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.

[Wynn]

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

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

[Hachiko]

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

Well actually it's 70% luck, and uh, 10% know how and 20% mats...

[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.

[Airget]

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.

You obtain HQ mats by properly gearing your Gathering class to obtain said mats.
Attribute effects for Disciples of the Land:

STR: During the logging approach phase, it will be easier to determine the proper angle for each item.
VIT: During the mining approach phase, it will be easier to determine the proper force needed for each item.
DEX: During the fishing approach phase, it will be easier to determine the proper rod movement for each item.
INT: Number of items acquired by botanists will be increased.
MND: Number of items acquired by miners will be increased.
PIE: Number of items acquired by fishers will be increased.
Gathering: Lessens depletion of the Remainder gauge when using a main hand tool, and increases the chance of gathering. items when using an off hand tool.
Output: Increases the number of gathers or hooked fish.
Perception: Makes it easier to obtain high quality items.

This was brought up by one of the community reps a while back but basically if you want HQ mats then pump up your perception.

When it comes to "fun" honestly do you consider the strat you use when you prepare to level up crafting. When you decide to level up crafting you don't think to yourself, ok let me start makinga bunch of equipment and spam it. For the most part it's ok what "parts" material can I get good skillup on for the best amount of gil. You see what's available, stock up and begin to spam. That's just how it is if you want to level fast, if you want it to be more fun then level up on gear instead and try to HQ as much as possible lol but you'll soon stop that since you'll see that just spamming a recipe is the fastest route to reach the lv cap to produce gear for high level people.

When you start making gear that's whenyou can see how the system works basically trying to get as much quality as possible but at the same time keeping durability up so you can continue to touch up without breaking it. Crafting classes are a class of patience, you have to be willing to take the time to level it and through that you have to determine the quickest route to that and that route is to mass produce one recipe that's the easiest to do.

And even for those that just spam enter there are other ways to speed it up. For me I have Carpenter at 36/37 so I grabbed Perfection which helps me quite a bit when leveling up. Even though people say they just spam enter for me I try to find the synth that gives me about 500-600 xp and just spam it til I run out of materials. During that time though I"m not just hitting enter I keep an eye for when Perfection comes up as well as Preserve, and at times I even use the wait command if I find it being to risky to win at the end and hope for a Perfection to pop up and activate without fail.

For those who find it boring perhaps they are taking the easy route of spamming enter while working on recipes that give them 200-300 xp a synth, so they are doing the recipe with the least amount of risk but at the same time they suffer at an increased time to actually level up. I've taken 4 crafts up to 20 in the last few days and I honestly find the pace find since one should not be able to lv crafting as fast as a melee class. If crafting was to easy then everyone would have it leveled but it's "downfall" if people want to call it that is to prevent everyone from leveling it, it's made to be a class for those who want to make money and gear and for those that want to do that they have the patience to deal with the "tedious" nature of spamming the same recipe to level up.