Why be an Artisan?

[forestloam]

Hello all,

I have a simple question that I haven't found a decent answer to yet.

Why should I choose to be an Artisan type guy?

I haven't seen a description of what makes an Artisan different from and Adventurer anywhere. Do they get special crafting abilities? Are they worse in combat situations? Do they get access to Artisan-only quests or resources?

I'll give you an example. If I decide to make a gnome wizard Adventurer, I can still become a level 50 Scholar AND a level 50 wizard, right? Is there any difference if I choose to be a gnome wizard Artisan? Would my character have any advantages as a tradeskiller or penalties as an adventurer?

I guess my question boils down to this ... if I choose to be an Artisan, what do I get?

Forest

[Ngreth Thergn]

There is no advantage to being "pure" artisan... OTHER than your speed at leveling up artisan.

You can be a 50 wizard and 50 (artisan), it will just take you longer to be both than if you concentrate on one path :)

That is all.

[forestloam]

Thanks for the quick reply.

So if I understand what you're saying correctly, there's no functional difference between choosing an Artisan vs. Adventurer? No access to quest restrictions ... no special artisan type abilities ... no difference at all???

But if that's true then why do they even have the choice to be an Artisan in the game if it makes absolutely no difference?

Forest

[Pale]

That, and the warm fuzzies of making useful things for people and that those things are now a part of the game-world.

Another reason would be to pick an artisan class that will supplement your adventuring class. As a Wizard you could choose to scribe your own new spells (scholar), make your own robes (tailor) or make your own daggers (weaponsmith), As a Guardian you could choose to make your own armor or weapons, and so on and so forth. The reason for this is that it will save you some in-game money in the long run making your own things (balanced against the money spent leveling your trade, of course, but that would also be balanced against making money by selling your wares).

It really boils down to "Do you like to craft or not?" Some folks find crafting enjoyable and some folks find it to be a tedious time-sink and would rather just buy everything they need or find it in mob-drops.

If you've never tried crafting before, give it a shot, you might like it. If not, well... no harm, no foul, but now you know.

[Moonshade]

I'll give you an example. If I decide to make a gnome wizard Adventurer, I can still become a level 50 Scholar AND a level 50 wizard, right? Is there any difference if I choose to be a gnome wizard Artisan? Would my character have any advantages as a tradeskiller or penalties as an adventurer?

I guess my question boils down to this ... if I choose to be an Artisan, what do I get?

I think you may be confused. Artisan is just the starting archetype for all crafters. In your example above, you wouldn't actually get to be a level 50 Scholar. Scholar is one of the classes that follow Artisan and goes from level 10 to 20. At 20 you would have to choose between Jeweler, Sage or Alchemist to continue levelling.

Basically, everyone will be a level 1 Artisan from the start. If you choose to advance in tradeskills, then your options will expand as you level.

[forestloam]

Hrmm, please forgive my loose usage of terms. I'm actually thinking of the choice you're given when you first arrive in Qeynos or Freeport and talk to the banker npc. At that point, they ask you to choose if you're an Adventurer or Artisan type character ... or something close to that iirc.

I understand the mechanics of tradeskilling and have made a level 12 scholar on the beta servers. What I was wondering is what you get if you choose Artisan vs. Adventurer. I'm assuming that it labels your character in some way and affects gameplay from that point onward.

Is that correct or am I reading too much into it?

Forest

[Pale]

You can be both at the same time, you just don't level both at the same time. If you choose to level one of the artisan classes, all that you "give up" is the time you would have been spending levling your adventure class.

[Moonshade]

I'm not sure but that may be for the citizenship quest. They had instituted an Artisan citizenship version where you could get your citizenship by reaching level 6 Artisan. They took it out shortly after, but maybe this is a remnant of it, or they'll reinstate it once we go live.

[Kyochi the Swashbuckler]

The bankers question when you arrive is purely flavor and has no effect whatsoever in gameplay terms. That said, DO be careful when you talk to any Ironforges in Qeynos Harbor if you are not absolutely sure what artisan route you wish to pursue.

[Moonshade]

Well, it may not have had an effect in late beta, when it was put in, but it might after launch. We'll have to wait and see.

[Ariadne]

it wasn't put in in late beta, it was a leftover from the time when Artisan was a separate class I believe...

has no relevance at all any more..

[Moonshade]

it wasn't put in in late beta, it was a leftover from the time when Artisan was a separate class I believe...

has no relevance at all any more..


Hmm, I just don't remember having to select one with the first char I had in beta, but I did with the last one that didn't get citizenship until the last day of beta. Oh well, my old brain gets fuzzy now and then.

[Ngreth Thergn]

Hrmm, please forgive my loose usage of terms. I'm actually thinking of the choice you're given when you first arrive in Qeynos or Freeport and talk to the banker npc. At that point, they ask you to choose if you're an Adventurer or Artisan type character ... or something close to that iirc.

I understand the mechanics of tradeskilling and have made a level 12 scholar on the beta servers. What I was wondering is what you get if you choose Artisan vs. Adventurer. I'm assuming that it labels your character in some way and affects gameplay from that point onward.

Is that correct or am I reading too much into it?

Forest

It is PURELY flavor text.

They actually added artisan at my request, because a certain percentage of the rabid tradeskillers would never let it stay and would drive us crazy on the boards becasue they HAD to choose adventurer there when they were in fact an artisan.

[Atlock Darkhand]

Well thanks hehehehe

[Solarax Manastorm]

someone just confirmed there is a diference.
you know the lvl cap thing where if you are higher in tradeskill than adventure your cap drops when you pass it. that is if you chose adventurer according to 4 diferent people that are testing it on runnyeye server atm.
also they say if oyu shoose tradeskiller and your adventure lvl is higher you also get the drop so depending on which one you choose will determine if oyu get a drop in max cap based on lvl diference . this is all being tested by a few people atm and so far they say they are 100% sure but have only been able to test it to lvl 16 max

[Zendaken]

Let us know - though if this is only a change in how the bug acts, I'm not sure if it does much one way or the other.

[Ngreth Thergn]

Well it is jsut another bug on top of another bug :)

The Drop itself is a bug.

So this bug being affected by that is a bug on top of a bug :)

[Ngreth Thergn]

someone just confirmed there is a diference.
you know the lvl cap thing where if you are higher in tradeskill than adventure your cap drops when you pass it. that is if you chose adventurer according to 4 diferent people that are testing it on runnyeye server atm.
also they say if oyu shoose tradeskiller and your adventure lvl is higher you also get the drop so depending on which one you choose will determine if oyu get a drop in max cap based on lvl diference . this is all being tested by a few people atm and so far they say they are 100% sure but have only been able to test it to lvl 16 max

Actually I can confirm the OPPOSITE.

I chose Tradeskill.

raising my Adventurer level does NOT affect my skill caps, raising my Tradeskill level DOES drop my by 5. OPPOSITE of what you are saying.

I think the bug just has some odd randomness to it.

[Goonie]

I thought there was some confusion on this so I will post it here.
On one of my toons, (10 mage, 11 scholar) I chose to be an adventurer. When my trade abiliies surpassed my level cap for my adv level, they reset and then would not raise without me lvling my adv level.
However, on Stomp, I chose to be an artisan and my trade level surpassed my adv level (at one point) without this nasty side effect.
Can anyone confirm this happened to htem as well? Or am I out on a limb on this one?

[Ngreth Thergn]

As I mentioned above, I can confirm it NOT happening for me.

I chose artisan... I get the nasty artisan drop in skills :/

[Niami DenMother]

The drop in skills is totally and utterly independent of what you pick when you talk to the banker. Have had it happen on both choices and had it NOT happen on both choices.

The drop is purely random in that it doesn't hit everyone and there doesn't seem to be a full method to the madness other than having your adventuring level lower than your crafting level and getting some odd annoying phase of the moon at the wrong time.