This is the most versatile crafting class in Istaria. In order to be an efficient (lets say Level 50 Alchemist) you will have to be level 50 - 60 in at least 5 other crafts as well, which makes this crafting class a great challenge and fun. Besides, you dont have to rely on the guilds (most of them have become "Elitist" these days - ours, all ours - we are the chosen - and other crap like this, as they will not stop toimpose there "dreary" little lives onto a "fantasy" world) as you can create most things yourself. In the early days all Guilds chipped in together toward a common goal, but most of them have long gone, and the producers of the game have applied too many changes, leaving the original principals of Istaria as a long forgotten folklore. The saying "too many Chefs will spoil the soup" seems very appropriate here. Still, the game play has remained enjoyable for the remaining soloists and real rpg-players that remain uneffected by "Guild Politics", "Power Levellers without experience (usually players from button-mashing 'shoot-em-up' games that cannot wait for anything, but are generally clueless) and the endless influx of "why do I play this game as there are many better ones in my opinion" morons who are usually pettyful, lazy, workshy people who can play 24/7 due to their income from robbing old ladies handbags, stealing, pimping, etc with their brains in their genitals, who ought to be place on the moon and forgotten about.
Long may the game continue, and I hope the the developers will go back to the original values and goals the game was intended for.
Love to all the worthwile players.[;)]