Merchants: Chainmail Patterns

[Webwolf]

I can't find anything on the entire internet that mentions the introduction of Ornate Chain Armor and I think it's probably because it was never introduced as part of an expansion. Also the fact that there is a huge gap in between banded armor and fine plate to me is a sign that there is something wrong. I clearly remember making ornate chain after I was done with banded back in the day. But since I can't find proof of either there is a chance I could be wrong.

[Webwolf]

More interesting facts about this:

The initial entry date on Lucy for all 3 basic armor sets (banded, ornate chain and fine plate) is the same 2002-12-22 which I is probably when Lucy launched so that doesn't help very much.

After looking at the Expansion Specific Groupings on this list of recipes it seems that Kunark didn't add any new trade skills recipes and while Velious did add new recipes, pretty much all of them used Velium.
I know you pointed out that this list was created in 2003 but it's very difficult to find EQ related websites that date prior to 2002.

This is so intriguing...

[Webwolf]

Scrubby, I was too quick to dismiss your comments my appologies for that. It seems like you are correct, if there is no Ornate Chain then the trivial levels for both Banded Armor and Fine Plate are too low. After me not being able to find any dates on the introduction of Ornate Chain I started this thread on EQTraders asking for help on tracking down the date when Ornate Chain came out. The overal consensus is that Ornate Chain was added thru a patch at some point between Classic and Kunark, but before it was introduced the trivial levels for Banded and Fine Plate were alot higher.

So that would put the devs in a situation (assuming they would pursue this) where they need to either increase the trivial levels for banded to close the gap or add ornate chain back to the mix. I recommend adding back ornate chain as banded is too cheap to make and it would make it very easy to reach fine plate.

[Scrubby McGee]

Yeah, probably the best path is to introduce ornate chain with the plane of Sky.

I wouldn't worry about plate being difficult to make now. It wasn't supposed to be in at this point in time. Also, it's going to be lower in trivial levels compared to what it was on live up until Luclin.

I'd also wager that it has the code for the boosted skillup levels for smithing and tailoring that also came in that time.

[MutualofOmaha]

Ornate chain was definitely not classic, it was added in some time after Velious launched but before Luclin.

Blacksmithing skillups after banded were always a pain in the rear in classic. This is what made blacksmiths of high level extremely rare, as most players stopped smithing once they trivialed out in banded.

Fine plate was smithable before Kunark, as were fine plate armor dyes. I cannot remember exactly when fine plate recipes were added, but I remember buying evergreen leaves from newbies in Greater Faydark in the weeks leading up to the Kunark launch, because there wasn't much else to do besides make colored armor to sell.

[Webwolf]

Ok after alot of research I finally found the exact date of when Ornate Chain was introduced. If you look up EQtraders on web.archive.org and click on the Feb 03, 2001 archive then click on recipes you will see Ornate Chain listed under advanced recipes (9/19/00 patch).

The patch note for September 19, 2000 confirms the addition of several new recipes:

*Trade Skills Enhanced*

Many of the trade skills in game have received massive enhancements,
including dozens of new craftable items, new fishing and foraging
items, and other things to be discovered once in game.

In addition, trade-skill specialization has been implemented. Players
will be able to exceed 200 points of skill in ONE of the generally
available tradeskills. This includes:

- Baking
- Blacksmithing
- Brewing
- Jewelcraft
- Tailoring
- Fletching
- Pottery

Once above 200 points in one of these skills, no other skill will be
able to exceed 200. Specialization restrictions do not include class or
race-specific trade skills such as Alchemy, Make Poison, and Tinkering.
Players with race or class-specific trade skills will be able to exceed
200 points of skill in that skill, PLUS any generally available trade
skill.

The enhancement of trade skills is an on-going project. Further
enhancements will be made in the coming weeks.

That pin points Ornate Chain as being introduced on September 19, 2000 which is post Kunark: Release Date: 3/31/00 but prior to Velious: Release Date:12/04/00. And with that we can put this to rest.

[maultar]

But to quote Nilbog - "If you can find some evidence of its existence prior to 2002, post it up. This was actually a submission by beta testers that it should be removed."
Does that mean he will now add the stuff needed to make ornate?

Also on that Sept 2000 patch note it says you can go beyond 200, does that too mean we should add that as well? What stuff allowed you to go beyond 200?

[Webwolf]

Maultar I belive Nilbog mixed up the year. As I posted above ornate chain was introduced post Kunark, so it should be added after Kunark comes out, and the same goes for the higher skill limits.

[maultar]

So can one get "spanked" for making things they know should be post kunark? There are other places you can buy chainmail patterns I will check freeport today.