Let us talk Recourse Collection and Crafting

TheMarten

Let us talk Recourse Collection and Crafting

I did see that this topic was discussed a while back in this thread., but I was not here at that time and I didn't want to necro a thread, so I am starting a new one in the hopes of getting some fresh discussion.

I also understand that this was not tested very much in A1, so I didn't have a lot to go on other than the wiki and very limited videos on YouTube as a resource. I don't know how far along the team is in this area, or if they are too far along to incorporate ideas suggested here.

I am almost tempted to split this in to two discussions as collection and crafting do deserve their own focus, but I hope we can do them justice in a single thread.

First and foremost, I have to agree that Star Wars Galaxies had the cream of the cream when it came to these two systems. I played SWG myself for years and the crafting system was a big part of what kept me playing that long. As a refresher or an intro to those that did not play SWG I would encourage you to watch these two short videos.

Resource Collecting
Crafting
A big thanks to Napyet for making these video. If you watched them please give him a thumbs-up.

Let me start with what I think would or would not make a fun system that would have longevity.

All the resources that can be gathered should not be identical from the first day of the game to the last. I don't want to chop down an oak tree on day one and a month later chop down more oaks for wood that has the same quality stats associated to it.

I don't want to see that the best of the best resources to be only be harvested from quest and raid zones. Finding the best of the best resources should be tied to your skill(s) in that field.

While it may not be possible for all materials, like trees, most resources should not have an above ground graphic but a way to "sample" for the highest concentration of of that resource and then for it to be extracted. Anyone can see a shiny and go smack it with a pick.

I think that a greater variety of resource types and quality over time equals a more unique and vibrant market.

So, what made SWG's system so special?

I would purpose it was the Resource system primarily. Materials existed in the world(s) with differing stats for a limited time to never (to the best of my memory) be harvestable again. That did not mean that something of a different name with similar stats would not eventually exist.

Secondly, I would say that it was the varied quality and existence of the subcomponents that made the finished item.

While crafters could have access to the same schematics, rarely could they make the same item with the same quality at the same time.

Item decay. Even the best of the best should eventually break and stop working. Without item decay, eventually someone will reach the max level and have their class's max items and... well they would have nothing more to do. Also, killing starter creatures with your "uber-hammer' may not cause as much "decay" as smacking an elder black worm, but it should cause some. This would make it important to select the proper times to use such an item.

Key Takeaways:
Having static names of resource types, say Steel, with random and uniquely named subset resources that would have random stats that only exist in the world for a limited time.

Not all Static resource typed have to exist in the world all the time. The scarcity if a resource could have an impact on the market.

Some Static resources may only exist during certain seasons.

Avoid above ground ore veins as much as possible. For me at least, the way RUST or WoW has you search for "shiny" items in the open world to harvest is boring.

Don't limit the best resources to quest or raid zones.

Conclusion:
What I would hope to avoid as a crafter is to be able to stand out and just because my guild was able to kill uber-xyz to get me a material or schematic. I don't want the sword I make to be the same as the sword crafter-b down the road a month later will make, and I don't want the difference to just be the maker's mark.

Thank you for your time and look forward to any constructive input.

jojo

I really like your view on this! I didn't play SWG like i wanted to, so thank you for explaining its crafting a bit. i love that! it would really be nice to have resources with varying stats for sure. I love that from a gatherer point of view. I'd love to be able to gather high stat materials randomly if at all possible. i personally agree that high end materials shouldn't be locked to raids or like "elite" zones. while i think they should be in those areas, i think it would be neat to have the randomly appear in low level zones too! maybe make the risk/reward different. like the ones in the high-end zones yield more product but maybe less stats. That way the thrill of finding materials that have great stats in a lower-level zone makes you feel accomplished. that's just my take on it though!