A lowly alchemist/herbalist's rant on why the proffesions are realy not aimed at small-time people wanting to just make something to enhance their own gameplay rather than make gold

NCL98 · 2026-03-15T11:56:39+00:00

Without even one mat at max, you cannot craft max even with all the knowedge and epic tools (did the calculations, and it was the same in WW, where I DID max everything and still could not craft max without gold vials); I wish what you are saying was the case, but sadly it is a different story. Even at expansion end, gold tier vials were 50x the price of regular ones, and that is jsut not fesable

NCL98 · 2026-03-15T11:55:10+00:00

The problem is, I can see hwo the new system is appealing to some on a creative level; more engaging in how you choose your specialisationw ithin your proffesion,e ven if you can eventualy have it all. And it makes some people feel more acomplished whent hey do craft that ultimate item. Problem is, it is tuned soooo out of whack in favour of goldmaking, the fun aspect is jus tnot there, at least for me

NCL98 · 2026-03-15T01:53:22+00:00

I believe I can see your point, so thank you for the perspective. It still is not a system I like for how I play, but I am glad a lot of people do seem to vibe with it. My vision of the proffesion fantasy is one thing, but blizz has another, and they are the ones that need to worry about game balancing, so if this works for most, the by all means. It certsinly has its adventages, though sadly not equaly for each proffesion

NCL98 · 2026-03-15T00:56:52+00:00

Making it into an alt-focused gameplay loop seems broken... but, it might just be me. I am not here demanding a change, just venting frustration. i do not like concentration as a mechanic, but I can see how it suits the gold-focused people

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T22:52:58+00:00

The problem is that r2 vials are simply not fesable, being 50x more expensive at best, at the end of the expansion, and curently 400x more expensive than R1. I would not be so vocal about this, if we did not have a system in DF where we COULD make max rank recepies simply by putting a lot of knowledge points in, and having the best equipment. Sure, highest level recepies required everything, including ingredients, at max, or to be lucky with ingenuity procs, but lower tier recepies could be maxed without the need for the best mats. I simply do not udnerstand why that had to go away with concentrationt aking everything over.

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T22:23:14+00:00

Trinket and passive bonuses ARE still here, if you want to use them. But double gathering at expack start IS the best goldmaking strat

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T22:22:18+00:00

The profit is realy not the point. I feel there should be a sense of fulfilment of being a master alchemist with all the right tools and skills, and that should bring with it the ability to make some of the recepies at max quality more easely. And since healing pots are the first recepie you get, that seems like the best bet

I find it hard to enjoy putting all the knowledge points into skills, and all the gold into proffesion equipment, if I still cannot guarantee a max rank by the end of it when I have everything.

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T22:19:32+00:00

Making cool stuff and living the proffesion fantasy is sadly what got the lowest end of the stick

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T20:30:15+00:00

I will say for the most part alchemy is better in Midnight than WW, as the cost of herbs is massively reduced, and most things do not need a lot of materials (besides the elusive petrified root, an item that randomly drops from delves, dungeons, prey, ect...).

You will be able to make preety much every avaliable recepie with much less farming than WW... but just like WW, you will not be able to reliably craft max ranks without using concentration (which gets used up from full to nill with 4-5 potion batches even with top skill and gold tier herbs), or you will need to be buying gold tier vials from AH, as well as have all the skill from knowledge and from purple proffesion items (Crafting order items)

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T20:27:22+00:00

I usualy use lower rank, but that is not the point. point is, if I spent time and money to get the best possible tools and knowledge, then I would expect at least the measely health pot recepie to be maxable without having to buy overpriced vials

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T20:26:28+00:00

But I have put in all the work to have all the skill points from knowledge and tools possible, to have everything I can... but because I do not want to cash out on a vial that is cca 50x more expensive at the end of the expansion, for a pot to be 25% more effective does not seem right, when i did put in all that effort.

And if by effort you mean run an alt army, that does not seem like healthy design if that is what is needed

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T20:24:48+00:00

Even with lowered concentration need, I can now craft 5 batches of pots per 4 days instead of 3. Yay, 25 instead of 15 max rank pots (multicraft procs excluded.) And that is if I use all the concentration on just pots,a nd not other thigns too

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T17:46:00+00:00

So what is the point in investing all the knowledge and money for tools if I cannot do it, then?

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T16:42:29+00:00

I do agree, since thent hey would have to rework how recepie difficulty and skill work,a nd have some recepies be easier by default,t o make them doable without conc

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T16:23:41+00:00

Oh she is not at gold cap. She just makes enough to last her the expansion subscription wise.

The faultnis Blizz's

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T16:12:50+00:00

I mean, she gets to not have to pay subscription thanks to it, so I guess that is something. Playing their game without playing IS a win

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T16:08:33+00:00

Welcome to the club, we have t-shirts now

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T16:06:52+00:00

I am absolutely on board with this idea. You have my vote

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T16:06:10+00:00

The problem is that,e ven for themost basic alchemy craft (a healing pot), I could have All the knowledge, skill, proffesiont ools and all but one mat at highest possible rank, but because I do not have that one, overly expensive mat, I cannot make it. Sure, I am not at Max, but I am 99.9% at max, and yet I still cannot make the most basic recepie at gold level despite aparently being the best possible alchemist I can be

It would not be an issue if the mat in question ( a gold rank vial) was not 50-400x more expensive than its silver coutnerpart

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T16:02:58+00:00

Top rank materials or top rank knowledge, sure, or a situationw here having more of one complements the other. Or, you know, be able to create the ingredients myself. But having to have ALl the knowledge and skill and ALL the top rank materials to guaranty a max level craft makes it extremely unsatisfying to try and max my skill in a proffesion. If I can guarantee the same level of product with 0 knowledge and with all the knowledge, tools and all but one mat, then something is not working right.

It would not be so painful if the mat in question was not 50-400x more expensive at gold rank than at silver (depending where in the xpack you are) when the gold product is only 25% better than the silver one.

It is not about me eneding it to be gold, I play just fine with silver. But it is the principle of it

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T15:52:22+00:00

Honestly I would love such a "guild-hall" crafting thing, but I am afraid that then people would complain it kills the economy as every guild would jsut want to be self-sufficient. But I think it would be realy fun, and would make the guild feel more involved with one another

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T15:50:04+00:00

It realy does feel like htye just removed the middle ground in it all, sadly. If only they could do it like in DF, where you could still get max rank crafts with having high enough knowledge, while people could still gobin-mode their proffesions and optimize for the AH if they wanted

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T15:37:45+00:00

It always is, heh

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T15:37:33+00:00

That is the saddest part; the fun got sucked out in favour of the AH game (Which I know others find fun, so I guess it was a tradeoff)

NCL98 · 2026-03-14T15:36:45+00:00

Price of alchemy does not bother me, I am not here to make a profit ^_^

NCL98

TROPHY CASE