the idea here is to gain an access to a unique forge through a succession of different classical echo/quests/final boss completion.
In other word replace the current blessing loot by a single access to a nicely design legendary forge with unique features. Here under some ideas:
(Main) Possibility to repair a fractured item (one per run)
Improved critical forge sucess
Improved number of shard when shattering
This will improve the game experience as well as the forge system from my point of view.
I donât feel this would be good. Fracture is a way to balance the very deterministic system. If we can repair a fracture, that could result in us getting powerful items too easily.
It depends how âeasyâ it would be to access this functionality. It doesnât need to be as easy as the mastery quest (running through a small level to reach it) it could be like the current higher end monoliths (many monoliths followed by a big boss battle).
Balancing it would be hard given there are so many differently skilled players. Should it be achievable but difficult for a lower-skilled player? Then it would be relatively trivial for a higher skilled player that is already likely to have high end gear & is less likely to âneedâ to be able to repair a fracture. If itâs achievable but difficult for a high-skilled player then youâre locking out all of the lower-skilled players that would actually âneedâ it.
Your analysis is really accurate Llama8, and I agree with you Shtrak.
One solution could be to limit the repair process to one per item and per monolith run (well balanced).
The purpose here remain to diversify a little bit the end game and forge system and add a new type of goal for a monolith run.
I sway to the nay side if itâs a forge with improved rates of crafting specifically that it would mean those in the end game, or whoever could reach this forge, would feel inclined this would be the optimal way to craft and normal crafting would be negated. It would mean every time you wanted to craft you would need to reach this forge. Overall, it seems like a bad experience for the average user and more frustrating by the barriers it creates than rewarding.
Whereas if the forge spawned randomly at low rates and allowed you to do something specific like repair a fractured item as you mentioned, or other specific unique things then maybe it would have a more rewarding feeling to it rather than frustration.
An idea I had for adding to the crafting mechanic and could possibly add to this idea of a Forge Echo.
Once you clear this echo you will be rewarded with a special forge that would allow you to add an additional special modifier unique to this system to a single. This echo could be a rare one to encounter but could lead to it being a well sought out echo for players to seek out, incentivising the grind through the monolith to seek out rarer echoes. But obviously it should come with a cost:
You can no longer continue upgrading the gear piece (like fractured but with no negative effects.)
It requires you to sacrifice other gear. (I feel this will add more use to gear we pick up and actually make it more useful.)
Can not be used on Uniques or Exalted
This could add so much more build variety and the chase for more power whilst giving trash loot more use other than shards or a very little gold return when you sell.
In my past game development job(s), I designed a forging system for Neverwinter Nights 2.
** prepare for long winded example**
It used a shard system for each of the possible combination that an item could have.
Example a +1 short sword would be broken down into a small iron bar and single magic shard. You used the forge with recipe knowledge, buy the mold, to build +1 dagger instead. Since they were of the same ratios were given higher probability of success. If you added other outside components such as cold iron then difficult goes up, equaling more cost, more chance of failure. Success was not always guaranteed. Repairs were possible but cost more than to remake the item from scratch.
Think of how the T6 and T7 are only drops and how expensive that is to replace. Those are equal to what I had as +5 holy avengers.
Not everyone was carrying one around, scarcity is a part of the nature in RPGâs and Classic games. Itâs about the constant chase. That never ending grind, but once it is over, you can be left with an unfulfilling ending.
I really like the idea of a special kind of forge. The exact system and its rewards have to be balanced and must fit into the crafting system but i dont see any problems with it making items very powerful as long as it contains a great risk to counterbalance the positive aspect, like destroying the item, too.
