Square Enix, please think about both Casual AND Hardcore crafters..

[CookiesNCreams]

Breaking news: In a recent interview with Yoshida, he stated that they are going to “overhaul” crafting and gathering and it’ll be such a significant change that he’s dedicating an entire Live Letter (either part 1 or 2) for explaining it. Likely going to be Part 2.

This might mean that Yoshida has listened to hardcore and casual crafters and is actually planning on stabilizing the mechanics somehow. Maybe he’s even read this thread, lol. Or, it could mean he is making it even easier. If that is the case, then that’ll be unfortunate.

Source: https://twinfinite.net/2019/08/final...rview-yoshida/

I think by "overhaul" I think they mean smoothing out the bumps. Some simple changes that wouldn't be harmful:

1. Significantly increased experience from 1-60
2. Class quests give a full set of end-game approximate gear at 50/60/70 like combat classes get (and can get via poetics)
3. Further cleaning up redundancies and cross-class abilities

I'd like to see them fundamentally change crafting so manual crafting is the only reliable way to HQ outside of significantly overgearing, but I know a lot of people don't like that idea. I also happen to think they're part of the problem -- having thousands of people mindlessly popping a macro and not having any real gating mechanism ruins the market and also the interesting challenge. It's more fun to try to optimize ARR leveling atm than it is crafting 2* recipes.

I agree. Though, this is the first time Yoshida has made such a bold claim. I mean, “overhaul”? It must be a pretty huge deal if I’m honest. If it is what I think it is, it’ll actually balance out crafting to where it’s not ridiculously easy anymore, but also not ridiculously hard.

This is probably the first time in 3-4 years I’ve actually been slightly excited about a live letter lol. This would make so many hardcore crafters happy that they actually listened to them, and made it balanced. This could change crafting forever.

....But, let’s be realistic here. It’s probably just going to make crafting even easier than it is now, because Yoshida’s track record on meeting expectations isn’t exactly good.

[Liam_Harper]

....But, let’s be realistic here. It’s probably just going to make crafting even easier than it is now, because Yoshida’s track record on meeting expectations isn’t exactly good.

Possible, but he did mention Ishgard possibly taking the best gear and melds, which means they aren't opposed to difficulty. I won't get my hopes up too much, but at the same time there's a chance.

I can't imagine them significantly changing how crafting functions after already putting work into ShB, capping IQ, making new abilities, changing max quality. They might iron out the bad ideas but I doubt they'd do anything huge that would make that all irrelevant the first major patch after launch.

I can definitely see them streamlining the leveling experience a lot. Changing the recipes that use far more materials, making the difficulty curve easier for ARR and HW, requiring less timed node items in HW, changing old quest rewards (that BSM quest that requires a HQ hammer and rewards a NQ for example, or adding decent gear to 60 and 70 quests). It might even be all they do and they aren't changing endgame at all. Though I'd abuse Reuse while we have the chance, that one could easily go on the chopping block. We'll have to see.

[Kaurhz]

Possible, but he did mention Ishgard possibly taking the best gear and melds, which means they aren't opposed to difficulty. I won't get my hopes up too much, but at the same time there's a chance.

This is wrong on multiple levels.

[Liam_Harper]

This is wrong on multiple levels.

That makes two of us, considering your best is a one-line post with no explanation.

I'm not saying gear and melds = difficulty or whether I agree or not, but it's not faceroll Facet and the fact they'd even consider it means they aren't opposed to the idea of making it harder somehow. But I'm interested how you interpret it as "we are fully opposed to any form of difficulty in crafting". Go for it.

[Cleanse]

That makes two of us, considering your best is a one-line post with no explanation.

I'm not saying gear and melds = difficulty or whether I agree or not, but it's not faceroll Facet and the fact they'd even consider it means they aren't opposed to the idea of making it harder somehow. But I'm interested how you interpret it as "we are fully opposed to any form of difficulty in crafting". Go for it.

Pretty sure they were focused on your statement ("he did mention Ishgard possibly taking the best gear and melds, which means they aren't opposed to difficulty. I won't get my hopes up too much, but at the same time there's a chance."), in bold not being factual or said in public.

[CookiesNCreams]

Pretty sure they were focused on your statement ("he did mention Ishgard possibly taking the best gear and melds, which means they aren't opposed to difficulty. I won't get my hopes up too much, but at the same time there's a chance."), in bold not being factual or said in public.

Actually, I do seem to remember an interview of Yoshida saying that Ishgard’s harder recipes will require the best melds and perfect gear to complete. I can try to find it if you want. As for how true that is? Probably not so much, considering Yoshida often does not meet expectations. I am just skeptical about the whole “let’s overhaul crafting” claim until I actually see it for myself.

[Cleanse]

Actually, I do seem to remember an interview of Yoshida saying that Ishgard’s harder recipes will require the best melds and perfect gear to complete. I can try to find it if you want. As for how true that is? Probably not so much, considering Yoshida often does not meet expectations. I am just skeptical about the whole “let’s overhaul crafting” claim until I actually see it for myself.

Hopefully he was only referring to the next tier of crafts and `the best melds and perfect gear` was just usual PR jargon. Hoping for sync'd stats like PvP / HoH, etc.

[Kaurhz]

That makes two of us, considering your best is a one-line post with no explanation.

I'm not saying gear and melds = difficulty or whether I agree or not, but it's not faceroll Facet and the fact they'd even consider it means they aren't opposed to the idea of making it harder somehow. But I'm interested how you interpret it as "we are fully opposed to any form of difficulty in crafting". Go for it.

Well the problem is you just turn the element of difficulty into a situation of time, or gil consumption. Neither of which I am a fan of in the first place. I find neither of those are a testament to difficulty.

Just set the stats so they're synchronised down (e.g. baseline i430 - No Melds ), stick everyone on the same pedestal, and then over-tune the recipes to where it requires RNG, apply sanction debuffs similar to Ixali. Then just allow people to do 1-3 submissions per 'season'. That in my opinion would be the best way of handling difficulty, at least with the current crafting mechanics taken into account. That is both what I believe is fair, and the most levelled, just test people on their ability to handle RNG and do basic CP calculations. Not on their ability to have enough spare time to gear up. Again, everyone should be on the same pedestal as far as stats are concerned.

That being said, if I'm honest and I don't believe I'm contradicting myself here but I don't think that crafting has sufficient mechanics or complexity to have something that would be a sustained difficulty. Sure, everything might be good for a few days, maybe even a few weeks, but after that time has gone by.. Not so much.

By wrong on multiple levels I was referring to the Ishgard part of your post. Whilst I do recall reading this myself, I don't agree with how they advertise that as a component of difficulty