Crafting Fail: Firewood Imperfect Despite Macro
Hey crafters! Ever poured your heart and soul (and all your CP) into a craft, only to watch it fail at the last second? I had a similar experience trying to make some perfect firewood. Let's dive into what happened, the macro I used, and where things went wrong. I'm hoping we can learn something from this and avoid similar fails in the future.
The Setup
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, here's a snapshot of my crafting stats when I attempted this bundle of perfect firewood:
- Craftsmanship: 416
- Control: 404
- CP: 322
- Level: 53
I also had "Ensure 100% Quality" enabled, because, well, I wanted that perfect firewood! You know, the kind that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, not just because it's firewood, but because you crafted it perfectly.
The Calculated Solution (or So I Thought)
I'm a big fan of macros; they save time and help streamline the crafting process. Here's the macro I used for this attempt:
/ac "Innovation" <wait.2>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Waste Not" <wait.2>
/ac "Innovation" <wait.2>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Byregot's Blessing" <wait.3>
/ac "Veneration" <wait.2>
/ac "Basic Synthesis" <wait.3>
/ac "Basic Synthesis" <wait.3>
/ac "Basic Synthesis" <wait.3>
It looks pretty solid, right? Innovation to boost quality gains, Standard Touch for consistent quality increases, Waste Not to conserve durability, and Byregot's Blessing for that final quality push. And some Basic Synthesis to finish it up.
The Crafting Log: A Play-by-Play of Doom
Here's how the craft actually went down, according to the game log:
- You begin synthesizing a bundle of perfect firewood.
- You remove the following from your bag:
- 2 wind clusters
- 1 ice cluster
- 1 aged spear shaft
- 2 cypress logs
- 1 pinch of grenade ash
- You use Innovation Success!
- You use Standard Touch Success!
- Quality increases by 316.
- Durability decreases by 10.
- You use Standard Touch Success!
- Quality increases by 522.
- Durability decreases by 10.
- You use Standard Touch Success!
- Quality increases by 380.
- Durability decreases by 10.
- You use Waste Not Success!
- You use Innovation Success!
- You use Standard Touch Success!
- Quality increases by 411.
- Durability decreases by 5.
- You use Standard Touch Success!
- Quality increases by 443.
- Durability decreases by 5.
- You use Standard Touch Success!
- Quality increases by 475.
- Durability decreases by 5.
- You use Byregot's Blessing Success!
- Quality increases by 892.
- Durability decreases by 10.
- You use Basic Synthesis Success!
- Progress increases by 102.
- Durability decreases by 10.
- You use Basic Synthesis Success!
- Progress increases by 102.
- Durability decreases by 10.
- You use Basic Synthesis Success!
- Progress increases by 102.
- Durability decreases by 10.
- Your synthesis fails!
Everything seemed to be going swimmingly, quality was increasing steadily, and then... FAILURE! Dun dun duuuun! The horror! It's like watching a souffle fall flat after all that effort.
The Culprit: CP Management
So, what went wrong? After reviewing the log, it became clear: I ran out of CP. Specifically, I didn't have enough CP to execute Veneration. In my haste to maximize quality, I neglected to account for the CP cost of each action. I was sitting there with only 12 CP left, staring at the screen in disbelief as my craft crumbled before my very eyes. This shows the crucial role of CP management during crafting. You can have all the Craftsmanship and Control in the world, but if you can't fuel your skills, you're sunk.
Lessons Learned & Macro Adjustments
Okay, so I messed up. But every crafting failure is a learning opportunity, right? Here's what I'm taking away from this experience:
- CP is King (or Queen): Always, always, always keep an eye on your CP. It's the lifeblood of your crafting rotation. Plan your actions accordingly, and don't get greedy with those high-CP skills unless you're sure you can afford them.
- Simulate, Simulate, Simulate: Before committing to a macro, run it through a crafting simulator. There are tons of great resources online that can help you predict the outcome of your crafts based on your stats and the skills you use. This would have highlighted the CP issue before I wasted materials.
- Consider CP-Efficient Alternatives: Maybe Veneration wasn't the best choice for this particular craft, given my CP limitations. There might have been a lower-cost alternative that could have provided a similar boost to synthesis progress without draining my CP reserves. Skills like Careful Synthesis might be a better fit in some cases.
Macro Adjustments for CP Conservation
To address the CP issue, I'm tweaking the macro to be more conservative. Here's a revised version that incorporates these lessons:
/ac "Innovation" <wait.2>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Waste Not" <wait.2>
/ac "Innovation" <wait.2>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Standard Touch" <wait.3>
/ac "Byregot's Blessing" <wait.3>
/ac "Careful Synthesis II" <wait.3>
/ac "Careful Synthesis II" <wait.3>
/ac "Careful Synthesis II" <wait.3>
I've replaced the Veneration and Basic Synthesis combo with Careful Synthesis II. While each cast of Careful Synthesis II is slower, and grants a little less progress, it's much more CP-efficient, allowing me to complete the craft without running dry.
Final Thoughts: Crafting is a Journey
Crafting in games like FFXIV is a journey of experimentation, learning, and sometimes, spectacular failures. Don't be discouraged by setbacks; use them as opportunities to refine your skills and strategies. And always remember: CP is your friend. Treat it well, and it will guide you to crafting glory! Happy crafting, everyone!
Do you have any crafting failure stories or CP management tips to share? Let's hear them in the comments below!