Workshop Rank

"Taking commissions from the Commerce Guild can be the best way to make money. However, don't take more than you can handle. Failing commissions can negatively affect your workshop rankings."

- Loading screen tip

Workshop Rank measures a Builder's workshop's standing compared to other workshops in Portia. Ranks are assigned by the Commerce Guild, which handles the assigning of commissions. Higher-ranked workshops can take more difficult commissions that require more advanced crafting stations and materials, but provide better rewards. The top three workshops receive special rewards at the end of each month and year.

The player can check the current Workshop Ranking by interacting with the colorful trio of pedestals located up the stairs behind Antoine's desk at the Commerce Guild. When the player arrives and starts their own workshop, Higgins ranks the highest by far, but with hard work, the player can surpass even him.

Reputation points
Every commission completed for the Commerce Guild comes with a reward of reputation points, or Workshop Rank points, denoted with the symbol. A workshop moves up the ranks by completing these commissions. Most missions personally requested by other characters will earn the player reputation points, as well as relationship points with the commissioner. The overall rank of workshops is represented by a letter grade, with "S" being the highest and "D" being the lowest.

Reputation points are cumulative throughout the year, and will reset to zero at the beginning of each year. Points earned towards Workshop Rank, however, will persist through the years, meaning that if the player ends Year 1 at rank A with 15,000 points, they will continue to be rank A and can still work towards earning the remaining 2,501 points to rank S.

The player begins the game at rank D with zero.

The competition
There are several competing workshops in the running for first place, and some are more competitive than others.

The other Builders begin Year 1 with a set number of points, and will automatically gain reputation points each work day. (This includes Higgins, regardless of if the player physically blocks him from picking a specific commission or any commission at all.) From Year 2 onward, all Builders start the year with zero points.

As of Hotfix 1.1, Higgins's Workshop gains points on Saturday and Sunday. Therefore, this increase to reputation points will have to be included in the weekly calculation that differs from the rest of the competition.

Inspections
Once the player reaches rank C, they can participate in the weekend inspections to judge the week's completed commission items for flaws in exchange for rewards and reputation points.

Higgins and an unnamed Workshop Rep (potentially Allen Carter, as they share the same appearance) attend these inspections each week. This Workshop Rep can be spoken to, but not interacted with.

Quarterly rewards
If the player's workshop ranks first, second, or third place at the end of a month, the Commerce Guild will send a congratulatory letter and reward to the player's Mailbox on the first of the next month.

The following items are possible rewards for making the top three:

Annual ceremony
On the last day of each year, the Commerce Guild will send a letter in the mail to alert the player about the ceremony the next day. "We would like to invite you to our annual Commerce Guild Awards tomorrow at the Commerce Guild building. We'll be presenting awards to the best ranked Builders over the last year. Come one come all!"

- Letter from Commerce Guild

On the first morning of each year (other than the player's very first day), the Commerce Guild holds the annual awards ceremony for the top workshops in Portia, and workshops that make the top three are given rewards. This is the only time that Allen Carter, Sweet, and Builder Wang are met in-person.

The following items are possible rewards for making the top three at the end of the year:

Although the top three are all depicted holding a trophy during the cutscene, only first place gets to keep the trophy after the ceremony.

Higgins, as the player's major rival, will speak to them after the ceremony has concluded, either taunting the player or griping that he couldn't have lost. The other three Builders may be spoken to, though they do not offer special dialogue or have any social interactions available.

Achievements
The following achievements are related to Workshop Rank: