Written by:Thorsen Belthize
1.2 RELEASE (LAST EDIT: 2/22/07)
1. Crafting Overview
1.1 Introduction
This document is designed to be both an overview of the Vanguard crafting system and a guide toward being a good crafter.
The crafting system in Vanguard rewards proper crafting builds. If you simply begin crafting with no understanding of the system than at best you’ll be a crafter who obtains mediocre results at your level. To be a great crafter you must be observant and understand the system.
Crafters provide useful materials to every sphere of Vanguard, from boats and houses for everyone, bags, weapons and equipment for adventurers to diplomacy, harvesting and their own gear. You can begin crafting by locating the Crafting Advisor in the nearest city to your starting area. The Advisor will guide you through a series of introductory quests to help get you on your way. If you can’t find the Advisor hail a guard and they’ll point you in the right direction.
The introductory quests provide a lot of contextual advice so it’s worthwhile to pay attention to them. The quests will provide you with all the gear, tools and utilities you will initially need so you should avoid buying anything until you’ve completed them; otherwise you’ll end up with useless duplicates you won’t be able to sell back for what you paid for them. Since your goal is presumably to make money that would be bad way to start.
1.2 Trades
Crafters are divided into three trades: artificers, blacksmiths and outfitters. Each trade has a primary trade and two specialization trades. For example Artificer is a primary trade and has carpenter and mineralogist as specialization trades.
You will need to specialize in one of the two subclasses of trades, for example carpenter versus mineralogist. How and why this is done will be addressed in Chapter 4.
- ARTIFICER (Carpenter/Mineralogist)
- The artificer works with stone, wood, and gemstone. Carpenters can create wooden melee and ranged weapons. They are the primary boat builders. Mineralogists create weapons made from stone. They can also create magical focus items or jewelry to increase the power of spell casters, some forms of arrows and are the primary house builders. Both can make various arrows.
- BLACKSMITH (Armor smith/Weapon smith)
- The blacksmith works mainly with metal. They make the vast majority of weapons, fashion all types of heavy armor and produce tools for harvesters (and eventually crafters). Blacksmiths also make some forms of arrows as well as fasteners and other items for boats and houses.
- OUTFITTER (Tailor/Leatherworker)
- The outfitter deals in leather and cloth. Tailors fashion all light armor, normal clothing, cloaks and inventory bags. Leatherworkers fashion all medium armor, saddlebags and hand wraps for some non-Thestran monk/disciple weapon recipes. Outfitters in general also make sails for boats and items for houses. : definition
1.3 Attributes
There are four crafting attributes: problem solving, reasoning, ingenuity, and finesse, (Figure 6.2.1) these contribute greatly to the effectiveness of your crafting actions.
All characters will begin with 90 points in all attributes. No attributes are rewarded from 2nd to 9th level; you essentially start with 9th level attributes. Beginning with 10th level crafters gain 32 attribute points per level. These attribute points are allocated as follows:
7 points are automatically awarded to each of the 4 attributes.
4 points are awarded to your Attribute Points pool to be manually allocated as you wish (1 point granted at 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% experience).
The cap for each attribute is increased by 10 for each level gained, beginning with level 10. Therefore, the cap at level 10 is 100, at level 11 is 110, etc. In other words, level*10. This cap only applies to allocation of attribute points; bonuses from gear do not apply.
After all Attribute Points have been allocated, you may spend Refund Points to reclaim used Attribute Points (Figure 6.2.3) much like adventuring sphere attribute points. Every one Refund Point will allow you to decrement any one attribute and increment a different attribute.
Refund points are granted to the player as they earn crafting experience. Thus, Refund Points will accumulate faster as you increase in level. Refund Points can only be used to reclaim Attribute Points that were allocated manually.
Problem Solving
Increases the effectiveness of your remedy actions. Remedy actions include tool, utility, and station actions used to eliminate or utilize complications.
Reasoning
Increases the effectiveness of your utility actions. Utility actions are normal crafting abilities used in the process that require utilities to execute. Reasoning is particularly useful for raising quality of items as will be shown in Chapter 3.
Ingenuity
Increases the effectiveness of your station actions. Station actions are normal crafting abilities used in the process that do not require tools or utilities.
Finesse
Increases the effectiveness of your tool actions. Tool actions are normal crafting abilities used in the process that require tools to execute.
Note: Until you gain more familiarity with attribute effects you should attempt to keep them relatively balanced.
1.4 Skills
There are two types of skills: parent skills and process skills. As you gain experience and levels you can control how these skills advance. You cannot directly change their value. You set whether they trend upward (plus), downward (minus) or stay as is (locked) in the skills tab of the crafter section in the character sheet (c). (Figure 6.2.2)
Above each action family is the action header, if there’s a number beside the header you have skill points to spend and using an action set to trend upwards has a chance to increase that skill when used. If there’s no number you’ve allocated all of your available points and must use the minus to set one skill to trend downwards to free up points or wait till you gain a level, at which point you will receive more points to distribute.
Increases in a given skill only occur when performing that skill. Decreases in a given skill only occur if you have no available skill points in that skill family and perform a skill set to decrement. The more difficult the work order or recipe the more likely a change will occur.
1.4.1 Parent Skills
Parent skills affect specialization and define what kind of crafter you are. Parent skills also control how many items you can bring to the crafting table, your effectiveness completing work orders or recipes and grant special actions, like making multiple items at once as your skill increases.
Parent skills are divided into refining: creating base materials and finishing: creating completed objects. The finishing portion of the parent skill is further subdivided into the trade’s primary focus and two specializations.
Parent Skills List
- Artificer Refining Forming
- Artificer Primary Artificer
- Artificer Specialization 1 Carpenter
- Artificer Specialization 2 Mineralogist
- Blacksmith Refining Metallurgy
- Blacksmith Primary Blacksmith
- Blacksmith Specialization 1 Weapon smith
- Blacksmith Specialization 2 Armor smith
- Outfitter Refining Material Preparation
- Outfitter Primary Outfitter
- Outfitter Specialization 1 Tailor
- Outfitter Specialization 2 Leatherworking
1.4.2 Process Skills
Process skills define how effective a crafter you are. There are three types of process skills: station skills, utility skills and tool skills (Figure 6.2.2). These skills are set and controlled independently for both refining and finishing processes. You never have sufficient skill points to maximize all three process skill types. Increasing one skill above a balanced build level will require decrementing one or both of the other two.
As you obtain higher skill levels you’ll automatically learn new actions. Notification that you’ve learned a new action will appear in your chat window.
Tool Skill
The tool skill affects tool actions, simply any actions that require tools. Tools are non-expended items such as chisels and shears that are placed in a crafter’s tool belt. Tool actions advance both quality and progress. Tool actions are important for progress since there are typically more tool steps than utility or stations steps, particularly in lower level recipes.
Utility Skill
The utility skill affects utility actions, simply any actions that require utilities. Utilities are expendables used during the crafting process, such as charcoal or cleaner. The utility skill is very important for quality as it has the only quality only action.
Station Skill
The station skill affects actions that do not use a tool or utility. In general a higher station skill will also reduce complication frequency.
Note: Utility and Toll skills are your primary skills. Until very higher levels you will want to focus on them, to what extent you should focus on them is detailed later in the guide.
Process Skills List
- Artificer Refining Station Shaping
- Artificer Refining Tools Shaping Tools
- Artificer Refining Utilities Shaping Utilities
- Artificer Finishing Station Sculpting
- Artificer Finishing Tools Sculpting Tools
- Artificer Finishing Utilities Sculpting Utilities
- Blacksmith Refining Station Smelting
- Blacksmith Refining Tools: Smelting Tools
- Blacksmith Refining Utilities Smelting Utilities
- Blacksmith Finishing Station Forging
- Blacksmith Finishing Tools Forging Tools
- Blacksmith Finishing Utilities Forging Utilities
- Outfitting Refining Station Material Processing
- Outfitting Refining Tools Material Processing Tools
- Outfitting Refining Utilities Material Processing Utilities
- Outfitting Finishing Station Stitching
- Outfitting Finishing Tools Stitching Tools
- Outfitting Finishing Utilities Stitching Utilities
1.5 Actions
As you increase your parent and process skills you learn new actions.
Increased parent skills will grant the ability to make multiple secondary components. For example carpenters will learn to make 3 or 5 wooden grips at a time. Increased parent skills also grant the ability to make uncommon versions of recipes through the application of catalysts. Primary, secondary components and catalysts are addressed in Chapter 4.
Initially you will have a rather limited set of actions to advance progress and quality. At higher skill levels you'll receive new process actions that provide lower or higher progress or quality for lower or higher action point costs. Some new actions will allow increasing both progress and quality at the same time. These new actions provide finer granularity in efficiently completing recipes.
Increased process skills also give new complication resolutions. The full suite of resolutions for a given process skill may not be available unless you increase that skill to maximum.
1.6 Tool belts and Utilities
The equipment tab or the crafter pane on the character sheet (c) (Figure 6.2.1) has a slot for one utility pouch and 3 crafting tool belts. When you receive your first pouch and tool belt during the crafting introductory drag them to the appropriate slots in your crafter equipment pane. Once they are equipped you can right click them to open them.
In general your recipes will require about the same number of tools as you can put into a level appropriate tool belt. In some cases though you may need more slots, particularly for tools used in complication resolutions. You can wear up to three tool belts to hold these tools. Clicking the tool belt button during a recipe will allow you to ‘switch’ tool belts for a small 5 AP cost.
You can examine the content of a tool belt during a recipe by right clicking it but you cannot change the contents. You should check that you have the appropriate tools in your tool belt before starting a recipe, particularly if you’re shifting to a refining recipe from a finishing one or vice versa.
2. Crafting Process
2.1 Recipes
Recipes consist of a description for the item you’re making, a list of utilities you’ll need to complete the item and a list of tools you’ll need to complete the item. Any text in red is informing you of missing items from your inventory or tool belt that would prevent you from completing the recipe.
Recipes can be viewed by looking at the crafting tab of your abilities sheet (p) or by right clicking an appropriate workbench (Figure 6.2.1). Item recipes are addressed in more detail in Chapter 3.
2.2 Workbenches
There are six types of workbenches; each of the three primary trades has a refining and finishing workbenches. Recipes must be undertaken at the appropriate workbench, for example there is a blacksmith refining bench and blacksmith finishing bench. Pressing 'n' will cause names to appear over workbenches (as well as NPC heads).
The amount of items you may bring to a workbench is driven by either your refining or primary trade skill. Every 100 points of skill allows you to bring one more item to the table. Items are either materials (wood, stone etc) or dusts/powders for recipes or utilities for recipes and work orders.
Once you select the workbench and recipe you’ll be prompted to add items to the bench. In the table setup pane (Figure 6.2.2) left click each item you wish to bring to the table within each category. Items you’ve selected will appear in boxes below the setup window. If you forget an item and discover it in the middle of the recipe there’s nothing you can do but cancel the recipe. This will result in the loss of any materials used.
Assembly tables are special workbenches. They are typically used to combine materials (but not always) from different trades. For example, an assembly table is used to combine outfitter sails and rigging to a carpenter mast to make a fully functional mast assembly.
2.3 Stages (Progress and Quality)
Every recipe or work order has a number of Action Points (AP) associated with it. The basic goal of crafting is to increase quality as high as possible while completing progress through all stages before running out of AP.
Each recipe is divided into stages and each stage is further subdivided into one or more steps (Figure 6.2.3). To complete a stage you must gain 100% progress. Each stage must be completed in order. The steps within a stage may be completed in any order. A two-step stage would require 50% progress to complete the first step and 50% progress to complete the second step. A three-step stage is divided into three 33% progress steps.
Each step has a set of actions you may perform. These actions cost varying amounts of AP and provide varying amounts of progress and quality. Mousing over the action will show its AP cost and effect. Once you’ve finished the progress on a step you may not go back to that step to improve quality. It may take a few runs through a recipe to figure out where and when to advance quality without running out of AP’s and total failure.
Higher level recipes have more steps (and thankfully more AP) per stage. Where appropriate the first stage of non-work order recipes will allow you to specify how many or what specific type of an item you’re making.
At early levels your recipes will have one station, utility and tool step, by 20th level recipes will have two tool steps, by 30th they will have two tool and two utility steps. Adjusting your skills and attributes to properly account for the increased number of actions in these recipes is important. There is no single correct build from 1st to 50th level, you must adapt to changes.
2.4 Complications
During the course of completing a recipe complications will crop up. The likelihood of getting a complication is driven in large part by your station action skill.
Complications are a random chance during each action. In general you should expect to see 3 or 4 per turn. If you have a high station skill you may only see 2 per turn, if you have a low station skill you may see 5 or 6 per turn. Since complications are a random chance per action you should do as few actions as possible during a recipe. In other words try to do the highest AP cost action that doesn’t waste AP by providing more progress than needed to complete a step.
There are three boxes to the right of the crafting stages that show any active complications (Figure 6.2.3). Mousing over the complication will describe how many turns it lasts and it’s nature. Some cause subsequent actions to cost more AP, some cause progress loss, some quality loss. Some complications are actually beneficial and will increase quality or progress. Bad complications tend to be red, orange ones are detrimental but can probably be ignored, green ones are beneficial.
Selecting an active complication will bring up all known resolutions.
Resolutions can be tool, utility or station based actions. Your ability to remove a complication is driven primarily by your problem solving attribute and secondarily by the appropriate process skill (utility, tool etc) for the chosen resolution. Whether it takes one, two, three or even four applications of the resolution is driven by those factors.
Not all complications are bad, some provide beneficial gains others are merely annoyances that typically can be ignored. Learning the difference will be extremely important where an A versus B or C grade result is concerned.
Example 1: Minor Friction complication lasts 5 turns and causes a 33% increase in AP cost. You could choose to ignore it and do a 100pt AP progress action instead. This would result in a 166pt deficit (33% of 5 turns * 100pt). If instead you applied the lowest cost (35 AP) resolution 3 times you'd only lose 140 AP. (3 * 35pt action is 105AP + 35 AP due to the increased cost during those 3 actions). If you clear the complication you save 26AP but you risk having another complication appear. If you ignore it you lose 26AP but may be in a position to simply complete the recipe. You could further decide to only do low cost actions while the complication is up to further mitigate the cost.
Some complications cause progress loss that can affect steps you’ve completed within the current stage. When this occurs the previously grayed out step will relight and you will need to return to it. They will not re-open steps in completed stages. These complications can also cause negative progress, when that occurs you will likely need more than the normal 33, 50 or 100% progress for that step. These are by far the worst complications. Recognizing them and ensuring you have effective utilities and tools to attack them is essential in becoming a successful crafter.
Note: Complications are random, a build that averages 2 or 3 complications per recipe could experience 4 or 5, a build that averages 4 or 5 could experience only 2. There is no rule that says you can’t get more or fewer than some target number.
There is no harm in completing a recipe with an active complication, it is not required that they be removed.
2.5 Work Orders
Work orders provide the primary mechanism for gaining experience and levels in Vanguard. Refining and finishing taskmasters in all cities offer work orders; additionally some NPC’s may have mini-quests in the form of work orders.
Since you’re doing the local establishment a favor by completing their work they don’t expect you to bring anything but your tools and utilities to the job. Any lumber, stone, metal, cloth or other raw materials required for the job will be supplied at the table (they won’t appear in your inventory).
If you choose to use your own materials for the work order you will receive a small initial grade boost, about 2/3rds of a grade if you use Grade A material. Refining work orders use raw resources; finishing work orders use refined resources.
Work orders typically require you make three instances of an item (each instance is commonly referred to as a leg. Some work orders have only one leg some have as many as five.
2.5.1 Types
For each trade there are four types of work orders: one for refining, one for the primary trade and one for each of the two trade specializations. You should give some forethought to what you want your specialization to be. Taking work orders prior to 10th in both specializations will cause you to skill up in both. While this may be attractive in trying out both trades it will have a very adverse effect on your ability to complete recipes.
Once you have specialized at 10th level you will only be able to accept refining work orders and primary trade or chosen specialization finishing work orders.
Work orders you’ve received show up in your quest log or can be viewed by right clicking the appropriate crafting table type and selecting work orders’. Once you complete a work order it must be turned into the taskmaster who supplied it. Hail the taskmaster, select ‘current’, then the work order in question then click ‘complete’.
Work orders are abandoned by clicking ‘abandon’ instead of complete.
2.5.2 Difficulty and Grade
The taskmaster lists all available work orders in order of difficulty, from most (impossible) to least (trivial) difficult.. Success completing very easy to difficult work orders can vary depending on your skill, attributes, gear and tools. In general a mediocre crafter should expect to obtain A quality on very easy work orders, B on easy, C on moderate, and C or D on difficult. Simply completing a very difficult work order is it’s own reward.
Moderate work orders vary from one level below yours to one level above yours. They are sorted within the block of moderates from highest to lowest level. You will see a noticeable difference in difficulty between the easiest and hardest moderate work orders.
2.5.3 Experience
Work orders are the primary method of gaining experience. From a per leg point of view single item work orders provided the most XP, followed by set (3 items) and batch (5 items) type work orders. From a time expended point of view, including running back and forth to the taskmaster set or batch type work orders provide more XP. The higher the quality you achieve the greater the experience reward.
There is a delay before a given work order will refresh. If you focus solely on single or set type work orders you will either be forced to try overly easy or difficult ones or resort to doing batches. In general it’s best to focus more on the level of the work order than the quantity type.
2.5.4 Rewards
There are a variety of rewards for work orders; the most obvious is experience. In addition you’ll receive faction that is necessary for later quests, monetary or vendor-able rewards, dusts, tools and gear. The quality of the reward is directly driven by the quality of the turn in. There is no benefit to completing a work order to 100% quality, any A quality is equivalent to any other.
Completing all legs of a work order A quality will generate better XP and item rewards than B quality. The level of gear and tool rewards is driven by work order level. Higher-level work orders return higher-level gear. There is no pat answer as to whether very easy, easy, moderate or difficult work orders are better to undertake. Getting A on easy is superior to getting C on moderate, in terms of experience earned. Where gear rewards are concerned the moderate completed to C grade might be better. In some cases, for instance faction rewards, trivial work orders are best.
Work orders with only one leg never supply gear or tools as rewards.
Non taskmaster work order rewards can take various forms, for instance completing all three legs of the Tursh Fair Ring Toss work order gives a Raki.
In addition to monetary and gear rewards you will receive city and continental faction when completing work orders. Faction impact is addressed in more detail in Chapter 4.
3. Recipes
3.1 Learning
In general, particularly early on you will learn recipes from your local crafting instructor. Simply hail them and select those recipes you wish to learn. As you gain levels your crafting instructor will offer you new recipes. Upon reaching 11th level you will need to complete the tier and specialization quests discussed in the next chapter.
All recipes have level, specialization and faction requirements that must be met before you can learn them. Continents have their own recipes, continental style quests required to unlock these recipes are covered in section 4.3. The more rare or prestigious the recipe the more likely it will have faction requirements. Higher level recipes are typically available in larger cities like Ahgram, New Targonor or Tanvu. Special recipes will involve finding and completing quests and are not simply learned from an instructor.
You can list the recipes you currently know from the crafting tab of your abilities window (p). In general crafted items consist of a primary component and one or more secondary components.
3.2 Catalysts
Catalysts have varying affects like increasing stats (str, int, dex etc), attributes (health, or energy, armor class, etc), increased range, damage etc. Mousing over a dust will describe its effects, what items it can be applied to and what tier it’s applicable to.
When creating items you will have opportunities to add catalysts, in the form of dusts, powders or shards to the primary and secondary components. Recipes will list in their description whether they allow for the addition of catalysts. When setting up the table you will see a ‘catalyst’ listing along with the normal utilities listing, simply select the dust you wish to add.
Catalysts are added to items immediately before the next to last stage. A dust icon will appear where the normal action icons are. Clicking that icon or typing will apply the catalyst. The icon is easy to miss so take that portion slow until you get a feel for it.
Item names are a function of the primary stat affected by the dust added to the base material (lumber, stone, metal etc). For example adding Attuning Dust of Intelligence to a barbed board results in a Grifter’s Board. Using that board in a staff recipe results in a Grifter’s Staff. The item names by primary attribute for the first two tiers are:
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3.3 Grade and EE
The level of an item is affected by the grade at which it’s completed. In general an item will be 3 levels lower for each reduction in grade. If a Grade A bow is level 28 then the grade B version will be level 25, grade C will be level 22. There are corresponding reductions in the magical characteristics with grade as well but they tend to be set such that grade C items are comparable to world drop items of the same level.
Vanguard uses a gear limiting system call Equipment Expertise (EE). Every piece of gear has a percent cost associated which is calculated based on the slot the item goes in (some slots cost more) and the difference between the item’s level and your own. You may not equip a piece of gear that costs more than 20% toward your total EE expense and you may not go over 100% total EE expense. You can see a given piece of gears cost when mousing over it. Your total EE is calculated separately for each sphere and is listed at the bottom of the equipment tab for each sphere on the character sheet.
While there’s an attraction to making all grade A items there are very good reasons for making grade B or C items. First, when you learn a recipe grade C may well be the best you can accomplish, secondly, the EE system places limits on differential between a character’s level and their gear. To a level 17 ranger that grade A bow is useless but the level 22 grade C bow may be extremely good.
3.4 Final Product (primary component recipes)
Primary component recipes represent finished products. They will include a list of one or more secondary components required to complete the recipe. The secondary item is added to the table (currently listed under polish) much the same way a utility or catalyst would be. In the final cleaning step the secondary item will be added to the primary component and you will receive the completed item.
If you have more than one of the required secondary items be careful when adding it to the table. The simplest approach is to identify it in your inventory and see that it’s removed when you add it to the table.
Primary component recipes have one additional table slot to account for the additional secondary item.
3.5 Rare/Legendary Items
Not at all clear how this is working now either … (edit: update when known)
It appears we’ll have other recipes we learn that will take a final product and rare resources as tabled items (similar to normal recipes). Completion of this upgrade recipe will result in a rare or legendary item.
3.6 Deconstruction
Deconstruction is a special form of recipe. At 11th level (after completing amateur quest addressed in Chapter 4) you will need to travel to a nearby outpost to learn deconstruction recipes. Common, uncommon, rare or even more powerful items can be destroyed in return for base materials (wood, metal etc) or magical essence (dusts, powders etc). When starting the recipe the first stage allows you to choose the type (resource or dust) reward you want.
Deconstruction works just like normal recipes except you must achieve Grade A results to be successful. Higher-level items return higher level materials and dusts but are more difficult to deconstruct. Use the appropriate tier deconstruction recipe when destroying objects. For example, use the amateur version when destroying items 11-19th, the apprentice version when destroying 20-29th level items. The rewards from deconstruction are based on the lower of the items tier or the recipes tier. Using a higher tier recipe on a lower tier item just results in more work.
4. Leveling and Quests
4.1 Specialization Quests
At level 11 your crafting instructor will offer you a quest to specialize in one of the 2 subclasses of your primary class. Once you have completed this quest you will no longer see work orders for the complementary subclass, for example carpenters will no longer see mineralogist work orders.
Specializing is relatively mandatory, if you attempt to spread your focus between the primary and secondary trades (for example artificer, carpentry and mineralogy) you will probably be unable to complete any work orders or recipes effectively.
4.2 Tier Quests
There are 5 tiers of crafting: novice (1st level), amateur (11th level), apprentice (21st), initiate (31st) and journeyman (41st). Starting at amateur each continent has it’s own tier quests and they require 100, 200, 300 and 400 continental faction to obtain.
Provided you meet the faction requirements then at 11th, 21st, 31st and 41st level you will be presented with a quest from your crafting instructor to pass a test for the next tier. Early tier quests are found in any city on your home continent, later tier quests can be found in major cities.
Local crafters gain 100 continental faction upon completing tier quests; and foreign crafters gain 50 continental. To reach the 100, 200, 300 or 400 faction requirements for a continent’s tier quest foreign crafters have to obtain the missing 50 faction by completing work orders.
Once you’ve completed the tier quest your crafting instructor will again have recipes available for you to learn if you have the necessary faction for those recipes. Some recipes require completing the faction range for that tier. For example you receive can obtain the apprentice tier quest when you have 300 faction. A foreigner will receive 50 faction, for a total of 250, upon completing the quest. Some apprentice level recipes will require 300 faction before they are offered.
To obtain tier quests on remote continents you must first pass that continent's continental style quest.
4.3 Continental Style
As a Thestran if you’d like to learn recipes in Qalia, i.e. Qalian style recipes, you must first travel to Ahgram, the capitol of Qalia. Your crafting instructor there will provide you with a quest to travel the continent talking to other crafting instructors in remote cities. Completion of this quest provides 50 continental faction, you must then earn another 50 faction (100 total) by completing work orders on that continent at which point you’ll be allowed to learn amateur Qalian style recipes.
Completing one leg of any level work order, including trivial completed to any grade, including D, provides one city and one continental faction Work orders obtained in outposts outside the primary cities typically provide even higher faction gains.
The process continues much the same as it would for a Qalian passing tier quests with the caveat that you’ll need 200, 300 and 400 continental faction points to obtain the apprentice, journeyman and initiate tier quests for that continent.
To learn continental crafting in Thestra or Kojan you would travel to New Targonor or Tanvu respectively. You can see your faction with various crafting entities via the /showfaction command.
4.4 Kill on Sight (KOS)
Some races of Telon may hate your characters race and attack you on sight. You can improve your faction with them via adventuring, diplomacy or crafting. Most (but possibly not all) cities have outposts that are associated with them. By far the most effective way, when possible, to remove KOS effects is crafting.
For example crafting at the Southwatch outpost grants Bordiner’s Cleft faction at a rapid rate.
4.5 Recipe quests
Some large projects like houses and boats require passing quests to make the basic components. There will generally be in game hints as to where these are. Keep an eye out near docks and other likely locations. The crafting of some rare forms of armor, weapons and other items can be learned from NPC’s scattered throughout Telon. (Note: this guide will not be listing them).
4.6 Item quests
Scattered throughout the towns and outposts of Telon are NPC’s in dire need of crafting help. Some of them may not be readily apparent but they will happily reward you, and in some cases your friends with much needed crafting gear. There is no true grouping in Vanguard crafting but it’s not uncommon for these quests to require items from 2 or more trades. (Note: this guide will not be listing them).
5. Builds
This section covers various builds and some rather simple build theory. The information in this section is based on testing and feedback from numerous players in game and in the Vanguard Crafters Forum. It is not based on developer input or access to code, as such it is subject to change and may well be inaccurate to begin with … but I don’t think so. If you find this information to be entirely inaccurate feel free to let me know.
5.1 Skills
One of the most consistently miss-configured skills after release is the station skill. While it’s true the station skill affects complication frequency that effect is not open ended. Above a certain point station skill no longer has an effect in complication reduction, nor does it have any meaningful effect on progress action results. Having a station skill that is too high merely bleeds points away from tool and utility skills.
There are two skills stats reference below your base skill and total skill. Base skill is your process skill value without gear; total skill is your process skill value with gear.
The sum of all of your finishing process base skills is 24 * your level, ie 240 at 10th, 480 at 20th. The builds listed below are all based on calculating your target station skill as a function of the sum of your base skills and then holding your total station skill to that value. This means when you’re done your base station skill will be below the target but your total station skill will be equal to the target.
Your target station skill should be somewhere between 25% and 35% of the sum or your finishing process skills. A target below 20% will see poor action results in addition to increased comps, a target above 35% will see decreasing returns from those skill points. 25-28% of your un-geared total skills would be an offensive build, 29-31% would be a balanced build and 32-35% would be a defensive build.
Since you receive 24 points per level to distribute it works out that 25% is 6 points into station/level, 29% is approximately 7 points into station per level and 33% is 8 points into station per level.
In the text below a build of the form 30/35/35 build would be a balanced build with 30% of base skill points in station, 35% of points in utility and tool skills before gear effects are added. When gear is added or removed your station skill is returned to the calculated target value and remaining points are distributed between utility and tool skills.
Remember, these percentages are before gear is factored in. Any excess points in station after gear is worn are shifted to utility and tool skills.
5.1.1 Balanced crafters
Balanced crafters would have a 30/35/35 station, utility, tool skill distribution. They should expect to see 4 or so comps per recipe. With level equivalent gear they should achieve high C low B grade on moderate and high B low A on easy WO's.
They want to achieve decent quality without an overwhelming number of comps. They would typically have balanced attributes as well. Those that are slightly more risk adverse might put more points in problem solving attribute to ensure clearing comps in 2 shots. Those that are less risk adverse might put more attribute points in finesse or reasoning. The primary purpose here is to try and hit Blue kit type rewards from WO’s and reliably achieves good results on crafted items knowing there will be occasional failures.
5.1.2 Offensive crafters
Offensive crafters have a low station and high utility/tool skills; a typical build might be 26/37/37. They would typically see 5, 6 or more comps per recipe.
Offensive crafters are only interested in grade. They are willing to live with the occasional C or D WO grade in exchange for successfully making the occasional A grade real world item a few levels above them. With level gear they can occasionally hit Grade A on moderate WO's and Grade A on easy WO's. They also periodically fail or get grades below their norm. They get a larger percentage of supply packs than kits (so worse rewards) due to failures than the other types.
High DPS type offensive crafters will sometimes boost ingenuity and problem solving to offset their poor station skill and increased comps.
5.1.3 Defensive crafters
Defensive crafters have a higher station and lower utility/tool skills; a typical build might be 33/33/33. They would typically see 2 or 3 comps per recipe.
Defensive crafters are interested in consistency. They want to consistently hit C grade on moderate WO's or B grade on easy WO's. They're willing to trade a relative inability to reach higher grades for never failing.
Defensive crafters might frequently boost problem solving such that they're guaranteed to clear comps in two shots.
5.2 Gear and attributes
As you put gear on your skills will shift. Set your station to return once again to the target value and place any remaining points in utility and tool skills. It is very difficult to adjust your attributes through any mechanism other than gear. You should select gear to give you the attributes you desire first then redistribute any skill points they provide.
In general ingenuity and problem solving are less important than finesse and reasoning early on. There’s no correct setting but consider keeping your highest and lowest attributes within 25% or so of each other. Pay attention to which skill seems to be lagging and consider improving it’s attribute, If you find most (not some) resolutions require 3 or more 50pt actions to clear their complication consider raising problem solving.
From 1st level until you begin seeing recipes with two tool steps you should favor reasoning over finesse and utility skill over tool skill since your primary quality raising skill is a utility one.
Around 20th level as you begin seeing recipes with two tool steps and gain a low progress, high quality tool action you should consider inverting that balance. You should favor finesse over reasoning and tools skills over utility.
At 30th tool and utility begin to equalize, at 40th station begins being more important again since there will be a 2nd station step.
Note: Learned actions are a function of your un-geared base skill. If you find lots of plus station gear, wear it and then migrate those excess points to utility/tool skills you still have a respectable total station skill but your base station skill can be very low. This can cause you to forget station actions.
5.3 General
Crafters are essentially trading risk for reward. If you have a low risk you're going to get low reward. If you're normally an offensive crafter but you gain equipment that gives you a very high EE (and therefore abnormally high skills/attributes) you might want to shift to defensive since you can now achieve those Grade B moderate and Grade A easies without the added risk of complications. If you have really bad gear and are normally defensive you might want to shift to offensive so you can at least occasionally (with luck) achieve good results.
If you want to consistently get Grade B on moderates and get a low number of comps per recipe you'll have to have nearly defensive build with almost 75%+ EE. An offensive crafter with that same gear could probably hit A grade on recipes 2 or 3 levels above him (with failures along the way).
There is no correct build. There is no best build. There are inferior builds. The information above will not make you a great crafter, it will hopefully make you a better than mediocre crafter. There is a great deal more nuance in recipe type, skill setting, complications and attributes that is not covered here.
6. Miscellaneous
6.1 Harvesting
There are 5 primary resource types in Vanguard: metal (armor/weapon smiths), stone/gems (mineralogists), wood (carpenters), cloth (tailor), and leather (leatherworkers). You may learn two harvesting skills (primary and secondary) from the harvest trainer in your starting area.
Resources appear throughout Telon in the form of nodes. If you have the appropriate skill type and level and the right harvesting tool in your tool belt you can harvest a node by simply right clicking it.
Your character has three harvesting attributes skill: your base harvesting skill used in grouping (described below) and your **primary and secondary harvesting skill.
6.1.1 Gear**
Gear plays an important part in effective harvesting. You will receive a basic harvesting outfit during the harvest intro quest as well as a harvesting tool belt. The tool belt works basically the same as your crafting tool belt. As you advance in skill you will want to upgrade your equipment particularly your tools to get the greatest yield.
6.1.2 Tiers
Resources have tiers much like crafting recipes do. Tier 1 resources are used in tier 1 recipes, tier 2 resources in tier 2 recipes etc. Once you’ve achieved 100 skill in your primary or secondary skill you will need to purchase the next tier training manual from a local harvesting instructor for that skill: amateur for tier 2, apprentice for tier 3 and initiate for tier 4.
- Common Resources for the First 4 Tiers
- Metal Stone/Gems Wood Cloth Leather
- Copper Basalt/Quartz Weakened Jute Mangled
- Tin Slate/Garnet Barbed Cotton Ratty
- Iron Sandstone/Amethyst Dry Firegrass Stiff
- Pyrite Limestone/Jade Knotted Silkbloom Coarse
There are also rare and ultra-rare variants of those node types, for example nickel is the rare version of tier 2 metal.
6.1.3 Grouping
You can have up to six players grouped during harvesting. Grouping greatly increases the yield per node (not necessarily per person) as well as increases the chance for additional items. To begin harvesting simply right click the node as you would in solo harvesting with the following caveats.
The person starting the harvest must have the proper tool and primary or secondary skill for the node tier and type.
Anyone joining in the harvest must have the proper tool and base harvesting skill for the node tier and type.
When assisting in harvesting your base harvesting skill is used in deciding if you have sufficient skill not your primary or secondary skill. It’s advantageous to have all five harvesting tools in your tool belt at all times so you can join a group harvest.
6.2 User Interface
(Drox UI)
6.3 Macros
There are several keyboard commands that can be used in macros to ease the ‘mouse-click’ nature of crafting.
You can see a list of commands via “/listcommands crafting”
6.3.1 Crafting, Macros & You (Author: Apricoth aka Cestanza)
For macros in general, especially when you are crafting, you will want to create all of these on a separate line of hotkey bars. For myself, a blacksmith, I have a line dedicated to Finishing (line 4) and another line for Refining (line 3). This just helps me keep things in order because stuff is a little different between Finishing and Refining in regards to where Steps and Actions are located. The Actions are varied between the two processes.
You will also find that the table set-up will be different between Finishing and Refining because of what you need to get started with where fuel is concerned. You will see what I mean as you go along in your crafting career and will find that you will need to make the appropriate adjustments.
This is an ideal way to go especially when you are doing Work Orders. With Recipes the idea is the same but of course what you put on the table and the Actions you take will differ. Just get this down first and the rest will be a piece of cake.
6.3.2 Crafting Table Set-Up
Right click on an empty box.
Make your title what is easiest for you to recognize without having to think too hard about it. For me I have mine titled “Table Set-up”
In the main body type what you will need on the table, less the fuel. If you have automatic table set-up already checked you do not need to worry about including the fuel in this macro – the system will put it on the table for you. This is what I have as an example:
Title: Table-Setup Main Body:
/refineadditem “Water”
/refineadditem “Bandages”
/refineadditem “Emery”
/refineadditem “Strengthener”
/refineadditem “Fuel”
(Currently I can put 7 things on the table, 6 of my choosing – so don’t worry or fret if you find you cannot put that much on the table. The numbers will be varied depending on what level you are. Adapt this to what best fits your current level needs.) When you are done inputting the information in your macro (make sure it’s a new line for every item you are adding and do note the quotations used), click “Text only” (or if you want, have a graphic icon. Although graphic icons might mess things up for you visually – that is make it visually confusing). Then press the create button.
6.3.3 The Main Crafting Process
This is where things can get a bit daunting. After you press the “Begin” button once you are done with your table-setup you are faced with Stages you have to go through in order to finish the product. In each of these Stages there are Steps you have to press to get to that goal. So there is a total of 4 Stages and within each Stage is a Step you must take. As you get higher each Stage (except for the very first Step you take to put your material onto the table or into the forge) the Steps increase in quantity – but not exponentially.
After pressing the appropriate Step you are faced with an Action to choose and use. Again, same as with the Steps, the amount of Actions you can choose from increases as you get higher in level. Unlike the amount of Step increases you can easily be faced with 6 or more Action choices as you mature in your crafting profession. You will find that you may need to modify your macros to fit accordingly.
I am going to use my macro set-up as an example. This is just purely a guideline – adapt yours according to your needs. Make sure you right click in a new box to create each macro. If you mess up, have a hotkey bar placed either on the left, right or bottom of your screen – done through UI options in the main menu. When you have that in place move your macro you want to edit to an empty slot in that extra hotkey bar, right click, make your modifications and then put it back into the main bar.
Starting from Box 1 for Macro 1 – each Step/Action will have it’s own box.
Title: Step 1
Body: /craftingselectstep 1
Title: Step 2
Body: /craftingselectstep 2
Title: Step 3
Body: /craftingselectstep 3
Title: Step 4
Body: /craftingselectstep 4
Title: Step 5
Body: /craftingselectstep 5
Title: Step 6
Body: /craftingselectstep 6
(Watch out!)
Title: Action 1
Body: /craftingselectaction 1
Title: Action 2
Body: /craftingselectaction 2
Title: Action 3
Body: /craftingselectaction 3
Title: Action 4
Body: /craftingselectaction 4
Title: Action 5
Body: /craftingselectaction 5