(Fore-Warning: This post is long, so grab a coffee/beer/snack, and enjoy)
I'll begin with saying that a crafting system in this game should start with its core as being exploration AND reputation-based.
EXPLORATION + REPUTATION-BASED CRAFTING:
Each sector of space should have a sector (like the cluster fields) on its own where one planet exists that contains a peace-loving, scientific, technologically advanced, and secretive society. The idea being that, in order to obtain specialized technologies for crafting (aka - recipes), you will have to earn their trust through exploration missions; giving them much-needed supplies; and diplomacy missions .
Earning the trust of these planets will also grant you the ability to trade energy and/or provisions for special metallic alloys necessary for your crafting. However, what I may be able to trade in one planet, I will not be able to obtain in the next. Another planet with all its missions and tasks will have to be discovered in order to be able to trade other objects needed for higher tier crafting. And, of course these newer planets require you to be a higher lvl in order to complete its missions, thus separating lower tier items from higher tier. But, I'll get to that as well.
UNLOCKING DIPLOMATIC TRADING POTENTIAL:
Trading with these planets does not mean that you ONLY need those materials in order to craft. You'll still need those exploration 'anamolies' in order to craft items as well. The idea of diplomatic trading is ONLY to obtain those core base materials needed to craft.
Once you've unlocked each planet trading system, Starfleet Command will send you a message stating that you now have access to a factory based upon the carreer you've chosen. If you're a Science Officer, you will unlock
Factory Examples include:
Tactical Officers unlock: "Weapons Foundary" - Builds all types of weapons, both space or ground related, as well as Tactical Consols and Tactical Kits
Engineering Officers unlock: "Centre for Technology"" - Builds all types of Ship Shields, Engines, and Engineering Consols, as well as Engineering Kits.
Science Officers unlock: "Science Laboratory" - Builds all types of space Deflector Science consols, Science Consols, and allows the breakdown of anamolies into base component forms for other crafting recipes, as well as creates Science Kits.
RECIPES:
Recipes are based on rarity, much like the item drops in STO. Common items can be crafted as a default. Uncommon items will be crafted by means of recipes given by mission rewards as you gain trust. Rare and Very Rare items will be crafted only after you obtain a rare recipe drop from a mission 'Nemesis' (named ship in a sector block or any other mission that is very difficult to beat without a fleet), and after obtaining the necessary rare item componants needed to craft it. Very Rare items will not exceed the current best items in the game, but rather allow for the player to customize which stats they would like on that item. The variations set by the players allow for players to set up their ship according to their own highest potential (relating to the BO skills they have already chosen), without breaking the game with unbeatable ships. The variations between one person's stat decisions and anothers would set the players' play styles apart, and allow for more diversity in PvP and Fleet actions.. not to mention would make it more difficult for a player to have a 'killer unbeatable' build if done right.
End-Game, Eventual Ship-Building/Customization - Further Suggestions toward PvP in relation to Crafting:
Finally, I wanted to leave my system of crafting open to the possibility that end-game content be extremely immersive, in that ships will be crafted, so that you cannot enter PvP zones without your crafted ship. Each ship you create will have your OWN physical touches to its looks (allowing you to TOTALLY create your ship look). However, only in PvP zones, they would also have a 'durability' factor to them. Meaning that if you explode in space more than a certain amount of times, you will lose your ship but not its consols, as they would go into your inventory for future use). This loss factor would be not be an option if you take a generic ship into a PvP zone, but also would limit the victory to mission rewards only, instead of the fame, merits and sheer emotional addrenaline attached to a player kill. Crafted ships and uncrafted generic ships would have their own respective PvP zones to disallow ganking of the crafted ships from the generic ships.
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