I think it odd to lock a post that you want comments on, so we'll just do the basics of what the post seems to be we're looking for in relation to the Crafting skills being worked on. Here were the questions at the end. Please feel free to comment on any of these, or anything else you feel should be considered.
We decided as a group to lock the main Faq thread. We want a clean thread that represents how crafting will work. This way when new ideas are added, or things are changed it easily seen.
We apologize if its any inconvenience to open a new thread to post your idea, but doing it this way lets us specifically take each persons idea and discuss that idea, with out various other debates from other peoples ideas going on at the same time. We encourage all players to post their ideas or changes for the the over all crafting aspect on new threads. This way it keeps it more organized, and each thread more on point about what they have in mind.
Once we break down into each spefiic crafting skill, there will most likely be certain posts to post ideas. Like a Recipe thread, MiniGames thread, Material thread.
With WoW, there has never been the problem of having enough players to restrict skills to where you can only learn 2 of them. There was usually always someone on that would quickly grab up the stuff you harvested, and if not, it was still in the auction system until someone bought it, or X amount of time passed when the system told you that no one was buying it so come pick it back up (and usually put it back on auction).
Right now, the problem I see with 4D is the number of players, who plays, when and how this would affect things. What I could easily see happening in the case of lower playerbase is that someone creates X number of characters (none of which are on at the same time, so not multiplaying) and through those characters has all the skills to create their sword of everlasting life (or whatever). Basically find yourself a hiding spot (there are many around the 4D world), make sure both characters log into said spot on login. Create step 1 of weapon with base character, drop item, log out, log in character with step 2 and do that, drop item, log out.. continue until completed. And I don't see any way we can stop this. But, that is another point entirely.
There was an issue with the Main Crafting Faqs, where some of the information was cut off. Its now been fixed but I will post part of it here because it deals with what we are talking about.
HOW MANY CRAFT SKILLS CAN A PLAYER LEARN?
Some basic skills, like skinning, scraping, tanning, shearing, carding etc, will be available to everyone, while others will be restricted.
Our initial plan is to allow a player to learn two HARD crafting skills and one SOFT crafting skills.
We know we have a small player base, and understand that this will require players to work together. Which is one reason why we want to open player ran shops. So players can sell parts to other players so they can build their full item they want. If 2 HARD and 1 SOFT is'nt enough we can adjust it.
If players want to make an Alt to for other craft skills, I expect that. I see players doing it and nothing wrong with it. But we do need to keep an eye on how well everyone works together if we take this route we have planned.
I would hope that anything that had to go through multiple steps would be "worth" more than something that has to go through only one or two. Using the example of the robe, there are 5 "necessary" steps and 2 "optional" steps listed. If the sword above only has to go through 3 steps (only an example, I'm sure it's more) shouldn't the 5 step robe be "worth" more in the end and by that I mean be more useful to a player than the sword.
You used the sword as an example, but it does have alot more then just 4 steps to it. It has 4 MAIN parts to it. Each part of the sword has its own steps to create.
The Hilt, Pommel, Blade, Crossguard all have their own specific steps on how they are created, and optional steps as well to enhance it.
But to answer your question, we will take into account how hard a process is to determine how good the final object is. We also know we have to balance between quest items and crafting items. Which was another part of the Crafting Faqs that was missing.
HOW WILL YOU BALANCE CRAFTS VS QUEST ITEMS?
Since this is a quest heavy mud, and we do not want to take away from players who like to quest for these rewards. We have thought of a few ideas.
Durability being added to a crafted item. This process will try to help keep crafting alive, and not die out after a time period where everyone can make everything they want, and not have to craft again.
Certain Items may be restricted to a certain group. The Crafter, First Player to use the item, Or a crafting group
Quest items being part of a recipe.
We also have a few equipment slots that have never been introduced into live play. These where to be restricted to crafted items only.
We also want to try to keep crafting alive, and not just have it die after everyone makes what they want. So somethings as of right now will be restricted, or have a durability to them.
To make my point, who here reads through the trip on the boat to RIP in time every time they go there by boat? And how many of you have said "it's so boring", or "it takes too long"?
The initial idea to keep it from being boring, is to make it interactive. Where player's will need to interact with something while they are in the process of crafting an item.. We plan on trying to make it some what of a mini games on parts that we can. If you look at how gardening is you have to fight off pests, or maybe the plants start to wilt and you need to water it.
For a forge, the flames starts to die down, you will have to add wood, or you miss with the hammer and nick the blade you are crafting, you will have to fix the nick, Or you catch fire and have to put the flames out, too maybe thieves breaking in and defending them off.
I cant say for sure what the minigames themselves are, its just to try to keep it from being boring, we want to make it an interactive experience. Making it into a mini game will also help cut down on scripters. But in the end, there will always be the few who choose to write a script.
In the end, I would hope that EVERY crafted item would be of much more value than any item you buy directly from a store - and most of the basic items you get from mobs.
For the most part items will always be better than current store bought items, but it also depends on the ammount of work that gets put into an item.
I do think that everybody shouldn't be able to have all the skills because it's about helping each other as players and for some of us getting us out of our "I want to do it on my own" shell. There has to be a good reason for me to hunt down Bane, so he can create a part of something for me, because in the end, I have to trust he's going to give it back after he's done his step (which is why player ran shops would be a good idea).
I apologize for parts being missing off the craft faqs that explained how many crafts a player can learn. Im still stumped on how it happened. But yes in the end we want to see players working together to craft an item. We hope that by limiting it to two hard crafts and one soft craft will make players interact more.
The trust part will all be left up to a player to earn that.
