Fyrosfreddy
For the non spoon fed, it takes a lot longer than the time you describe. But it was fun figuring them out so I didn't see it as a time investment issue. I very much enjoyed the basic occs... adv occs ... not so much.
I am, to some extent, a non spoon fed, too. I figured out the first three occupations before advancing was blocked for months. My best riddle solution was 93% anyway, never achieved a better one on my own.
Yet, when advanced professions came, efficiency became an issue. Thus, I took help from friends, some guilds concentrating on occupations (not for free), and spoiler sites as far as available. In the meantime, solutions are widely known and aren't an issue. Still I suggest to anybody starting occupations to experience the fun of recipe riddles. Though I was not extremely successful, I enjoyed it.
On the other hand, using your own words about how long it takes to make 1500 cats, the fact remains if I simply grind a skill for that time, I'm getting more XP. When It takes longer to make the cats than it does to use them, it's a negative sum game.
You possibly misread me. I make 2-5 stacks a day (granted that 5 is together with my alt on the second sub) with an effort of about 1-1.5hr a day, all component farming included, in a relaxed way. I am speaking of q250. This spells 20-30 minutes per stack. (I may explain that in more depth if anybody is interested)
One stack is worth 100k xp, that's simple calculus. When I am in the final 10 or 20 levels, or leading edge in any crafting, I get an average of bit more than 100xp/mat. That means, digging 100k xp means digging 1000 mat, roughly. I am not a super digger who possibly yields 900 mats an hour, rather I am happy when considerably exceeding 600. Actually, 2000 in 3 hrs is a good result for me, often I get less when there is agro or I simply have tough luck with the sources.
Crafting is not done in zero time. I have to collect the harvest, place it on my beasts, undress, wield tool, and start crafting. Later I have to get rid of the products, normally by selling, as I detest build and drop. That means, that an additional half an hour at least is spent by crafting.
Thus, one stack saves me about 1.75hr (double result of 1.5hr digging plus half of .5hr crafting time) at the expense of 20-30 minutes to obtain one stack. Not bad for me.
Granted, yield is ways lower for q200 and q150 (few left at 150 for me). Yet I usually barter q250 cats against q200 at a rate of 3:5 and against q150 at a rate of 2:5 which widely makes up for the difference. I seldom use cats when overcrafting because that's waste, only when I'm in a hurry.
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