Crafting, while an important part of any MMO, is at heart a mindless grind fest. Gather X materials, to create Y new materials that can be them combined with A & B materials to create the desired item. While crafting tends to mirror real-life crafting, it’s about a million times more boring. Is it a wonder that bots and macro scripts have become so popular in today’s MMOs? Why in hell would I want to spend hundreds of hours of my life mindlessly gathering matrials and then watch my characters crafting bar slowly progress as they craft for hrs.
I for one don’t craft in MMOs. My highest level crafting character ever was probably in the medium low range of his crafting career. I just refuse to waste my time grinding away gathering resources.
So why do developers continue to use the same tired crafting system. Why not create a crafting system that’s more like a mini-game based on skill instead of grinding. While not very realistic, I’d rather play a small mini-game then run around for hrs looking for iron deposits or some rare flower.
I’m sure some people might have a problem with that since it’s not how crafting really works. If someone in medieval times wanted to craft a sword, they would have to go collect the materials or buy it, so that’s how it should work in games too. To those people I say, good for you, feel free to waste your life gathering materials in a video game, I play to have fun and I have yet to find a MMO where crafting is.
I think Everquest 2 had pretty nice crafting. It was essentially a mini-game. You had 6 or so skills with which you could boost the crafting process. You also used those to counter unfortunate events that happened during the process.
I think when it comes to crafting, more fun is usually derived on the players end than on the games end. Sandbox and Endgame players seem to prefer a bit more of getting fun from the game, while crafters and roleplayers may lean a bit more on creating their own fun out of it.
For instance, everything you say about wasting hours grinding. To me is one of the most valuable parts of the game that I enjoy in more ways than one. To me it’s not boring but the more fun part of WoW and other MMO’s
It’s a perception thing, I guess.
I’m also guessing that’s why developers don’t stray to drastically from the “basics” of crafting systems.
The best thing I can think of, for people that want something more “stimulating”(fighting, raiding, questing, etc…) would be adding leatherworking where the resource you need to gather comes from various mobs you need to kill, and then “skin”.
EQ2 and Vanguard spring to mind.
Maybe try a game or two other than WoW or WAR or other MMO Clones catering to the ritalin popping 12 year old morons??
To each is own, but to me crafting is not about fun but the joy of having something I created in the world.
I think current crafting systems are do for a good over haul but doing away with resources or minimizing their need would be like getting rid of levels or skills. If you do away with the journey or the trial and tribulation what is the point.