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When crafting mundane and magical items, mechanically speaking, I would be more interested in how an item looks, rather than tracking a few minor bonuses and penalties (min/maxing). If it would be more mechanically feasible for the people of GW to fabricate a dozen skins for each non-unique item, at least for items of masterwork quality, that would be awesome.
For example: Say when my elf or half-orc character crafts a long sword, I have the option of applying the elven or orcish template (a cosmetic appearance shift of the standard long sword skin). It doesn't change the damage or critical range of the weapon, but it looks different and sets my weapon apart from others of its type. Likewise, if my character earns particular merit badges, maybe it unlocks additional templates I could apply to a weapon, piece of armor, or item.
A specialist crafter could train in maybe a handful of templates they could apply to their crafted items.
If each item could have a template, even if there are only a dozen such templates in the world, it would still add a level of depth to the item creation process that I feel is lacking in other games. If the programmers can find a way for certain templates to apply minor bonuses (say a reduction in cost for certain magic item enhancements placed on specific items... I'm looking at you holy weapon with the celestial template), that would be cool too.
Just a thought.
Well, I had seen a lot of people were really into the idea of fully customizing their weapons (gem placement and etching), but from a mechanics and programming standpoint, I just don't see it as a viable option.
I thought with templates as a more generic form of customization (with the added bonus that new templates could be added in the future as GW developed them) it would provide a unique look to certain items without slowing the server because of rendering... thingies*. Plus, it opens the door for contests to design new templates (player feedback ='s win) and helps boost market variability by adding another dimension to standard equipment supply and demand.
* I'm not a technical person by any means, so my terminology sort of sucks.
Goblin Squad Member
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I also agree that weapon design etc... should be seperate from mechanics, I also agree that weapons will have to be made by the dev's, rendering issues asside we would rather quickly wind up with at best rubber chicken's and random immersion breaking poor taste humor.
Potentially a lego style (20 handles, 20 blades etc 20 etchings...) mix and match could work in theory.
I imagine item creation (specifically weapon creation) involving a number of core mechanics and variables.
Type of weapon would be the primary outline for what it is you want to construct, providing attack damage and type, proficiency requirements, base size, and base weight.
Material of the weapon would be the secondary outline or property. Most weapons would be constructed of mundane metal or wood. If a special material was used, mithral or adamantine for example, the weight and maybe even the damage type (treated as silver or bypasses hardness of objects) would be altered. The rendering would also be shifted slightly, as a mithral weapon would have a different color than a steel weapon. This provides both cosmetic and mechanical changes.
Template, or subtype, could be used to further shift the cosmetic qualities of a weapon. If the type provided the basic outline and the material provided an altered color, the template would add dynamic characteristics that slightly shifted the basic outline to make it more edgy, angelic, smooth, or random in appearance.
Perhaps "masterwork" is the first template any crafter learns how to make, applying it to a weapon or suit of armor. Other templates could be "masterwork" as well, providing the same or a minor varied bonus to the weapon, but altering the appearance of the item. Maybe a standard masterwork sword looks cleaner and more polished than a standard non-masterwork sword.
As far as handles, hilts, and blades go, I still think it would be a lot to put that in the hands of the characters. Not saying it isn't possible, just saying I don't envy the programmers who have to do it.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Potentially a lego style (20 handles, 20 blades etc 20 etchings...) mix and match could work in theory.
Of course, this is arbitrary, these could be:
Swords: 20 handles, 20 blade shapes, 20 blade inscriptions, 20 pommels, and 20 guards.
Bows: 20 grips, 20 arrow rests, 20 upper limbs, 20 lower limbs, 20 strings
Of course, I don't believe every crafter should start with access to all 20 of each. Rather, 2-3 of each and the ability to learn more (through crafting merit badges).
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Goblin Squad Member
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Potentially a lego style (20 handles, 20 blades etc 20 etchings...) mix and match could work in theory.Of course, this is arbitrary, these could be:
Swords: 20 handles, 20 blade shapes, 20 blade inscriptions, 20 pommels, and 20 guards.
Bows: 20 grips, 20 arrow rests, 20 upper limbs, 20 lower limbs, 20 strings
Of course, I don't believe every crafter should start with access to all 20 of each. Rather, 2-3 of each and the ability to learn more (through crafting merit badges).
100% agreed, I would like it if designs were earnable, findable, even a hand full purchasable via micro-transactions. I would like for several designs to be extremely rare, possibly even one or 2 unique designs.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I would even support different patterns having slightly different material costs....even if they are the same type of weapon. This, if the item attributes are the result of the materials use, will lead to different patterns of "long swords" having slightly different stats and production costs.
This would mean a base looking sword with uber stats would always be cheaper to produce than the sword with the same relative stats but flashy looks.
Goblinworks Executive Founder
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I think there is room both ways; a 'long sword' covers a very large range of actual blades; a style that gives a little more precision at the cost of a little bit of force would be a better precision sword; an ability which used your precision number to ignore the enemy's armor mitigation would be improved, while an ability which used your force to knock down an enemy would be worsened.