I think if I were designing a Skyrim-style RPG, I'd set it up as a system where you could commission a weapon or armor (which would then have some sort of legendary effect) and then that would, depending on the desired special effect, generate one of those radiant quests to get the magic ingredient. - ThreadSky

bretdevereaux.bsky.social • 119 days ago

I think if I were designing a Skyrim-style RPG, I'd set it up as a system where you could commission a weapon or armor (which would then have some sort of legendary effect) and then that would, depending on the desired special effect, generate one of those radiant quests to get the magic ingredient.

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queen-calamity.bsky.social•118 days ago

Skyrims version of crafting is especially weird because you need to basically interrupt some poor blacksmith's work so you can use all their equipment. You don't even compensate them for it.

l4pointlinguist.bsky.social•119 days ago

Are you familiar with Earthdawn? It had some ideas that are adjacent to what you're describing here.

djangowexler.bsky.social•119 days ago

I feel like the proximate origin of the craft-it-yourself strain is Elder Scrolls going back to the really old ones, being able to be an expert in various skills is a traditional part of the pitch along with becoming various guild masters.

djangowexler.bsky.social•119 days ago

When Skyrim hit it REALLY big that became a big thing, maybe?

A lot of the D&D descended RPGs seem to use specialists (DA, Baldur's Gate, etc) so I wonder if that's a separate line of descent?

ranamar.bsky.social•119 days ago

Another thought, from other media, is stuff like the Iron Man movie, where Tony Stark builds his power armor and then flies it. I guess that's just one guy who's like that, but I wonder if that's hooking into the same idea space.

bretdevereaux.bsky.social•119 days ago

(Of course, the Monster Hunter series does this right: you collect the stuff and there's a master artisan who actually handles turning it into arms and armor. You manage basic field maintenance (sharpening) but not production or major upgrades. That stuff is done by a specialist.)

jedstuart.bsky.social•119 days ago

Absolutely true, but I do love crafting sometimes. A game called Underrail did it well, and sometimes a maintainence mechanic works well, as long as it's not constant.

Maybe crafting mechanics can be refined so that it only goes so far as visual customisation, or poorer imitations of consumables.

hazelthewitch.bsky.social•119 days ago

I was literally just about to mention Monster Hunter as an exception to this. Though, the game does still have you do crafting to make your various tools and supplies, like traps, tranquilizers, bombs, pickaxes, etc, so not completely reliant on artisans for your tools.

saintcetacean.bsky.social•119 days ago

Yes, but I also feel like sprt of the conceit for the crafting of tranqs/snares etc is that you as the hunter ARE said specialist in the tools and gadgets related to hunting, but you're not a full on weaponsmith

femkultra.bsky.social•117 days ago

the witcher does this pretty well, you can make potions and decoctions because you’re an alchemist, but you need to find a weaponsmith or an armorer to craft anything else, and the highest level gear requires an extremely talented artisan that requires a quest to access

aversatrix.bsky.social•119 days ago

Final Fantasy 16 does this as well! you can find gear, or buy it, but anything actually good is made by the blacksmith at your hideout.

sukoxtuto.blackwhitedog.com•119 days ago

I love the cooking aspect of it too; you can manage basic rations (and sometimes do it poorly), but again, the actual full meals are done by a chef back at the camp and they have a full supply train that follows them around

contezero.bsky.social•119 days ago

This mechanic was added to give the player more stuff to loot around, search around, thinkering.
It's not true, and it's not true that an adventurer act solo (knights and adventurers had at least one esquire to manage the inventory, mantain weapons and armor... and to procure food, services).

contezero.bsky.social•119 days ago

Last time I saw something resembling "truth" was in Ultima online, where you had to choose what to do: you might be a man at arms or some kind of worker, not both... because you can't do everything alone.
For this exact reason back in the day people had two or more playing characters.

contezero.bsky.social•119 days ago

One was devoted to fight and stuff and the rest worked to pump him... like mining ore, refining, casting stuff etc.

jdoda.ca•119 days ago

A recent game that handles this really well is Eternal Strands. Your character is very much one part of a team. You're the part that goes out into the world to do video game protagonist stuff (enact violence, take anything that's not nailed down) and the rest of the team are various specialists...

jdoda.ca•119 days ago

... who craft your gear, handle logistics, do research, etc, and the narrative treats your other team members and their skills as integral to your success

segfaultvicta.bsky.social•119 days ago

aw man this would rule *so hard*

bretdevereaux.bsky.social•119 days ago

When I thought about it for a second, I do realize I just described the primary gameplay loop of Monster Hunter...so, you know.

Comes out tomorrow.

aloejoe.bsky.social•119 days ago

It is a missing link for sure, I think some mods address it. As to the trope, it's a really interesting observation. I've recently tried to create a character where I only buy or find gear, but I used to almost exclusively have characters who were master craftsmen of some kind, without thinking

terryflap.bsky.social•119 days ago

I think that there's 100% potential to that, but my question is that does that feel better than being directly involved with the process? Does the player feel more or less attached to a sword that they told someone to make and had to wait to get as opposed to watching it take shape?

terryflap.bsky.social•119 days ago

I don't want to come across like I don't think it's a good idea, I think it is, but I think we don't see it as often in games as being actively involved in something is more often just more enjoyable.

Take Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord; that would be a great game to put in a system like you said

terryflap.bsky.social•119 days ago

But the devs still seem to have made creating your own weapons more powerful (with investment into it) than weapons that can be found in the world.

I haven't played it for a good while at this point, so my understanding of the game might be out of date so maybe NPCs can smith weapons too

terryflap.bsky.social•119 days ago

Would be interesting to hear from the devs if they thought of this and why they chose not to do something like it if they had thought of it.

angelobarthelemy.bsky.social•119 days ago

Once again Morrowind getting it right and Oblivion doing wrong and Skyrim keeping it wrong

rattatatouille.bsky.social•119 days ago

There's a Skyrim mod that allows you to do most of this (Honed Metal). If your aim is a KCD-esque life sim it's a must-have.

rpenteado.bsky.social•119 days ago

Basically what CK does.
=)

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