Questions from a new Artisan

[Xeiesa]

First of all, I'm pretty new to the game, so I may ask a few well-known questions. I swear I've scoured the boards for answers, though! Thanks to Rich for pointing me to the game; I've been really enjoying myself.

Anyway, my questions, in no particular order:

1. Is there a pottery/crafting counter (as there was for forging in DR)? I've been throwing a lot of forks, and I've noticed that, while mostly I get low-end work (shoddy, gnarled, etc.), occasionally I will hit something like mediocre or middling. Am I just getting lucky?

2. Does paint ever run out? I know glaze does, but looking at the paint doesn't give me any "it is half-full" type message.

3. Is there anywhere else to work with clay other than the art center in Llanfair?

4. How come you only have to fire clay items once? In real life, you've gotta fire them after glazing too, otherwise you don't get the nice, shiny quality. And speaking of realism... just exactly how does one make forks on a wheel?? (It would be nice if we could make certain items anywhere.)

5. I've noticed that pottery does not exactly get my exp flying -- my friends tell me they can fill up in combat in less than 15 minutes, but I *never* fill up on pottery (I think maybe I get to the first exp level... I don't really watch though). Sculpting is my favorite thing to do, so it saddens me that I, as an Artisan, still can't really learn well from it. Does anybody have suggestions for how to gain exp well out of combat?

Finally, I have a suggestion. I think that throwing pots should really get us dirty:

You see Xeiesa Ceii, an Alteri.
She has inky black eyes and a pale gray complexion.
Upon her lips, she has mandarin orange lipstick.
She has an oval face and lightly speckled skin.
Her hands are covered in goopy wet clay.
She has an average build.

>
Xeiesa Ceii shakes your hand, getting slimy clay goop all over you!
>
Xeiesa Ceii smiles.
>
Xeiesa Ceii says, "Buy my forks!"
>

Hehe. Okay, that is all. Sorry for the long post.

- Xeiesa Ceii -
Maker of Forks

[HR-Hunter]

I'll leave most of your questions for Arden since she's artisan guru, but I'll answer #5 for you.

Unlike DR, having your mind be more full doesn't make it absorb more quickly. Gaining a little exp to keep a pittance in your pool, or amassing tons of EXP that overflows from your pool, both absorb at the same rate.

Combat does teach more, assuming you're hunting at level, because of the risks involved, but as long as your gaining EXP the only thing you lose by gaining it slowly is the drain-time for sitting around doing nothing.

Another factor that effects you is that Lower level characters absorb more slowly, so while Pottery seems to barely give you any EXP, once you gain some levels and your absorbtion drops to the "average" level, it won't seem quite so slow.
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~Hunter~

[SoulTorn]

[senseandviolets]

Hi there Xeiesa, glad to have a new and dedicated Artisan aboard!

1. I *think* you just sometimes get lucky. Just for a gauge at what rate your consistent good work will increase--level 100 is the goal set for the "best" pottery. I personally enjoy some of the quarkier low level adjectives such as "peculiar," the random factor really is fun. :]

2. Yes, paint does run out. Eventaully water will get dirty and need to be replaced as well, but that's not implimented yet.

3. I haven't found the new place Soul Torn mentioned--Hint pwease? Other then the pottery center in Llanfair there is a broken down pottery wheel on the Isle of Mist that I don't recomend using (the room has a negetive bonus applied to pottery). I just dont believe there's enough demand to merit the other cities building pottery centers yet.

4. I'm glad we only have to fire them once, sure it's less realistic but umm... pottery already takes much longer than many other of the crafting systems as it is. I believe it's a case of sacrificing realism for playability. I do however agree that I feel very silly making certain items such as forks on the pottery wheel, but at one point Arden asked us for suggestions on things we'd like to be able to sculpt and added many (if not all) of them onto the list--I hope in live we will be able to truly "sculpt" certain items anywhere and save them for later firing. (On a related note, I also think tailoring certain items such as shoes, exactly the way we do shirts is a bit too unrealistic.)

5. The exp was actually adjusted on pottery once to give more--at one point it would actually let your pool drain completely while activily practicing the skill. I'd eventually like to see pottery work more like tailoring where you have to gain a certain amount of skill to be able to make certain items. Also I'd like to eventually be able to learn more or less relative to how "difficult" the task is for you--hopefully this would be reflected in the roundtimes as well. Hunting something that most likely won't but conceivably *can* kill you is the best way (for wimpy me) to gain exp with it.

I love your suggestion about pottery actually gettings us "goopy." Back when I played a race with hair I had some "unidentifable substances" cosmetically altered into it.
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Behind every optic is a mathematic.

[HR-Arden]

Layne has answered all of your questions accurately, but I'll clear up a few things about the future of pottery as it will appear in live.

• There is a bit of a random factor. I'm sure everyone has good days and bad days. Maybe your current mood should have an effect on the result.

• It will work a bit more like tailoring where available projects will depend on your skill. This may mean doing away with the adjectives all together, but I'd like to know your thoughts on that.

• Realism will be more of a factor, but not to the point that you'll have to fire twice. I plan to add 'techniques' like coiling, pinching, texturing, smoothing, notching, etc. Not all things will be made on the wheel.

• I like the dirty hands idea.

As for other places to do pottery... there is another area, and gaining access has something to do with the errands system. NEWS 90 for more information on that.
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Arden [hr-arden@haelrahv.com]

I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. -- Bilbo Baggins

[Xeiesa]

Wow, thanks for the prompt and informative responses!

[HR-Arden]

[HR-Trevor]

But as a side note as far as skills training in live, you will be able to advance skills and skillsets by performing actions rather than a fixed number of points, so there is less concern about screwing up training.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." -- Plato

-- Trevor Rage / Rich Mondy