Annoying Design Feature of Crafting Writs

RizaHawkeye

I've bit my tongue for a few weeks but, really, I cannot see the need (other than simple laziness) for this kind of design:

1. You pick up a blacksmith crafting writ in Glenumbra. You've leveled up your crafting skill and so now the writ is calling for steel goods.
2. You make the goods.
3. You go to deliver the goods only to find out they have to be delivered in Wayrest (the next zone) because only iron goods can be delivered in Daggerfall.

I think I maybe get why - but really if this is the way Zeni wants to manage this, let's get a little better design, okay? If I'm over-leveled in a crafting skill for that zone, then just throw up a message that says: "Goods are no longer needed in this area" or whatever.

Or allow me to deliver my goods in Daggerfall (although I'm guessing reason why I can't has to do with scripts associated with certain container artifacts in the game ... which is why I say I understand why this was done.)

Or even better - but probably more work to fix - is give crafters an option to select what kind of writs they want to do. If I can do steel and iron, then give me a choice of which writ to grab (it's supposed to be board after all). If I choose iron, then I get rewards associated with iron.

Whatever the solution, please only give writs in zones where we can deliver the goods.

Thanks.

Buglet

Seems like a problem that any savvy player can easily avoid.

RizaHawkeye

Buglet wrote: »

Seems like a problem that any savvy player can easily avoid.

Agreed. It can be avoided by any player with modicum of intelligence. But then I didn't say "Hey, I think players are too stupid to figure this out."

It's just bad design. Lazy design. Illogical design. You grab a writ, you should be able to deliver it in the zone. Otherwise, why would the writ be there?

But I get what you're saying: Most players are smarter than Zeni's designers.

UrQuan

Um, no thanks. Your way sounds much, much worse. I'd greatly prefer to pick up all of the writs at once in whatever city I happen to be in, get everything I need to turn them in, and then travel to wherever I need to go to drop them off. That way I don't have to try to remember what zone I need to go to in order to pick up an alchemy writ because I have that leveled to a different level than my enchanting, which I need to pick up in a different zone, and I need to pick up my provisioning writ in yet another zone, and I think I need to go to the same zone to pick up both my woodworking and blacksmithing writs, but I'm not sure, and at least I was lucky enough to already be in the zone where I needed to pick up my clothing writ.

No, it's much better to be able to pick them all up in the same zone and then use your journal and the quest markers to know where to drop them off.

RizaHawkeye

UrQuan wrote: »

Um, no thanks. Your way sounds much, much worse. I'd greatly prefer to pick up all of the writs at once in whatever city I happen to be in, get everything I need to turn them in, and then travel to wherever I need to go to drop them off. That way I don't have to try to remember what zone I need to go to in order to pick up an alchemy writ because I have that leveled to a different level than my enchanting, which I need to pick up in a different zone, and I need to pick up my provisioning writ in yet another zone, and I think I need to go to the same zone to pick up both my woodworking and blacksmithing writs, but I'm not sure, and at least I was lucky enough to already be in the zone where I needed to pick up my clothing writ.

No, it's much better to be able to pick them all up in the same zone and then use your journal and the quest markers to know where to drop them off.

Easier, IF you've been that zone, right? Or maybe you can tell me how to get to Wayrest from a wayshrine if I haven't been there yet? Or wherever. (And yes, I can send out a zone chat begging for someone to TP me.)

And I'm sorry, UrQuan - I tend to agree with most of your posts - but that does NOT sound easier to me. It may be easier than working writs in six different places, but that only brings me back to my second suggestion: You grab a writ in a zone, you deliver it in a zone. If Zeni wants to allow players to grab level dependent writs in Glenumbera, then you should be able to deliver level dependent writs in Glunumbra.

I can see no logical way that what you suggested is easier than that. Your way still end up chasing over the world, only you're doing it with fast travel and quest markers after you've made the stuff rather than vice-versa.

DaveMoeDee

Current approach is better. Let me pick up writs in single location, grab what I need from single bank visit, and then deliver where needed.

Confusion would only happen initially. You will be doing writs for years to come.

UrQuan

RizaHawkeye wrote: »

UrQuan wrote: »

Um, no thanks. Your way sounds much, much worse. I'd greatly prefer to pick up all of the writs at once in whatever city I happen to be in, get everything I need to turn them in, and then travel to wherever I need to go to drop them off. That way I don't have to try to remember what zone I need to go to in order to pick up an alchemy writ because I have that leveled to a different level than my enchanting, which I need to pick up in a different zone, and I need to pick up my provisioning writ in yet another zone, and I think I need to go to the same zone to pick up both my woodworking and blacksmithing writs, but I'm not sure, and at least I was lucky enough to already be in the zone where I needed to pick up my clothing writ.

No, it's much better to be able to pick them all up in the same zone and then use your journal and the quest markers to know where to drop them off.

Easier, IF you've been that zone, right? Or maybe you can tell me how to get to Wayrest from a wayshrine if I haven't been there yet? Or wherever. (And yes, I can send out a zone chat begging for someone to TP me.)

And I'm sorry, UrQuan - I tend to agree with most of your posts - but that does NOT sound easier to me. It may be easier than working writs in six different places, but that only brings me back to my second suggestion: You grab a writ in a zone, you deliver it in a zone. If Zeni wants to allow players to grab level dependent writs in Glenumbera, then you should be able to deliver level dependent writs in Glunumbra.

I can see no logical way that what you suggested is easier than that. Your way still end up chasing over the world, only you're doing it with fast travel and quest markers after you've made the stuff rather than vice-versa.

Are you not in any guilds? You can travel to anyone online in your guild roster, provided you meet the requirements to get to the zone they're in (ie. if you're in a different alliance you can't do it, or if it's a Cadwell's Gold zone for you and you're only level 20 you can't do it, etc). Or you can just make your way there over land the first time, like I did with my provisioner back when she was only level 20ish and handing in writs in the 5th zone of her alliance, or like I did with my alchemist in the same situation.

And as far as being able to always hand them in in the same zone as you picked them up, regardless of the level, yes that would be easier, but it also wouldn't make much sense from an in-universe perspective. The writs represent an order for particular supplies to be delivered to a particular depot. You may notice that each writ dropoff area is called something different - they represent different groups seeking supplies. The group providing supplies for refugees may not want you dropping off your supplies to the Mages Guild depot, because they're not affiliated with the Mages Guild.

DaveMoeDee

RizaHawkeye wrote: »

And I'm sorry, UrQuan - I tend to agree with most of your posts - but that does NOT sound easier to me. It may be easier than working writs in six different places, but that only brings me back to my second suggestion: You grab a writ in a zone, you deliver it in a zone. If Zeni wants to allow players to grab level dependent writs in Glenumbera, then you should be able to deliver level dependent writs in Glunumbra.

Why? Because you say so?

Current system makes sense. If you need something, why not send request throughout Tamriel? That doesn't mean it can be delivered just anywhere. You are a contractor. You can be hired from any zone. But the item is needed in a particular location.

The only problem with the current system is getting capped at fourth zone.

MaxBat

Yeah, current system, flawed as it is, is better than any other suggestion - other than pickup and delivery in the same zone. I can see how it would be a minor annoyance for low level players, but once it happens just change your behavior. OP: I agee the design could be better but this works and I'd hate to see it screwed up by them trying to improve it.

I do think it's funny how some apologists use immersion to explain away mediocre elements of the game. Pickup and delivery in the same zone makes sense since the items are being shipped anyway (based on the dialog when you deliver the writ). I guess I see it - again based on dialog and implementation - as your alliance buying goods at a trading port. Clearly, they would want the best goods for their money.

PsylverRaven

I have some for Velyn Harbor. My crafter isn't leveled enough to do the quest to clear the area to drop the goods. Yea, it's annoying.