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Leveling the Playing Field for Crafters and Cartel — 10 Comments

  1. I’ve got to agree with you about the Cartel Market (and especially the damn reputations to go with it) gutting everything the armor crafters stood for. I was using them to gear alts – then Inheritance and Birthright gear became very easy to acquire.

    Of course, they’re all ugly. My BH has a clam on his head thanks to that.

    Cartel Market blows. Crafting is lame. Definitely need crafted Adaptive Armor.

  2. Agreed, very much. Hell, there’s now stuff on the Cartel Market that lets people dress as opposite faction. At least, I assume it doesn’t mutate if you buy it… They surely wouldn’t make that mistake, would they?

    I don’t craft for money, but just trying to craft stuff for my own characters can be really annoying. I wanted my trooper and his companions to match, but, since I prefer the lighter looking armor (like the Republic Trooper set) I ended up having to find multiple recipes because the first ones I found, only he could wear. *headdesk* As you ask, why did they restrict some items to specific classes? Also, if items are Empire or Republic only, then the preview should still show what they will actually look like, not a pretend version that doesn’t exist if you preview them on your crafter (who happens to be other faction). That’s just annoying.

    And I must admit I would rather buy things from other players than from the cartel market. It just feels…righter. But I’ve had to resort to the cartel market at times because I cannot find anything reasonable looking anywhere else. (Oddly enough, all of those times have involved saving companions from horrible clothing.)

      • Ah yes, social gear. Some of it is very nice. (We’ll just pretend the bikinis are some sort of terrible mass hallucination.) Unfortunately, that requires me to interact with other people in circumstances where my abilities or lack there of could have a negative effect on them. That’s way too much stress in my fun.

        On rare occasions, I’ll be social in game, but those occasions are rare. (I’ll buff people, I’ll answer questions in chat – if I’ve got my chat window open, but grouping with people is mostly out. It’s that fear of ruining other people’s fun. *sigh* And, yes, I know it’s probably ridiculous. Also, MMOs, I’m doing them wrong.)

  3. These are good ideas. It’s a sad byproduct of the cash store model (not in any way unique to SWTOR) that implementing them would cause BIoware to lose a lucrative revenue stream – how much have you personally spent on Cartel market outfits that Bioware would not have gotten if they’d given you the schematics in game?

    • Because the cartel outfits are SO pricey (3 months of stipend, or $15), I’ve only bought 3 jackets for 150 cc each and the rest are items from cartel pack items sold on the GTN. Granted, someone else had to pay cartel coins for these cartel boxes at the front end. I do get excited when new cartel items come out, because it is new fashion, but my excitement is tempered by lack of fashion in other ways. I’m EXTREMELY happy with the new rep-gear, especially the cool-looking tron armor – all achievable without cartel purchases. Having said that, it’s more extremely cool fashion that is not in the hands of crafters.

    • Might as well chime in here, I suppose. I’ve spent cartel coins on cartel outfits, but I’m a subscriber, so… I haven’t spend any real life money (that I wouldn’t have already been spending on the game) on cartel outfits.

      I don’t think letting people craft and wear opposite faction gear (or some of it), making outfits that are supposed to match _actually_ match, and such would spell doomsday for the cartel market. Besides, as far as I can tell, it mostly seems to be cartel vehicles everyone’s buying. (Wants vehicle sabotage kit so I can _find_ the mailboxes and GTN terminals. Oy, people, stop parking on them!)

  4. Sometimes we forget that crafters who makes armors (Synth, Armormech) are getting some serious surprise buttseckz because of the Cartel Market. You’re right … the CM gear looks totally friggin’ bad-arse. It all matches and flows together. I wish they’d do something for you crafters … something like …

    Open up a “Crafter’s Hall” where you can make arms and armor that’s customizable and sellable directly to the community for credits … or cartel coins in a unique and player-driven UI frame!

    Make crafting super lucrative and blammo! you get your crafting community back. Of course, the chances of this happening are next-to-none, but still …

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