Crafting
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2020 6:31 am
I know there has been a lot of discussion around the "major" problem in CH with drops. Whether it be lack of drops because of over crowding or different loot distribution systems either way somethings missing. Now crafting, I think, is something that we can all agree is long over due. I know the developers have mentioned their interest in adding a crafting system in the past but it has not been mentioned since so I figured I'd put some ideas forward for my own very simple system. This doesn't actually increase the amount of items in the game (by creating items through crafting), but rather makes any and all drops useful. The idea is this.
There would be certain crafting components (like cooking ingredients) that when applied to an item would allow the craftsman to change a certain attribute of the item. They could be obtainable through repeatable quests or random spawns (should be obtainable by a single player, the one who finds it.) Say a player finds an "orb of alteration" on the ground they would then be able to use it to alter the skill on a certain item, turning a grand ring of sharp shot into a grand ring of light heal for example. People shouldn't be able to craft items that don't exist like turning a Necral band of fire storm into a firebolt brace, but they could change it to ice shards. (There are some items that don't exist in game that I think are logical extensions to gear that could be allowed but those are more exceptions) So now all those druid calm rings could be crafted into bark rings or even the skill of a different class like QS. (This is an option, might not be the best idea but it would be a possibility with the system and VR could keep the crafting class restricted). A ring of ague could become a ring of burial with an orb of rebirth and you could change ability bonuses on items as well. Say from reflex, to warding, sword to spear or ice to fire magic. With certain items you should even be able to change secondary stats, like defense to attack, to health, to changing different types of damage.
It would be harder to craft higher level items obviously, with either requiring more "orbs" than lower level items, or just a
different type, ie: minor for lvl 0/1-50, lesser 51-100, greater 101-150, grand 151-200, royal 201-and up.
Finally you would be able to upgrade an items tier by using components from two items of the same tier. (Most of the numbers here are just examples VR should probably base them off drop rates so just the drop ratio of imperial to godly should be the amount of items you need to upgrade the tier.
There are two options for this, you could either disassemble both items and get a material component(s) from it get say 2 fangs of mordris (from dark spears) which you could use along with some orbs to make a shadow spear of something. Or you could simply combine the spears (instead of disassembling them and getting materials), have 50/50 chance for all stats and then have to use orbs to customize your shadow spear at the end.
You could have different materials from different types of drops, say fangs for spears, the "hide of mordris" for books, the scales for bracers and maybe claws for rings. Or if you wanted even more crafting freedom you could have all drops be made of the same material and you could craft any item from the materials of any drop as long as its from the same boss.
VR would have to adjust how many materials it would take based on the current drop rates so as not to be adding more drops to the game. Basically if the drops were "perfect" as in not random so for every set number of royal drops you got x amount imperial and y amount godly every time a godly drops you should have gotten enough royals to craft one.
If you could use any drops from a certain boss to craft any item from that boss you could for example get 4 fangs of Mordris from 4 different rings to make 1 spear, since VR knows the drop rates it should be relatively easy to adjust accordingly. If a void spear is 100 times less likely to drop then a mighty ring then you would have to disassemble 100 rings and use those materials to craft the
spear.
All drops in a game like this are supposed to useful in the first place, but some of them unfortunately just aren't. Either because the skills aren't useful, or the particular stat combo, like str and foc. This would make all drops useful to everyone as you could always modify certain traits to what you want, but it wouldn't actually be adding any drops to the game. Like I said, for ultimate customization, you could craft any item with the parts of any drop from that boss. One more example, say a Necral brace drops once for every three Necral rings, you could use three "bones of the necromancer" from disassembling the rings to create a single Necral brace.
And since you'd be able to upgrade the items tier by using two of the same items (or however many is consistent with drop rates, could be five to one). With 6 bones you might make an imperial Necral brace. All VR would have to do is to use the drop rates to make the material ratio's for all the drops. (I know I've repeated that a lot just wanted to be clear so people don't tell me your adding drops to the game). Then if their bosses have consistent rates just copy paste. Since it might be long to do that for every drop in the game VR could start with even just aggy, hrung, necro, and mord drops before moving on to eg bosses and eventually legacy bosses and then other items in the game.
For ultimate freedom players could in fact create new items or at least items that it would make sense but don't exist, like a necral vit, foc, fire magic ring.
Anyway let me know your thoughts. I'm glad to add in some suggestions.
There would be certain crafting components (like cooking ingredients) that when applied to an item would allow the craftsman to change a certain attribute of the item. They could be obtainable through repeatable quests or random spawns (should be obtainable by a single player, the one who finds it.) Say a player finds an "orb of alteration" on the ground they would then be able to use it to alter the skill on a certain item, turning a grand ring of sharp shot into a grand ring of light heal for example. People shouldn't be able to craft items that don't exist like turning a Necral band of fire storm into a firebolt brace, but they could change it to ice shards. (There are some items that don't exist in game that I think are logical extensions to gear that could be allowed but those are more exceptions) So now all those druid calm rings could be crafted into bark rings or even the skill of a different class like QS. (This is an option, might not be the best idea but it would be a possibility with the system and VR could keep the crafting class restricted). A ring of ague could become a ring of burial with an orb of rebirth and you could change ability bonuses on items as well. Say from reflex, to warding, sword to spear or ice to fire magic. With certain items you should even be able to change secondary stats, like defense to attack, to health, to changing different types of damage.
It would be harder to craft higher level items obviously, with either requiring more "orbs" than lower level items, or just a
different type, ie: minor for lvl 0/1-50, lesser 51-100, greater 101-150, grand 151-200, royal 201-and up.
Finally you would be able to upgrade an items tier by using components from two items of the same tier. (Most of the numbers here are just examples VR should probably base them off drop rates so just the drop ratio of imperial to godly should be the amount of items you need to upgrade the tier.
There are two options for this, you could either disassemble both items and get a material component(s) from it get say 2 fangs of mordris (from dark spears) which you could use along with some orbs to make a shadow spear of something. Or you could simply combine the spears (instead of disassembling them and getting materials), have 50/50 chance for all stats and then have to use orbs to customize your shadow spear at the end.
You could have different materials from different types of drops, say fangs for spears, the "hide of mordris" for books, the scales for bracers and maybe claws for rings. Or if you wanted even more crafting freedom you could have all drops be made of the same material and you could craft any item from the materials of any drop as long as its from the same boss.
VR would have to adjust how many materials it would take based on the current drop rates so as not to be adding more drops to the game. Basically if the drops were "perfect" as in not random so for every set number of royal drops you got x amount imperial and y amount godly every time a godly drops you should have gotten enough royals to craft one.
If you could use any drops from a certain boss to craft any item from that boss you could for example get 4 fangs of Mordris from 4 different rings to make 1 spear, since VR knows the drop rates it should be relatively easy to adjust accordingly. If a void spear is 100 times less likely to drop then a mighty ring then you would have to disassemble 100 rings and use those materials to craft the
spear.
All drops in a game like this are supposed to useful in the first place, but some of them unfortunately just aren't. Either because the skills aren't useful, or the particular stat combo, like str and foc. This would make all drops useful to everyone as you could always modify certain traits to what you want, but it wouldn't actually be adding any drops to the game. Like I said, for ultimate customization, you could craft any item with the parts of any drop from that boss. One more example, say a Necral brace drops once for every three Necral rings, you could use three "bones of the necromancer" from disassembling the rings to create a single Necral brace.
And since you'd be able to upgrade the items tier by using two of the same items (or however many is consistent with drop rates, could be five to one). With 6 bones you might make an imperial Necral brace. All VR would have to do is to use the drop rates to make the material ratio's for all the drops. (I know I've repeated that a lot just wanted to be clear so people don't tell me your adding drops to the game). Then if their bosses have consistent rates just copy paste. Since it might be long to do that for every drop in the game VR could start with even just aggy, hrung, necro, and mord drops before moving on to eg bosses and eventually legacy bosses and then other items in the game.
For ultimate freedom players could in fact create new items or at least items that it would make sense but don't exist, like a necral vit, foc, fire magic ring.
Anyway let me know your thoughts. I'm glad to add in some suggestions.