Best way to get crafting xp?

[Blackbird]

I fully admit I haven't played much with the crafting system. It came out during finals/graduation/in laws in town and when I finally got back in game I was told it really wasn't worth it for what was out at the time.

Is there a good way to get crafting xp? I've just been breaking down my **** loot then making some bound shards (I usually try things I have around a 75% or greater chance at), then breaking those down and repeating. I seem to run out of the lesser essences real quick but still have lots of greaters and I don't seem to get much xp. I'm hoping I'm just not being efficient rather than it really being that much of a grind.

[puget]

I fully admit I haven't played much with the crafting system. It came out during finals/graduation/in laws in town and when I finally got back in game I was told it really wasn't worth it for what was out at the time.

Is there a good way to get crafting xp? I've just been breaking down my **** loot then making some bound shards (I usually try things I have around a 75% or greater chance at), then breaking those down and repeating. I seem to run out of the lesser essences real quick but still have lots of greaters and I don't seem to get much xp. I'm hoping I'm just not being efficient rather than it really being that much of a grind.

My advice, wait until they decide BETA is over for crafting before you bother to use it as it is. Reason being they keep constantly changing everything, and every time you think you have it down, they redo do it and change things.

Like exp for example, you used to be able to deconstruct shards for exp, and alot of people did it, took a zillion clicks, but they slammed out the levels. Overall, only a few players in the game did so.

Then they took that away in 10.2 along with increasing the mats to level, so players that did not use the decon shard method, are lft stagnant. About level 40 is where you will have a tough time with exp I understand, from the way it is now. I wouldn't know for sure, since I am done with the crafting and all it implies now that it is basically only useful by those that leveled to 100 before 10.2

[Jahmin]

My advice, wait until they decide BETA is over for crafting before you bother to use it as it is. Reason being they keep constantly changing everything, and every time you think you have it down, they redo do it and change things.

Sadly the problem with this idea is that Turbine uses ‘beta’ indefinitely to avoid ever having to actually support it

[puget]

Sadly the problem with this idea is that Turbine uses ‘beta’ indefinitely to avoid ever having to actually support it

Yeah, true. But my problem is that I just KNOW the only way they can fix it the way they want is to start over. Keep the hut (maybe move it to a house that doesn't already have a bank in it?) but they need to go back to square one now that they have completely imbalanced it among the player population.

[jwdaniels]

What I've found works is to deconstruct stuff into essences and stock up until you have 200 - 300 of each greater essence. Then use them to make shards that you have a 60% - 70% chance of making successfully. Make a bunch of shards, deconstruct them to get essences back (I think this still works, despite no longer getting exp) and then make more shards.

You don't have to be very high level to make stuff that is useful for your low-level characters.

[jsaving]

10.2 is a mixed bag for lower-level crafters, with essences and certain other rewards dropping at higher rates than in the past and some plat available from deconstructing "vendor trash" items. Higher-level vendors are in more of a bind, though, since the shards one might actually want to place in an "almost endgame quality" item are generally far more expensive to craft than they once were. All in all, the changes seem designed to push wavering players into crafting and then encourage them to burn Turbine points on crafting resources down the road, an interesting strategy to say the least.

Given the uncertainty over what higher-level crafting will look like, my advice would be to do exactly what Turbine originally recommended regarding crafting -- adventure as you otherwise would, with occasional trips to the crafting hall to burn off your accumulated essences. Take the time to scroll through the recipes for ones that are resource-light -- you'd be amazed how many people don't do this. And remember that you can sunder your greaters on a 5-to-1 basis for lessers, if you find an efficient recipe and want to move on it right away.

Finally, I'd suggest having realistic expectations about what you're likely to get out of the crafting experience. If there are particular items you want that don't drop very often yet aren't endgame-quality, you may be able to make those. If you want one of the recipes that has a fairly low cost because it isn't combat-relevant, like a secret door detection shard to put in goggles, then you can feasibly aim toward that. Or if you're just tired of surfing the auction house and want the freedom to make ordinary items at will, like invulnerability robes, then crafting can give you that flexibility.

[brian14]

Make a bunch of shards, deconstruct them to get essences back (I think this still works, despite no longer getting exp)

Yes, it still works.

[macubrae]

I made it to the mid 30's in all 3 before they changed the required materials. At this point I can make equipment for my mid level toons. You might want to get your bane weapons from the AH still, but there are a few decent things that are craftable. I've made keen weapons of puncturing, docent on invulnerability, and I deconstructed a craftable trinket and I am deciding what to put on it. What it comes down to is that at a fairly low level, I'm making trash loot useful. No more ghost touch of backstabbing or full plate of shadow equipment, deconstruct 150 peices and make one item of equal value.

[cru121]

you can read my tips for efficient leveling here:
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=327455
parts are obsolete, now that the game pulls essences from bags, but a lot of information is still valid. perhaps i will update my post a bit

[karl_k0ch]

You might also be interested in the advice given in a very similar thread: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=332029