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Proposal: Vanity Crafting. (This time for sure)

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
As I stood around K7 last night looking at all the lovely weapons laying on the tables after playing around with the tailor in the same room, I began to ponder. There used to be a time when I would pick a weapon or armour simply for how it looked. In some games, of course, that is pure folly; you're pretty much at the mercy of whatever the game's devs thinks looks nice as endgame armour / weapons. (And in some games *coughwowcough* that can be pretty poor).

I've only ever played one game where armour and/or weapons with end game power could be crafted by players; something that suited me perfectly. Currently, most of the end game armour and weapons come from spending marks of honour or exploration; some comes from the TF drops, but from what I've seen from the chat channels, they are pretty much the same as what is purchased with the points gained from doing those task forces (and they seem to be the same quality as the non TF weapons except they lose one stat to gain an anti-borg stat.)

Going back to the tailor, for a moment, our customisation options are nice; if not a little limited. I'd like to see a little of the same customisation applied to our weapons, armour and kits.

The (non-)issue:

Currently, weapon crafting seems to only give us a choice of polaron and plasma, but there's no real incentive to do so. While cruising around collecting materials for crafting, I'm also completing cluster missions and getting badges of exploration with which I can purchase a comparable weapon from ESD or Battle Group Omega once I'm RDML 3+.


The crafting:

Aside from the vanity aspect, this could be incredibly useful from a player standpoint. It could give us the opportunity to add specific traits to our weapon (such as [CrtD] or [KB3]) or armour ([HPP] or [REV]) with the rarity and quality based upon the materials (initial weapon and mats) and number of materials used (up to a point.)

Each change would cost a specific material and amount over the original weapon's appearance and function. Adding [CrtD] would cost a specific number of mats plus the original weapon; making it [CrtD]x2 would cost double the mats or more. Changing its appearance from a large phaser rifle with the glowy blue things around the barrel to a smaller variant that looks like something seen in the series might cost an additional set of mats.

When crafting, a new UI might be necessary where you select the initial starting weapon or armour, select its new appearance if applicable, then select its tags. Each selection would show a required amount of materials and indicate whether or not you have the number necessary on the left and perhaps the end product to the right to ensure you've selected the appropriate appearance. (And perhaps with Anti-proton weapons, increase the scale so they don't clip in the hands of anyone taller than 5'4" :p )

Weapons of rare or vary rare quality could be BoP automatically or perhaps (for substantially more materials) be made BoE for trading.

Similar set ups could be selected for armour and kits. The appearance currently does nothing (Klingons don't even get to see their armour or kits at all. :( ) so picking and choosing the appearance would be purely cosmetic.

Kits could probably be scratch built, since they don't really get [stat] tags, they're just abilities with I, II, or III next to them. It could start with a base kit, if necessary, but possibly more mats could be used to build it from scratch. Appearance could also be selected for these, since some of us might like the simple belt and gauntlet design of some of the kits while others might enjoy the backpacks from other kits. Obviously I'm not saying that a tac officer could wear tac kit that looked like a science or engineering kit, only that she would be able to select from the various tactical kit designs. (Possibly changing their colours as they would with their uniforms.)

Armour could get the appearance selection and [stat] tag selection like the weapons, possibly even giving us the ability to show rank pins, comm badges and select the colours of the armour. (If I want to hide my role visually in pvp, I'll just hide the armour and kit.) (I'd love to say "hide portions of the armour so that we could show our boots or trousers with them, but I don't want to go too far, here. :3 )

Eventually, we may even want to have the ability to select the colour of our plasma fires, thermal vents or fields so we can see who's dropped what and whether or not its ours or a NPC's. (So we know at whom to direct our ire for dropping a plasma grenade on our head. :p )


-

All this just because I'm such an insufferable fashionista. :3
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Wow, am I seriously the only person who looks at the older kits or weapons wistfully and / or would like to kit their entire crew out with matching armour and weapons? (or colour their armour or kits?)
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    I understand where you're coming from, many's the time in WoW I passed up an item because of how it looked on my avatar. On that same line, I'd like to be able to affect the color of my crews' armor.

    I play using TOS uniforms with TOS appropriate colors (i.e. engineering and tactical have swapped colors) and being able to re-color them appropriate to the scheme I've got picked out would be great.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    I'd like to see a few neutral characters being made then crafting and trading could be apart from the Fed/Klingon war. No one thinks they'd see a Klingon Warrior making himself a weapon, but Ferengi or some others might well meet him in space and sell him one. For every war there's a supply problem, and for every problem there's someone offering a solution...profits make for strange friends, and a lack of supplys make for new friends you'd never consider before. (PS...even neutral characters will have to fight to stay live, but they might not rush in to a battle for the sake of heroism, there's no profit in it).
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Perhaps even mix and match the holo armour / physical kits for science officers. :)
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Rawrg! Bump for a cryptic response. :p
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Chaser711 wrote:
    I'd like to see a few neutral characters being made then crafting and trading could be apart from the Fed/Klingon war. No one thinks they'd see a Klingon Warrior making himself a weapon, but Ferengi or some others might well meet him in space and sell him one. For every war there's a supply problem, and for every problem there's someone offering a solution...profits make for strange friends, and a lack of supplys make for new friends you'd never consider before. (PS...even neutral characters will have to fight to stay live, but they might not rush in to a battle for the sake of heroism, there's no profit in it).
    A neutral Ferengi faction would make a nice addition to the game. Though it would require a major effort on the part of the devs to add additional sectors, story lines and crafting content.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    A neutral Ferengi faction would make a nice addition to the game. Though it would require a major effort on the part of the devs to add additional sectors, story lines and crafting content.

    True, but they haven't even got a fully done second faction, I'd hate to see them go for a third so soon. It would be like trying to make a sandwich with a slice of bread and a cracker.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    So in the state of the game Stahl mentions making Mem Alpha more useful.

    Hows about some of this? ;) (OP)
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    /signed

    There was a thread about customizable Kit:
    http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=138790


    We have great customization for Captains and BO costume
    We have great customization for Ship costume

    We have NO customization for Weapons and Kits (and maybe Armor)
    We want real crafting customizations, from aspects to powers
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    I for one love novelty items, and looks that aren't bound to function. So yay.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    We be calling you out, Stahl! :3 So...? What's up? :p
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Weapons Crafting:

    Legenda:

    <Weapon> = Rifle, Pistol, Assault Weapon

    Options:
    Weapon Casing - Power Source - Material - Extra - Special
    1. Weapon Casing
      • You can choose a casing for your <weapon>, Federation, Klingon, Cardassian, Ferengi, etc... you choose a style for your <weapon>
      • Basic style (Federation for FED player, Klingon for KDF) is available after your first crafting mission (Memory Alpha for FED, make one for KDF)
      • Each new style is unlocked with killing accolades (killing 200 Jem'hadar will unlock all Jem'hadar style for weapons
      • You can craft a Weapon Casing without adding anything else, they are common items and can be sell to other players (If you want to be a crafter, but you don't like killing, you can buy weapon casing from other players)
    2. Power Source
      • You can choose the energy type that powers your <weapon>
      • Basic Power Source (Phaser for FED, Disruptor for KDF) is is available after your first crafting mission (Memory Alpha for FED, make one for KDF)
      • Each new style is unlocked with crafting progression
      • Power source determines the color of your beam
    3. Material
      • Changing Material will change the Rarity of your <weapon>
        1. Economic - A basic <weapon>, need few materials - give little crafting progression - No extra available - No Special available
        2. Durable - Uncommon <weapon>, more materials needed but still affordable - small crafting progression - 1 Extra available - No Special available
        3. Resistant - Requires many materials to made thus is quite expensive - Nice crafting progression - 2 Extra available - 1 Special available
        4. Extreme - Most expensive <weapon> to made requires a lot of materials - a lot of crafting progression - 3 Extra available - 1 Special available
      • You can choose color and pattern for your weapons, they are not tied to the Material
      • Changing material will change the power (rarity) of your <weapon>
      • Materials are all available as soon as you start crafting, you wil craft Economic and Durable <weapon> to progress your Crafting, you will craft a few Resistant <weapon> while leveling up, you will craft one or two Extreme <weapon> during your career, if you want to explore the Crafting/Merchant side of the game, you will probably craft a lot more <weapon> and sell them
    4. Extra
      • You can add extra power to your <weapon>
      • You can add extra as much as your Material is capable of
      • Extra power are like this:
        1. Accuracy
        2. Critical Hit
        3. Critical Damage
        4. Damage over Time
        5. etc...
      • To avoid too much powerful combination, they should be capped at x2 max
    5. Special
      • You need Rare anomalies to add Special power to your <weapon>
      • You can have only 1 Special on your <weapon>
      • The cost for adding a Special does not increase based on Material
      • Special example
        1. Overcharged <weapon> - By disabling some security measure you manage to get a more powerful blast, but it requires more time between each consecutive fire to avoid overheating (Little more DPS, different fire cycle, like the difference between Cannon and Heavy Cannon)
        2. Precision <weapon> - you reduce the size emission of your beam, increasing it's density and lethality (gain accuracy and Critical Damage or alternative "may inflict Injuries")
        3. Subtlety <weapon> [Tactical] May be use only by Tactical Captain and BO - This <weapon> will get you less aggro when firing npc
        4. Heavy <weapon> [Tactical] May be use only by Tactical Captain with 9/9 of the relative <weapon> skill - This Special could be add only if you have 9/9 of the relative Tactical <weapon> skill - More powerful blast, more DPS, but usable only by the most expert soldier
        5. Resonating <weapon> [Engineering] May be use only by Engineering Captain and BO - When the <weapon> hit a shield (personal or cover) it will get a feedback impulse that will tune the frequencies of the weapon with the frequencies of the shield, the <weapon> will inflict more damage to the shield (it applies a debuff, every Resonating <weapon> firing will inflict more damage to the shield, the debuff will vanish when the shield goes down)
        6. Disabling <weapon> [Engineering] May be use only by Engineering Captain with 9/9 in TRIBBLE )not sure which skill to choose) - You amplify the frequencies of the <weapon> to interfere and maybe disable enemy equipment (more effective against generator) personal shield, kit and weapon could be disable for few seconds
        7. Neuro <weapon> [Science] May be use only by Science Captain and BO - You have tuned the <weapon> to the human nervous system frequencies to inflict neurological damage on your enemies, may cause stun, disoriented, paralyze, hold - More effective on humanoid, need Xenobiology to gain effectiveness on other alien species
        8. More example needed

    Track Crafting like Diplomacy, with points and Accolades to unlock tiers
    Add Kit crafting with power and cosmetic choice untied from powers

    Move crafting from Memory Alpha to Engineering Lab on ship
    Use Memory Alpha (and a new mission on Qo'nos) to unlock the first step in crafting

    Sell Ferengi weapon casing with Latinum
    Give us Title for greater crafting accolades

    The first accolades will unlock the Power Source, then greater accolade will give different and greater rewards, maybe trophies, this accolades should appeal almost everyone but would require a dedicated crafter to get them

    Crafting progression should be something like this:
    Economic - 1 crafting point - 0 crafting point after Crafting rank X
    Durable - 5 crafting point - 1 crafting point after Crafting rank X
    Resistant - 40 crafting point - 20 point after Crafting rank X
    Extreme - 100 crafting point - 50 point after Crafting rank X
    Adding a Special to a weapon will give you 15 more crafting points


    Vanity change:
    You choose the style of your <weapon> by changing the Weapon Casing
    You choose color and pattern
    This changing will not affect weapons power nor material cost




    Any comments or ideas to add?
    I think I forgot something, will edit later if it comes to mind...
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Don't forget the different variants for the specific types. Some people might like the basic phaser rifle casing like they use in Voyager while others might like dark grey and yellow pulse rifle casing.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Don't forget the different variants for the specific types. Some people might like the basic phaser rifle casing like they use in Voyager while others might like dark grey and yellow pulse rifle casing.

    Yes, I should expand the Weapon casing section

    There should be different variants for each species
    The one you get with killing accolades could be tied to the 3 different tier of those accolades
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Ci4nte wrote:
    Yes, I should expand the Weapon casing section

    There should be different variants for each species
    The one you get with killing accolades could be tied to the 3 different tier of those accolades

    Except that it is nigh on impossible to get the Gorn and Orion ground kill accolades. (I've not ever been able to do it without endless mind-numbing farming of the low level mission to deactivate the pylons). Can't remember if I got the Nausicaan ground accolade. Unlikely because they are also fairly thin on the ground.

    They're fairly thin in the air.

    Overall, they're pretty trim. :3
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