In today’s Hangout of the Avatar. Richard Garriott and Scott Jones delved a bit further into the crafting system in Shroud of the Avatar. If you missed the broadcast, you can catch up here:
We had some awesome questions and answered a few of them, but we know there were a lot more where those came from! So join us on the forums to join in on the discussion. 
Can’t wait!
How many types of natural crafting materials will there be in SotA (e.g. wood, iron, rock, obsidian, etc)? Also, will one be able to take finished items apartafter crafting them to use crafting resources for something else?
Can players gather resources and create items without significant help from other players? If yes, how do you plan to encourage meaningful trade amongst players? Doesn’t a player based crafting system require meaningful limitations on players so they have incentive to socialize for better standing in the player economy?
For example: Wouldn’t a major goal of the crafting system be to get a player that can make swords find other players that can work with Iron. And have players that can work with Iron find other players that have access to raw Iron. Instead of just having a single player run around the world doing it all herself.
Goblin King
http://www.evilgrief.com
OFFICIAL Fansite of Shroud of the Avatar
I have a recommendation for the developers. Watch this video by NOVA.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/secrets-viking-sword.html
It explains the process of forging a famous sword (The Ulfberht) during the Viking era.
The techniques and terminology the Blacksmith is a great resource.
Cheers, Gunga Din.
As far as my views on crafting.
https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/best-crafting-system-ever-swg.2415/
A thread I started. Hope you can get some ideas from it.
Can we colour items? Specifically I am wondering about clothing as my main character in UO was a tailor, but also armor depending on metal used, or furniture made of different woods, or painted?
Will we be able to explore and collect herbs, reagents and its corresponding skill herbalist?
Questions for crafting and resources:
Will crafting and resource gathering follow the standard MMO pattern of ‘progressive obsolescence’, i.e. beginners starting with inferior type of materials and creating vendor junk OR would resources be a source for conferring item properties to crafted materials which any level of gatherer or crafter can have access, eg., a bowyer using a particular type of heavy wood can craft a bow that adds encumbrance and damage but if the bowyer uses a particular type of lighter wood, he/she can craft a bow that weighs less and has greater range?
Also can crafted items be modified by components created by other professions, e.g. bowstrings of differing qualities produced by a skinner/tanner or counterweights by a smith?
Would it be too intricate to craft tools for specific tasks and armor weapon/sets, or is that digging too deep in the garden?
P.S. You guys are awesome — and you need another 24hr. marathon soon.
Q
will the recipes be drop or a vendor will be selling them, or will they be auto learned?
Will there be a variety of types of resources to allow different colors, stats, and/or magical properties of the same finished products?
Will there be multiple, intersecting, crafting opportunities for cooperative development? (Stained glass windows, mosaic inlays on find wood instruments, jeweled and foil-leafed armors and weapons, for example.)