Crafting/Loot Extension

[Zoetic]

Here's a proposal extension to the existing crafting and loot system. The idea is to use existing random loot as crafting components for making new items that could theoretically show up in the random loot tables.

In the crafting station in the market place, 5 components fit in at once. There is a "floating" "shard" component and four "loot" components. The "loot" components are: two "prefix" components, followed by two "suffix" components. While the order of these four is important, they can be broken up by the "shard" component.

The "shard" component uses Khyber Dragonshard Fragments. The quantity is equal to the minimum level of the item being created, squared. This "shard" component is considered a "floating" component because whatever component follows it will be used as the basis for material type and base bonus, for weapons/armor. For example, if the next component is mithril +2, then the output item will be mithril +2.

The "prefix" components must contain the same prefix power (such as +3 wisdom) and the "suffix" components must contain the same suffix power (such as +5 haggle). Each of the "prefix" and "suffix" components must have the same minimum level, and must be the same type of item (i.e. bracers, rapier, etc.).

So, what comes out is an item with the prefix of the "prefix" components, the material and base bonus of the component that followed the "shard" component, and the suffix of the "suffix" components.

** Note: I recommend that this doesn't work with named loot, only pure random loot. **

Let's see an example:

Inputs:
slot 1: +2 wounding dagger of righteousness (lvl 12)
slot 2: adamantine +3 wounding dagger (lvl 12)
slot 3: +3 icy burst dagger of puncturing (lvl 12)
slot 4: 256 Khyber Dragonshard Fragments
slot 5: alchemical silver +4 dagger of puncturing (lvl 12)

Outputs:
alchemical silver +4 wounding dagger of puncturing (lvl 16)


I would say that items beyond cap (currently 16) should fail to create without consuming the loot components. It may make sense to not allow loot components that are bound, or even those with racial restrictions that change the level maximums.

As an alternative to make things more expensive, the type of dragonshard could be changed, or vendors could sell something that fills that slot which costs a fair amount of gp.

[Zoetic]

After further thinking, I don't like the +4 coming from one component in my example, and I don't like the level 12 components creating a level 16 item. The level 12 components should create a level 12 item. By having the "shard" only determine the material type, rather than the enchantment bonus, this can be achieved. My example above would result in a failed creation though, as the minimum level for a +1 alchemical silver wounding dagger of puncturing would be 14. So, here's a new example:

Inputs:
slot 1: 64 Khyber Dragonshard Fragments
slot 2: +3 adamantine flaming burst dagger of maiming (level 10)
slot 3: +1 flaming burst dagger of vertigo (level 10)
slot 4: +2 shock dagger of superior fire lore (level 10)
slot 5: +3 dagger of superior fire lore (level 10)

Output:
+1 adamantine flaming burst dagger of superior fire lore (level 10)

[Garth_of_Sarlona]

Nice idea, but probably too powerful to work well with current game balance - also anything Turbine add will probably have to be 'grind' based - a la Shroud or SoS.

I think what's likely to come from Turbine is some sort of item deconstruction to raw components followed by some kind of item construction based on lots and lots of these raw components and possibly looted rare components (think more shards, but different types, or throw in Soul Gems for good measure). Add a pinch of chance like SoS for that extra 'Turbine Factor'. Note when I say Item Deconstruction I mean random loot deconstruction (a bit like the power cell charging in the Shroud) - I don't expect GS deconstruction to ever happen.

It will encourage the grinding and encourage people to continue to play - while also showing a light at the end of the tunnel that made grinding the Shroud so compelling for players.

Garth

[baylensman]

How about allowing a "rearrangement" of factors:

Insert + 6 dex striding + 15% ring
+5 dex boots + 5 balance
shard

out put +5 dex ring + 5 balance
+6 dex boots + 15% striding

upshot i get my +6 dex and boots with striding and i get to sell +5 dex ring with balance

or allow the same with weapons allow the swap of either prefixs (holy, flaming ect) and suffixs (enfebbling, bane, ect) limit is two weapons in two weapons out no change in stat just rearrangment and loss of component (shards, crystal whatever)

so +3 holy burst war axe of enfebbling combined with +3 frost kurkri of shattermantle could become
+3 holy burts kurkri of shattermantle and +3 frost war axe of enfebbling
basic formula is prefix+ (weapon+enhancement) + suffix
weapons stays the same i.e silver axe is a silver axe just change the plus at either end.