1st Crafting should be a part of both, or even all factions! That being said I believe that crafting could be more interactive even immersive if you made it into a mini-game.
Crafting mini-game would consist of a research portion and the crafting portion.
Research Portion-During this portion you need to determine what it is you plan to create. You could use any base (common) item as your starting point. Doing your research earns you the skill to improve what you can create. Research will tell you how much of what you need to apply and in what order to craft your device.
http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz58/Tragamite/CraftingGame.png
Crafting Portion will be actually applying the materials to the item to improve its functions. Much like the data collection mini-game I think you should have a time set for crafting; you would put all the needed materials on the table and begin modifying the equipment. You would have to apply the samples in the proper sequence that you worked out in your research to be successful and modifying the piece of equipment. Completing the project in the proper sequence crafts an improved item, failure and you risk losing data samples or possible destroying the device youre trying to improve.
You would still need to level up your skill in the crafting tech trees.
General is the crafting of devices such as Hypo, Power Cells, Batteries, etc.
Energy Field is the crafting of Ship Equipment -Shield Array, Deflector Array, Engines and Consoles.
Physical is the crafting of personal Equipment-Armor, Shields and Kits
Technology is the crafting of weapon systems-Ship and Personal
Research success = 20 crafting points
Crafting Success = 40 crafting points
Researching success includes determining how much of what data applied to what device gives what effect. So at my research table I learn that applying 7 Mineral Samples to a Personal Shield grants me Phaser Damage Reduction. I further research and learn that using a Metreon Particle allows me to apply Energy Data Samples to my Physical R&D. With this knowledge I was able to determine that applying 8 Tetryon Particles grants me an energy damage buff when I take damage. With this knowledge its possible I can apply this to my body armor for the same effect, Ill need to do more research.
With this you can apply one, two or three (maybe more?) effects from your crafted items. So suppose I want to craft a Resilient Shield Array with Regeneration x3. I would need to research what grants me the regenerative effect on the shield, and what is needed to compound that effect 3x over. I feel this is a great use of the rare particle traces we are now picking up.
Particle Traces
Antithoron
Anyon
Beta-Tachyon
Chronometric
Dekyon
Duderon
Methogenic
Metreon
Trianium
Vertion
Although I understand how far behind the Klingon Faction is in the crafting and acquiring of the data sample or whatever they would use for crafting purposes, (although I feel they should use the same data samples IMHO) but this would kinda put everyone back on the same level when it comes to crafting.
I know for those who have complete the research trees would like to retain some of that knowledge if this was to take effect much like the last overhaul on crafting. I for one was shocked when I grinded through all the crafting to be able to make everything possible only to be restricted to some of those items with the update.
I may be wrong but I think this will make crafting more fun yet more challenging at the same time. And with the ability to craft green to purple items it should be more in-depth and encompassing.
Comments
I haven't played CO although I have been tempted at least to check it out. I guess I'll need to ask my brother about this one.
So I asked my brother about this one and while yes it would be awesome for a true crafting system, STO is not that system.
STO crafting is not even crafting, mearly improvising usind known data to improve an exsisting device. However I think that this method used in game would add a lot to the crafting environment.
I say YES to crafting, and preferably yesterday not tomorrow. But they should give more things that can be crafted, and not make crafting absolete by selling better stuff easily obtainable like it is happening now, shame on you CRYPTIC !
I hope in the near future Crafting will get the so much needed overhaul...
Allfather
You should be able to take rare materials and apply them to various ships systems (engines, weapons, consoles) to give them extra properties. This would represent the very Trek tradition of modifying and improving ships systems.
Running off to a library to construct a phaser bank isn't really something I've ever seen in any of the ST shows or movies.
Agreed, agreed and agreed! I fully believe that "system modifications" should be available to both factions and with a little effort should be able to construct things just as valuable as what can be purchased.
I have noted that on the Mk X gear PvP offered a different variety of bonuses then the exploration. With the emblems is seems you have 2-3 variety of systems. System Modification could be a source of a different set of bonuses at the very least.
Combine different systems to give new results...now that would be crafting and drive people to do it!
Agreed! I would still like to see them make a change to the current items in game though. Things like consoles that give you one + per Mk or Rarity. So a green Mk V is the same power as a common Mk VI...this just doesn't seem right!
I Should still want a Green over a white or a blue over a green! Common Mk V console current system is +10 While a green is +11 and a Blue is +12 etc. I feel that this needs to be changed to a Mk V common is +10 common Mk VI +11 green Mk V +12 green Mk VI is +13 etc.
A blue Mk V should be preferable to a white Mk VII.
Then Additianally we could use Batteries in the crafting process to creat Efficient Engines or something!
There are tons of episodes were the KDF showed its Research dynamics. So do the Romulans, Orions, Cardassians, etc, etc, etc, and including the Borg.
There are a couple of rooms in Memory Alpha that are not being used but seems to be for something special, so when are we going to use them?
I love the idea of having a R&D table in our ships, make it so. Lots of Kudos to Tragamite.
Thanks
So Very Rare is:
Shield Array Mk X [Cap], [Reg] x2
Exclusive to crafting you could create a 'Unique' Item, eg:
Shield Array Mk X [Cap] x2, [Reg] x2
Here you have added an extra cap using a variaty of rare mats that should take a certain amount of specific effort to obtain. Maybe by doing missions.
This would make crafting have a purpose for all players in game as they could take those items they have spent time gathering bits for and improve them further.
Let's take the efficient engines as an example, it is a MK4 engine reward item with 5 point energy setting boots to weapons, shields, and auxiliary. Now if you were to analyze it you would have a 20% chance to get the ability to add the energy boots to your engine crafting. While there is a 5% chance that you will be able to reassemble the efficient engines to do what you want with them after.
When crafting you can choose the rarity of the item you want to craft which will determine how many abilities you can put on it. White none, Green one, Blue two, and Purple three.
Perhaps you can incorporate the Champions crafting specialization in a type of crafting for personal or ship, weapons, shields, armor, deflector dishes, stations, devices, i.e.
EB
Yes if we were actually crafting something then that might be an option. But what we have really is engineering or scientific modifications.*
Yes, I would love to see something like this incorporated into the research. Analyzing how something works allows you the chance to recreate the device.*
First of all the limitations on what can be modified are terrible! *All the Engines are included but only one type of Deflector and Shield? *Only two of each branch type kits can be upgraded and the weapon selections as you progress are sad. *Plasma at IV and VI but then I have to switch to Tetryon and then again to Polaron?
Modifications should apply to everything.*
Weapons; Phaser, Disruptor, Plasma, Tetryon, and Polaron, Photon, Quantum, Plasma, Transphasic and Chroniton.
Ship Equipment; Deflectors, Shields, Engines, Consoles and Devices.
Personal Equipment; Shields, Armor, Kits, Weapons and Devices (Health, Power, Shield)
Modifiers:
Weapons: [CrtD] [CrtH] [Dmg] [Acc]
Shields (Personal): [Cap] [PBKB] [Reg] [Ap] [Dis] [Pha] [Pla] [Tet]
Etc.*
A combination of Data samples is what will give you your boost on an Item. *Crafting should really be a minigame of applying the proper samples in the right order to get the desired effect. *So if you wanted to craft a Tachyon Deflector Array Mk IV [TB] [HS] you would be instructed to use a common Tach Deflector and apply x amount of sample A x amount samble B and etc until you applied enough sample to create your desired Deflector. *This could be used with any Item.
Based on the level of Item you are creating and what bonuses you are applying you could craft green to purple by applying the proper samples in proper order. *What would be great about this being a mini game is you would actually be "crafting" the item!
In the crafting screen it should be setup by the added power you want to apply to a device. *So when I'm looking at my crafting screen and I want to apply [Cap]x3 to my Covariant Shield Array I am shown that I need samples 10xA, 8xB, 5xC, 2xD and then I need to tripple the number plus add sample E to compound the effect.
This way you can craft an uncommon Item to a very rare based on your crafting skill, samples and items you have on hand.
Take a dash from EQ2, Eve and SWG. Those three games have craftng systems that were full games themselves. Crafting should be slowly built to fit the IP. Don't do a rush job just to get something better than you have now. If you're going to redo it...do it right.
Although Crafting as we know it in this game is a modification process I would not agree with adding to already bonused items. If you did it would make the value of these items worthless. I am ok with the selling of the common items from a vendor that can be used for crafting. I recall before that was implemented a common Plasma Beam Array Mk IV was upto 2mil credits but you could only sell the manufactured variety for maybe its value!
Vendor Common items should be sold for more then the face value so as to encourage looters to post commons on the exchange for crafters at a reasonable price!
I like the idea of creating exclusive items, "unique" items would be BOP though but not unique in the sense that only you could have them I would suggest you might be able to craft them for your away team members.
RESEARCH and Development! That is what they call it at Memory Alpha! And the research should be an intrigal part! Breaking down an item could teach you what is needed to apply that bonus to that item. I would like to further add to what Chizoba said:
I would suggest a base of 20%, +5%/100 points/field in R&D. So you are taking a Shield Array Mk III [Cap] apart to learn what is needed to apply the [Cap] bonus to a shield array. If you have 1-99 points in the Energy Field R&D then you have a 20% to successfully learn how to apply the [Cap] bonus to a shield array with a 5% chance of absolute failure!
Learning new Bonuses would be obtained at least 3 ways...personal research (you apply samples to an items to find the results,) item research (break down bonus items to learn how the work) and from instructors that will teach you a base few.
I think these could be what is currently in game with crafting! So if you can currently make Plasma Beam Array Mk VI [Acc] [CrtD] then it would be assumed that you learned this from LtCmdr Anchient as he would be the one to give you the formula. Learning these would require you to have met the required R&D points.
You know, I was thinking. Those that give those great ideas should get some sort of recognition if they are used.
Maybe something for their uniforms or a decal for the ship for services to the Empire/Federation, it doesn't need to be big, just something to say "thanks" for the idea.
Interesting...could be a title? I don't really care, I love to see my ideas implemented even if it is not exactly how I envisioned them. Just planting the seeds for an idea to get put in game is exciting to me!
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=164425
( --| click to see the Reclaim Item Menu |-- )
( --| click to see the Research Skill Trees Menu |-- )
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That is awesome work! I really picture Memory Alpha as the R&D hub but most of your modifications would be done actually on your ship! I mean the real purpose for modifications is to improve your own ship right? Once you can though you could offer them up to others...for a price(even though the federation has done away with curencies)
I really feel though that with the opening of all tiers, all items, all modifications a player should have to choose a specilization! Maybe I can craft anything green possibly even blues but to make purples and then uniques I have to specialize in one of the three fields!
Crafting was one of the first things I wanted to try out in STO (and I did it back before the Memory Alpha interface was updated).
Since Jesse Heinig is making a pass at Crafting Accolades - does this mean that Chad has created new items for us to craft at Memory Alpha?
Agreed! I started working at it with my first toon but couldn't get the data I needed to contiue production so I sent all the data I collected to my second toon and she crafted everything. I had been able to make any item when the revamp came and then I had to work some more to reach the bottom of the advance teirs.
I have seen a flux of data samples with the minigame and am working on my second crafter now, albeit she is my 5th Fed toon. I think that says something that I only have two crafters out of five toons!
1) Schematics - Most of the MMOs (that have a crafting system) that I've played had two or three types of crafting "items"...trainer learned, vendor bought, and from world drops. I think that getting a rare or very rare schematic drop from a kill or mission reward would be great to see.
2) Unique Items - I'm not talking just items and equipment that are upgrades to existing items that can be only crafted. I'm talking about cool toys and such as well. Someone above mentioned WoW's engineeing profession. I'm talking about something like that. Have an interesting phaser rifle that has a cool effect but not necessarily game breaking. Have an Efficient Impulse Engine Mk XII. A pet Borg cube following the ship around (a la the Del Taco Shuttle). The potential number of cool things can be limitless.
3) Another Way to Get C-Store Items - Cryptic has promised us that items in the C-Store can be gotten somehow in the game itself without having to spend real-world money. Crafters can go out and search for, say, a T5 Exelsior ship schematic...a really hard to find item...and then have to grind all of the base components that could take weeks or months to get. This brings me back to the WoW Engineer. Anyone who remembers it knows about the cool chopper. I grinded for it for months to get the money and parts to make it. It was worth every minute and gold spent.
4) Bonuses Based on Career Path - Each type of captain (Tactical, Science, and Engineering) can gain a certain bonus to a specific set of items. Tactical can make weapons and armor easier. Science can make shields and kits easier. Engineers can make engines and deflectors easier. Of course, these are just examples. Hell, certain races can get small bonuses, too. This can help differentiate captain types even further than they already are.
Yes great additions! I especially like the idea of a pet cube!
Agreed, I would like to see some truely crafted items too!
1. Crafting exp (CXP) and a tab as par-diplomecy
2. Crafting lvl's were crafting and gathering items for crafting gets you exp in this tree,
3. Special crafting unlucks at diffrent lvl's, Like your capt skills at dif lvl you get to craft class special items
4. Keep the same crafting set up as it is now in MA but new special crafting items added in a special tab
5. when you reach max lvl in crafting you unluck Master crafter this is the ability to add the special perks to items you craft (Resists/dmg/Crit/etc), max is what ever the dev feels like making it
6. Name your special armour or weapion. The higher the crafting lvl you have (up to lvl 100) add's more resists etc
7. Quests that reward special crafting unlocks or perks
8.Crafting queue
9. Mobs drop crafting patterns (white/green/blue/purple patterns aswell. To use some patterns you need to be the right lvl or above)
10. Noone should be aboul to master crafting in a week
11. Strange items like "tounge of targ" should be needed to craft some items
It would be nice to say that "STO has the best crafting of any MMO out there"
That is all
Bump and adding a link to my post with a few more ideas
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=183239