[MUD-Dev] Crafting/Creation systems

[Ron Gabbard]

From: "John Buehler" <johnbue at msn.com>
> Paul Boyle writes:

>> I think everyone agrees that endless clicking is definitely out
>> of style.  And from everything I've seen, most game designers
>> believe the fun of crafting systems is not in the crafting
>> itself, but in the achievement play you gain from being a
>> crafter.

>> Personally, I think something that gets overlooked is the
>> explorer style play that can come from crafting.  The thrill of
>> discovering or creating something new noone else has managed to.
>> That's why I'm looking for alternatives to reciepe-style systems,
>> where all the possible results have been mapped out in extremis
>> by the system designer.

>> I realize that leaves the possiblity of unbalance items coming
>> out of the system.  I'm curious if anyone has thoughts on this as
>> well, if anyone's looked at balancing crafted items not by
>> knowing the possibilities at the beginning, but by coupling an
>> evaluator at the back end of the system to see if the product is
>> allowable.

> If you want to find out if your crafting system is inherently
> entertaining, make it such that the items that it creates are
> useless.  If players still craft, then you've got something.  Of
> course, everything has a value to somebody, so it's a difficult
> test to establish, let alone pass.  But that's the general idea.
> Beyond that test is the test of whether other players will find
> what is crafted desireable, etc.

Make is such that the items created are useless?  That's the
situation with most MMOGs.  Mob-dropped items are almost always
superior to player-crafted.  I agree with the 'explorer' argument
with regards to crafting.  One thing I've tried to put into the
trades system I've been toying with is a sense of discovery and
ownership of that discovery... as well as random events that get the
heart racing.

Miners own their mines and the ore/gem/precious metal mined from
that vein will be relatively stable.  However, there is also the
chance that hitting a certain pocket will unleash a subterranean
monster to be dealt with, or that rare super-size gem might be
harvested, or a long-buried artifact from a long-dead civilization
might be uncovered which triggers a 'what the heck is this' quest
for the miner, or even breaking through to a subterranean cavern
that triggers a server-wide quest and introduces a new dungeon into
the world.  The gathering of raw materials by players is so
necessary in order to have a balanced, inflation-proof economy but
mining, lumberjacking and such are typically the most boring of all
the trades.

The second stage crafters are the component makers... the alchemists
and metallurgists.  I went with an attribute-based system instead of
a recipe-based system.  Thus, a metallurgist can combine any set of
ores and alloys to make a new alloy with its own unique properties,
e.g., Ore_A with a Hardness of 100 (determines damage/protection)
and a Durability of 50 (determines decay rate) can be combined with
Ore_B that has a Hardness of 50 and Durability of 100 to get Alloy_X
that is 75 in both.  Alchemist powders can also be added to the mix
to imbue the metal with certain properties.  The end result is that
Alchemists and Metallurgists can 'custom make' potions/powders and
metals to meet the specific needs of their customers.  Yes, there
are basic combinations that will provide very usable products (and
marketable) like basic health potions and base alloys for those
people who don't want to 'explore' the craft.  But, the people who
provide the custom services will end up with the higher-margin
products as there is more value-added.  Now, toss in an occassional
explosion (or the release of a toxic gas that poisons people in the
vicinity) when the alchemist/metallurgist tries a new combination
and has a critical failure and you have the opportunity for
something more than place-place-click.

The final stage crafters are the armorsmiths, weaponsmiths, etc.
Again, the final products are attribute-based instead of
recipe-based.  The weaponsmith that just wants to crank out standard
swords can do so using basic components created by the second stage
crafters.  The more advanced crafters can create custom products
specifically designed to meet the needs of a particular customer
using rarer components and/or more complicated alloys.  The player
determines the level of involvement they want to put into the craft.

This system makes some basic assumptions: Differences in item
attributes must be supported by the other systems in the game.  If
there is no encumbrance or inventory constraints, then the weight
and durability of an item makes little difference... players can
just carry an arsenal in their backpack.  If all players can wield
all weapons with equal effectiveness regardless of their character's
size or strength, then weight of the weapon makes no
difference... all players will select the weapon with the highest
'damage ratio'.  If you want people to be 'crafters' instead of
'button-pushers', differences in the final products have to be
determined by more than 'how many times has this blacksmith hit the
"combine" button' and those differences have to be supported by
other game systems.

Secondly, one of the biggest downfalls to most crafter communities
stems from the oversupply of crafters.  Rich players will log on
their trade mule and powerskill their trade mule character while at
work or otherwise occupied where they can't play a 'real' character.
It's that low of involvement.  The end result is that the trade mule
has the same skill set as the character who spends their entire life
in a city hawking their wares and really 'playing' the crafter role.
Increase the involvement of the crafting process and you have given
the 'core crafters' a much-needed competitive edge over the trade
mules.

Finally, just because someone likes making the items (regardless of
involvement) and enjoys the whole creation process doesn't mean that
they have the interpersonal skills to sell the items.  Language and
cultural differences may drive some of this but some of it is just
driven by differences in personality.  Design distribution systems
where crafters can sell their wares without being door-to-door sales
people.  The 'reward' to the crafter would vary by involvement of
the distribution system but the individual player can decide whether
the reward is worth the cost.

By varying the distribution systems and final products they can
carry, you end up with a world where each player can determine their
own experience.  A player may decide to hit the local '7-Eleven' and
pick up a 'stock' sword that isn't 'ideal' for them and expensive
given its effectiveness... but is usable and convenient.  Or, they
may travel a bit to get to a blacksmith's shop where there may be a
greater variety of inventoried weapons for sale that are better
suited for that character giving them 'more bang for the buck'.  Or,
the character may search out a specific blacksmith to have a weapon
custom-made for them given their strength, size, and other
determining factors.  The players place their own cost/benefit ratio
on activities... which is a good thing in promoting the
individualized experience.

The 'Crafter Experience' needs to be more than just repetitively
hitting a button and making generic products.  Imagine if the combat
systems were such that characters would run up to an opponent and
just hit <ATTACK> and the RNG would determine if you win or lose
based on the variance between character skill level and difficulty
of the target.  Casters would automatically cast 'Spell'... Ranged
combatants would automatically shoot 'Projectile'... Melee
combatants would swing 'Weapon'.  I could have written that code on
my Apple IIe in BASIC... yet that's where most games are with their
trade skills.

/rant off

Designing a robust trade skill and commercial system can go a long
way to broadening the appeal of the game to those players that want
more than the 'slay the dragon/save the princess' experience... at
least to this player.

Cheers,

Ron

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