[Rastafarian]

I'm sure it's been asked before, and I would have put this question in the crafting section of the forums if there was a generic crafting forum, which there is not.

I need to know which craft is the best for making money, early mid and upper levels. I'm sure it fluctuates between different crafts at different levels, or I could be wrong and there is one craft that shines above the rest, but I need to know as I'm about to start playing my toon again after more than a year off and I'm not too keen on buying gil.

Any info would be awesome, and as a side note it's great to see so many people still playing this God of MMOs.

Thanks beforehand

[Likibiki]

If there was one craft better than the others, everyone would do it.

Cooking's the cheapest, Goldsmithing the most expensive to level.

Pick one you enjoy doing and find your niche is probably the best advice I can give.

[Mhurron]

You'll probably end up leveling several crafts to various levels anyways, so don't worry about picking the 'right' one.

[Yeargdribble]

I guess in all reality, multi-craft synths will probably make you the most money. However, it is unreasonable to go into crafting thinking it will make you much money. There are a ton of level 100s in every craft which can make anything better, cheaper and faster than you. If you want to be successful at crafting you've gotta be able to study the market and find a niche. When everyone figures out your niche and starts jumping on the bandwagon, you've gotta find a new niche.

I'd say level all of your crafts to 60 (if you ever went to 100 in one, you'll need them anyway) and then decide which you want to take to 100. If you start a craft that you expect to be a big money maker now, SE will do something to change that down the line.

So many people jumped on to goldsmithing, but with CoP and ZM rings/earring, a lot of the GS market has been cut just as more 90+ GSers are creeping onto the stage. It'll take you a long time to be anywhere where you'll make serious money from a craft, so keep that in mind before you start.

[LyonheartLakshmi]

If you know how to make gil, any craft will turn a decent profit in all 3 stages (early, mid and late). If you don't know how to make gil, then it won't matter which craft you choose.

Originally Posted by Rastafarian

I need to know which craft is the best for making money, early mid and upper levels. I'm sure it fluctuates between different crafts at different levels...

More importantly, it fluctuates a) from one server to the next, and b) from one day to the next. In other words, it's impossible for anyone to know 100% of the time which craft is going to be the most profitable for you.

Take the advice of the above posters, and give the different crafts a try first, including fishing. If you do your homework, you can even make a profit just from skilling up through certain stages of each of the crafts.

One last piece of advice: if you want a way to compete with established crafters, look for cheap, vendor sold gear that you can desynth into crafting materials. As an example, creating more leather is something most established Leathercrafters don't want to do themselves. They'd rather spend their limited time doing more profitable synths.

[Malacite]

As previously stated, there really is no "best craft".

However, Smithing and Clothcraft seem to be two top money makers. Regardless of that, level whatever you think will help you out most.

Want to play RNG, but can't stand being at the mercy of the AH for your ammo? Lv woodworking and alchemy. Same goes for NIN tools. Look at your "FF Lifestyle" and decide what craft is right for you.

[Jei]

Start with fishing, you might like it.

[Yeargdribble]

Yes, Smithing and Cloth are probably the current top money makers with Cloth being more expensive to level than Smithing, though with arguably more profit options. I do think Fishing is the best route for early money making, as has been noted. You can get a lot of profit for very little investment.

Lyonheart is very much on the mark about low level profits. Essentially, find materials that we high level crafters are too lazy to make for ourselves and find a way to mass produce it cheaply. I rarely make my own thread/cloth and just end up buying it for, what is to me, an insignificant loss. However, what may be insignificant to me, may be a significant bit of start up capital for you.

[Rastafarian]

Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate your help.

[Malacite]

If you plan to level fishing, take up cooking at the same time. It's cheap, and if you play your cards right can net you a small profit along the way.

Most importantly though, you can turn some of the fish you catch into bait or food. These two crafts are so synergistic that it'd be a crime to level one and not the other (as I stupidly did on my Taru years ago. Though to be fair I found the old fishing system rather dull X - X)

[Wise Donkey]

Originally Posted by Rastafarian

I'm sure it's been asked before, and I would have put this question in the crafting section of the forums if there was a generic crafting forum, which there is not.

Actually, yes there is.

http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/crafting-synthesis-16/

[Malevolent]

Clothcraft is by far the easiest i've lvled.

when i was a lvl 1 thf i would take some sickles with me as well and lvl in sarutabu and find any "tall grass" i could find. Also all the Yag necklaces i'd get i'd synth those to grass thread with the wind crystals i'd get off of the bee's or birds. i'd say clothcraft is the easiest becasue you can do that while you're lvlin a lvl 1 job thru windurst...

[Rastafarian]

Originally Posted by Wise Donkey

Actually, yes there is.

http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/crafting-synthesis-16/

Lies!

And thanks Male, I'm having to start a new toon and he was gonna be a Windurstian, so I'll try out cloth with a little fishing/cooking on the side. Thanks again guys.

[Lucky and Elizabeth]

The best advice that I have for you, well cause it works for me at least.

Farm, Minem, Harvgest nd log your own stuff.

Plus keep the crystals that you need for the syths, you can sell the other ones,

[Mouser]

I'm hardly a crafter, but I'd look at what consumables you need for the jobs your interested in (food, silent oil, prism powders, ninja tools, arrows, bolts, bullets, etc.). You can make some money on the side and hopefully at least break even making your own consumables. Sometimes the trick to making money is not spending it. :D