Post by Kitsunenotsume on Dec 9, 2017 0:20:44 GMT -5
Engines has a great crafting system, and a wonderful setting that encourages players to strike it out with the heavily custom and exotic system.
However, due to various things like Market Saturation, Diminishing Returns, and Resource Scarcity, I think it can also be a serious detriment when the system is insufficiently understood.
As pointed out by EH, the system is very attractive, and it is tempting to make a character based around the system. To improve the relevant skills, a character is then required to expend vast quantities of money, either in actual currency or in the forum of Deconstruction, to improve the skill.
This significantly limits the purchasing power of the character before they have a sufficient buildup of cash-on-hand that they can invest in other gear and equipment that would permit further exploration and dungoneering.
At the same time, there is no demand for the character's abilities due to the low-player-count already having been satiated by the incumbent high level crafter (market saturation),
any CXP gains from the skill are often diminutive compared to the corresponding combat skills that person would otherwise obtain (diminishing returns),
and any ability points spent to make the skill even slightly economically viable are ultimately ineffective compared to investing in ability points that improve dungeon efficiency (resource scarcity).
I cannot say with certainty what the correct solution is, but I suspect that more than a few new characters have been made with the concept "Wow, this system is so cool, I can make a gunslinger and sell great guns to people" or equivalent, only to get ingame, spend a few weeks and thousands of bucks down the hole only to discover that, in fact, there is no market to sell guns to and the majority of the character build intended was based on a false foundation.
I have no proper considerations for what might be the correct answer at this time.
In the mean time, it may be worth including in the Character Builds of char-creation of Crafters (TLK:16777257), a disclaimer that a Crafter is an advanced build that requires a solid understanding of the crafting system.
There also isn't any in-game tutorial on Crafting, though I am trying to cover what I can in the wiki.
However, due to various things like Market Saturation, Diminishing Returns, and Resource Scarcity, I think it can also be a serious detriment when the system is insufficiently understood.
As pointed out by EH, the system is very attractive, and it is tempting to make a character based around the system. To improve the relevant skills, a character is then required to expend vast quantities of money, either in actual currency or in the forum of Deconstruction, to improve the skill.
This significantly limits the purchasing power of the character before they have a sufficient buildup of cash-on-hand that they can invest in other gear and equipment that would permit further exploration and dungoneering.
At the same time, there is no demand for the character's abilities due to the low-player-count already having been satiated by the incumbent high level crafter (market saturation),
any CXP gains from the skill are often diminutive compared to the corresponding combat skills that person would otherwise obtain (diminishing returns),
and any ability points spent to make the skill even slightly economically viable are ultimately ineffective compared to investing in ability points that improve dungeon efficiency (resource scarcity).
I cannot say with certainty what the correct solution is, but I suspect that more than a few new characters have been made with the concept "Wow, this system is so cool, I can make a gunslinger and sell great guns to people" or equivalent, only to get ingame, spend a few weeks and thousands of bucks down the hole only to discover that, in fact, there is no market to sell guns to and the majority of the character build intended was based on a false foundation.
I have no proper considerations for what might be the correct answer at this time.
In the mean time, it may be worth including in the Character Builds of char-creation of Crafters (TLK:16777257), a disclaimer that a Crafter is an advanced build that requires a solid understanding of the crafting system.
There also isn't any in-game tutorial on Crafting, though I am trying to cover what I can in the wiki.