Synthesizing

[DakAttack]

So, I've been messing around with Blacksmithing, and I think I've got this whole thing figured out.

Firstly, there's a very large element to everything that's completely random.

You've got three variables consider when synthesizing: Progress, Durability, and Quality. When progress reaches 100% you win, and if durability reaches zero, you lose. Quality affects the final quality of the item.

You're able to choose from three different synthesis styles within a time limit: Standard, Rapid, and Bold. Standard doesn't really favor anything, raising progress by around 20%. Rapid favors progress, increasing it by around 30%. Bold favors quality. Every action you take will lower the durability. Failing a synthesis will lower the durability greatly, though it will raise the progress slightly. Failing to take an action in the allotted time will lower the durability by a very small amount. Waiting may change the color of your tool, but it reduces durability more and more each time you wait.

Are there ways to raise the innate durability or quality? Not sure.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE COLOR ON YOUR TOOL(hurr)

So far, my hypothesis on colors

White: STANDARD
Yellow: BOLD
Red: RAPID
Multiple: DUNNO

The multiple color one appears with more colors than white, yellow, and red, so I'm not sure what those are supposed to represent.

[Aeni]

Re: Synthesizing

I tried to make some observations (in beta) and under which conditions warrant a success and an HQ. I noted time, lunar phase and any other factors, including my own elemental composition (i.e., your resistance/affinity)

There's a lot of depth in the system this time around and it will take a bit for the community (like in FFXI) to grasp some of the finesse required to master crafting.

[Malacite]

Re: Synthesizing

You're able to choose from three different synthesis styles within a time limit: Standard, Rapid, and Bold. Standard doesn't really favor anything, raising progress by around 20%. Rapid favors progress, increasing it by around 30%. Bold favors quality. Every action you take will lower the durability.

Incorrect. Standard synthesis will sometimes increase progress & quality without taking away any durability.

Also, all of this is old news cept that last part about the 4 colors/stability. Using HQ ingredients increases your base Quality and Durability by the way. +3's make a huge difference. Also, you need to get quality to 200+ to HQ.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Synthesizing

Thanks Dak, I appreciate you putting up this info and updating it. I've been trying my best to help others out with bits of info, especially installation/payment stuff, and its nice to know you are helping.













...seems to me more people should help out with information instead of being condescending about it...

[WishMaster3K]

Re: Synthesizing

Multi-color is unstable. I usually try to "Wait" it out for a couple of turns to see if it changes color. You lose durability every turn by compounding numbers (1 on the 1st pass, 2 on the second pass, 3 on the third pass, etc), so out of principle, I usually only "wait" a max of 4 times then I just go with Standard. By that point, even on a fail, I figure that more points would be lost waiting something out.

Also pay attention to the "Wave" and the "Sparks", and the corresponding messages in the chat log about the element being unstable.

[Malacite]

Re: Synthesizing

Crafting in Final Fantasy XIV :: Wiki :: Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV, FF14) :: ZAM


I'm going to assume most of you haven't browsed through the various class abilities yet. Well, starting around rank 10, each DotH learns a special crafting ability you can equip, and can get more as you go up (there are also techniques you can purchase with guild marks)

These abilities can be shared amongst the other crafts too, with their effectiveness being based on affinity with that job much like with War and Magic. For example, Goldsmiths learn an ability that will greatly increase quality when synthing, and Carpenters can even get an ability that allows you to re-start a synth if you don't like how it's going (the success rate is based on your current progress I believe)


As it's related to crafting, I'd also like to point out that I'm going for Botanist 15 ASAP because they learn a skill that increases skill ups when gathering, which will make mining and fishing (and thus jack up my ability to collect resources for crafting) go much faster.

[DakAttack]

Re: Synthesizing

I updated the colors. Maybe they mean nothing, but this is what I'm having the best luck with. It's still possible to fail while using the correct style with the correct color, but it seems that the loss to durability will typically be less than 10. I've had durability losses of up to 30, which is Xbox hueg. Even when using quality materials, a durability of 100 goes pretty quickly if you're not careful.

Please let me know if the color guide helps. I've seen others supposing it represents your chace at success, red being the lowest, so I'd like to figure this out.

[DakAttack]

Re: Synthesizing

FINAL FANTASY XIV, The Lodestone



The development and management teams continue to address the questions and concerns of the community in an ongoing FAQ.



The topic addressed this time around is synthesis.



Synthesis



Q. I haven't been having much success crafting items. What am I doing wrong?

A. The colored, glowing graphics provides players with a large hint toward a successful synthesis. When the glow is white, the synthesis is at its most stable, and the chances of success are high. When the glow takes on a color, however, the chances of success are low. Players seeking simple completion of their synthesis rather than high-quality results should attempt to use the Wait command when the indicator is colored to restore the stability of the synthesis before finishing it.



Q. Is there a trick to synthesizing high-quality items?

A. Though synthesis actions carried out while the colored circle graphic is red suffer a reduced rate of success, they often serve to increase the quality of the synthesis. In addition, the successful execution of consecutive actions also serves to increase quality. Ultimately, the higher the quality of the synthesis process, the more likely it is to yield a high-quality result.



Q. What do the values attached to synthesis materials, such as +1, signify?

A. These values represent bonuses applied to the durability and quality of a synthesis when it is first begun. Unlike increases to quality made during the crafting process, this initial bonus has no bearing on the degree of difficulty of the synthesis. Such bonus materials therefore increase a player's chances at synthesizing high-quality items, without increasing the difficulty of the synthesis.



Q. I am able to choose between using my main hand or off hand tool when beginning a synthesis. What is the difference?

A. Main hand and off hand tools have varying characteristics which manifest themselves in different ways when a high-quality result is achieved while synthesizing. There are many possible outcomes. For instance, a successful synthesis with a main hand tool may result in a +1 or +2 item, while the result obtained with an off hand tool may be a higher yield of regular quality items.



Q. I don't have enough of the crystals I need for synthesis. Is there a way to get more of the certain crystal type I need?

A. Other than looting fresh corpses, crystals can also be obtained through gathering. Further, for Disciples of the Land, allotting elemental bonus points to a certain element will result in a greater likelihood of procuring crystals of that type. Location is another factor to consider, as some places will yield more of certain crystal types than others.











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So going by that, wouldn't yellow be the opposite of Red? Low quality result but high success rate? Very good info all around.

So, from what Mal posted about the update, my colors hypothesis may be completely incorrect. Unfortunately, they still werent crystal clear on the specifics of the colors, so we only really know slightly more than we used to.

I'd like to add that I've noticed a HQ result of synth techniques that provide a noticably larger glow than a normal success. I hadn't noticed this before and need to consider it when observing numbers in the future, but I believe it may increase quality gains and decrease durability losses.

[Aeni]

Re: Synthesizing

Taken from that thread, this is my post:

Flashing colors is the equivalent of a crafting slot machine. I've landed a white on standard and had great success. Something to keep in mind.

Yellow seems to have the greatest durability loss of any of these colors while giving the least amount of quality gains. This is observation after the changes yesterday. Red has been giving yellow a run for the money on durability loss but also has a way, way bigger pay off on quality gains than yellow. Standard gives the best bang for the buck (as it should) and has the appropriate durability loss for failing. Three or more straight successful standards in a row on the white or successful white off flashing yields the greatest amount of quality gains and the penalty for durability loss with a failure keeps going down with each success scored in a row. Also I noticed progress seems to be very strong and might even grow in strength the more times in a row you succeed.

Delaying in between success actually breaks the "chain" so while you can certainly delay to get a different color, you also risk the potential rewards lost breaking the chain and producing a larger durability failure which seems to accumulate (as Dak suggested in his thread)

Adding in usage of facility seems to add to the durabilty/quality when you start synthesis but does not seem to adjust the failure rate/success rate of individual synthesis. I've tried paying 400G for the guild facility on a basic synthesis and I've had a string of failures (no matter what color, no matter what process) to the point I suspect facilities add nothing to non-HQ synthesis.

[Malacite]

Re: Synthesizing

Adding in usage of facility seems to add to the durabilty/quality when you start synthesis but does not seem to adjust the failure rate/success rate of individual synthesis.

POIDH. As far as I can tell, guild facilities are the same deal as image support in XI. What does seem weird though is at times a Common shop gives better success than Master's, which is really messed up.

[Aeni]

Re: Synthesizing

What does seem weird though is at times a Common shop gives better success than Master's, which is really messed up.

It just means that you had a good streak while under the effect of one but does not prove (or disprove) that the effect had anything to do with your success. It could just be implied that these effects are useless and are SE's money sinks where people blindly put their coins into this to help draw a little of the gils out of the economy. I'm almost certain SE will continue to add even more money sinks. Until that day the rusty cap fishers find another exploit to take advantage of.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Synthesizing

Well I started Leatherworking. I did Armorer when there was the synth issue and it was HELL but I achieved Rank 5 on Leatherworking by doing 3 leves. It was MUCH more enjoyable!

[Malacite]

Re: Synthesizing

Leatherworking is really easy anyway. Get a tonne of sheepskins and wind/ice then grab support and craft away. Can do sheep leather all the way to 10 and I think higher, then take all that leather and make spetches, straps or vmaps depending on what you need (Vamps NPC for around 112 gil each and you get 12 per synth!)

[Aeni]

Re: Synthesizing

Copper Gorge Hooks are brutal as BS ... and it's Rank 5 recipe (according to everyone and SE) and it just feels more like a Rank 15 ...

[Aeni]

Re: Synthesizing

So I decided to express in numerical terms results from synthesizing. This is laborious work since SE's chat box and very laggy UI frustrates me more than I care to deal with but this is what I have so far.

Sea Sand Synthesis (5 attempts, 3 standard, 1 rapid and 1 bold) This is a culinary rank 1 recipe (fyi my skill is currently at Rank 11 when running this test) It requires just 1 Tiger Cod, 1 Wind Shard (This is the best way to skill culinary IMHO and fishing up Tiger Cods is relatively painless)

Each synthesis has just straight types (i.e., first 3 are all standard, nothing else) which makes it easier to review the data.

http://www.illuminata7.net/images/synthesis1.pdf

I converted this Excel 2010 document into Adobe pdf form to make it easier for people to see this but you cannot interact with this document (if you're interested I can upload and PM the Excel, but not sure what you'd do with a small data set)

I might do more of these ... but I won't promise anything.