frequently find level 80 people running around those zones for various reasons.

1. B.  If you've map completed your race's starter area (copper rich zones), you still have the other racial starting maps to go complete.  So if you've done Queensdale, you still have Caledon Forest, Metrica Province, Plains of Ashford, and Wayfarer Foothills.  Lots of copper in those maps.

2.  Gw2crafts.net for a crafting leveling guide.  Following the "fast guide" to level 400 on there will cost you 21 gold for weaponsmith and 22 gold for leatherworker - the two highest of the six armor and weapon crafting professions.  Following the normal guides will cost 5 to 10 gold less.

3.  Harvest everything you come across - ore, plants, trees.  And make sure you pick it up when you loot it.  To help with that, go in to your options page (F11 by default) and make sure that these three options are checked:  "AoE Loot on interact", "Autoloot:  Autopickup", and "Autoloot:  Quick Interact".  You will still have to hit your interact key to pick up your loot (until you unlock the Pact Commander Advanced Logistics mastery after hitting level 80, and sometimes even with that), but, you'll pick it all up in a 900 range area around you.

4.  Making money.  Right now, Wintersday is a good way to make money.  In Divinity's reach, do the jumping puzzle, jump into Toypocalypse, and, if you can find or create a group, the Infinirarium.  You can also try out the snowball mayhem and bell choir events (I REALLY suck at that one).  You'll have a stack of Wintersday presents in no time.  The Wintersday presents sell on the TP.  You can also open them and just sell the stuff from them on the TP, though I'd keep the quartz crystals myself (I'm always short on them).  ALSO, there are a number of achievements for Wintersday activities.  Doing those will unlock achievement reward chests.  There is some gold in those, along with other stuff.  It's not much, but, when you have nothing, every little bit helps.  Lastly, go visit a laurel vendor (icon looks like a wreath on the map, in Divinity's Reach it is up near the entrance to the queen's chambers in the center of the map).  Buy as many Heavy Crafting Bags as you have laurels for, open them, sell the materials on the TP - list them, don't instant sell.  Personally, I like having a reserve of laurels as you need them for some recipes and such later on, but, do this once now for quick cash and then save them up going forward is acceptable.

5. 

[Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.294]

And I forgot to put in number 5.  Go into your home instance NOW.  There will be a little peppermint icon on your map in the home instance.  Go talk to the orphan Laine and Graunk, or whatever his name is.  This will start the collection for getting a empyreal fragment eater gizmo.  You don't have to complete it during the Wintersday festival, but, you do have to talk to them during the festival to start it.  Screwed up and missed it my first Wintersday and had to wait until the next year to do it.