I've read up on the topic quite a bit through beta, and I know some changes went into place right at the end there. Slicing used to be a big money-maker and then it got nerfed I read. And you can only get blue recipes now if you have corresponding skills. How far does that go? Does that mean you need to have a Armormech, scavenging, and Underworld Trading all together in order to get a blue recipe or just Armormech and scavenging?

Does having straight gathering or taking something like slicing for profit offset the loss of blue recipes? Or are you better off selling those items?

And lots of people will have scavenging and there are droids all over. So are gathering professions like bioanalysis and archeology better? There are fewer skills that require those and chances are those that take those skills will take the corresponding gathering skill.

Do you think you are better off selling mats to start, or actual crafted items?

I know things are just starting and that things will run different from beta, but I wanted to get some people's thoughts on where the best credit making paths are with the crew skills.

Do you think you are better off selling mats to start, or actual crafted items?

Early on you can't make much that's significantly better than drops/rewards. Everyone and their brother will be bulk crafting to level as quickly as possible.

My prediction is that we'll quickly get to the point where crafted items are sold for less than the value of the materials used to make them. Prices of mats will spiral upwards until they stabilize, prices of finished items will plummet until people just reverse engineer instead of trying to sell.

Slicing is decent bonus money ("Hey, I just got credits for clicking this node!"), but my prediction is that selling mats will be the better, more sustainable income. The main thing holding it back initially is that we're in early days; crafting is a credit sink and most people won't have much disposable income yet.

Early on you can't make much that's significantly better than drops/rewards. Everyone and their brother will be bulk crafting to level as quickly as possible.

 

My prediction is that we'll quickly get to the point where crafted items are sold for less than the value of the materials used to make them. Prices of mats will spiral upwards until they stabilize, prices of finished items will plummet until people just reverse engineer instead of trying to sell.

 

Slicing is decent bonus money ("Hey, I just got credits for clicking this node!"), but my prediction is that selling mats will be the better, more sustainable income. The main thing holding it back initially is that we're in early days; crafting is a credit sink and most people won't have much disposable income yet.

I'm kinda thinking the same thing to start.

I was contemplating going slicing/bioanalysis/scavenging to start. The bioanalysis and scavenging offer lots of opportunity for gathering simply by questing. And then I can sell of all the mats from those. And then for slicing, I can be sending my companion on quests for that.

Biochem will always be profitable since crafted Medpacs, Stims, and Adrenals are head and shoulders above same-level vendor consumables.

Artifice will most likely depend on selling color crystals, rare enhancements, and reverse engineered rare offhands.(Offhands tend to have poor availability from vendors and quest rewards.)

Synthweaving and Armormech will mostly depend on finding a popular but hard-to-get aesthetic armor and selling Exceptional versions with all four mod slots. A lot of Jedi players don't want to get stuck in robes or a dress and crafted customs are their best option to avoid these. I know one of the first thing's I'll do on my Guardian is get one of those Republic Trooper vests.

Be aware that an Exceptional crafted item is defacto better than other gear as long as there's a ready supply of augments.

Speaking of, slicing will make good money from augment missions.

Cybertech's best bet is probably Armoring mods and lucking into a big ticket item like a landspeeder. Lord knows if the blue & white swift speeder is now Cybertech only I'll pay a premium for it.

It may be impossible to guess at the market for items at this point. I've been a fairly adept WoW Auctioneer (I was near the old gold cap in LK, but haven't gone for the updated Million cap).

Maybe I can make some assumptions:

Gathering had always been the "sure thing" for money, but it was at a cost of playing time, so I relied on other gatherers, making my gold on margin by buying materials for crafting.

While this has been changed some by allowing companions to do gathering missions, being a pure gatherer puts you at the whims of the Auction House (not that they won't be profitable, but we're back to the problem of not knowing which crafting prof will be the most profitable, therefore, not knowing which gatherer will be most profitable)

In WoW, armor/weapon crafting professions were "just okay" because what you made was only worthwhile for a limited time. You would make some gold, but you were more market-limited on the number of pieces per day you would sell.

The augments in WoW were the most profitable (Jewelcrafting especially, but this also included armor patches/threads) because each week after raiding, nearly everyone had a new item that was ready to be gemmed, enchanted, patched. While the profit margin on each piece was less than on a high level piece of armor, you sold a lot more, and your risk vs. reward ratio was better.

Let's add to this piece the Crew Skills that don't fit the WoW mold. Slicing, for example. It's similar to Rogue lockpicking, but then not really. It's a sure-fire income, with no downside, but has a lower potential high-end margin. I think this is where people will go early in launch, especially Bounty Hunters for Mako's bonus to slicing (2.5 minutes instead of 3 minutes per mission, for example). Treasure Hunting for lockboxes kinda fits here too.

I think that most peoples' instincts are going to lead them to craft their own gear, so the Bathrobe Brigade may all go the artifice/archy/TH, or Synth/Archy/UT, and the Uncivilized Blaster classes will go Armortech/Scavenging/UT, Armstech/Scavenging/Investigation.

This leaves an opening for Cybertech and Biochem to be the least used, and therefore, the most in-demand crewskills.

I think until there's a matured server where everyone is hitting their weekly Operations, there will be wild swings in profitability. I will most likely wait for the dust to settle and get Slicing, Treasure Hunting, and Scavenging (because it is involved in 3 crafting skills), and see where the market goes.

Sorry for the tl;dr and then ambiguous answers. I feel like we CAN make educated guesses on the most profitable (I'm guessing Cybertech and Biochem will be the top), but it may take awhile to reach that point while we generate a market. Of course, I'm probably wrong anyway..

It may be impossible to guess at the market for items at this point. I've been a fairly adept WoW Auctioneer (I was near the old gold cap in LK, but haven't gone for the updated Million cap).

 

Maybe I can make some assumptions:

 

Gathering had always been the "sure thing" for money, but it was at a cost of playing time, so I relied on other gatherers, making my gold on margin by buying materials for crafting.

 

While this has been changed some by allowing companions to do gathering missions, being a pure gatherer puts you at the whims of the Auction House (not that they won't be profitable, but we're back to the problem of not knowing which crafting prof will be the most profitable, therefore, not knowing which gatherer will be most profitable)

 

In WoW, armor/weapon crafting professions were "just okay" because what you made was only worthwhile for a limited time. You would make some gold, but you were more market-limited on the number of pieces per day you would sell.

 

The augments in WoW were the most profitable (Jewelcrafting especially, but this also included armor patches/threads) because each week after raiding, nearly everyone had a new item that was ready to be gemmed, enchanted, patched. While the profit margin on each piece was less than on a high level piece of armor, you sold a lot more, and your risk vs. reward ratio was better.

 

Let's add to this piece the Crew Skills that don't fit the WoW mold. Slicing, for example. It's similar to Rogue lockpicking, but then not really. It's a sure-fire income, with no downside, but has a lower potential high-end margin. I think this is where people will go early in launch, especially Bounty Hunters for Mako's bonus to slicing (2.5 minutes instead of 3 minutes per mission, for example). Treasure Hunting for lockboxes kinda fits here too.

 

I think that most peoples' instincts are going to lead them to craft their own gear, so the Bathrobe Brigade may all go the artifice/archy/TH, or Synth/Archy/UT, and the Uncivilized Blaster classes will go Armortech/Scavenging/UT, Armstech/Scavenging/Investigation.

 

This leaves an opening for Cybertech and Biochem to be the least used, and therefore, the most in-demand crewskills.

 

I think until there's a matured server where everyone is hitting their weekly Operations, there will be wild swings in profitability. I will most likely wait for the dust to settle and get Slicing, Treasure Hunting, and Scavenging (because it is involved in 3 crafting skills), and see where the market goes.

 

Sorry for the tl;dr and then ambiguous answers. I feel like we CAN make educated guesses on the most profitable (I'm guessing Cybertech and Biochem will be the top), but it may take awhile to reach that point while we generate a market. Of course, I'm probably wrong anyway..

I appreciate the feedback. Like you, I was weighing all the different factors and wanted to get other's input. It is hard to say at this point what the money makers will be. But I like reading people's rationale on what they think. I've changed my thoughts on what to get several times in the past day alone.

in every MMO I have played, potions were the most reliable money in the game.

Sure I could get some epic armor drop and sell that for millions once or twice, but potions were a steady stream of revenue.

I'm thinking of going that route if only for the permanent stims

One thing to remember is that if you want to make a lot of money don't try to sell each item for a huge profit. When I was an architect in SWG I had other architects complain constantly that my prices were too low. They wanted to make a weeks income on a few sales. Make an hour's income on 200 sales and you'll get repeat customers, referrals, and more money than you can spend.

Also, let everyone know that you'll make anything for the mats (though you don't have to refuse tips). People bringing you materials is by far the best way to acquire them. Depriving the world market of their credits is a small price to pay. Again, people will come back to you and send their friends.

Note - this does not work for Sith. Sith must be rude to everyone and refuse all forms of help as a sign of weakness! This only applies to Republic crafters. You have been warned!

I would say Slicing (for schematics) and Investigation (again schematics) are probably better at making credit. I am thinking of having a second character just to have these two skills to earn me some disposable income.

The third one I would go for Diplomacy just to get more rare supply for my Biochem, which the surplus will be sold for more credits.

I am no marketeer and I would rather spend time playing the game. But having some spare change in the pocket is always a good idea.

Earlier in closed beta, slicing was very profitable. But during the latter builds it was balanced down so that you don't make money sending out missions. It was nice for picking up cash while questing of course.

Because of the specialty items needed for blue and purple crafting, you can't afford to waste a skill slot on slicing if you really want to make things. Each crafting skill now really requires a basic gathering skill (e.g. salvaging) and a mission skill for otherwise unobtainable ingredients (e.g. underworld). Waiting for the auction house to provide what you need when you need it at a price that seems reasonable is just asking for frustration.

I enjoy crafting, so I will do it. But if I was just in it to make money, I would just be a gatherer, like in so many MMOs.

Also, expect crafting to get revised quickly and often as they get their arms around the player economy: Beta was never in place long enough to have a fully realized economy under the current structure.

One thing to remember is that if you want to make a lot of money don't try to sell each item for a huge profit. When I was an architect in SWG I had other architects complain constantly that my prices were too low. They wanted to make a weeks income on a few sales. Make an hour's income on 200 sales and you'll get repeat customers, referrals, and more money than you can spend.

 

Also, let everyone know that you'll make anything for the mats (though you don't have to refuse tips). People bringing you materials is by far the best way to acquire them. Depriving the world market of their credits is a small price to pay. Again, people will come back to you and send their friends.

 

Note - this does not work for Sith. Sith must be rude to everyone and refuse all forms of help as a sign of weakness! This only applies to Republic crafters. You have been warned!

Crafting is really accessible in TOR, so I don't see the same situation as SWG had working well. People can all make the same quality and there isn't that much barrier to entry. So, buyers will just go to the GTN and buy the lowest priced stuff. GTN = Vending Machine. Unless you are actively trying to control the economy, undercutting by large margins will typically have negative effects to all sellers.

Note - this does not work for Sith. Sith must be rude to everyone and refuse all forms of help as a sign of weakness! This only applies to Republic crafters. You have been warned!

lovely, just perfectly lovely...and don't forget it Sith