The Schematic: A Fundamental Change to Crafting

I really like the idea to make crafting less random (but not less expensive!). The schematic idea is certainly much better than what we have now. However, I would prefer a system where one can improve one's items incrementally. So, I would like to go to a 4L first, then 5L it, then 6L it. I would like to embark on a quest to craft the ultimate wand which might take years. During that time I really want to use it and I should be able to improve it stept by step by investing in it.

So, maybe we can get rid of the schematic and make the improvement part of the item instead?

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So, maybe we can get rid of the schematic and make the improvement part of the item instead?

What you say might work for fusings. It wouldn't work for chromatics, or for pure crafting, as neither one of those can have a measure of merit for what constitutes success, other than an objective. And that's what the schematic represents: an objective end state for an item.

I obviously would not object to something like incremental fusing; however, whatever else is true, that's an incomplete picture.

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Courageous wrote:

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So, maybe we can get rid of the schematic and make the improvement part of the item instead?

What you say might work for fusings. It wouldn't work for chromatics, or for pure crafting, as neither one of those can have a measure of merit for what constitutes success, other than an objective. And that's what the schematic represents: an objective end state for an item.

I disagree. Within each categroy there obviously is a clear measure of success, i.e. the more spell damage, the better. The only issue is the choice of affixes. Whether this is done via a schematic or on the level of the real item does not really matter.

I think the schematic should be fueled by items.

The Schematic would open a window similar to Traders.
On the Top side you can place the Item you wish to modify with the Schematic's properties.

On the Bottom side you place the Item and the adequate amount of Currency in order to isolate the desired characteristics from the sacrificed item and add them to the Schematic.

You cannot do both simultaneously.

Ultimately, applying a Schematic to an Item might require a certain amount of Currency as well.

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I disagree. Within each categroy there obviously is a clear measure of success, i.e. the more spell damage, the better. The only issue is the choice of affixes. Whether this is done via a schematic or on the level of the real item does not really matter.

There isn't an objective measure of success in any category that I cam think of, even fusings. It's just that the fusing edge case doesn't matter that much (example, someone wants to fuse a 5S into a 3L/2L). Chromatics, the measure of merit obviously depends on what colors the player wants. With items, you mention spell damage, but consider wands: more spell damage is not "better" on a wand, for example, if you use power siphon.

That's why the schematic exists: it defines the measure of merit. Whether or not it was a separate item or something that was attached to a present item is almost academic. Either which way would have its design implications, and I could see value either way.

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I think the schematic should be fueled by items.

It requires an item to be enchanted. As follows:

4. Applying the (primed and ready) schematic to an item makes the item match the schematic

Applying currency to a schematic does not give guarantees, therefore there is no fixed amount of currency that can make a schematic work under the current proposal. That's why schematics are leveled and show progress.

Maybe you didn't get what I meant.

I think Schematics could be a 2-step process:
1 - Sacrifice Items to give their properties to the Schematic.
Wich properties are given would be based on the Currency used.
2 - Once the Schematic has the desired properties, use it to enchant an Item.

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Faendris wrote:

I really like the idea to make crafting less random (but not less expensive!). The schematic idea is certainly much better than what we have now. However, I would prefer a system where one can improve one's items incrementally. So, I would like to go to a 4L first, then 5L it, then 6L it. I would like to embark on a quest to craft the ultimate wand which might take years. During that time I really want to use it and I should be able to improve it stept by step by investing in it.

So, maybe we can get rid of the schematic and make the improvement part of the item instead?

My thoughts exactly. Crafting difficulty should be there, the low chance of success should be there, and at the same time some way to save progress should be there too.

Schematics is fine and dandy, but implementing it kinda a horror to the devs. Lots of codes and what not. This way is much more easier to implement.

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Maybe you didn't get what I meant.

I think Schematics could be a 2-step process:
1 - Sacrifice Items to give their properties to the Schematic.
Which properties are given would be based on the Currency used.
2 - Once the Schematic has the desired properties, use it to enchant an Item.

Yup. I didn't understand. This would be tractable, although perhaps harder to decide how many items and of which variety should be used to charge up a Schematic. This seems like a bigger change to crafting than using the current types of currency we presently use...

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Lots of codes and what not. This way is much more easier to implement.

If you only want to solve the problem of linking, you're right. The schematic tries to solve more than linking, though. It tries to solve particular combinations with chromatics, and crafting items with specific affixes. The last of these in particular would be quite a pain; suppose you wanted to schematic an item with 3 of 6 specific modifiers. You'd need a GUI to do that. So it would be a lot of work.