Crafting Calculator

[TheTacticalGamer]

I know there's a calculator to help with setting up builds via stats, skills, and feats, but is there one for crafting too? It'd be useful to have to know how much of each crafting skill is needed to create the best gear for your chosen build so you can distribute the points accordingly while also taking bonuses from Under Pie and Core City Home Workbenches into account.

[Qiox]

Destroyer's guide in the guides section here covers that. Although there are a small number of items which can go higher in quality with the release of the expansion.

But in general, you should leave your final points to be allocated in crafting skills that are dependent on item quality until your final levels. This way you can stop short of the theoretical maximum and instead just go up to the requirements of what you actually found.

Even though I've played around 800 hours, I can count on one hand the number of components that I've found in the 160 to 169 range that was the max before the expansion released. The highest crafting requirement I've encountered is 161 even though the theoretical max was 169.

[TheTacticalGamer]

I've read that guide and it's very helpful, but it's doesn't exactly provide the information I seek. For example, his highest skill reqs list what is needed for a tactical vest is for one composed of a galvanized vest, super steel plates, psi beetle carapace, and blast cloth. But there are 2 problems with that: 1) those values are based on the value of the components he was able to find during his time playing, which are naturally going to be different from mine; and 2) it's for that specific combination. Point 2 is semi-moot since he does list the quality/requirements of other items from his gameplay, but that only strengthens the issue of point 1.

Useful as his information is, if I find components of higher quality or choose a different combination, Destroyer's guide only gives me an approximate area to aim for. It's great for my lower levels as I'm building up, but once I hit the higher levels and only have 40-50 points I can spread between all my crafting skills, knowing precisely how many points I'm going to need to put where is very important.

That's why I'm looking for a calculator; I want that precision. If I can pull up a schematic, plug in the components I intend to use, and set their quality (be it max possible or otherwise), I can see the exact numbers I'd need to create it. From there, I can calculate how many points I would need in the relevant skills to reach those points while also being able to take stat boosts, skill synergies, the 3 point boost from Under Pie, and 15% boost from workbenches into account, which would reduce how many points I need to put into those skills. And with those points free, I can invest them elsewhere.

I understand the chances of getting the absolute highest quality components in the game is very rare, to the point where it won't be surprising if I never see one. The counterpoint to that, though, is the potential diversity in skill points I can gain if I possessed exact knowledge a calculator would provide. You may need 127 Electronics and 44 Biology to make the best TC Psi Headband using the best components Destroyer has ever found, but that doesn't mean you need to invest 171 points into those skills in order to make it; you may only need 140, meaning there are 31 points you can invest elsewhere.

I'm not trying to put down or lower the value of your comments or Destroyer's guide, but you get the point I'm trying to make, yes? It's all about optimization and I'm just looking for the tools to help me do that.

[happybjorn]

The guide has the information you need, it just didn't do the exhaustive (and basic) math needed for each item combination. You can do exactly what you are describing with a spreadsheet and a bit of tedium.

As a practical matter you would be far better off with a build that has a small amount of flexibility.

[Qiox]

Originally posted by TheTacticalGamer:

I've read that guide and it's very helpful, but it's doesn't exactly provide the information I seek. For example, his highest skill reqs list what is needed for a tactical vest is for one composed of a galvanized vest, super steel plates, psi beetle carapace, and blast cloth. But there are 2 problems with that: 1) those values are based on the value of the components he was able to find during his time playing, which are naturally going to be different from mine;

No. It is for the highest possible quality of each of those components, hence the highest possible requirement (pre-DLC).

[TheTacticalGamer]

If that's the case, then I must have read that wrong. I'll look it over again.

By the way, does anyone know what the formula for how crafting skill bonuses are computed?

[happybjorn]

If you hover over the skill point area of the build tool it will tell you what contributes to the effective skill.

If you want to know how ability scores contribute read this: https://www.underrail.com/wiki/index.php?title=Base_Abilities

There is also an option in the Extras section (of the build tool) to select whether you are under a particular food effect (like underpie).

[King Fossil]

I don't think anyone has done a calculator, so you're going to have to work things out manually. The wiki has the requirements for each item so you can figure things out. It's usually quality*.8 but not always.