all the different definitions of what or what not an engineer should be, there are several nagging questions I would like to post to Funcom:
Disclaimer: I am playing an Engineer for 4-5 months only, so I am not the most experienced one.
I don't want anybody nerfed!
[- Pet pathing: We live and die with our pet -> a number of resulting problems, discussed elsewhere]
[- Team helpfulness or desirability besides Beacon Warp]
- Tradeskills (let's look at them individually)
- Ring making. (-> Prices have been dropped)
You need ME exclusively (the limiting step is inserting and cutting of the ring: ME ~ qlx5).
Code:
Prof. Skill Buffs
Adv 6 (5) -
Agent 7.5(4) -
Eng 5 (5) -
Fixer 7.5(4) -
Trader 6 (5) +40/80/120
Adv, Eng and Trader are almost on par concerning skill cost, minimal advantage for the Engineer. Traders can buff themselves (~ +8/+16/+24 ql) and have buffs to assist themselves (Ransack/Plunder, Deprive).
The art of ring making is almost extinguished. The number of people performing this is so low, we all could meet in the Borealis speciality shop without fearing over overcrowding the room. It is time consuming and the XP might be interesting below level 50. Nowerdays you can't even make a (tiny) profit.
- Blood plasma (very cost effective)
You need Pharma Tech for that: qlx5.
Code:
Prof. Skill Buffs
Agent 8 (4) +50
Doctor 5 (5) -
Enf 8 (4) -
Eng 7.5(4) +62
Fixer 7.5(4) -
Trader 5 (5) +40/80/120
Agents and Engineers can self buff, but have more expensive skills than the Doc (sure) and the Trader(?), which of course has the most powerful buffs (again ).
- Implants.
You need NP for that (varying requirements, depending on implant and cluster - haven't figured it yet).
Code:
Prof. Skill Buffs
Eng 6 (5) -
MP 5 (5) +20/+92
NT 5 (5) -
Trader 7 (4) -
Clearly the domain of the MPs (self buffable and assisting buffs, see above), followed by NTs and Engis (minimal more costs) and Traders, than can't raise that fast.
- Weapon building. (Mostly broken - not all - general rule, you can't build good weapons, very few exceptions)
Needs a combination of WS, ME, EE and NP.
Cheapest skill costs for the Engineer: 21(5), followed by the Trader: 23(NP raises 4 per level, all other 5). Eventually the Fixer: 31.5 (WS raises 5, all other 4).
As an Engineer/Fixer you need either a Trader and a MP, Traders might/will need an MP.
- Nano crystals. (Interesting these days - prices have dropped, countermeasure to the fact, that most discs can only be found on Boss MOBs).
Here you need a large set of trade skills: ME, EE, QFFT for the program crystal, NP and CL for the PPPE.
Engis have the cheaper set of skills and can raise all of them 5 points per level (higher max), but cannot buff a single one of them. Traders have cheap skills, but can raise NP and CL only 4 points per level, BUT can buff 4 of the 5 skills (CL skyhigh).
So, in the end, Engineers need again a Trader and a MP, Traders might go alone or just ask a MP for NP buff.
- Armor making. (Very interesting - limited by the availablity of the <PPPE shape 'x' armor> - Boss loot only)
Actually I don't know what skills are needed for this discipline, but according to the available patterns and a comment I read most likely ME. Situation described above.
- Virral eggs. (To high that I know about)
I assume it needs classical trade skills as well, so no difference to above.
So what do we summarize?
- Engis have the least skill costs, true. But we know that the pure base skill is not of major importance, buffs rule, besides implants whose accessibility is the same for all.
- Most suited for trade skills are the Traders, because they can self buff at very early levels and will not be level restricted in the future (FC wording - no level caps on old nanos)
- All constructors need eventually an MP for the NP buff.
- Blood plasma, again the trader in advance.
- Implant swapping (and the necessary treatment buffs) are the same for all of us.
If this is intended, alright, we have to accept it. No Engi is asking for the Über-buff to get rid of buff begging - we like that . But some tiny toons (whatever) to enhance our abilities 'a bit' could help us a lot. (NO, we don't want to have a +120 buff - it is ok, that we need a trader to make the very level items)
So long,
Vermeer