Tailor subclass, Is it a waste of time?

[ShaLeah]

This is what I would like to see for this subclass:

Uniformity: If I can make a thong from one cloth, I should be able to make it from any cloth. Sandcloth, linen and silk should all yield the same items with slighty different descriptions.Color should -not- denote what can and can not be made. It's frustrating to be able to make a dress in linen and not be able to copy it in silk or sandcloth.
Frustrating and unrealistic.
Realism: One length should be enough for three or four scarves/pairs of gloves/sashes/collars/sleeves/stockings. It should not be enough for a flowing gown that covers the wearer from neck to feet. I don't think it's realistic to automatically be able to make pants, I think you should start with simple things, like the ones mentioned above and then expand your talent bit by bit.
Dyes: They should all be the same and be able to color any length of any cloth. This should be an overall skill that is only improved with time and practice, the color of the dye should not determine whether or not someone has enough skill.
Sizes: I would be nice to be able to make things by sizes, small, medium, large and HG. Tailors should be able to size a person up, measure them and see what fit would be more appropriate:
    >size pc
    She seems to be a medium.
    >craft silk
    You could make some red, silky thongs from that [small] (4)
    You could make a few red, silky thongs from that [medium] (3)
    You could make a pair of red, silky thongs from that [large] (2)
    You could make a red, silky thong from that [HG] (1)
Variety:  That's where we come in as players, submitting things. Bedsheets, pillows, curtains, baby clothes, maternity clothes, costumes. The possibilities are so endless.
More Accessories: How about some spools of thread, ribbons, cording, lace, sequence (sp), tule (sp).

ShaLeah
-who dares to dream...

[Delirium]

Dyes: They should all be the same and be able to color any length of any cloth. This should be an overall skill that is only improved with time and practice, the color of the dye should not determine whether or not someone has enough skill.

The only quibble I have with that is that some dyes ARE harder to apply evenly and get them to take well - so I don't see much of a problem making a few colors harder to get than others.

To make up for that, perhaps we could make all those blotchy and poorly-dyed items be failproduces for a botched dye attempt.

[ShaLeah]

The only quibble I have with that is that some dyes ARE harder to apply evenly and get them to take well - so I don't see much of a problem making a few colors harder to get than others.

I'm really not familiar with the whole dyeing clothes professionally process but when I've dyed clothes at home it's been as easy as:
>open packet
>pour packet washer
>turn button washer
>push button washer to stop water
>put shirt washer
>play Arm
>stir shirt washer
>turn button washer
>play Arm
>get newly dyed shirt washer
Color is irrelevant, the process is always the same. Maybe I'm missing some uber form of Zalanthan dyeing?

To make up for that, perhaps we could make all those blotchy and poorly-dyed items be failproduces for a botched dye attempt.

I really like that idea and it's much more realistic than an entire length of whatever just disappearing.
Tye dyes for all!

[Delirium]

Well, I was thinking vaguely along the old-fashioned forms of dyeing clothes, as Zalanthans don't have washers. <grin>

I'll do some research and see what I can come up with. It may be that the dyes themselves were harder to make color-wise. Purple and yellow come to mind.

[Bestatte]

Different pigments will react differently with various natural fabrics. Pigments in Arm are made from plant substances. so they are probably even more likely to react differently than synthetics, which can be created with standards and uniformity.

Also, silk is -extremely- difficult to dye successfully in real life, even using synthetic dyes. I had to dye my gown twice to get it even close to the jet black of the packet of dye, and it still ended up only a (really pretty) pewter. But then I used a similar bit of silk when I dyed a purse red, and the crimson was exactly dead-on compared to what the dye packet said to expect.

Dying cotton is a no-brainer - generally you could sneeze the powder from the packet to the fabric and it'll turn whatever color the packet says it'll turn.

Linen is more difficult because it's made of flax, which is more water resistant than cotton.

Sandcloth - I imagine would be even more "true" than cotton because it is a loose natural cotton-ish gauzy kinda weave and would hold the color more efficiently. But it would also probably "bleed" much easier, splotching under the armpits of shirts and around the waistline of pants and anywhere else the garment contacts sweaty skin.

Silver and gold dyes might have components to them that make the color more difficult to stick to fabrics. I dunno, I never tried to craft-create a dye in the game before. But that might explain it ICly, anyway.

I really hope they consider changing the system to allow dyes to -not- destroy cloth, but instead to turn it some sick ugly color - which some sick twisted people might actually want to buy if it was made into clothing. Or splotch the job, or dot it, or speckle it, or streak it.

[ShaLeah]

I really hope they consider changing the system to allow dyes to -not- destroy cloth, but instead to turn it some sick ugly color - which some sick twisted people might actually want to buy if it was made into clothing. Or splotch the job, or dot it, or speckle it, or streak it.

I'd suggest that Kadius steer clear of buying botched dye jobs altogether but that lesser shops nab them up for a steal.

[Bestatte]

See that would be SO awesome ShaLeah. It would get people, especially newbies, scrambling to look for merchants who will buy the stuff rather than just dump everything off at the Kadius shop.

Maybe places like the 'rinth, which could totally use a little more color - I mean seriously people, black and dark are SO 5 minutes ago, don'tcha think?
How about a nice puce-and-crimson splotched cotton skirt? Or maybe a dainty pair of brown-speckled yellow cotton gloves for those fine evenings out at the local watering hole (or well, or cesspool)?

[ashjpd]

My last longest lived character was a merchant/tailor. And his backround stated that he did clothes as a hobby with the profits he got from his maine works, hides, woods, etc. Now then, I thought of my character to use all of his skills, and the clothworking and dying were, to me, a big chance for a character to sell stuff to pcs. Because, not much shops sell what you have, and you can do custom jobs, you could get noticed and recognized for it, as my character did. It did him well, but he relied on his guild first.

[Anonymous]

I can tell you most assuredly that jewelery-making is a VERY profitable craft. You don't have to buy the raw goods, you can forage for them and not pay a single sid.  You can -easily- earn over 100 sids per RL day, without twinking, and that's 100% profit that goes into your pocket or bank account. Other than the tools you need to start off with, there is absolutely no cost involved in jewelery-making, and your profit pays for the tools within your first couple of days playing.

The stuff I make can be sold to the NPC, but there are also PCs who are more than happy to dish out 20, 40, 100, even 200 sids for a single item without batting an eye over it. If I wanted to concentrate and be a "full time" jeweler I probably would have well over 10,000 sids in the bank right now, with my 18-day character.

Behold the horde of jewlers! Kinda IC don't you think? This is probably why almost every single Newbie merchant is a jewler.

[Agent_137]

good. better for them to be easy jewlers than try their first merchant as a tailor and become disenchanted.

it does seem a litte ic, but i don't really mind.  :shock: