Realistic crafting

Discussion in 'Crafting & Gathering' started by BK_, Mar 9, 2013.

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  1. BK_

    BK_ Avatar

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    Like in order to craft a bow you not only need a tool and some logs, but you need to process that log so that it is appropriate enough to craft a bow with, and you also need a bow string, which you can also craft using different resources (wool, silk etc.).

    Or if you want to craft a chainmail armor, you actually need to craft loads of chain pieces first, not just use iron ingots.
     
  2. Bowen Bloodgood

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    As someone has make a chainmail shirt before I have to chuckle just a little bit at the thought of crafting 40,000 rings or so just to make a chainmail shirt. :) I'm not opposed to the idea mind you. I would like to see a more involved process in the crafting system. There is a danger of it becoming tedious for the average player though so that is something the devs have to keep in mind.

    So just to refine your example a little.. from iron ingots it would become an iron wire or a perhaps a pile/batch of rings.. then from there the item you're crafting. I wouldn't go through any more stages than that I think.. I certainly don't want to have to go through the process of wrapping wire around a rod and then cutting that into rings.. then putting the rings together.. one ring.. at a time.. Let me tell you something.. it takes a LONG time. heheh open ring.. close ring.. open ring.. close ring.. ahhh the memories..
     
  3. BK_

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    I dont think they would go the same grinding concept in crafting as in UO. There has been a possibility in gaming to put your character to do his/her work for hours, without actually cheating or using macroses. This way there wont be 49486 plate armor pieces crafter in no time and economy will be more market based and realistic. It would take a while to craft something without actually grinding it. Just put your craftsman do its work (like drying leather before making an armor), have a coffee, come back and so on.

    Personally I am thinking about staring a crafting career, something I never was in UO for my whole career. But I wont even bother in case it will be the same grinding concept.
     
  4. Bowen Bloodgood

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    That is a point. Folks shouldn't be able to mass produce in a short time frame. You can't make it take too long either though. Nobody like to just sit and watch.
     
  5. BK_

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    You obviously never played Europe 1400: The Guild and The Guild II.

    What I mean is that if you are a crafter, or craft-oriented character then you should spend some time to craft something, and then hire NPC's to do it for you (in case it will be possible). Just like a fighter spends time on hunting something to get that reward. You don't have to watch, just set it do so, like cut wood in a certain area, or mine ore in a certain mine. Personally I will never do constant clicking routine action again and again, it kills all the fun for me and I am feeling like I have just lost my left nut when doing so. And don't get me started on what I think of players who would mine 500k ore without macrocing it. And yes, I know some of those.
     
  6. Hightower

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    Some of my favorite moments from UO, standing in town, at the Smithy. Players bringing me ore / ingots, to craft armor / weapons for them. Also to repair them. Especially on new servers, no one had money, was a barter system.
     
  7. Ac_

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    "Duration" is the addition I'd like to see. I play a popular single-player game where I basically just click "Make Iron Platemail", and BANG! It's done. Just like that!
    You don't need to skill-base or Micro-enact every action, but a full animation of the process would actually be educational, to some.
    There's also an aspect of balance. Not so much "game balance", but World Balance. Why play a thief if it's faster to make an item than steal it? Why fight monsters for the prospect of items, if mining, refining, and hammering is faster and certain in their acquisition?
    Where the fighter pays in threat, and the thief pays in chance & luck, the craftsman pays in time.
     
  8. lsommerer

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    Ideally, the "duration" that you worked on the item would have some effect on the outcome. You could chose to make the item as quickly as possible (and I agree that this should not be instantaneous) or you would spend more time and that would have some effect on your crafting. Maybe it would make the item have a higher quality (whatever that turns out to mean) or perhaps it takes fewer resources to create (because you are being efficient). Maybe you learn more from making it if you take your time and that increases your skill faster. On the other hand, maybe you take more resources to make it, because one of the things that you're doing while you're taking your time is only using the best resources.

    My point is that when you give players meaningful choices, you will get players making different choices and that will diversify crafters and make crafting more interesting for crafters and non-crafters alike.
     
  9. antalicus

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    My biggest beef on concepts like this is it makes crafting a chore. What i liked about Ultima Online was i could scroll through a list of items I wanted to make and based on looking at an image you knew what you needed to make it. I don't want to craft an item and realize that I need all the se irrelevant minor ingredients on top of the main ingredient and now have to spend countless hours gathering different pieces.

    I can accept it to some extent but like the guy mentioned previously, when it becomes making each individual link to chain mail or what not it becomes ridiculous.
     
  10. RetroDeviant

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    I like the duration aspect.

    Perhaps if you were alotted a certain amount of time. For argument sake say you get 100 hours per character per week.

    You could spend your 100 hours making one kick ass item.

    You could spend your 100 hours creating parts to make a kick ass item.

    You could spend your 100 hours making less kick ass items but more of them.

    So say to create parts takes you your 100 hours.

    You then can't craft till your timer is up. Your hours are being used.

    Then once your hours are available again you begin assembling said item.

    This puts more time into the item, hence a better quality item in the end. More durable better stats. And then if you gamble another 50 hours you stand the chance of said item turning out magical in some shape or form.
     
  11. John McLarren

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    I like the idea of adding time to crafting. Fallen Earth is probably my favorite crafting mechanic in an MMO. Regular items were relatively quick and easy, but more complex items required more components and time. I never liked the new crafting systems in games like GW2 where you could max a crafting tree in an hour given you had enough gold.

    Time will also decrease the amount of high level powerful weapons and armor, while ate the same time keep a good supply of basic ones to combat durability loss.
     
  12. Duke Death-Knell

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    When it comes to crafting. If you want to look at what I consider the best crafting system I've seen in 13 years of playing go check out Istaria's crafting system. Liked it a lot.
     
  13. Mugly Wumple

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    Crafting doesn't have to appeal to all players. Many crafters would rather spend their time with their craft and its market, not whacking things with swords. I think crafting skills should take as much time, skill and resources to develop as any ace PvP/E character.
     
  14. Clajo

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    Would making it a mini-game be a good idea if done right?

    Like timing your hammering on the steel when crafting a sword. Something like those old school golf games had to time your swing properly for power and accuracy.

    Every correctly timed and accurate swing of the hammer adds bonuses to the final product.

    Filling vials of chemicals and such in the right proportions or at the right moments and correct temperatures could be something interesting for Alchemists and Poisoners

    All artisan professions could be done this way instead of being a click click watch a progress bar game. Crafting could be an actual action.

    Once you perfectly craft a certain number of a product, then you will be able to teach your Npc apprentice how to do it. Now you no longer have to slave over that item anymore and can move on to other interesting recipes.

    I don't see this happening, but I'd like to think that someday we will see it in some game. Or maybe it does exist already somewhere I havent seen.
     
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