Quote Originally Posted by Reika View Post
A new type of 'trade' option can be added when targeting a crafter, call it 'request craft' or something. The window will be similar to the synthesis main window, but without the recipes or requested items button. also the person requested to craft wont be able to add items to it.

-The requester requests craft, the crafter accepts.
-The crafter does the kneeling bit. the requester then adds the materials into the window.
-after they are all added, the crafter selects main hand or off hand and begins crafting.
-after completion, the item goes directly to the requesters inventory.

This way, there would be no need to trade items directly to the crafter. also, more items could be made untradable this way. It would also be a good method for the new materia system (Name Tentative)
I really believe that SE will have to ultimately add this type of system.

Looking at the current NM drops, there are the following tensions:
  1. NM drops materials that can be crafted into high-end gear. This currently requires tradeable items. If the items are too good, camping of NM begins, monopolizing forces (including but not exclusively RMT) enter the picture, etc. This is the R50 NMs.
  2. NM drops unique/untradable item to prevent monopolizing and camping. This requires full and complete gear to be dropped, since otherwise non-crafters have no access to the final product. This results in crafters and gatherers being marginalized. This is the R30 NMs.
A compromise is to add a system such as you described, Reika, and then allow NMs to drop unique / untradeable materials. They can then have a crafter create the item for them, either in person or through their retainer.

Now, I am NOT saying that these should be the ONLY types of NM drops. But I do believe that they should be the 'highest-end' drops.

My reasoning? Value based upon difficulty.
  1. An NM dropping a single and complete piece of gear is of the lowest order of difficulty. A very low rank player can stand on the sidelines and be powered through by high ranking friends (or pay for same via RMT). Additionally, the single battle is the only requirement to achieve the gear.
  2. An NM dropping a tradeable material requires the gathering of the remaining materials, and an appropriately ranked crafter, with the chance of failure. This mean higher difficulty than option 1. However, a person can buy gil, and then purchase said material, or said item. This reduces the effective difficulty.
  3. An NM dropping an untradeable material requires the person to personally be present when defeating the NM in order to obtain the material. There are of course some exploits still (e.g. being powered through by higher ranking friends), but it is still more difficult than option 2.
  4. The highest pinnacle would be a synthesis that required, in addition, an untradeable solo quest drop, meaning the player would be required to complete the quest without being buttressed by others, nor could the player purchase the material through the mark. Highest difficulty (dependent on quest, of course).