AO newbie tradeskill question

[Ravikon]

My wife and I recently tried out the 7-day trial of the game and we both love the game and are going to stay with it (AC accounts being closed soon, and now no plans to buy AC2, AO is better . We don't have tons of time to devote to it but will play as often as we can.

We want to be able to end up making nano formulas and implants, etc for all of our characters. I play a soldier and martial artist currently, and my wife plays a bureaucrat and fixer, and we know these professions are not the ones to be working on tradeskills with. However, with 8 char slots, that's a lot of variation available, (and I have my eye on those huge engineer robots with the big claws hehe) so making 'tradeskill' class characters won't be a problem.

My base question is, which professions are best for being able to create the different items? Is an Engineer the best for making them all, or a Meta physicist, or a Nano technician? Is one best for implants while another best for formulas? What about weapon crafting? Can one profession do it all (trader?) or do we need to make different ones for each type of trade?

Thanks in advance for any and all help

[____________Intrepid]

Engineer is best for making none of them. Except chem skill i think engies are best at cause they have a buff for it.

ME EE QFT WS Pharma and comp lit are all bested by traders. See MPs for nano programming and fixers for any hacking you require.

Engineer is not a tradeskill prof they just give you green tradeskills as requirements for your trimmers. Don't worry your not the first one to be caught in the engie aren't tradeskillers trap.

Secondly of engie fixer MP and trader, engie is going to be the hardest to find teams for. On my trader when i form teams i;ve had people(mostly docs) come up to be and tell me they will leave team if i recruit a engie as well.

Honestly in this game right now there is no reason to play a engie cause the pet is not nearly as strong as it looks. Hits like a school girl and can't take aggro worth a damn.

Take this advice from a level 167 engineer. Make a trader. I did. after 45 fewer days online time my trader is less then 30 levels behind.

Did i mention as a engie your gonna get very sick of having to buff beg for anything and EVERYTHING you want to do? Trader self buffs everything they could possibly need.

Unless you really wanna solo from 1-125 then a engie would do nicely but seeing as you say you play with your wife don't choose a engie it will just slow you down.

[Krabbus]

If you are planning to make a tradeskills char that is below level 100 I would make an engineer, but you can always make a trader and reset the skills when you don't plan to level it anymore.

Traders have tradeskills buffs, that buffs +40, +80 and +125. At level 80ish can you selfcast the +80 buff (without divest).

If you have two accounts, I would make an engineer and trader on seperate accounts, engineers are best (and easiest to maintain tradeskills) when they get tradersbuff...

[Provisioner]

That depends on a lot of things:

1) Engineers are, hands down, the best at Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Field Quantum Physics, and Weapon Smithing. Why? Well:

- Engineers and Traders will both max out at the same in all 4.
- Although Traders hold the buffs for these 4 skills, engineers still have access to them (they must ask a trader for a buff).
- Engineers have profession-specific items to boost these skills (some of which, like the Giraldi crystal, are incredibly easy to obtain) - traders have none at all. If you're serious about tradeskills (and not just damage output), gear your character towards these items.

By-and-by, engineers beat traders in these 4 skills hands down (regardless of what Intrepet says). The only issue is asking for buffs, but I hate to tell you - EVERYONE has to ask for buffs in AO. Most would suggest that you join a guild willing to buff you...

2) Pharma Tech - Traders lead due to their pharma-tech buff, but all three (doc, engy, and traders) have buffs to easily get them over 1k skill requirements. The jobe implants may make exceptions to this rule, and it is hoped (at least by me) that docs recieve more pharma-tech items to compensate...

3) Nano-Programming - Both engineers and traders suffer in this category. However, if you're "sided" with Omni or Clan, you'll have a nice boost to get you over 1k easily (actually, I'm certain ANY class with a 1k token board reward, maxed NP, and implants can make the 1k implants). The buffs for NP come from MPs.

4) Computer Literacy - Traders stomp every other class in the game with this "trade skill". At higher levels, traders can beat any other class by about 250 as their buffs are self-only. However, the TRADESKILL requirements for complit tend to be fairly low - and don't forget the HUGE bonus to comp lit from the 1k token board reward. No profession should have any problem getting 1k comp lit, but many chose not too as it has little use after 400 or so (as people equip their top belts and such and forget about the skill).

5) Psychology - Huh? What? Tradeskill? Well, it's listed there, so I'll cover it for completeness. It has no tradeskill function that I can think of. As for other functions, it's rumored that it will reduce the cost of items to NPCs as comp lit does for machine shops. However, I can price an item when I'm fully buffed (around 700 psych), die, and price the same item in rez shock for the same price. Crats have the buffs for this "trade skill", but it is failry useless right now.

6) Chemistry - Self-buffed, engineers have the best skill here as well (I won't bother with agents, as they aren't really tradeskillers). Sharing buffs, it's even across the board. If the "Breastplate of Technical Ceremonies" is dropping (not sure), engineers beat every other class here as well.

7) Tutoring - To many, tutoring is actually one of the most useful of tradeskills. Maxed tutoring will allow the tradeskiller to raise a skill by +50 for 2 minutes. Also, each class has an even chance of raising the skill...with one exception - the engineer. The engineer's Giraldi crystal provides and additional 125 to tutoring (roughly 200 tutoring if you're using a lower QL in the off-hand). No other class has a profession-specific tutoring bonus from items such as this.

So, to sum it up:

Mechanical Engineering - Engineer due to prof-specific items, but must be social and ask for buffs.
Electrical Engineering - Engineer due to prof-specific items, but must be social and ask for buffs.
Field Quantum Physics - Engineer due to prof-specific items, but must be social and ask for buffs.
Weapon Smithing - Engineer due to prof-specific items, but must be social and ask for buffs.
Pharmacutical Tech - Traders if self-buffing, followed by docs and engineers. All three are equal if buffs are shared.
Nano Programming - MP if self-buffing. All classes lag behind the MP in Nano Programming, but the 1k token board reward boost is enough to get anyone over 1k.
Computer Lit - Traders.
Psychology - Crats (but who really cares!) :P
Chemistry - Engineers
Tutoring - Engineers, no 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts' about it.

So, if you don't mind being social and asking for buffs:

1 - Engineers lead 6/10 at being "the best"
2 - Traders in 2nd with 2/10 at being "the best"

However, both can function quite well at tradeskilling. If you want someone that is "good" at trade skills and okay in PvM, pick a trader. If you want someone "great" at trade skills, but must invest IP into other "useless" skills (such as MC and TS for the bot, and misc skills for things like crystals) pick an engineer.

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If you want me to point you to some items in the database, just let me know. Sorry I was so long-winded.

Provisioner

[RVWinkle]

Acually the eng crystal can be matched by traders in the endgame with a khan. Save for the skill reqs the Khan is better overall since you can dual wield a jess with it.

http://auno.org/ao/db.php?cmd=view&id=123960&t=ag

The way I see it is that tradeskills in this game were meant to be social as in you need buffs from others to get most stuff done. The simple route is the Trader since they have massive self buffs that they can cast easily due to their drains. The engineer stands out if you intend to spend alot of time and meet several conditions. First you have to have lots of friends, i.e. a good guild. Then you have to drag these friends out for long camping sessions to get unique nodrop items that aren't guaranteed to drop. If you spend alot of time acquiring these rare items then you can get buffed by other profs and be better than anyone else by 55 points or less.

[Krabbus]

have just one thing to say, increase duration of meastroes to 1-2 hours

[Ravikon]

Thanks all for the kind replies. It's a lot of information to digest, but very worth it! For my wife and I, we plan to go ahead and have her make a trader and me an engineer, not as main characters but to be helped along by our main characters. Our big interest is in being able to create the various items that we'll need for ourselves and friends as we progress, and it looks like this combination will do the job Any additional information is very much welcomed!

Ravikon

[Krabbus]

Just wanted to say that an Engineer at level 125 can make QL160ish nanocrystals selfbuffed (QL125 implants swapping), QL180ish Mausser and QL160 jewellery with all tradeskills maxed and abilities such as sta/agi/int/psy.

Also playing a trader, and teaming is much more fun with this profession (backup healer, calming, massroot, wrangle etc.)

[____________Intrepid]

Originally posted by Provisioner
That depends on a lot of things:

1) Engineers are, hands down, the best at Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Field Quantum Physics, and Weapon Smithing. Why? Well:

- Engineers and Traders will both max out at the same in all 4.
- Although Traders hold the buffs for these 4 skills, engineers still have access to them (they must ask a trader for a buff).
- Engineers have profession-specific items to boost these skills (some of which, like the Giraldi crystal, are incredibly easy to obtain) - traders have none at all. If you're serious about tradeskills (and not just damage output), gear your character towards these items.

By-and-by, engineers beat traders in these 4 skills hands down (regardless of what Intrepet says). The only issue is asking for buffs, but I hate to tell you - EVERYONE has to ask for buffs in AO. Most would suggest that you join a guild willing to buff you...

2) Pharma Tech - Traders lead due to their pharma-tech buff, but all three (doc, engy, and traders) have buffs to easily get them over 1k skill requirements. The jobe implants may make exceptions to this rule, and it is hoped (at least by me) that docs recieve more pharma-tech items to compensate...

3) Nano-Programming - Both engineers and traders suffer in this category. However, if you're "sided" with Omni or Clan, you'll have a nice boost to get you over 1k easily (actually, I'm certain ANY class with a 1k token board reward, maxed NP, and implants can make the 1k implants). The buffs for NP come from MPs.

4) Computer Literacy - Traders stomp every other class in the game with this "trade skill". At higher levels, traders can beat any other class by about 250 as their buffs are self-only. However, the TRADESKILL requirements for complit tend to be fairly low - and don't forget the HUGE bonus to comp lit from the 1k token board reward. No profession should have any problem getting 1k comp lit, but many chose not too as it has little use after 400 or so (as people equip their top belts and such and forget about the skill).

5) Psychology - Huh? What? Tradeskill? Well, it's listed there, so I'll cover it for completeness. It has no tradeskill function that I can think of. As for other functions, it's rumored that it will reduce the cost of items to NPCs as comp lit does for machine shops. However, I can price an item when I'm fully buffed (around 700 psych), die, and price the same item in rez shock for the same price. Crats have the buffs for this "trade skill", but it is failry useless right now.

6) Chemistry - Self-buffed, engineers have the best skill here as well (I won't bother with agents, as they aren't really tradeskillers). Sharing buffs, it's even across the board. If the "Breastplate of Technical Ceremonies" is dropping (not sure), engineers beat every other class here as well.

7) Tutoring - To many, tutoring is actually one of the most useful of tradeskills. Maxed tutoring will allow the tradeskiller to raise a skill by +50 for 2 minutes. Also, each class has an even chance of raising the skill...with one exception - the engineer. The engineer's Giraldi crystal provides and additional 125 to tutoring (roughly 200 tutoring if you're using a lower QL in the off-hand). No other class has a profession-specific tutoring bonus from items such as this.

So, to sum it up:

Mechanical Engineering - Engineer due to prof-specific items, but must be social and ask for buffs.
Electrical Engineering - Engineer due to prof-specific items, but must be social and ask for buffs.
Field Quantum Physics - Engineer due to prof-specific items, but must be social and ask for buffs.
Weapon Smithing - Engineer due to prof-specific items, but must be social and ask for buffs.
Pharmacutical Tech - Traders if self-buffing, followed by docs and engineers. All three are equal if buffs are shared.
Nano Programming - MP if self-buffing. All classes lag behind the MP in Nano Programming, but the 1k token board reward boost is enough to get anyone over 1k.
Computer Lit - Traders.
Psychology - Crats (but who really cares!) :P
Chemistry - Engineers
Tutoring - Engineers, no 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts' about it.

So, if you don't mind being social and asking for buffs:

1 - Engineers lead 6/10 at being "the best"
2 - Traders in 2nd with 2/10 at being "the best"

However, both can function quite well at tradeskilling. If you want someone that is "good" at trade skills and okay in PvM, pick a trader. If you want someone "great" at trade skills, but must invest IP into other "useless" skills (such as MC and TS for the bot, and misc skills for things like crystals) pick an engineer.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want me to point you to some items in the database, just let me know. Sorry I was so long-winded.

Provisioner

spoken like a person who has obviously never played a engineer.

The giraldi crystal is not possible to equip IP wise til well after level 170 unless you are gimping yourself or not doing tradeskills in which case there is no reason to use it.

The breastplate and helmet of techincal ceremonies has not dropped in game yet. People think it drops of the same mob as the doc version but i have not seen one person come out and say they have the engie version.

Trader and engineer have exactly the same tops in all these skills right now the only difference is the trader who doesn't have to hunt down buffs every 30 minutes

I have a level 131 trader and a level 167 engineers and let me tell you from experience not from the "theory" provisioner has. Trader knock the socks off engies for tradeskills.