[Feedback] Crafting

I'd like to see some slots on the crafting tables for the tools to go in. On a non-public crafting table, there should be a tickbox to "leave the tools on the table". Perhaps have each table with an extra tool slot, for the odd occassion where a smelter needs to use a smithing hammer. The extra slot doesn't have a "leave tool" option.

If I get 2 crafting options based on the raw materials, and the tool is the deciding factor, have the tools turn into buttons so i can select which to use. In fact, with this method you could remove the "craft" button entirely. You put on the materials, and then the tool(s) highlight, and you click on the tool to craft.

It would also make the "recipe discovery" stage a bit less tedious.

 

In real life, you definitely need a superior ingot to make a superior sword.
Specifically when we're talking steel, because it's an alloy, the variance in quality of steel ingots would be tremendous.
Pure iron on the other hand, I'm not so sure about.
One thing to note is that often a percentage of impurities helps the utility of certain metals, making them more flexible, or more rigid than they would have been otherwise.
Of course, in game logic doesn't have to match real world logic. As long as some form of logic is used in the world's story, it doesn't have to match that of reality.

 

This idea could indeed help to break up the recipe process, making it more manageable.
The game could prevent tools that will never work on that table from fitting in that table's tool slots, so you know once you've found the right tools for the table.
I also agree it would help if we could choose to leave our tools on the table (if the table is personally owned), but public tables should auto-loot remove the tools every time someone leaves the table.

 

I love the idea of leaving tools at the appropriate table. I don't know if it would be possible on public tables, but for sure I'd love to be able to lock down tools where they belong and never have to search my messy inventory again for them

 

I spent the majority of my time in R2 trying out the crafting, because, well, it was fun as hell.

Having read through a lot of the various feedback threads/posts there seems to be roughly two schools of thought: 1. leave it just like it is and 2. make it easier/faster/mass production. Personally I am a lot closer to the first choice than the second.

But I have to say that I *REALLY* hope the recipes used in R2, and will be used in future pre-alpha and alpha and beta releases, are NOT the exact recipes that will be used in the game. Come on, wouldn't it suck for us to have already figured out a large part of the game before it even starts? Not to mention that it immediately gives anyone who paid attention in the pre-alphas a huge advantage over someone who hears about the game on the day of release. And don't even get me started on the wiki, which I avoided the entire weekend, even though it was tempting to look! Basically, I hope they change things up from what is there now and my suggestions of how to do it are below.

1. Recipes need to be logical. Some examples of logical recipes, which I think will make the crafting discovery process less guessing and more thoughtful, are: Flaxen fibers + wax = thread, threads + wax = rope, cloth + thread = clothing, leather + leather straps = leather armor, boards + nails = shelf, etc. etc. If anyone has ever played the app game 'Alchemy', that is a pretty good example of logical recipes. Yes, there is SOME guessing required, but a lot of it can be deduced by just thinking about what are the core parts are of the thing you're making. The worst example of a poor logic recipe in R2 was the mug - in what world can you make a cup shaped thing from a wood strip and a hammer?? It should have been timber and wood chisel, or something similar.

2. Leave items/tools not consumed in crafting where placed and put the created item in the lower right, instead of the upper left. One of the bigger hassles I had was that everything being shifted up to the top left corner made it very hard to spot smaller tools, even after the 'fix' was put in to make them more glossy. Most of the tables have some graphical business in the top left area and in some, particularly the tailoring table with the scissors, it's almost impossible to see them. Plus, end product in the lower right means less mousing to get it.

3. Double-click an item/stack to move it onto the open table automatically - no dragging required (although feel free to!). Some caveats to these one - ONLY 1 table open at a time, no multiple tables being used simultaneously. It makes it clear where your stuff is going and it's not very realistic that you could be doing two things of that effort level at the same time. Also, double clicking moves however many are in the stack you click on - use shift-click first to make a stack of the amount desired. I think this addresses a lot of the complaints about the amount of mouse work required in crafting and also speeds the process up. Personally, I don't think the process should be sped up at ALL, so I would want to see a very short (2-4secs) timer between clicking 'Craft' and receiving the end product. My wife disagrees about the delay timer so I'm sure it's not a popular idea to slow crafting down even more.

4. DO NOT HAVE MASS PRODUCE / CLICK-TO-CREATE. One of the things I like most about crafting as it stands now is that it can be a full time activity in the game for those that want it to be. The time that can be put into crafting seems like it could be as much as adventuring, or fighting, and that's GREAT for those people who want to mostly, or exclusively, craft in a game. Also, the faster that everyone (since everyone can both craft AND combat) can produce items the faster the world will be over run with them. It's been stated that the Devs don't want catastrophic failures (which I think there should be in crafting) so every item made will stay in the world unless sold to an NPC (and even some of those will be recycled) or allowed to be used up without repair. Even breaking down, while it should be at a loss, only slows down the filling up of the world with 'stuff'.

These are my suggestions based on what we know about crafting at this time. I hope that the number of components and recipes is even higher and more diverse when Episode 1 is released.

 

Whilst I think double click an item (singular only, not stack) would be better than ctrl click for a single pickup ... if it worked with crafting tables only, and can only have one crafting table open at a time ...

I still think the recipe book load table up is superior, especially once you have to create 50 ingots/bars etc etc in one sitting ... I agree with the lack of mass create, but please I don't want RSI

having different 'areas" one for tools ... one for bits .... maybe, can you leave you produced items in the corner as you thread, thread, thread, thread, cloth ?

I think the clear table/clear table but leave the tools (as a toggle) would be an improvement

all just thoughts ...

 

I went through every chest and found 0 crafting ingredients, so crafting wasn't good at all.