An idea on how to (at least partially) revive crafting?

Nyladreas

Hey folks, once again I'm seeing multiple threads crying about crafters being useless... and it sort of made me think.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if we could solve the motif part of crafting since we're now getting the Outfit System, depending on how it actually works I might come back and do an update on this part.

For now, let's assume you need a required style of an item first and don't just get to pick them like dyes and pay gold. Problem solved by itself.

Now to the actual point of this topic....

I'm not a crafter myself, I'm very far behind on that so maybe my idea is just a load of useless poop. But what if we introduced something unique to crafting that would allow crafters to create the most powerful gear in the game? And I'm talking dungeon/trial gear here.

Let's say you've mastered every single crafting skill in the game, you are now able to give an item any trait, any style and make it any set item you want.... What if we introduced Runic Tools as a very rare reward from completing the most difficult Writs in the game. These would allow you to make such items and would only be available to crafters with maxed out crafting, including all traits in that given skill line. Yes, All. Only true master crafter can use these tools.

EXAMPLE/IDEA #1:

<Morrowind/Deshaan> Runic Hammer (Blacksmithing):
Uses: 1-3 (That's up to devs)
Allows you to create any item, in any style, with any trait regardless of required style/trait materials. However, 3-10x cost of basic materials (Bars, Planks, Leather, Cloth)

Only creates items which would normally be Bound on Pickup from Dungeons and Trials. <- The tool itself bound, the items created not bound to allow trading.
Each Different Type of Runic Tool, would have let's say 5 different dungeons and 2 trials included in the crafting table.
These would only be created randomly. Just like the gear from Undaunted Chests is.

Tool A would then be able to create gear from:
Banished Cells I & II
Darkshade Caverns I & II
Elden Hollow I & II
Fungal Grotto I & II
Spindleclutch I & II
Wayrest Sewers I & II

Tool B would then be:
City of Ash I & II
Crypt of Hearts I & II
Selene’s Web
Tempest Island
Vaults of Madness
Volenfell

+ Two random trials in each and so on.

The type of tool received would depend on the location where the writ was turned in. This way it would also very easily separate DLCs from Original Game. Enabling Devs to truly play with the rewards. Naming of the tools could be as simple as:

Valenwood Runic Hammer/Sewing Kit/Carpenter's Tools
Morrowind Runic Hammer/Sewing Kit/Carpenter's Tools

Or even each part of a province separately like The Rift, Deshaan, Auridon etc.

EXAMPLE/IDEA #2

Small/Large <Morrowind/Deshaan> Runic Hammer (Blacksmithing):
Uses: 1-3 (That's up to devs)
Allows you to create any item, in any style, with any trait regardless of required style/trait materials. However, 3-10x cost of basic materials (Bars, Planks, Leather, Cloth)

Now for the little changes.

Every item created would always be from a preselected Trial or Dungeon. Example: Sanctum Ophidia - Twice Fanged Serpent set. <- Again, not bound to allow trading.
The Trial/Dungeon would be selected randomly depending on the location you're turning the writ in on drop - With Large Hammers focusing on Trials, Small Hammers focusing on Dungeons.


BONUS IDEA #3 - This might be a little bit extreme but would certainly make crafting no. 1 priority.

<Morrowind/Deshaan> Ancient Runic Hammer (Blacksmithing):
Everything of Idea #1 or #2
Items created via crafting can be fused with dropped pieces to grant them 2 traits instead of 1
Every item created this way would then have the prefix (Ancient) added to it.

^This would be the rarest reward of all and would only be available to crafters who don't fear adventure as you require the orignal pieces as well.

Now Like I said: I'm not a crafter myself, maybe this is all just a useless idea, but it's an idea. Trying to help you guys out here. Please add your ideas and input on how to make this better. If i see a great idea in the comments i might add it to the OP to keep the constructive criticism and ideas flowing.
 

AngelFires333

"Introduced something unique to crafting that would allow crafters to create the most powerful gear in the game"


Considering the amount of time put into lvling crafting and acquiring the skill points.

Then yes.
Sounds good to me.


Not interested in being the best or putting out the most dps.
Quite happy at present, with what night mothers and hundings offers.
enjoying crafting my own gear and helping others by crafting things for them.

Nerouyn

You could also think a bit more outside the box here.

What if being a 9 trait master crafter allowed you to create and set up temporary repair stations allowing you and your friends to repair their gear? Or possibly even enhance it. A 1 hour buff boosting stats a little or giving a juicy proc would make crafters very popular for any end-game content. And any consumable which sucks materials out of the game can be good for the economy.

Nyladreas

Nerouyn wrote: »

You could also think a bit more outside the box here.

What if being a 9 trait master crafter allowed you to create and set up temporary repair stations allowing you and your friends to repair their gear? Or possibly even enhance it. A 1 hour buff boosting stats a little or giving a juicy proc would make crafters very popular for any end-game content. And any consumable which sucks materials out of the game can be good for the economy.

Already discussed and dismissed countless of times that's why i don't bother. I've suggested this myself in the past as well. Wow has had this since like 2006 in form of repair bots. The way people see this added afaik is another crown store follower like the banker and merchant.

The enhancement part however... Interesting. Not sure if that would be enough though

Dapper Dinosaur

The only way I can think of to revive crafting that isn't a very bad idea for game health is to allow crafters to sell costume kits with the upcoming transmogrification system to other players who do not have the motif books they need for the appearance they want, and tying transmogrification to crafting expertise instead of just allowing everyone to just buy a motif book chapter to do it on their own with no fuss.

As it stands now, this is going to be the final nail in the coffin for crafters, because we won't even be able to make and money on style materials anymore. Clients will just have them done in junk raical styles and transmog them.

Mettaricana

All we need is jewlery crafting and crafters will be reborn like a phoenix

Nyladreas

Jewellery crafting is another thing... I hope they finally include that in the next chapter.

Tasear

Nerouyn wrote: »

You could also think a bit more outside the box here.

What if being a 9 trait master crafter allowed you to create and set up temporary repair stations allowing you and your friends to repair their gear? Or possibly even enhance it. A 1 hour buff boosting stats a little or giving a juicy proc would make crafters very popular for any end-game content. And any consumable which sucks materials out of the game can be good for the economy.

This is interesting @ZOS_GinaBruno

Slack

Only if Julianos, NMG, hundings or Shacklebreaker will be considered bad and useless sets then and only then will I stop crafting.

Iluvrien

DoShazarr wrote: »

Now to the actual point of this topic....

I'm not a crafter myself, I'm very far behind on that so maybe my idea is just a load of useless poop. But what if we introduced something unique to crafting that would allow crafters to create the most powerful gear in the game? And I'm talking dungeon/trial gear here.

We had this. Crafted items at the beginning of the game had an automatic +1 level bonus, thus making them superior.

What happened? The competitive content crowd complained that there was no reason to run content multiple times (yay hamster-wheel) if the drops didn't compare.

Thus ZOS removed the bonus.

The current state of the crafting system is not due to some kind of benign neglect on ZOS' part. They have actively reduced its power and utility.

ZOS will not fix it because, as far as they are concerned, it isn't broken. Devalued by nerfs and trivialised by crown shop purchases, the crafting system is doing exactly what ZOS (and "endgame"rs) seem to want it to do: Provide basic gear as a stepping stone to the gear treadmill.

Wreuntzylla

Mettaricana wrote: »

All we need is jewlery crafting and crafters will be reborn like a phoenix

Slack wrote: »

Only if Julianos, NMG, hundings or Shacklebreaker will be considered bad and useless sets then and only then will I stop crafting.

The two are connected. Some of the crafted set combos I have thought about would ... perform well.

It would have the nice effect of my not having to join groups to farm end bosses for jewelry when pairing crafted and non-crafted sets.

CaffeinatedMayhem

A good way would be to actually let us FIND FURNITURE RECIPES IN THE GAME - including Morrowind and Clockwork City. Then we could craft and sell to people. After 6 months still nearly impossible to find Morrowind patterns, almost none are for sale anywhere on PC NA. The Clockwork ones that are still around are from the Dungeons event.

But yeah, ZOS won't do it. They have been making crafting as a "profession" in game obsolete since One Tamriel. This is just the final nail.

monktoasty

I have an unbeatable idea that would make crafting awesome and needed and wanted WITHOUT harming end game lootbsets..BUT..sorry..not telling unless they pay me.

Nyladreas

monktoasty wrote: »

I have an unbeatable idea that would make crafting awesome and needed and wanted WITHOUT harming end game lootbsets..BUT..sorry..not telling unless they pay me.

Are you seriously so naive? XD they'd never ever do that. Or you're just a troll.

I_killed_Vivec

"would only be available to crafters with maxed out crafting, including all traits in that given skill line. Yes, All. Only true master crafter can use these tools."

"Yes, all"?

The problem with that is that the game has been going for years and there are many players who are maxed out crafters. ZoS has done nothing to progress crafting since the game started.

Apart from motifs. Expect 3 more with each DLC, locked behind a paywall and just a grind trying to get them all... until they come out in the Crown Store.

Taleof2Cities

I_killed_Vivec wrote: »

The problem with that is that the game has been going for years and there are many players who are maxed out crafters. ZoS has done nothing to progress crafting since the game started.

Is it time for the 10th trait then?

Not sure if I'm for or against that idea ... but putting it out there.

Nyladreas

I_killed_Vivec wrote: »

"would only be available to crafters with maxed out crafting, including all traits in that given skill line. Yes, All. Only true master crafter can use these tools."

"Yes, all"?

The problem with that is that the game has been going for years and there are many players who are maxed out crafters. ZoS has done nothing to progress crafting since the game started.

Apart from motifs. Expect 3 more with each DLC, locked behind a paywall and just a grind trying to get them all... until they come out in the Crown Store.

I mean... We could come up with some other limitation if needed I'm just trying to get some ideas going.

Iluvrien

DoShazarr wrote: »

I mean... We could come up with some other limitation if needed I'm just trying to get some ideas going.

A simple solution:

• Restore the +1 inherent level bonus on crafted items.
• Add jewelry crafting.
• Overhaul trait research so that instead of point-and-click it becomes something more involved and more difficult.
• Remove all crown-store only motifs and add them into the game
• All motifs in game should not be one-time-only pages/books to be read but be a research system similar to the overhauled trait research system.

tl;dr - Make crafting require time and dedication to actually master, then make the results actually matter. This will revive crafting.

Won't happen though. I posted the idea about how to rework trait research 2.5 years ago. Has anything changed in that system?.... at all? No, of course not. Can you imagine the response from the competitive content crowd if it did? Also, the idea is anathema to monetization through the crown store... so no joy there either.

nTranced

It's too late now but the Transmutation system (trait change) seemed like the ideal skill for crafters to have. Rather than having transmutation crystals drop from various activities they could've been a crafted item available to all players not just end game and leaderboards. Seems like a lost opportunity to me but as others have said maybe jewellery crafting will make crafters relevant again.

boombazookajd

DoShazarr wrote: »

For now, let's assume you need a required style of an item first and don't just get to pick them like dyes and pay gold. Problem solved by itself.

You do indeed need to know the style that you want to use.

So if little timmy wants a full xivkyn look, little timmy will have to be at least level 9 in Tailoring to even be able to learn the Xivkyn motifs (and acquire the motif).

monktoasty

DoShazarr wrote: »

monktoasty wrote: »

I have an unbeatable idea that would make crafting awesome and needed and wanted WITHOUT harming end game lootbsets..BUT..sorry..not telling unless they pay me.

Are you seriously so naive? XD they'd never ever do that. Or you're just a troll.

I'm serious..I just know they would not pay me or even give me a thanks so I'll keep it to myself. Even though the idea would also make them loads of money and people would gladly pay it. I don't work.for them so why give them.that benefit