Cannith Crafting: Level Balance, Veteran Status and related

[peddair]

I've become concerned about the level balance of Cannith Crafting. With 100 Cannith Crafting levels that roughly means that each character level should result in 5 crafting levels of each type (or 1 crafting level of each type per pip). As such my level 14 character should be getting enough Lesser and Greater Essences that I should be able to go from crafting level 70 to crafting level 75 in all types at roughly the same pace as I go from character level 14 to character level 15. The Essences I'm getting from chests and the Essences I'm getting from deconstructing loot don’t come close. Possibly a character is supposed to build their Essence reserves up over time but I don't think that brings up the amount sufficiently.

Since Cannith Crafting is being added to the game, pre-existing characters should get a certain amount of levels granted for free on the presumption that they would have been levelling up Cannith crafting had it existed. Perhaps 3 levels per character level and 4 for VIP characters? Also, if a character is supposed to have developed a reserve of Essences over levels then some should be assigned.

Related, a character that starts as a veteran should get several levels of crafting by default (and, again, a starting set of Essences if intended). Also, normally a character leaves Korthos at second or third level and hasn't had access to the craft hall. However, this doesn't seem to be an issue: the non-veteran characters I just started don't seem to be disadvantaged (and my new level 3 character has higher crafting levels than my level 14).

[steelblueskies]

Logically then, everyone at vet should also gain a retroactive allocation of the following:
an assortment of collectible of all types as they were unavailable prior to their addition to the game and would have use in trade in or other systems eventually.
An assortment of greensteel mats upon purchase of vale pack, or if they possessed characters prior to thenrelease of greensteel crafting.
An assortment of random Tod set items if the character predated the release of devils of shavarath.
An assortment of dragontouched runes if the character predated the release of reavers reach.
A free allotment of guild renown, altars for ships, and astral diamonds if characters predated guilds.
An allocation of platinum based on level.
Etc.

Or in short, as others will shortly respond in far more terse terms, no.

Furthermore the concept that crafting is only 100 levels is erroneous. It was capped at 50 a month ago. And plans to increase it's cap further are already well announced.
It was not intended to be a short term goal for anyone.
That multiple individuals have managed to approach or meet the cap in so short a time, is in fact, an accomplishment worthy of note, as it is not the norm or anticipated/intended rate of progress.

Attempting to tie it to character level has been judiciously avoided by design, at least in the direct sense you present.
This is fully evident by the discussions and choices leading up to preservation of crafting experience through true reincarnations for example. In this item of discussion you can expect to see some "no easy button" comments from the forum shortly as well. Although a few might like the idea of accruing some small amount of craft exp per level gained.

[sharachan]

Crafting levels has nothing to do with the level of the character.

Why are you leveling more than one character?

[peddair]

Logically then, everyone at vet should also gain a retroactive allocation of the following:
an assortment of collectible of all types as they were unavailable prior to their addition to the game and would have use in trade in or other systems eventually.
An assortment of greensteel mats upon purchase of vale pack, or if they possessed characters prior to thenrelease of greensteel crafting.
An assortment of random Tod set items if the character predated the release of devils of shavarath.
An assortment of dragontouched runes if the character predated the release of reavers reach.
A free allotment of guild renown, altars for ships, and astral diamonds if characters predated guilds.
An allocation of platinum based on level.
Etc.

This is how it does work currently. A player who starts a character as a veteran receives a set of items appropriate to the level. Since a veteran character starts at level 4 they are given stuff appropriate for a level 4 character and 50,000 character XP. The point is that rather than penalizing a player for starting as a veteran they should be given whatever amount crafting XP is appropriate for a that level.

[peddair]

Crafting levels has nothing to do with the level of the character.

It isn't tied to character level but it is implied that one should reach the maximum character level and maximum crafting level at a similar time and then TR. If you grind and farm to push one faster then the other that is your choice. If it is not normal to maximize them at roughly similar times then there are balance issues.

Why are you leveling more than one character?

My guild has a bunch of level groups so I want to have a character at similar levels to each of my friends (groups of friends), I have more than one build I wish to try, because on Lamannia I want to be able to give useful feedback, I have friends on more than one server, because I can... do you need more reasons? (Because I'm a little too into the game <cough>)

[Lithic]

It isn't tied to character level but it is implied that one should reach the maximum character level and maximum crafting level at a similar time and then TR.

Um no it is not. The fact that crafting exp stays through a TR means exactly the opposite: That a character is NOT meant to hit max character level and max crafting level at anywhere near the same time.

[BOgre]

don't ever feel you need to justify leveling more than one character. The question itself is insulting.

As to your original post, you're completely right that crafting levels don't pace character levels. Maybe they pace a completionist TR? I dunno. Obviously, there is a tie-in to the DDOStore, in the form of purchasable xp boosts and essences, so a player that wishes to level more quickly can spend the cash to do so. In the meantime, just do your best, and you'll get there eventually.