I had a thought while reading the numerous complaints, arguments, and debates about this topic. The upcoming change to stone crafting xp gain.
It has been many moons since I first started my character with only a totem(warp augment) and a dream. And even more moons since I started with light cube and totem(EA).
But during that time, at the very beginning of my characters’ progression, queuing and crafting my few bulk orders of rock granted the extra xp needed to feel like I was making progress. In the first 10ish levels the player deals with rock/stone almost out of necessity.
I understand why it could be considered “exploitive” at higher levels, especially with crazy aoe hammers, but instead of completely removing the xp gained could it be possible to remove it after a certain set of levels in the same way the day/night cycle doesn’t start until after level 6.
Edit: I know what you’re thinking, what about all the alts? Once my main character is set up couldn’t I still just queue a bunch of stone and reach that cap quickly? I for one am not against this argument simply because the reason to have an alternate character is to help the progression of the main character by doing the things he/she can/will not.
In the case of a different person playing as the apt, then nothing really changes from the new player experience.
I first thought it was long overdue, I was expecting it to be nerfed months ago, but reading the forum the last days, i realized that it’s really a problem with the systems, how masscrafting and xp food works …
And how they interact with AoE tools.
Rock are just the most efficient right now and after the patch the focus will just shift to another masscraft.
It’s harder to solve then just remove the xp from rocks->stones.
I wanted to post suggestions a few times, but never send them because they would all lead to systems that i don’t want to play with to be honest …
Me too… I hate starting a new alt and doing the journal again… rinse repeat… again and again. So I typical stone him/her to level 20, then spec to a crafter. Usually no stone levels after 20. Honestly makes it more fun to play.
Which makes me wonder why the tutorial isn’t removable on alternates. There is an xp cheat loaf in testing. Could that be a viable option for alts? Not the maximum level gain and certainly only one non-transferable loaf, which could only be eaten in the sanctum?
On the topic of switching to another mass craft, what is there that has a similar ease of access and gain? Compacting the soil? I think that costs spark. Vital essence? Ancient vital essence? Simply cooking earthyams? All of these cost much more effort from the player than stone crafting. Maybe stone tools? Warp conduits? I don’t see this occurring on the scale that stone crafting has been. I believe the Nerf is needed but maybe not to the extent that they have planned. I feel like I said something similar about the bomb nerf.
