Fun for Non-Combat Classes - What do you want?

[CreedFallenwing]

love the ideas here. maybe make a mini game using the DoH or DoL? like a DoL triathlon. get a group of three people trying to deplete a respective resource one after the other and try to have the fastest time of the day week or month. and get a bonus for sp or something for doing well

[AlBhedMoog]

1. \ 0 / Leve Link Parties for Crafters \ 0 /
(like they do it with battlecraft leves; SP gains based on rank of synthesis)

2. beeing able to buy (mostly important, like Manuals,) stuff that Grand Companies offer, for Guild Marks from battlecraft leves, in respective DoM & DoW Guilds.

3. May be, some leves for repairing airships, restoration of cities / towns parts, building new roads (and generally big objects), ...

[Alaltus]

There's also a lot of ways for battle classes and DoH/L to coexist within the same content. Take for example the caravan defense events. They could have it so that not only are there mobs to fight along the caravan's path, but also that the caravan takes damage, but can be repaired by DoH classes.

And for hamlet defense; DoL can take on gathering duties to bolster the hamlet's defenses and supplies.

It could possibly have phases where first of all the hamlets call for the DoL to gather ingredients. Then when the quota is met DoH gain access to putting those ingredients to use to fix the hamlet's defenses and supplies. For example Fishers and Botanists go out and gather food related supplies which unlocks the option to help resupply the troops by cooking some foodstuffs. The sythesis would be accessed through the requested recipes option to make sure no one tries to pocket the ingredients and run.

[Sephrick]

It could possibly have phases where first of all the hamlets call for the DoL to gather ingredients. Then when the quota is met DoH gain access to putting those ingredients to use to fix the hamlet's defenses and supplies. For example Fishers and Botanists go out and gather food related supplies which unlocks the option to help resupply the troops by cooking some foodstuffs. The sythesis would be accessed through the requested recipes option to make sure no one tries to pocket the ingredients and run.

All great additions. It'd still require DoL/H to be knowledgeable about their class.

I just got done with another session getting weaver from 24 to 10k from 26 and wanted to never play the game again by the end. It's becoming one of the most mind numbing experiences I've witnessed.

But after that, I decided to hammer out some guild tasks till the leve reset and wouldn't you know it? I actually had fun! The item I needed to make the current requested item was, I felt, too costly at the MWs so I grabbed my trusty hatchet and gathered some myself. Made the item and even put up a few spare ingredients at a more reasonable price.

This is the experience DoH and DoL should have from 1 ti 50, at the bare minimum. I guess I'm just trying to tone down my expectations a little. I hope they at least plan to give us Ranks 20-50 for guild tasks if nothing else. And make it a little more random than the same five items on repeat.

In the end, it's still the same experience, just crafting. But it's crafting with a purpose. The purpose is what makes it more fun than spaming the same recipe till you're in range for the next one.

Hopefully the current guild tasks were meant to serve as a proof of concept.

The "supply and replenishment" note under the Company System in the Letter from the Producer makes me hopeful that they have something in mind. Hopefully we hear something official soon.

[Ramsey]

Another to add to the list, a variation, or rather an addition to the idea of player-to-player leves.

• [SIZE="6"]Trade Contracts[/SIZE]
  
  Player-to-player levequests are all well and good, and would be a fantastic way of adding more content for players, and allowing players to requisition other players to obtain materials for them.
  
  With that said, often times, crafters are looking for massive quantities of materials. The diligent crafter is always looking ahead, at what they will need next. But even the most diligent crafter would have hard time posting requisition after requisition for smaller amounts of ingredients.
  
  That's where player contracts come in.
  
  By forming a contract, two players could establish a constant channel through which to move goods at a set price. Armorer looking to purchase huge quantities of iron ore? Form a contract with a miner, hand off some gil to your retainer and place a spending limit, or an item limit.
  
  The players would agree upon:
  • Duration of contract
  • Buying price per unit
  • Spending/Item limit
  • Seller collateral
  
  The collateral would be optional, as a guarantee that the seller won't back out once the contract is writ up.
  
  The seller could deliver the contract items to the buyer's retainer, even when they are offline.
  
  The system would be a great way for gatherers to have guaranteed sales before they head out into the field. It would also increase player interaction, and form the kind of trade union style bonds I believe SE was looking to establish.
  
  Leveling up your retainer (if they ever add it) could unlock more simultaneous contract slots, but it shouldn't be incredibly limited to start.
  
  Gatherers can sell harder to sell and NQ items, with ease and convenience, and crafters can get massive quantities of items, at lower prices or in steadier supply.
  
  Gatherers who wish to do so, can still sell items on the ward, such as HQ materials. As there will still be plenty of less patient crafters that plan ahead or bother with contracts.
  

Sorry that this post got a bit long-winded and rambling!

[Urthdigger]

So, here's an idea. Change the entire way we do crafting (and possibly mining/logging/fishing, though they need it less) so that it's similar to combat: You have certain variables you need to keep track of, and use appropriate abilities to alter them as needed. They could either do it in a way that's similar for all classes (Need to think up what kind of variables would effect all crafts equally though...), or have different crafts have slightly different mini-games (Probably harder to implement).

An example using blacksmith/armorer/goldsmith is that you'd have a Heat statistic that must be kept just right: The higher the heat, the easier it is to make progress on the sword, but too hot and you'll melt your product. If you let it get too cold you can't work on it, but you CAN heat it back up again: It gets harder to work each time you fail in that regard however, and will eventually fail the synth.

The heat mechanic I could also see working for alchemy and cooking, although they'd more likely have it inverted, using stirring and other methods to avoid burning whatever they make. Leatherworker, Carpenter, and Weaver are a bit harder to think of a rationale for, as they all use relatively harmless materials that one can (and should) take their time with. Of course, what I posted is merely an example, I am not asking that they use that exact route.

In either case, basically what I'm asking for is to make DoH/DoL less of a pass/fail, and more something where your stats have gradual, but noticeable changes, and where failing should not be primarily due to bad luck, but more to do with failing to pay attention to what you're doing... or just plain being unskilled at the discipline, either in-game or as a player.