Crafting needs to be fun or needs to be automated.

[EmeraldHill]

It's that simple really. You either need to make it actually interactive and engaging or need to make it like the majority of MMORPGs out on the market and let it be automated.

Gathering is best left to another topic and is not being forgotten.

The current state of crafting is as follows:

I hope that you'll agree the phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words" fits quite nicely here.

The grind needs to be lowered, a lot. I can say with almost sure confidence that no one here enjoyed the grind to 50, pressing enter a multitude of times is not the most stimulating activity. Even if the mini-game was fun to a degree it will still get boring rather quickly if you're forced to sit there and make some irrelevant object en masse for the sole sake of trying to keep up to your combat classes, which comparatively blur past your crafting classes even with the laziest of efforts.

I was thinking that automation of crafting could be an option alongside a new revamped crafting mini-game. Assuming there is still a noticeable grind if such an over-haul comes to realization then this might not be a bad idea. I was thinking of a system that has a failure rate of 50% if automated mode is turned on for bulk crafts or grinding sessions. Perhaps a very expensive manual could be bought for guild marks that increases it by 5% each and stacks up to a maximum of 75%? This is just a side-idea and not the main focus of the thread, so comment accordingly.

But as for the mini-game itself it needs to rely on skill and be engaging.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upBBgsTgCb8 Here's a video of cooking on another game where there is more involvement from the player and affects the out-come of the craft.

Something along that line would be great but material crafts should be short and final products should be longer. I wish I could suggest more on the mini-game the video shows what type of mini-game I'd like to see.

[Misteyes]

I would prefer a single minigame for all forms of synthesis, so that someone can be good at synthesis rather than just being good at a single recipe. Also, the choice whether or not to play the game (for greatly increased EXP and a chance of HQ) or not (for faster synths).

Failing that, I would prefer a completely automated system, so that I'm not disadvantaged because I don't want to buy an autofire controller.

(Shameless plug)

[AceofRains]

I would prefer a single minigame for all forms of synthesis, so that someone can be good at synthesis rather than just being good at a single recipe. Also, the choice whether or not to play the game (for greatly increased EXP and a chance of HQ) or not (for faster synths).

Failing that, I would prefer a completely automated system, so that I'm not disadvantaged because I don't want to buy an autofire controller.

(Shameless plug)

This......

[NibelungValesti]

Have you ever tried to HQ something OR are you just trying to level? There's a huge difference between the two. The second being very interactive. Try to +2/3 a piece of gear or material, food whatever with just spamming standard not gonna happen. It takes some skill and understanding to HQ high level gear. And a lot of HQ mats lol.

I know someone good at synthing. He HQs high-end gear a lot because how knows how to. Stop spamming standard.

[EmeraldHill]

Have you ever tried to HQ something OR are you just trying to level? There's a huge difference between the two. The second being very interactive. Try to +2/3 a piece of gear or material, food whatever with just spamming standard not gonna happen. It takes some skill and understanding to HQ high level gear. And a lot of HQ mats lol.

It's 90% luck and 10% know-how.

[NibelungValesti]

I disagree I watch someone in my ls constantly HQ items. A lot more than 90% of the time. I might add it's with HQ mats. WIthout HQ mats it's really hard to HQ.

[EmeraldHill]

I disagree I watch someone in my ls constantly HQ items. A lot more than 90% of the time. I might add it's with HQ mats. WIthout HQ mats it's really hard to HQ.

Exactly, and how do you get HQ mats? By being lucky. That +3 Moko grass didn't drop because you beat that critter so very elegantly, did it?

And to further prove my point, you say to HQ items without Hq mats is hard. That's because it's all luck! Even if you apply your best knowledge and all the careful synths favor you and succeed, you will probably still not get a HQ item.

The entire crafting system is a RNG game.

[Wynn]

It's 90% luck and 10% know-how.

Only people that say this are the ones who don't "know-how"

[Bluetaro]

Agree with the OP 100%

As it currently stands, having a level 50 craft is all about how long you can stand pressing the "enter" key. Surely the community can agree that crafting should be more engaging and meaningful.

I'm not saying make it easy to the point where it's trivial to have a max level craft, but please give us something more substantial than pressing a single key thousands of time.

[Misteyes]

Even with HQ mats, it has more to do with gear and luck than with skill.

I've HQ+3'd a hempen cowl from NQ mats at 56 quality. Don't tell me that was skill.

I've NQ'd (or Normal Yield, really, since I was using offhand) a Cotton Yarn at 550 quality from +3 mats, more than once. Is it because I'm playing badly? I don't think so - 550 quality is 550 quality. But I don't have the right gear for it, and maybe I'm just unlucky.

Spamming Bold Synthesis over and over again, waiting out problems, hitting the Preserve button, etc. isn't really all that engaging either. If it was, I wouldn't be complaining.

[edited to add]

Only people that say this are the ones who don't "know-how"

In that case and the system is skill-rewarding as it is, they need to stop giving away free HQs to the people who don't know how. HQ is supposed to be something exceptional, and should be awarded for exceptional play, not just given away by dice rolls.