Crafting Changes We're Exploring

[Sarno]

We are considering a number of potential changes to crafting. Please note that these are being discussed at an early stage of development, and there is consequently a greater than normal likelihood and scope for these changes to be revised prior to their inclusion in a patch. We also plan to introduce new Runes and Glyphs, however these will not be in Patch 0.7.10.

 

Fractures

Since the core of Last Epoch’s crafting system was implemented in Patch 0.4 in January 2018, items in Last Epoch have changed dramatically. We’ve added several new rarities: Unique Items in Patch 0.4.1, Set Items in Patch 0.6, and Exalted Items in Patch 0.7.9. Set Affixes for regular items were also added in Patch 0.6, and as we’ve created content for higher level characters we have been creating more powerful Unique Items with higher level requirements.
 

The game calling out that a fracture has occurred.

 
Minor, Damaging, and Destructive Fractures were implemented in Patch 0.4, and were intended to prolong the item hunt by introducing an element of risk on player’s journey to the holy grail… which at the time was four Tier 5 non-set affixes on a piece of equipment.

As higher-end equipment options become available, the need to gate access to less powerful items diminishes. We are currently experimenting with making some adjustments to both Damaging Fractures and Destructive Fractures, but not Minor Fractures.

 
Current Functionality

• Damaging Fracture
  • Item can no longer be crafted on.
  • All affixes are reduced by 1-5 tiers.
    • Affixes reduced below Tier 1 are removed.
• Destructive Fracture
  • Item can no longer be crafted on.
  • All affixes are removed.

 
Potential New Functionality

• Damaging Fracture
  • Item can no longer be crafted on.
  • One affix has its tier reduced by 1-2.
    • This cannot bring an affix below Tier 1.
• Destructive Fracture
  • Item can no longer be crafted on.
  • Between two and four affixes have their tiers reduced by 1-2.
    • This cannot bring an affix below Tier 1.

 
We’ll be looking at Glyphs after making these changes.

 

Critical Success

An issue with crafting we wish to address is that fractures inherently highlight a craft going particularly poorly, however there is no equivalent for a craft going spectacularly well. This leads to crafting feeling worse, as there is undue focus on the potential for being unlucky.
 

A mockup of a callout for the ‘critical success’ feature.

 
We are thus experimenting with the addition of a counterpoint for fractures, which we are tentatively terming a ‘critical success’. A critical success will be called out similarly to a fracture, and will cause an affix to be upgraded to a higher tier. This is most likely, but not guaranteed, to be the affix you had been crafting at the time. Please note that a critical success cannot raise an affix above Tier 5, which is the highest tier that can be crafted.

A critical success cannot occur if it would raise an item’s level requirement above your current level. We’re still discussing how much instability (if any) a critical success will add.

[FoE]

Amazing! Keep up the good work

[Flintler]

These changes sound great! Excited to see what new glyphs will be introduced.

[LizardIRL]

I like it.

[Llama8]

How about the critical success reduces the instability instead of increasing the tier of an affix? 'Cause that’s always good.

[Akherone]

I love the idea of making the damaging fractures less punishing. As is, if there’s more than a 5% chance for damaging, I just stop crafting, so this would certainly encourage me to take more risks.

The only thing I would say is I think this makes the Destructive Fracture a little too lenient. I think if you made the new Destructive like the old Damaging except keeping the “This cannot bring an affix below Tier 1”, that would keep a lot of the risk.

On the topic of Critical Success’, I think them adding just normal instability would probably be the best option. Adding too much more almost makes it not feel like that much of a reward, and adding less I think would be too strong. Maybe you could also add a Glyph that increases Critical Success chance…

[Ariamaki]

This is definitely a step in the right direction! Fractures have always been a bad idea that added a lot of risk to an already kinda time-and-effort intensive system that doesn’t need to have it, and while I think even the new functionality is still too punitive? It’s dialing it back, which is good.

Critical Successes (if implemented) shouldn’t add any more instability than the craft you were attempting: Otherwise they just feel like a random unwanted tax for marginal benefit, especially if the affix that got buffed isn’t the most important one on the gear.

[Dobster]

I’m liking the sound of this and looking forward to trying it out. Usually I end up fracturing most of my stuff because I just can’t stop and keep on clicking.

[xolak]

I love it!
My vote is for no increased instability from critical successes

[Vamp]

I think the new destructive fracture should be equal to the old damaging fracture.
Making the new destructive more lenient than the old damaging is in my opinion too lenient.

I also vote that a critical succes shouldnt increase instability, depending on how rare a critical success is ofcourse.

[bashismashi]

I love how this is being looked at and I love that it can seem a bit easier with these (possible) changes. Though, I still feel like there should still would like the “destructive” fracture to still eliminate at least one affix. in order to hold true to its name.

That might just be me though - who knows. =p

[sinobu]

Another step toward the right direction.

Love for EHG to realize the crafting system has its flaw and willing to experience new function.

@Llama8

How about the critical success reduces the instability instead of increasing the tier of an affix?

I’d love to have this instead of a +2. But both are equally good to help counter the frustration of failing.

[XLVI_carpo]

Very nice changes. My vote would have been to get completely rid of the destructive fracture. Let’s see if the new destructive fracture leaves a chance to still use the fractured item. Because if it’s useless after the fracture I wouldn’t mind if there are still some affixes left to shatter. But the current numbers look ok.

Absolutely love the critical success! Don’t know if it should add instability or not. It’s already a big deal if you get a 100% success crafting attempt for free. So even not adding the adequate instability might make it a bit too powerful.

Nice changes. Hope you also add some of the QoL features I suggested a while ago.

@XLVI_carpo

• When I scroll down through my shards and decide to craft on an affix I already have on the item it would be nice to be able to click on the affix on the top window to jump directly to the affix on the top of the shards list
• The affix tooltip shows “adds X to…”. Would be awesome if it shows the exact value/min-max range. If it is an affix you don’t have crafted on the actual item (or no item is placed in the forge) show t1 range, else show the range of the next tier that will be applied when crafting.
• When you use rune of removal show the affix that has been removed for a few seconds

[Tru]

What if a minor fracture only locked you out of one affix but you could continue crafting. If you continue crafting increases the instability of the item causing it to become dameged or destroyed

[twotgobblen]

I think you could explore adding glyphs that remove affixes while increasing item stability (with the potential to go above 100). I really think the addition of critical success is a good step in the right direction.

Someone also commented that they want critical success to reduce instability instead of increasing the tier of an affix but I think this would be a bad change to the already proposed system because you can now potentially get tier 6 affixes via crafting.

However, I think that, in addition to critical success, you can have crafts have a chance to not increase instability and these can compound with each other so you get +2 and no instability which would be opposite to a destructive fracture. Maybe also have the chances of this increased the higher stability of the item.

[sinobu]

@twotgobblen

you can now potentially get tier 6 affixes via crafting.

U still can’t. They already said

@Sarno

lease note that a critical success cannot raise an affix above Tier 5, which is the highest tier that can be crafted

[Llama8]

@Sarno

and will cause an affix to be upgraded to a higher tier.

I look forward to the inevitable unfortunate occurrence of the game choosing a t5 affix on a critical success & not doing it since that would not be allowed…

[ActionRPG]

Looks like I gotta make another video on this, as always nice job!

[EHG_Mike]

@Llama8

I look forward to the inevitable unfortunate occurrence of the game choosing a t5 affix on a critical success & not doing it since that would not be allowed…

It is smart enough to only pick between ones that are possible to upgrade. The only time a Critical Success roll will not upgrade a tier is when none can be upgraded due to them all being 5+ or it would cause the item to be unusable due to level requirements.

[Peredur]

I don’t feel there is a need for three types of Fractures as they are now. Each don’t feel that much different.
For each Fracture, the main punishment is no longer being able to craft on it.
Losing some Tiers feels more like an extra secondary punishment that will give you a handicap until you replace the item.

As it is, the Fracture system wouldn’t be much different with a Minor Fracture that don’t make you lose Tiers (except the one that failed to be added) and just a “Major” Fracture that will simply add the loss of Tiers (maybe a loss intermediary between what is planned for Damaging and Destructive, of a loss proportional to the chances of Fracture).

Else, maybe the system would be improve with an opposite approach.
There could be a Minor Fracture that:

• still let you craft
• gives an extra increase to chances for Fractures (in addition to the increase you have for simply crafting)
• don’t add the Tier you wanted to add
• reduces Tier of the affixe you wanted to improve
• (eventually reduces Tier of some-all other affixes)

And a Major Fracture that does the same as Minor Fracture while also preventing further crafting.
(Of course, it can also be made with three Fractures, first reducing the Tier of the Affix we wanted to improve, second also reducing the Tier of multiple Affixes, third also preventing further crafting - there are lot of possibilities around that idea, even the possibility to have a risk to reduce a T6-7 Affix)

The idea is that a Minor Fracture gives a set back by reducing Affixes but still allows to continue to improve the item but with increased risk of Minor Fracture - for new set backs - or of “Major” Fracture - which will then definitely stop improvement of the item.

To me, it makes the punishement feels more differenciated between the type of Fractures as losing some Tiers feels less punishing than losing the possibility to improve the item.
And it allows to reach higher chances of Fractures, to try our luck with higher risks.
As with the current system, if you have 10% chances of Fractures and get a Minor Fracture, you won’t progress further. And even if you progress further and get a stronger Fracture, you may get an item that can be not really different than if he got a Minor Fracture earlier.
(not sure I’m really clear about what I wanted to say with that but I still leave it like that as I’m not confident to manage to express it better in a non native language ^^’ )