Should Skyrim have crafting? : V - Skyrim

» Sat May 28, 2011 9:57 am

I can't see how expanding on something we already have (alchemy) would necessarily lessen the quality. I understand the argument that some things require too many resources for too little actual contribution to the game, but I do not think this is the case here. And if we were to stick with this argument on all costs, we would end up with a game that had one quest, one character and no choice - but with enormous quality.

Just expanding upon it, without reworking the boring/inane parts (resource gathering, skill grinding) is what I am arguing upon. If they come up with something new, then fine, I hope to be proved wrong. If, however, crafting is included and it is just like alchemy in Oblivion it will be boring as all get out. Make it interesting and I'll try it. Make it boring and I will accept it while wishing that valuable development time wasn't wasted.

Edit: And don't pull that slippery slope nonsense about extremes. No one is talking about extremes.

» Sat May 28, 2011 5:58 am

Thank you for not reading all of the rest of my posts. What I am saying is that there is not a craft mechanic that I have seen or heard of that would feel TES-like. Crafting tends to be all about item farming and repetitive crafting of 1000 daggers to level up and gain new recipes. Bottom-line, I think that Bethesda would be wasting their time creating a mechanic that no-one (including those who say that they want it now) would use, because it would end up being boring and useless. As I have said several times in this thread, being proven wrong would be nice, but I do not think that it is likely to happen.

Also, maybe you could read the thread next time instead of drive-by posting and getting angry over someone's internet opinion

I was replying more to the general remark (AKA, posts like this). An effective alternative system would involve players leveling up based not on experience, but based on a procedurally generated protocol. Its hard to explain, but for example, you have a graphic of a sword, and you as the smithy must choose rather to heat it, cool it, or how hard to strike the metal, for how long, and the general shape and make you want the sword to be smithed into. In the process of doing this, the statistics of the weapon are reflected on the right of the screen. The game in a logical, but procedural, and thus unpredictable way, determines the ideal combination of actions to perfect the weapon, and as you adjust them, how close you are getting to perfection will be indicated by a number of things, from the sound of the blades ringing upon strike, to the vibration of the controller, or if you want to add more of the fantasy element, a glow on the blade or hands of the smithy. You use these subtle changes to fine tune your actions, and in the process of forging several blades, eventually you level up as you get closer to perfection. In the following levels the statistics, abilities, and stats for the weapon steadily improves, as well as the quickness at which you achieve what was previously near perfection, but of course, the higher your level the higher your standards, so the old perfection is no longer the same. In this way it becomes a fun intuitive process, and it seems immersive and real, it also still allows for the leveling mechanic but because its not strictly based on experience it doesn't feel like grinding, but more like your personally improving, honing and fine tuning your skills, it could also be entertaining, and wouldn't be remarkably difficult to program compared to some other things. Plus add more procedural generation to the mix, and TES could end up owning the record for the game with the most weapons, most original weapons, and best crafting system.

This is only one alternative of I'm sure countless, and I say this because while at the moment I can't think of any other alternatives, I came up with this one on the fly in the last 5 minutes. The point is these designers are hired for their creativity, and I know I'm not some sort of creative master, therefore, I know its within their capabilities to come up with ideas at least as good if not better, in half the time, and from the countless possibilities they could create I've no doubt one of them would both appease the RPG players desires without putting to much grinding in a game, that already has relatively little grinding.

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:33 am

Crafting could be fun, some kind of weapon customization would be a good addition I think. As opposed to being forced to use the same 6 swords that everyone else has.

» Fri May 27, 2011 7:26 pm

Crafting would work quite well in TES IMO. My characters, who like creating powerful artifacts just for sake of it would be overjoyed.
True, rarely used Crafting in other RPG's because it was more annoying then useful or fun, but those other RPG's are not supposed to be played the same way as TES is. and knowing TEs mechanics, crafting would definitely be a good addition.

» Sat May 28, 2011 8:40 am

An effective alternative system would involve players leveling up based not on experience, but based on a procedurally generated protocol. Its hard to explain, but for example, you have a graphic of a sword, and you as the smithy must choose rather to heat it, cool it, or how hard to strike the metal, for how long, and the general shape and make you want the sword to be smithed into. In the process of doing this, the statistics of the weapon are reflected on the right of the screen. The game in a logical, but procedural, and thus unpredictable way, determines the ideal combination of actions to perfect the weapon, and as you adjust them, how close you are getting to perfection will be indicated by a number of things, from the sound of the blades ringing upon strike, to the vibration of the controller, or if you want to add more of the fantasy element, a glow on the blade or hands of the smithy. You use these subtle changes to fine tune your actions, and in the process of forging several blades, eventually you level up as you get closer to perfection. In the following levels the statistics, abilities, and stats for the weapon steadily improves, as well as the quickness at which you achieve what was previously near perfection, but of course, the higher your level the higher your standards, so the old perfection is no longer the same. In this way it becomes a fun intuitive process, and it seems immersive and real, it also still allows for the leveling mechanic but because its not strictly based on experience it doesn't feel like grinding, but more like your personally improving, honing and fine tuning your skills, it could also be entertaining, and wouldn't be remarkably difficult to program compared to some other things. Plus add more procedural generation to the mix, and TES could end up owning the record for the game with the most weapons, most original weapons, and best crafting system.

That's actually a really cool idea.

» Fri May 27, 2011 6:39 pm

Yuck, I fail to how anyone can think making objects is fun. If they implent it I'd still buy all my stuff from the store. Because stuff you make wouldn't be the best anyway. Like I doubt we can make glass or daedric armor. I don't want to be able to make daedric or glass armor.

I tried a mod in Morrowind for crafting, tried to roleplay with it, but it was way to tedious.