You joke, but the best crafting I've ever seen was Median XL. Lucking out on an epic craft that can support a meme build is an indescribable feeling.
I do like RNG in the crafting process, but with weighted influence, though there should always be some type of rare chance to produce an exceptional result.
Though I can say I prefer games to be a 100% RNG focused in this matter as I dislike any player influence outside of decision making. A good addition to these types of systems are critical thinking applications, but not solutions that have pre-set solvers, rather solutions that are "concept" based and have to be adjusted to the layout of each problem. Few games do this, though I think Rift did well with some of its puzzles (DDO has some as well) as you couldn't just look up a direct answer, you had to apply a "strategy" to solve it (ie mind games).
Last edited by Xenich on September 16th, 2024, 13:36, edited 2 times in total.
I think it makes sense for a player to learn to make his own things in Underrail considering the situation. It's more like a nerd going down to Radio Shack and then soldering stuff together. There's little raw elements, but building from blueprints and buying most of the crafting materials from stores. The RNG element comes from getting access to the best goods from getting into the good graces of higher ups and then just waiting for them to happen to stock the best of the best. The only stuff you go out and scavenge are things like mushrooms and animal parts unless you happen across crafting materials among things the bad guys have in storage. Furthermore, crafting is a decision you make at the start of the game during character design, not something you choose to do on a whim. If you don't want to do it then you don't put the points into your stats and skill and just sell all the crafting material for money.
Crafting saved my hobo with a shotgun build several times, especially in the arena. No matter what I did I couldn't hurt Carnifex with my shotgun, even train shot which is the biggest gauge shot you can press did nothing to him. I finally beat him by making some crawler poisoned throwing knives and shot him up with a SMG loaded with AP rounds. Kind of embarrassing really.
Yes, KKD alchemy system is great example. But the most important thing for me is ballancing the experience. Like, it would be hell of annoying to do long and complicated crafting process all over again. So if you doing this, there should be option to skip all the non-initial crafts. Also, the reward you getting has to be of some value, or at least durability. I just hate games where you craft a ******* sword and it gets broken after several battles. Or food that will last for 5 minutes before character will start dying of hunger again. Constantly having to craft stuff is annoying, even in survival games dedicated to that. Conan Exiles had something going for that with giving part of the work to thralls and automated benches, but still not good enough.
Neverwinter Online has an interesting idea about craft (overall execution is bad though): player actually owns a manufacture where he can hire scavengers and masters and make orders. Different specialists have varying characteristics so for example one can do the job faster while other has a higher chance of double craft or a better quality product. Perhaps this system can be improved upon to make crafting more of a strategic activity to create an optimized assembly line.
To my mind comes ATOM RPG with Trudograd where player has a base and can attract people there. Some of them can make ammo and serve as vendors. Perhaps this system can be expanded to allow to create more advanced items such as high tier armor, weapons or rare ammo types. Fantasy settings can have something similar to create advanced enchantments and potions.
The gameplay part of it wasn't engaging, but ESO's crafting allowed you to craft equipment in a selected style and material. The material affected the stats and color of the armor while the style affected the aesthetic, so you could mix and match pieces of different styles and it'd sometimes look like it fit together.
