Crafting - A simpler solution

[vapourfire]

Been mulling over the crafting system and reading the endless threads about it and one thing that struck me is how the solutions offered seem to add complexity as a way of addressing the problems people are experiencing. Peoples inherent bias, missunderstanding the math/probability/% etc also looms large and the general negativity around crafting (even after the +ve recent changes) seems to overshadow the system to the point where I was thinking whoa… take a step back…

I was thinking of how a simplification of the crafting system would possibly be a better approach.

My idea:

• All crafts are successful.
• No fracturing, damaging, destruction
• No guardian gylphs
• No stablity glyphs.
• All crafting adds instability from a pre-determined range (e.g. 3 to 8)
• An Item can no longer be crafted on if its instability passes a defined max (e.g. 100)

How this would work:

1. Assuming a white item with zero instability
2. It has 20 possible craft “slots” (4 affixes to t5)
3. Assuming an instability range of 3 to 8 per craft with 100 max.
4. Assuming the player has the affixes they want to craft
5. They craft 5 times (any affixes, any tiers) for a total of t5
6. The item now has instability of 15 to 40
7. They craft 5 more times (any affixes, any tiers) for a total of t10
8. the item now has instability of 30 to 80
9. They attempt to craft 5 more times
10. the item now has instability of 45 to 120 for a total of t15 OR “uncraftable” state at (100)
11. If its uncraftable, then they have to either shatter or use the item, if not, they attempt another craft etc.

Benefits of this simplification:

• Forgiving when attempting high tier items.
• Only one factor of randomness in the craft process itself - instability added to item on craft.
• No bricking of any item - it just may not be top tier possible anymore.
• Existing Runes can all be kept as they still apply (with adjusted instability & shattering rate obviously).
• No more percentage failure problems… its as simple as plain addition to see if you can add another tier and then a little luck for when you get to the max instability.

Caveats of this idea:

• The range of instability added is critical to ensure that that there is a balance between getting too many OP crafts too easily in the game and succesful crafting.
• Dropped items & T6/t7 would need their instability correctly adjusted to make sure that a high tier drop is not a 100% guaranteed T20 craft due to a low instability rare/t6/t7.
• Affixes drop rate / shattered rate becomes more important as all crafts are guaranteed so having the affix to use is critical

Additional thoughts:

• Although it complicates things again, affixes could have additional instability to prevent OP crafts of specific affixes.
• Items could have a variable max instability too…
• Adding a new affix could also add a default instability. i.e. 4 affixs has a minumum of 10 instability. Again complication which we are trying to get away from.
• For those that noticed, this is like Black Jack… you want to get to 21 (T20) but not go bust (without the failure of course) and the cards you flip are the random instability added each flip.

Sure this has its problems and I am positive someone will poo poo it almost immediately but hey… Why overcomplicate things when maybe a simpler approach might be the way to go.

ps. Yes, I like playing devils advocate.

[benj92]

I think the current crafting system is already really forgiving with the critical success compared to last patch.

I see no real reason to overhaul

[vapourfire]

I agree.

But… it seems that other than those of us who have “gotten used” to the crafting system, experienced its previous iterations and understand its mechanics, people tend to view it negatively. Hence the suggestions… all up to the devs really.

[benj92]

Interesting because you started the topic

[vapourfire]

There is almost always improvement to be had in most things and this topic has drawn some very emotional responses from people - that motivated my suggestion… Sometimes the perception of something being negative can overwhelm the truth that it may actually not be all that bad but unfortunately that same perception can be very hard to change.

[HOH]

Or they can simply disable the fact that your item is “lock” when fracture happen and instead reduce the probability for it to succeed to pass the next tier

past a certain point you can no longer hope for your affix to level up

[benj92]

That’s fair

I just want to say I love the crafting system in it’s current form. It’s punishing and rewarding at the same time and I think the RNG is in the right spot. I would even argue that crafting right now is way to easy with the new loot filter and the gambler in it’s current form.

I hope EHG focus will be on releasing the promised content and improving the current defense system.

Peace out

[DesireDemon]

Crafting plays to big of a roll in this game and id like to see it take a slight back seat in favor of looting being more important.

i want to add that i do like your suggestions. for me this games crafting system holds it back from being something i consider playing over Grim Dawn.

im not a fan of Korean/Mobile Game enchanting systems as seen in games like Tera, Black Desert Online and the like so anything that moves it away from this is ok in my book.