My Hopes For Crafting

With the recent meaty updates about crafting, I have has a fair amount of time to ponder over and imagine how crafting will work.

Being a dedicated crafter above all, as well as doing other end game content raids and an over whelming desire to be among the top on the PvP charts. I'm getting more and more excited about the way the TOR Crafting system will turnout.


At 1st I was kind of shocked by the way BW approached my beloved crafting system of old.
My mind set was "hey crafters do what others are not willing to do, thats how we we gain respect".
I've always took great care in the few MMO's that let the players become that crafter that everyone knows. The guy that could make all the great gear.
Well that guy is me, be the best or die trying. Coinage really is not the motivator for me. Being the best, and be know as player that others can turn to, to get a fair deal at a fair price is.

Now after the shear panic and getting over the initial gag reflex that TOR's crafting system had taken. I began to see the light.
Being a crafter is not going to be as cut and dry as I 1st thought.

The 1st thing that hits you is your companions, not the fact that they are doing all the crafting. But the influence thing they have going for them. The more your companions like you the more effective they are.
So on the path to being the best crafter you are going to have to make your minions love you outright.
With TOR having that story thing going on (I think read somewhere TOR had a story thing going on ) your going to do somethings that you companions don't like. You will indeed do things that loose you some points along the way.

So before I become that mightiest crafter in the system I have to get the shabby crew on my good side. And I have a sneaky feeling that is where the Diplomacy skill will come into its own.

Not only will this give you light or dark side points, it can be used to gain much needed + points on your companions. Deciding who to send where, will get them in your good books and before long they will be putting your forward as the boss of the year.

I also hope that crafting is the longest drown out and slowest to gain of all the skills that you can achieve. I also hope that Treasure Hunting has greater rewards long before your chosen crafting skills catches up.

Not that I want to T-hunter to be on par with Crafter long term or anything. I would just like it to be slightly lower, as I see this as a lazy mans crafting system. They should excel early on in the game, but 6-9 months dedicated to a crafting skill, your crafting should be slightly better. Excepting that odd Crit that turns up a very rare and nice item, of course.

Like I said before, I can see the Diplomacy missions being taken into account in getting your companions to like you. But your going to need at least 2 dedicated Gathering skills for your needed crafting skill.
So as soon as they are maxed, and sing your praises, you would then have to drop Diplomacy then gain a second Gathering skill, so you can become self sufficient.
You then can craft when you troops bring in, you would have to buy in from time to time, to complete orders for your growing customer base.

This would make crafting only appeal to those that will spend the time in it. I don't want it to be something you can just dabble in, find a good blueprint and become the best crafter around just by chance.

I guess this point of view, stems from the countless hours, training and gathering resources from other MMO's. But I will never be shaken on this, if you want to be the best. Then you have to be well and truly dedicated to the end result.
And not just a quick fix.

If Crafters are going to make some of the best gear around, then it makes sense for the players to work for it.
Anything that comes easy, diminishes the very core of what the dedicated crafters are looking for.

If BW does half as well as I have hope, TOR should be well and truly the best Crafting system that other MMO's can only marvel over for years to come.