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Alpha Two Phase II testing is currently taking place 5+ days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here
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Alpha Two Phase II testing is currently taking place 5+ days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Metalworking is unique and needs a 2nd feeder system
odishy
Member, Alpha Two
Let me start by saying metal is unique as it's used for almost everything. In addition it's rare and should be. So we need a solution that is both practical and immersive.
If you look at other professions they are all naturally grind able or freeholds allow them to be grind able. Fishing & hunting you can already grind. Herbalism & Lumber jacking collect poop and grow stuff, making it grind able.
Mining however, growing rocks/metal doesn't feel immersive. So I propose we make most mining deposits stone/gems, feels natural and metal should be rare.
However, metal is also the easiest thing to recycle. Throw some metal in a forge and bam you have new metal. So let's lean into that and make it grind able by adding broken weapons/armor to loot tables. A metalworker can then melt them down into usable metal.
This provides a long term path and you can always limit metal by adjusting loot tables or introducing soft friction (material space, ect).
In addition, this feels natural. As when you think of metalworking you think of weapons/armor. You think of fighting stuff. It's the profession associated with combat the most, so farming it through combat feels ok.
Edit: I would also add an additional constraint. You must be 1 level higher of metalworker than the metal gained. So apprentice for copper/zinc, journeyman for tin, ect. This ensures miners always have value to gain the highest level of metal, pushes more work into freeholds, and largely allows this as a feeder system for lower level metal rather than how you get the best stuff.
If you look at other professions they are all naturally grind able or freeholds allow them to be grind able. Fishing & hunting you can already grind. Herbalism & Lumber jacking collect poop and grow stuff, making it grind able.
Mining however, growing rocks/metal doesn't feel immersive. So I propose we make most mining deposits stone/gems, feels natural and metal should be rare.
However, metal is also the easiest thing to recycle. Throw some metal in a forge and bam you have new metal. So let's lean into that and make it grind able by adding broken weapons/armor to loot tables. A metalworker can then melt them down into usable metal.
This provides a long term path and you can always limit metal by adjusting loot tables or introducing soft friction (material space, ect).
In addition, this feels natural. As when you think of metalworking you think of weapons/armor. You think of fighting stuff. It's the profession associated with combat the most, so farming it through combat feels ok.
Edit: I would also add an additional constraint. You must be 1 level higher of metalworker than the metal gained. So apprentice for copper/zinc, journeyman for tin, ect. This ensures miners always have value to gain the highest level of metal, pushes more work into freeholds, and largely allows this as a feeder system for lower level metal rather than how you get the best stuff.
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Comments
Would this also be a way to extract legendary metals from crafted / dropped legendaries?
I would give the drop a rarity and it would give metal of that rarity. I wouldn't want it to replace mining though, miners should still have value. So maybe cap it at rare? Then heroic+ would be from mining only.