Anyone else think crafting is overly complicated?

rhunrunnerub17_ESO

In general, I love the way crafting has been set up in the game. The ability to make level-appropriate items by adjusting the materials and apply improvements, traits, and enchantments as you see fit is amazing.

In practice I'm finding at least in the early levels of the game that the details around crafting are making it extremely difficult to do anything more than craft the basic gear. Even worse, the setup is filling our limited inventory slots with a lot of useless stuff.

I'll focus in this thread on traits, since this is the biggest offender. The mechanic seems simple enough...spend 6 hours reverse-engineering a piece of gear to learn how to apply the trait to new gear you craft. All you need is the gem (for lack of a better word) that applies the trait.

The problem is in the details. From what I've encountered, researching a trait of an item allows you to apply that trait only to the same type and slot of item. For example, if you research a fatigue reduction trait on a pair of light-armor gloves, you can only apply that trait to another pair of light-armor gloves. Therefore, you're almost completely dependent on RNG drops to get items with the right armor/weapon type and a useful trait for your style of play. The only other options are to spend a lot of time combing through trade chat in hopes that someone will sell exactly what you're looking for, or to spend quite a bit of gold on items sold by vendors.

Tirocupidus

I don't think it's complicated. If you're looking for specific item/trait combinations to research, try using an out-of-game site for it, such as the ESOBay subreddit. There also should be guilds popping up to facilitate trading, such as the West Empire Trading Company.

rhunrunnerub17_ESO

If you have to go to an out-of-game site to try to acquire a specific armor/weapon type with a specific trait, just so you can research it, then I would say that the system is overly complicated.

Willow

rhunrunnerub17_ESO wrote: »

If you have to go to an out-of-game site to try to acquire a specific armor/weapon type with a specific trait, just so you
can research it, then I would say that the system is overly complicated.

Good point!

Tirocupidus

You don't have to. That was just one of two suggestions, but you don't have to do either. From what I know, you'll also be able to find items for sale at keeps. And I see now that you probably don't mean "complicated" because you seem to understand how it works. Maybe "unnecessarily detailed" but I don't agree with that either.

Skookum

about what you said about the inventory space, I am pretty sure that when are are at a crafting table you are able to use the stuff that is in your bank and not just what is in your bags.

rhunrunnerub17_ESO

Skookum wrote: »

about what you said about the inventory space, I am pretty sure that when are are at a crafting table you are able to use the stuff that is in your bank and not just what is in your bags.

I didn't know that. That will help a lot.

Celdryn

rhunrunnerub17_ESO wrote: »

Skookum wrote: »

about what you said about the inventory space, I am pretty sure that when are are at a crafting table you are able to use the stuff that is in your bank and not just what is in your bags.

I didn't know that. That will help a lot.

This is huge, I do not keep materials in my bags at all because of this. It will create a lot of space for you. Also, it may be a little more difficult but isn't rewarding when you figure out the little things?

driosketch

Quest items are usually pretty good for for getting stuff with traits. Keep in mind you can only research one item per station at a time. Every additional trait to those light gloves increases the research time.

Eventually you get the hang of it.

Allonan

I like the system the way it is. It is full of options and is more then just getting a stack of metal and then clicking "make all" while you go grab a soda.

Crafting matches the variety and depth of the skill system in the game and is a nice touch and probably my favorite part of the game.

SadisticSavior

rhunrunnerub17_ESO wrote: »

ANYONE ELSE THINK CRAFTING IS OVERLY COMPLICATED?

If anything I think it might be too easy and simple. Unlike other MMOs, anyone can craft anything in this game, without learning anything. Thats not how it works in most other MMOs.

In Fallen Earth for example, you cannot even gather plants unless you learn a skill first.

I am hoping there is some kind of counter built into the system to prevent everyone and their dog from crafting epic armors or whatever.

Shimond

SadisticSavior wrote: »

If anything I think it might be too easy and simple. Unlike other MMOs, anyone can craft anything in this game, without learning anything. Thats not how it works in most other MMOs.

That's only true for 15 levels.

To the OP, it's complicated but not overly so. I love it.

Rohan_Swift

No.

Allonan

SadisticSavior wrote: »

rhunrunnerub17_ESO wrote: »

ANYONE ELSE THINK CRAFTING IS OVERLY COMPLICATED?

If anything I think it might be too easy and simple. Unlike other MMOs, anyone can craft anything in this game, without learning anything. Thats not how it works in most other MMOs.

In Fallen Earth for example, you cannot even gather plants unless you learn a skill first.

I am hoping there is some kind of counter built into the system to prevent everyone and their dog from crafting epic armors or whatever.

The gateway is that everything that is crafted is White in quality. You need "tempers" to improve things and the only way to get those is by using a hireling or by breaking items and get a random chance of a drop. This will limit most folks to being a crafter with skills and time invested to be able to make Epic and Legendary gear.

Enteum

In beta, all my crafting mats went into the bank. You do not need to take them out of the bank to craft. When you have an item that has a trait or whatever that' becomes to weak for you to use, Instead of selling said bound item to a npc for a stupid cheap price. You can reverse engineer it and use that same trait in more powerful crafted weapons. That way, you have not actually "lost" what you had. Through the beta's lower levels, crafting is the way to go. Personally I love it.

I think, once people become accustomed to this, they will never be able to go back.

For example: I have tried playing some MMOs after ESO beta and found myself wondering why the hell I can't do what I can in this game.

SirAndy

I'm actually pleased with the level of complexity.

For once, i don't feel like everything is dumbed down to the lowest possible denominator ...

Sihnfahl

driosketch wrote: »

Keep in mind you can only research one item per station at a time.

Initially. Look a little lower in the skill tree and you'll see the ability to research two...

Exarch

I don't consider it complicated so much as detail-oriented, and I quite like it...but I'd still really like a Craft All button, mostly for Provisioning.

It did occur to me yesterday at with no gathering skill, and therefore no gathering skill limitations, there is a lot more potential competition for every resource node, that might only apply in the early levels, I'm not sure what happens later.

SirAndy

Exarch wrote: »

It did occur to me yesterday at with no gathering skill, and therefore no gathering skill limitations, there is a lot more potential competition for every resource node, that might only apply in the early levels, I'm not sure what happens later.

It's not really a problem once people start to disperse a bit. It's the initial rush when everyone is dumped into the same zones at launch that creates some problems. Yesterday, some of the starter islands (yes, i actually went back there) were pretty crowded but even then nodes were still available.

I my experience from the large beta tests, once you get to the larger zones and people had a few hours to disperse, node camping is not an issue anymore.
:-)

Sihnfahl

SirAndy wrote: »

Node camping is not an issue anymore.

Not to mention that only the most dedicated crafters will end up later on, due to folks burying themselves in PvP...

TerraDewBerry

I'm deeply frustrated about the how long it's taking to level crafting. I'm doing blacksmith cloth, and it's insane at this point. What is the point of doing crafting if I can't level the skill to keep pace with my character's game leveling? I think it's way to slow to get skill increases in crafting. Crafting was the main reason I bought the game.... wish I had realized how incredibly slow it was to level crafting... I could have saved 60 dollars.

SirAndy

Ahnastashia wrote: »

I'm deeply frustrated about the how long it's taking to level crafting. I'm doing blacksmith cloth, and it's insane at this point. What is the point of doing crafting if I can't level the skill to keep pace with my character's game leveling? I think it's way to slow to get skill increases in crafting. Crafting was the main reason I bought the game.... wish I had realized how incredibly slow it was to level crafting... I could have saved 60 dollars.

@Ahnastashia
Unless you're trying to do every craft on one single character, you should be able to keep up with your progress.

My main char is doing blacksmithing and provisioning and i craft a new set of armor for myself every 2 levels. And the armor is usually better than anything i can find in the world for my level ...

TerraDewBerry

SirAndy wrote: »

Ahnastashia wrote: »

I'm deeply frustrated about the how long it's taking to level crafting. I'm doing blacksmith cloth, and it's insane at this point. What is the point of doing crafting if I can't level the skill to keep pace with my character's game leveling? I think it's way to slow to get skill increases in crafting. Crafting was the main reason I bought the game.... wish I had realized how incredibly slow it was to level crafting... I could have saved 60 dollars.

@Ahnastashia
Unless you're trying to do every craft on one single character, you should be able to keep up with your progress.

My main char is doing blacksmithing and provisioning and i craft a new set of armor for myself every 2 levels. And the armor is usually better than anything i can find in the world for my level ...

I'm just now level 7 in the game, my crafting is at level 3. I'm only being able to make level 1 items so far. I have 6 more level items to catch up to before my crafting and game level are the same. I haven't even seen the level 2 crafted recipes yet.
I feel like I must be doing something terribly wrong here. I've never had crafting in a game be so frustrating.

Shimond

Ahnastashia wrote: »

I'm just now level 7 in the game, my crafting is at level 3. I'm only being able to make level 1 items so far. I have 6 more level items to catch up to before my crafting and game level are the same. I haven't even seen the level 2 crafted recipes yet.
I feel like I must be doing something terribly wrong here. I've never had crafting in a game be so frustrating.

Yea, if you're doing armor or weapons you are doing something wrong. The little + next to the material lets you increase how much you put in and will raise the level of the outgoing product. You start with the ability to craft up to level 14 gear.

Carnage2K4

I'm crafting in alchemy and frankly it' not complex enough, can't wait for poisons to come in, there are far too few plants to use. Jute! why U no have alchemy stuffs?

SirAndy

Ahnastashia wrote: »

I'm just now level 7 in the game, my crafting is at level 3. I'm only being able to make level 1 items so far. I have 6 more level items to catch up to before my crafting and game level are the same. I haven't even seen the level 2 crafted recipes yet.
I feel like I must be doing something terribly wrong here. I've never had crafting in a game be so frustrating.

@Ahnastashia You can already make better than level 1!
If you have enough iron ingots, use the "+" next to the ingot counter to bump up the level of them item you want to create ...

PS: Item level goes in 2 increments. 1,2,4,6,8,10 and so forth. All you need to do is spent a few more ingots to make higher level gear.

TerraDewBerry

Shimond wrote: »

Ahnastashia wrote: »

I'm just now level 7 in the game, my crafting is at level 3. I'm only being able to make level 1 items so far. I have 6 more level items to catch up to before my crafting and game level are the same. I haven't even seen the level 2 crafted recipes yet.
I feel like I must be doing something terribly wrong here. I've never had crafting in a game be so frustrating.

Yea, if you're doing armor or weapons you are doing something wrong. The little + next to the material lets you increase how much you put in and will raise the level of the outgoing product. You start with the ability to craft up to level 14 gear.

Yup.. that was the issue. Thanks!

BigDumbViking

I would disagree with the complicated thing. The fact that you can start leveling any of the crafting skills right out of the gate is pretty awesome. You can deconstruct anything in game, gather any materials you want, create a full set of useful gear right from the starter area. Not to mention how easy it is to share materials between your own characters.

achimb16_ESO3

No, it's easy - just read the books that you can find next to the crafting stations.

Felarrond

I think crafting feels just about right, I think maxing and finding every craftable combination and improvement should take a great deal of time. I don't enjoy games where you can get your crafting to max within an hour or two, it just feels dirty to me.

Soul4Ever

Don't quote me, but I am pretty sure ZOS has said it themselves that they want high end crafters to be valuable so I disagree with the idea that it is over complicated, it's just detail oriented and requires work like it should.

I've always thought crafting should not be something that I can spend a day, week or month working on and be able to create the best gear a game has to offer. It just dumbs down crafting for me and creates a more faster mentality that I don't agree with. Maybe I stand alone on that point, but when I get my character crafting legendary items it will be because I spent time and effort on that skill, not just hitting craft all and walking away.