I personally found the Vanguard crafting nice a system as such, but now I must admit I can't quite remember if it was solely skill based, randomized or both. I somehow remember it to have been a bit of both, encountering random difficulties in the mid-crafting or the like, which may have caused the crafting process to fail.
Random % chance for failure is always something cringeworthy for me. I'm a casual gamer, while I'm not stranger to working hard towards my goals, random number generator has never been my friend and I doubt it ever will be.
Nothing is as disheartening as to first trade one's play-with-friends -time with harvesting and crafting (mind you, I also enjoy doing this a lot but I only have so much time to dedicate for gaming, I have to choose to do one thing at the expense of the other more or less) only to fail in a combine because my 1/50 chances of failure just happened. Then spend more potential grouping/socializing time into more harvesting and crafting only to fail again XD.
The "yay =.=" feeling only amplifies when one tries to craft something more rare.
So... yeah. Make the materials difficult to obtain, make the recipes complicated, make the recipes require plenty of sub-combines to achieve the final product... but please, please don't include random chance for failure at least once a certain level of skill has been achieved.
I'm not exactly 100% sure what you mean by randomized but VGs crafting was skill based, *assuming* you took the time to learn and understand it. There was a degree of randomness in the sense that different complications could arise during the process. But if you were well prepared and understood the mechnics it wouldn't cause you too many issues. I crafted a lot of items for people (expensive items that would have been embarrasing to say the least if I didn't deliver) and I never produced less than an *A quaility item. Hell, the majority of my work orders were A as well with the occasion B thrown in.
Not really any different than adventuring. If I don't understand my class mechanics and aggro an even level mob then proceed to just mash skill buttons I may or may not come out ahead. But, as you learn how to play your class taking on that same challenge becomes routine.
I sincerly hope its something akin to VG (or hopefully better!) where it takes input and manipulation to craft and not just "get materials, find appropriate craft station and hit combine."
Worth said:I sincerly hope its something akin to VG (or hopefully better!) where it takes input and manipulation to craft and not just "get materials, find appropriate craft station and hit combine."
Makes 2 of us. If there is one thing I can't stand it's a lazy crafting system that ends up being gather a ton of mats, throw them in a bag, click make all and go get a sandwich. I enjoy a good and well-thought out system of crafting that can make skilled crafters a valuable commodity in the virtual realm.
Kratuk said:Worth said:I sincerly hope its something akin to VG (or hopefully better!) where it takes input and manipulation to craft and not just "get materials, find appropriate craft station and hit combine."
Makes 2 of us. If there is one thing I can't stand it's a lazy crafting system that ends up being gather a ton of mats, throw them in a bag, click make all and go get a sandwich. I enjoy a good and well-thought out system of crafting that can make skilled crafters a valuable commodity in the virtual realm.
I agree. That is the main reason I really disliked crafting in EQ but loved it in Vanguard. In Vanguard crafting was really fun plus if you were a high level crafter you were sought after by other players who wanted you to make items for them. I'd love to see a complex and in-depth system that rewarded player skill and time spent on crafting. It is pointless having a crafting system where you just hit combine a thousand times.
But from what I have read from the developers I think crafting is going to be really interesting in Pantheon and I have high hopes for it. I'm looking forward to learning more about the system.
Actualy i will disagree with most, I have played eq /vanguard, and I prefer the difficulty in the aquisition of the item(s) , not in the combine (s) of the item (s). After the 300 th complicated combination in vg, it gets old fast. I dont want to spend the whole day crefting, I want it be spending the day(s) looking for that rare item from mobs/dungeons/raids, and even if it doesnt drop, we will just try again. eq2/vg ts just does not appeal to me. having lots of attempts just to create one itemis just silly to me. Also, Imagine how quickly a smith would be out of business if 10000 attempts would be needed just to create the hilt of a sword. In this sense it was a group effort to help me find that one ts item for me or someone else.
Brendiven said:Actualy i will disagree with most, I have played eq /vanguard, and I prefer the difficulty in the aquisition of the item(s) , not in the combine (s) of the item (s). After the 300 th complicated combination in vg, it gets old fast. I dont want to spend the whole day crefting, I want it be spending the day(s) looking for that rare item from mobs/dungeons/raids, and even if it doesnt drop, we will just try again. eq2/vg ts just does not appeal to me. having lots of attempts just to create one itemis just silly to me. Also, Imagine how quickly a smith would be out of business if 10000 attempts would be needed just to create the hilt of a sword. In this sense it was a group effort to help me find that one ts item for me or someone else.
The problem with the EQ system is that is just so bloody boring. To level up crafting you go and farm items for however long you want and then you sit down and all you do is move the items from your bank or backpack into your tradeskill container one at a time and click the combine button. For hours on end. That just isn't fun.
In Vanguard crafting was more like a mini game and the items you crafted depended on the quality of the items that you used. It has been years since I played Vanguard but I seem to recall if you used different dusts it would affect the item you produced and there were loads of ways you could change the item that you produced. If you completed the combine perfectly you got a better item as a result.
In EQ you get a recipe. You put the ingredients into a container. You hit combine. You either succeed or fail. How is that fun?
I actually want to spend at least 50% of my time crafting so that means it needs to be fun and I need something to keep me going well past the time I have reached max level to keep me doing crafting.
I loved crafting in Vanguard and I think the crafting system in Pantheon from what I have heard is going to have lots of innovative features so I am optimistic with it. I would hate for it to be like EQ though. That was dreadful.
Brendiven is on to something important here. I think there are alot of players who are ready to see something "more" from tradeskills in a hardcore MMO. What I would really like to see is a dynamic Trades system that players build up over time, and mature into new content for new characters. I make the fishing and pie analogies all the time, but it could be anything really. You could start out generation 1, clearing a forest, then generation 2 you build a lumber mill, and generation 3 new players can get a job at the lumber mill you built from a forest.
But mostly because I want a Pie empire...
ZennExile said:Brendiven is on to something important here. I think there are alot of players who are ready to see something "more" from tradeskills in a hardcore MMO. What I would really like to see is a dynamic Trades system that players build up over time, and mature into new content for new characters. I make the fishing and pie analogies all the time, but it could be anything really. You could start out generation 1, clearing a forest, then generation 2 you build a lumber mill, and generation 3 new players can get a job at the lumber mill you built from a forest.
But mostly because I want a Pie empire...
Pantheon is going to have a complicated crafting system though based on what the devs have said about crafting. They already have the perception system which will be used in the crafting system. They have a more complex questing system which could be tied into crafting quests.
Crafting is going to be so much more in Pantheon than it has been in any other MMO I have played.
I really think crafting in Pantheon is going to be something special and I am looking forward to testing it out and giving feedback on it.
I also loved Vangaurd crafting, for me crafting should feel almost as important and involving as a class, it should take time and patience to master with a worthwhile end result, and yeah it shouldnt be for everyone!
If you don't like crafting and want it simplified then crafting isnt for you. I look on it like classes I'm not comfortable playing, as in close range dps or tanking classes I might dabble but I dont play them seriously but I wouldn't expect them to be altered to suit my play style beacause I want to play them.
I am hoping this will be the case for Pantheon crafting is involving enough that it isnt for all and it matters.
I am looking forward to testing it out and giving feedback on it.
Same. I miss EQ2 and VG crafting. I even tried to convince myself I liked the BDO crafting sims game... But no matter how many fishing boats I sold, I still felt like I was on a treadmill doing nothing.
I need more potent stuff or I'll never catch that dragon.
Vanguard had probably the best crafting system I have ever played. The quests and specialized crafting equipment added a new dimension to that sphere for me.
It's been longtime since I played EQ2 but when I did the system has just too tedious. Crafting should be relaxing and not having to be constantly be on alert like I'm in combat.
Crafting was always my downtime when not hunting or socializing. But it also has to be challenging, profitable, and meaningful for me to spend countless hours mastering my art.
It's feels good to know that Pantheon will be using VG as it crafting model.
I enjoyed the crafting systems in both Vanguard & EQ 2. I especially enjoying crafting housing items in EQ2 because there was such a variety. One thing that seems common in crafting in both games which I find a disappointment is when crafted gear isn't as good as the the gear that drops from mobs. What's the point then unless you're making it for an appearance slot?