Crafting

[Cooper Holt]

I also just want to say that if a crafting system was put into this game that I hope it would not be like a Minecraft style crafting system, but more of a realistic crafting mechanic, whereas you character picks up the materials in his/her hand and actually has to craft them.

Picture the game Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.

My ideal crafting system would be something like in the video, but more realistic.

Wow, that's a nice crafting system. I like the idea.
I think that this would be a fun aspect of the game, and I would like to see something like this in Sui Generis.
Though I'd be fine without it, it'd still be fun.
Perhaps you would need a certain number and quality of materials, a certain skill level, and a certain quality of tools to make formidable weapons.

 

[Cepheiden]

Another example for a rarely used crafting system would be the system used in Evil Islands, a somewhat unknown rpg from 2000.

Crafting was done only by NPCs for a fee, which would be in line with what the Devs for Sui Generis want. The NPC Crafter was able to build a few different very basic armors and weapons, i. e. a broadsword, a longsword or a two-handed sword. These recipes were always the same, but the difference would be the materials used, which the player can find in the game.
In the beginning you would build items with just some low-grade stone, wood, leather, strings or cloth. Later on you would still use the same recipes but you would build them out of better, more rare materials. So your first sword was made of stone and later you would use bone, obsidian, bronze, iron, steel and some more awesome or rare materials.
You could find those materials everywhere: as a drop from enemies, lying around on the ground, in crates or chests and also by dismantling other items.

However Evil Islands was very linear and consequently it was easy tying the available materials and recipes to the story progress. For Sui Generis there would have to be other obstacles like needing to find a certain crafting tool, location or NPC craftsman, which are only reachable with a certain difficulty. Simply placing the good crafting materials next to (or in) strong enemies isn't enough, because there is a certain type of player that will always be able to circumvent those easily without having to level up or train their skills. Either by being good enough to dodge everything the enemies have and slowly whittle them down or by just simply tricking or outrunning them. That is of course only necessary if most of world is accessible in an non linear fashion right from the beginning, as for example in the gothic games.

On a side note: The crafting system in Evil Islands had one serious flaw. Since magic spells could be incorporated as a 'material' in items, it was possible to stack heal spells on the items, that would be automatically cast by the player for no costs and therefor rendering the player nigh invincible. So better leave that out or restrict it heavily.


Anyway, such a crafting system would be relatively easy to implement, while having enough depth to satisfy crafters and at the same time being simple enough to not shift the main focus of the game away from the action.

 

[Stupidity]

Indeed Cepheiden, I think the best crafting system would allow us to supply vendors with rare materials to either reduce the price/crafting time on items or meet the requirements of rare items.
Not finding and prioritizing item capacity with rare materials would rob the game of a lot of depth. Do you drop expensive but useless helmet for the darksteel ingots/fire crystals that might to useful later?

On that note, all weapons and armor should have stats based on what they are made of. For example, silver edges decrease armor penetration but deal increased damage to some enemies or some metals are heavier than others.

 

[Bibidibop]

I love the idea of hiring professional craftsmen to create items to the exclusively of player crafting. First, it's the most realistic method of crafting; crafting takes years to become moderately proficient at anything complex, and with the game really being about being an interdimensional warrior Jesus, most effort should be toward fighting skill. Secondly, crafting is normally nothing more than an endless retrieve-item side quest, combined with a mini-game; boring, even if it looks good. Good combat and conversation systems are all the mini-games I need. The advantages of crafting only seem to be in making custom gear, and gear of low price, but there's nothing stopping a custom gear system with proper craftsmen, and with a haggling skill you can get better prices.

Actually, even though I derided it, with a proper economy, acquiring raw materials and giving them to a craftsman should result in a better price for the finished item, even if you are buying from a raw goods dealer, then bringing the material to the craftsman, just to cut out the craftsman's material markup; unless you have no, or negative haggling. For that matter, haggling should probably be rolled into a general conversation skill, it would also be fantastic to see charisma separate from intelligence, such as in the first Fallout, where, I think, intelligence drastically effected grammar quality, but the former controlled speech effectiveness.