Crafting Stations: The not-so-secret secret

Volg_gro_Urug · April 2014

I just wanted to get some community member feedback on matters regarding people revealing the location of Crafting Stations in ESO.

To start, I want to share my opinion. Afterwards, I wish to state why I bear these sentiment. Finally, I would like for my fellow community members to respond in earnest.

I was perusing through the forums to see what information I could find on crafting, information on researching and leveling crafts in particular.

Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to see if anyone has posted information on the special crafting stations scattered throughout Tamriel. I naturally found several dozen posts on the matter. The contents of which all disappointed me two-fold.

First, I saw that the same Named-Set could be acquired in all three dominions, very disappointing. I was hoping that each dominion would have its own unique crafting set, steeped in local lore and history.

Another is the accessibility to this information. I knew it most improbable; however, I had dared to hope against all hope that this information would be better controlled. For example, Myrron, does a great job or only revealing a few locales, ones everyone is guaranteed to find eventually. I had hoped everyone else would covet this information and entitle only a select few privy to the information.

The reason is simple. Game dynamics. If my guild's Craftmaster knew a special location, he would not share the information except with perhaps the Guildmaster and a few other Officers. Then, the Named Set which can only be crafted at the locale found by the Craftmaster becomes sort of like a trademark or selling point for the Guild. It brings a whole new aspect of crafting into the game, reputation and renown.

A crafter can become a solo-famed craft known for his/her ability to craft certain equipment sets.

It may sound odd, but I thought monopolizing this information would actually benefit players. I feel players being too liberal with this information may reduce the uniqueness of players, crafters in particular.

Perhaps my perspective is influenced too much by my experience in RPGs. What are some thoughts of those more MMORPG oriented? Emphasis on the "RPG" of "MMORPG."

smedward · April 2014

I think you bring up some very valid points. However the imformation is bound to get out when you have this many people playing it is to hard to contain.

Rancunier · April 2014

The desire to share is a very common human trait (this is not to say it is not found among other species, it is) and for this reason it is almost impossible to keep information such as this "secret".

In the past, the major road block to the dissemination of info was a reliable, easy, and cheap method of communicating that info and the corresponding ability for consumers of info to find that info (cheaply, easily and reliably).

Such a road block no longer exists and is unlikely to ever exist again short of catastrophic collapse of our civilization (at which point the location of special crafting locations in an MMO will be very low on anyone's priority list)

kevin.hirdb14_ESO · April 2014

Volg, I agree completely. There's always gonna be that one guy who finds it and can't keep his mouth shut, but you could try coaxing them to introduce guild-specific armoring stations linked to membership #, and just hope your guild happens to get a decent looking set

Kateri · April 2014

"Secrets" like this are going to get out. There's no use in even trying to prevent it. However, several points you make are quite valid and reasonable to implement in the game. The idea of zone specific sets is very appealing and I would love to see it implemented. Regarding the game dynamics idea; there are several ways to improve things. While secret keeping isn't realistic, the following are just a few ideas that come to mind that might help:

1) Put the crafting station in a dungeon or otherwise mob infested area with rapid spawn rates - crafting would require support people to keep the monsters at bay while the crafter does his/her thing.

2) Put certain crafting stations into Keeps that only the controlling faction can use.

3) Make certain crafting stations available to the Emperor and a guild of his/her choosing.

These are just a few. Personally, I don't really mind the way it works now. There is a trait number requirement in place in order to use them. That will limit those who can use the capability. Perhaps tie the set to knowing specific traits. It takes some real dedication and effort to gain multiple traits on an entire crafting line. It will be some time before we have many 3-trait all pieces armor crafters around.

Stautmeister · April 2014

Found 2 of those crafting stations so far. Luckily they arnt near waypoints and a bit of the standard path. This means only explorers will find them and only dedicated crafters will use them

Youl still have your niche for lazy people

Nadrak · April 2014

you can find dynamic maps of the whole eso including craft stations. There is no secret...
As was posted above, only accessibility can somehow restrict it

overseeker79 · April 2014

There should be a "key" that allows someone into these stations ... and you have to be part of an elite, or a "limited time offer" mission to gain access. This key can then be traded or sold from one player to another, but say there were only 50 keys to a particular station ...

Likely the only way that this will happen is if enough awareness/desire for this comes up and it's implemented in expansions.

tbmorrisonb14_ESO · April 2014

Perhaps there is another solution to having a Grand Master that makes special gear. ESO could, in some scheme similar to becoming emperor, create an UBER grand master position. They would get a special crafting tree to make us common crafters drool.
How would you pick the Uber Grand master?

lupusrex · April 2014

It's an idea that is not without its romance, but this is the Information Age. Unless you have some kind of serious compulsion over the rest of the people in the know, like a legal contract, information is going to get out, and from there it has its own momentum. Even an MMO as vast and exploration-focused as this one will eventually be cataloged down to the last detail on ESOHead or something similar.

Perhaps a game will come out where special crafting locations like these can be defended PvP-style from entrepreneurs who want to horn in on your crafting monopoly. Copyright by force of arms.

Vampiresbane · April 2014

overseeker79 wrote: »

There should be a "key" that allows someone into these stations ... and you have to be part of an elite, or a "limited time offer" mission to gain access. This key can then be traded or sold from one player to another, but say there were only 50 keys to a particular station ...

Likely the only way that this will happen is if enough awareness/desire for this comes up and it's implemented in expansions.

There's quite a few crafting locations that require you have finished a questline and only allow access after that. Most of the 8 trait sets (ones that require 8 traits to be researched per item) locations are like this.

Vlos · April 2014

I love the idea of placing specific crafting stations in certain keeps around Cyrodill, and maybe these give some type of bonus more specific to PVP.

Then it's a focus for you and your group to take that crafting station.

THey could even add quests, for crafters which need to crafter "WAR" gear by obtaining a crafting from an enemy areas.

Rpalmer2 · April 2014

overseeker79 wrote: »

There should be a "key" that allows someone into these stations ... and you have to be part of an elite, or a "limited time offer" mission to gain access. This key can then be traded or sold from one player to another, but say there were only 50 keys to a particular station ...

Likely the only way that this will happen is if enough awareness/desire for this comes up and it's implemented in expansions.

Though I can agree with were you are coming from on this. I would not want to see a "keying" process for this.

I played SWG and my guild had Black Watch Bunker on Farm and lockdown most of the day. In that dungeon to progress to the next level and eventually to the crafting station you would need to have a key. My guild leader at the time had several account and would have that mini boss on farm and would always have keys. He had monopolized a single location in the game so that only a select few people could get their Mando armor crafted. Do not get me wrong, it was fun being the person getting these made and having the items and the only people having access, but I can also see how this can leave a sower taste in other peoples mouths.

Imo the trait and quest gating on crafting stations is plenty enough for me.

bluntobjnub18_ESO · April 2014

Simply, no.

Crafting in the set stations should be open to exploration, as usual.

The bottleneck will be those who have the traits unlocked to make the set.

Willow · April 2014

bluntobjnub18_ESO wrote: »

Simply, no.

Crafting in the set stations should be open to exploration, as usual.

The bottleneck will be those who have the traits unlocked to make the set.

I agree. Let my exploration pay off for once!

Also, I do not understands the " I wish these would have been kept more secretive than they are so I guess I will post about them on the internet" concept. You do know that your post will inform more people about these than not right?

Beryl · April 2014

As an avid crafter I would love even a possibility of having some unique knowledge in the game. It could be a location of some station, a very unique (player designed??) recipe, a location for ultra-rare component which is available solo - so that fewer people know about its existence...

But I can't imagine how that could be done in MMOs. Especially with megaservers and internet. It is not beneficial for the developers to put something really unique in the game, something what only a handful of players can find and what is not entirely luck based (getting treasure maps is an example of a luck based rare stuff). In ESO we have all those crafting stations even marked on the map. There is no trick in finding them, and all the website which show the exact maps will soon become not needed. Ingame radar spots the unexplored locations from a huge distance. In most cases it is enough to be simply running along the roads and you will see the crafting stations on the side.

As much as I enjoy crafting here, I find the system a bit too grindy and time consuming while absolutely not challenging. In several months there will be more than enough crafters around who can and will be making the best stuff. Will those crafters be solo-famed? Maybe within several guilds only.

SadisticSavior · April 2014

The secret is already out I think...This site has detailed lists of the locations for Armor stations:

http://tamrielfoundry.com/crafting/blacksmithing/
and
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19xN0GSBv05N_lvjuYD8bMz3wn-z8CBcaPfhXEaJyGxM/edit#gid=35512762