Post:Creation Systems: Overview - 01/16/2008 - 22:00
| Creation Systems: Overview · on 01/16/2008 10:00 PM CST | 3 |
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| Heyo!
Now that we've given folks time to discuss crafting skills in the new Lore forums, it's time to take the discussion one step further. Before getting into a general overview of the new crafting system, let me begin with an important disclaimer: * IMPORTANT: EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME! * We are still very open to suggestions on things that can be made via crafting. If you've often thought, "Wouldn't be cool if we could make...?" then please post it as a possible craft idea! However, I want to be perfectly clear and up front on a couple of things: - All new craft skills will be lore skills. No exceptions planned at this point. - Ranks in the new craft skills will be learned at the lore rate of the guild. No exceptions planned at this point. - Because of the limited number of skills we have available and the need to insure that each is relatively balanced in terms of desirability and profitability, the name of each skill only reflects a general concept, and should not be taken literally. Alchemy may include brewing. Enchanting may include the creation of mundane devices that are perceived as mystical. Working with metal lockpicks may fall under carving or engineering, not smithing where metalworking would normally be found. And so on. - In the discussion that follows, all examples are there to help explain the concepts. The specific details are very likely going to change, so please take these for what they are -- examples for the sake of explanation. What is released may be (and probably will be) very different in detail. With the various and sundry disclaimers out of the way, let's move on to a general overview. THE SKILLS We will be introducing seven new crafting skills: - Smithing
Each skill will be further divided into three main paths. The exact paths are beyond the scope of this discussion, and will not be revealed or discussed until we are much closer to actually releasing the system, since the paths are very likely to be changed and refined as we gather crafting suggestions and do the initial system coding. For now, just be aware that each skill will have three separate subskills we call "Paths". For example, Smithing may end up including Blacksmithing, Weaponsmithing, and Armorsmithing. We'll be using these for examples as we go along to make our discussion more clear, but please understand that nothing is set in stone and very subject to change between now and release.
TECHNIQUES Crafts will be further subdivided into Techniques (Tech for short). For example, the Smithing skill may include the Weaponsmithing path, which may in turn include, say, a technique for making light blunt weapons (LB Tech). There are a few important things we need to discuss about techniques before moving on. - Techniques are refined categories within a path, not generally specific items. - Techniques may include processes as well as specific groups. For example, making a weapon swappable may be a technique all its own. - Techniques may include minimum circle or skill requirements to learn. - Techniques may require the knowledge of other techniques first; ie each may have prerequisite techniques. - Techniques may require special quests/tasks as well, especially the most advanced techniques.
As a player gains ranks in a given craft skill, they will gain craft slots within that skill. These slots may be used to learn the techniques discussed above. Note that a crafter is not required to learn a technique in order to attempt to make an item. However, not knowing the appropriate techniques can and will result in an increase of the base difficulty. The farther the crafter is from being able to learn that technique, the greater the difficulty increase. In other words, if they are trying to make a bastard sword but have no weaponsmithing techniques at all, they may very well be missing 4-5 prerequisite techniques for bastard swords, as well as the bastard sword technique itself. The difficulty of making that bastard sword just went up 4-5 notches as a result. Still possible, but only if that crafter is a very skilled smith indeed. Someone who has learned all the techniques leading up to and including bastard swords can make a decent sword at much lower ranks, and will be making far better swords at equal ranks. The goal of craft slots is to keep the system as open as possible to everyone while still encouraging crafters to pick and stick with a focus within each skill. There's nothing prohibiting dabbling or branching out at all, but nobody is ever going to be the best at everything. It simply will not be possible.
Craft trainers will be appearing throughout the realms, both as established shopkeepers and as new faces. These trainers will teach crafters their techniques as craft slots become available. They can and will also provide crafters with specialized training much like a guildleader, as per the upcoming discussion on specialization.
SPECIALIZATION SKILL Specialization is purely optional. However, there are many benefits to specialization, and absolutely no benefit to refusing to specialize. In other words, specialization is a win-win scenario for a crafter. Specialization works as follows: - A crafter may choose a specialization by visiting an appropriate Craft Trainer. - A crafter may have one and only one specialization skill. They will receive special perks and benefits within that skill. - When a specialization is chosen, the crafter will also be require to choose a primary and secondary path within that skill. While specialization itself is optional, choosing primary and secondary paths is not optional once specialization is chosen.
- At specific benchmark ranks a crafter will gain bonus techniques in their primary path. - Lower difficulties for all items within their specialization skill compared to items in other crafting skills. Those in their primary path will see the best benefit here, followed by those in their secondary. Again, the purpose of specialization is to encourage crafters to pick and stick with a specific line of crafts. Whereas Techniques tend to encourage a specific branch of a specific path within a skill, specialization encourages focus on a specific skill itself without removing the option or the ability to work in all crafting skills.
CRAFT DIFFICULTY Every item or process within the crafting system will have a base difficulty assigned to it. This will represent the base difficulty in either completing a process or making a standard store-bought version of an item if that particular item is within your primary focus path in your specialization skill. To make better-than-store-bought items will require skill beyond the base difficulty. Items in your secondary path will see a slight increase difficulty, and those in your tertiary path slightly higher still. Items outside your specialization skill will see the highest increase in difficulty. In addition, not knowing the proper techniques can further increase difficulty. Note: If you choose not to specialize, all items are treated as if they are outside your specialization skill. There is absolutely no penalty associated with specialization. Consider non-specialized difficulty levels to be the default. Specialization and focus will reduce the difficulty, lacking techniques will increase it.
GUILD FOCUS At certain benchmark circles, all guilds will teach their members bonus techniques. These may include some guild-specific techniques, but in general will just be a choice of bonus technique within a specific guild-related path. Note that these bonus techniques are based on the focus of the guild itself, not on the crafter's choice of specialization. For example, even if a barbarian chooses to specialize in carving, Agonar may insist on teaching them how to make basic weapons anyway. What this means in terms of the Big Picture (tm) is that each guild will gain some basic techniques in guild focus crafts as they grow. Because of the way techniques work, this doesn't instantly mean that guild will be best (or even better) at that craft; merely that items within that technique will be easier for them than if they didn't know the technique at all. A high circle barbarian can expect to understand the basics of weaponcrafting, even if they only dabble in that field periodically. A mage or cleric will probably understand the basics of enchanting via guild teaching even if they never dabble in it directly. Also please note that just knowing a technique does not necessarily mean a crafter has the skill to make effective use of it; this does not relieve the crafters of the responsibility and need to actually train the skill. It does mean, however, that they might be able to make items within their guild focus, especially higher tier items, earlier than they might otherwise be able to do by mastering techniques quicker.
PATHS AND PIECES As part of our effort to insure that all paths are as close to equally desirable and profitable as possible, expect that most paths will require parts and pieces from other paths or even other skills. Because all skills and paths are open to everyone, there's nothing preventing any one person from being entirely self-sufficient. However, this does mean they may have to make some difficult choices in application of their craft slots. It may sound appealing at first to specialize in Smithing and choose Weaponsmithing as the primary path, Armorsmithing as the secondary. Woo! Instant cash flow! Unless, of course, that high end uber sword requires a high end hilt made by a blacksmith, the one too difficult for you to make yourself because you spent far too many of your slots in other weapon branches or over in armorsmithing instead of keeping an eye fixed on a specific goal. Again, the primary goal of this system is to allow full flexibility while encouraging and rewarding specialization; not just specialization in a single skill or even a single path, but even along a specific branch of a path. As a crafter reaches the pinnacle of their craft, it's going to be more and more difficult to support dabbling if they want to maintain self-sufficiency. Of course, they can dabble all they want if they are willing to outsource for the higher end pieces, or if they don't really care about the high end stuff and just want to be able to handle the basics. It's also very important to understand that the goal is to make crafting useful and viable starting at the earliest ranks. The base difficulty on a dagger, for example, is likely to be relatively low, so young crafters will likely be making store-bought daggers very early in their career, and capped daggers not too long thereafter. As the difficulty increases, so too will the time and effort required, as well as the need to learn specific techniques to be competitive. Experience will also be tied largely to difficulty vs skill. As a result, the skilled crafters probably aren't going to have much incentive to mess with things well beneath their skill when they can make things that are much more rare and valuable, especially if making them takes more time and effort and thereby allowing for fewer distractions. Hopefully this will make it possible for crafters of all skill ranges to find a market.
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| This message was originally posted in Lore \ GameMaster Announcements - Lore, by DR-DARTENIAN on the play.net forums. | |