Possibly Largest Problem Facing The Game (Crafting)

[CanteJondo]

I strongly disagree with the OP stating that crafting is the largest problem facing the game. It is one of the few systems in 14 that was very strong from word go IMO.

As for wanting to make it less grindy, I disagree again. In an MMO I feel you need a variety of playing styles and speeds. I can login for NM camps/guildleve parties that are engaging and require my full attention, and I can also then switch the radio on, browse some websites and watch TV whilst crafting. It gives a GREAT change of pace to playing. A game should be relaxing as well as engaging and that is the strength of MMOs. You shouldn't have to give your full attention every second of ingame time.

I definitely agree that there needs to be more aspects to crafting, I'd love quests and leves that make DoH team up with DoW/DoM. Either crafting an item with a time limit whilst your party protects you from mobs, or an event where you rush to make/repair stationery battlements before an onslaught of mobs... something along those lines.

[Mort]

A solution would be to make crafts faster to level, but more expensive. Of course this would require SE to balance the economy first. And I also like the idea of having the procedure alittle faster aswell.

[TempestReve]

3. Give crafters (and gatherers) more interesting things to do with their job besides sit in town. They could have their own form of behests via hamlets; i.e. help the hamlets rebuild a workshop, chop down some trees, whatever.

ok this suggestion made me happy when i read it ^o^ I don't mind the mindless mass synthesis of the same item over and over to rank.. its kinda soothing in its own right, and if youve actually ever done any kind of weaving of any type in real life.. after a little bit, YES it will get tedious, but you work hard and endure because of the beautiful end result. However, it would be nice, if perhaps there were more quests we could do to make the crafting more interesting. Something to be all "i did this for 3 hours but look at how BAMF this is" instead of.. i did this for 3 hours and NPC'd it all and made about 100k after all that time when money really is in abundance anyways in game.

[MANTASTIC]

ITT: People who think mashing enter is fun. Seriously, what is so engaging or fun about Standard Synthesis: The Game? The entire crafting process is frustrating, boring and tedious. Anytime you're not mashing on standard, you either A) got dicked over by RNG and an "element destabilized," B) decided to pay attention just long enough to hit one of those fantastically uninteresting crafting abilities, or C) are in the process of mashing bold instead, because that's oh so much more exciting. Consider: they put in Hasty Hand, knowing people would want to use it. If the crafting process is so goddamn fun, as many you seem to think, why is this even here? And should being able to successfully complete a recipe in a timely manner really be reserved for people who outrank said recipe?

While I certainly don't think shortening the crafting process is all it needs, it would be a great step in the right direction at least.

[TirionCrey]

My biggest concern for the future is...since SE wants crafting and gathering classes to be on par with the Battle Classes, when it comes to experience Main Story and stuff...I'm afraid there will be NEVER EVER an expansion like CoP, with an awesome story plus a very challenging series of fights...cause if Crafters have to be able to get them done...how can they be challenging?

[SirEdeonX]

I like crafting, and the system is as tedious as to battle countless mobs and hitting standard attack <<
But I just like to do some local leves and if I get bored, I'll do some regional leves or something else.

From my point of view, yes they should fix the chat while crafting, and they should add missions like behests for crafters.
More content is needed.

FFXIV's crafting system and economy is one of the best among other games. Its one that creates bonds and dependencies between crafters and warriors. It is actually one of the biggest qualities in this game.

[Judge_Xero]

Crafting is a great part of this game. All the DoW and DoM seem to forget where they got their gear from. Without the crafters they would all be wearing Weathered Gear and Skull Eye Patches. All the great folks that are dedicated crafters really enjoy the part they play in this game. I will agree that extra content needs to be added for the crafters, which I'm sure will be coming with the added "Companies".

Imagine if you could only Battle solo, and all you could kill were Star Marmots, over and over...

But aside from that, the pace at which Crafters can level is pretty good. I'm sure SE didn't anticipate that 1/3 or more of players would want to be dedicated crafters. There is no requirement for it really. The amount of gear a high ranked crafter can make is crazy. Also, unless someone NPC's all their stuff whenever they are finished with it, that gear stays in the system, to be repaired and re-sold to lower rankers.

Great system SE, looking foreward to new crafting content, in the near future.

[Naylia]

Also, unless someone NPC's all their stuff whenever they are finished with it, that gear stays in the system, to be repaired and re-sold to lower rankers.

Well, if they'd give us houses or some such with more storage there would be more people hanging on to gear. So far I've kept pretty much all my gear - dedicated 1 retainer to gear - so that when I rank other classes I don't have to go looking for Optimal Rank gear. I know that if I had larger storage I would definitely be a hoarder and keep everything.

[Swev]

When I craft i craft to make money not to just level. I make something and then sell it. then with the money I buy what i need to craft another item then I sell that. Made over a couple mill just doing that and got a good start in GIL to buy gear for myself that i need. People to much in a rush to reach max level so they can sell stuff at 1 mill per item and get rich lol.

The biggest problem in crafting that i can see is trying to find an item you need in market to create it as people are only grinding off one item to level and not selling needed mats for other crafters. Then because of this everyone is leveling every crafting job out there to make up for this lack of materials that they are not getting easily. crafting relays on tomany other crafters to make one item. You will notice this alot as a Armor also needing almost every crafter to make a peice of armor.

[Wynn]

My biggest concern for the future is...since SE wants crafting and gathering classes to be on par with the Battle Classes, when it comes to experience Main Story and stuff...I'm afraid there will be NEVER EVER an expansion like CoP, with an awesome story plus a very challenging series of fights...cause if Crafters have to be able to get them done...how can they be challenging?

The only way I could see it working is if they create completely different scenarios for battle classes vs. crafter/harvesters. They could all intertwine of course, but the classes are involved in different aspects of the story. Like what we have now in the job quests. So that would mean that the story from here on out will have to be told through the specific jobs instead of one big main story line in future expansions. It is either that or leave out one side in favor of the other (battle/non-battle), which will be stinky no matter which side is picked.