DDO Professions

[shores11]

I think professions is something that shoulod have been added to DDO a long time ago and definately think it is something that needs to be seriously considered for a future update.

Professions is something that many players enjoy and where some very unique items could be made. It might even open up some nice new shops ideas for the developers to work on in the current game both in Forgotten Realms and Eberron. Those old vendor shops that now just have a general vendor in it could be the brokers/professions AH point of contact. There could also be blacksmith shops and other themed vendor/AH points.

Some professions to consider:
Tailor
Blacksmith
Fisherman
Cook
Miner
Tinkerer
Sage (potion maker)
Others...

All player crafted items would have some unique looks, colors, abilities, etc. They do not have to be super uber items but as a professions level goes up it would unlock more and more items and complexities.

[Memnir]

If these had been added to DDO from the start it would have been awesome.

However I think far too much time has elapsed to wedge Professions into the game in any kind of a coherant manner. And if they were to give it a go these days, I fear it would just be another half-baked then abandoned notion.

[cdbd3rd]

Yup. Best to save them for DDO2.

[Uska]

Those would work better in a game designed for them from the start and just wouldn't fit now and most are are for role play and there isn't much of that in ddo sadly nor in any MMO let's leave them in pnp where they belong.

[AZgreentea]

I already wrote professions into my characters bio's. All but three of them are veteran's in the Cyran army. They are still working in those career fields. Fortunately for my Monk, she is making a better living now than when she was a farmer.

[Missing_Minds]

The only place professions would have in the game would be more XP making, and possibly to create housing items and cosmetics IF they actually ever stick in something worth while.

[shores11]

Yup. Best to save them for DDO2.

There is no DDO2 - lol.

[shores11]

Those would work better in a game designed for them from the start and just wouldn't fit now and most are are for role play and there isn't much of that in ddo sadly nor in any MMO let's leave them in pnp where they belong.

Actually your wrong about that almost every MMO has professions, DDO is one of the very few that do not. As for roleplaying more players incorporate at least a bit of roleplaying in there characters, you would be surprised.

[shores11]

The only place professions would have in the game would be more XP making, and possibly to create housing items and cosmetics IF they actually ever stick in something worth while.

Not the only place but yes certainly one of the uses.

[Zorth]

Yes,

It is never too late to start.

DDO should do this.

Blacksmith would be sought after first, then the others would follow.

This is as taboo as Epic once was, but we got over that.

[Missing_Minds]

Not the only place but yes certainly one of the uses.

The game has gone on way to long for there to be a good solid use for them any more. There are no mounts nor need of mounts in this game.

The store is in place so there will be no earning of tricks to teach pets.

Even weapon and armor crafting, the main stay is already in game. At best it could be such to where we may be able to craft the "look" of armor or weapon we want, and possibly with slots, but even that is so extremely minor when the best loot in the game is Named. Even in lotro, you don't craft weapons from mid game on, you use legendary. (unless you two weapon, then maybe you use a non named in your off hand.)

Fishing? Again, look to lotro. Housing stuff. A cooking profession? we have no farms (not that such couldn't be created) but trust me when I say it is A PAIN IN THE BEHIND to cook in lotro because they made it so **** reality based. But I do fully agree cooking up food would be another source of HP and possibly SP in quests. I doubt they would make more XP pots, but I could see....

Fast orders ala EQII being done for guild renown. That could apply for any profession, at which point all guild talks about leveling become mute as any guild could do it.

So again, no real need in this game at all. I take that back. There is most deff a need for a solid time wasting system that could offer people other than quest killing for fun in the game. Could professions do so? Sure, but they have to have a solid pay back and there just really isn't anything solid in game right now. And given its age, and Turbine's history, we'll never see it. Heck, lotro has needed more than just one hobby since inception and they have never added a second one.

edit: if they could put in "drunk" effects, brewing as a hobby/profession could be a good one. With possible random potion brewing as a side effect. Or mabe be able to brew your own pots at various caster levels. Granted, class dependent but that could be part of the time wasting aspect. The game does have a rating label of alcohol reference, but with how they have it in game it might as well be as strong a brew as American beer/wine in a carboard box. Lotro uses drink a HECK of a lot mroe than this game does. I think it is high time brewing is added to the game. That could offer stuff right away while offering more challenges and fun to the game for various peoples.

[TGOskar]

I need to make a slight distinction.

The tabletop version of the game has the Craft skill and the Profession skill. Both skills encompass essentially the entire concept of professions, but in its own way. A blacksmith doesn't get Profession (blacksmith); instead, it gets Craft (blacksmithing) to actually craft the item. Likewise, a fisherman doesn't get Craft (fishing), but instead gets Profession (fisherman).

Note, also, that the Craft skill does not allow you to craft magic items. That's ONLY possible through item creation feats, which require spellcasting ability. Thus, while just about anyone can craft a weapon (it's not a trained-only skill, as Disable Device, Open Lock, Tumble and Use Magic Device are), and specialists can craft masterwork weapons, only a spellcaster (with some exceptions) can craft magic items.

I mention this for one specific reason: all classes have very limited skill points. Most classes that have 2+Int skill points struggle to get the worthwhile ranks (Balance, Concentration, Intimidate, Tumble, Use Magic Device; the importance of each skill is relevant based on the chosen class[es]); adding Craft and Profession as skills might be overkill. On the other hand, adding professions to craft certain items would only further increase the divide between the game content and the source content. To an extent, there's some degree of crafting: the Trapmaking feat allows you to craft traps and grenades, the rough equivalent of having ranks in the Craft (trapmaking) and Craft (alchemy) skills. Otherwise...where would a cook matter? Creating food for when you're in taverns? A tailor to create two-three item that's no different mechanically from the item you can buy on any store?

However, this is the main reason why you might not want this kind of hobby thing, even though I personally like well-built blacksmith systems within games: do you really want MORE ingredients and collectables in exchange for creating cosmetically-custom items? Unless you get a bag that holds over 200+ collectables and 300+ items, you're asking for something that already stumbles with other similar systems (Greensteel, Cannith Crafting, Challenge items).

It's a great idea for immersion, but the way I've seen DDO, it's not the best game to become immersed (unlike the source material). You'd have to drop the existing systems to add this, which might cause more problems than what they'd probably solve, and wouldn't be as worthwhile regarding what you might get from them. Between the enhancement pass, a much-needed revision to certain classes, the revision to the augment system, the revision to AC and attack bonus...might as well make a new game from scratch. That way, at least, you get a better engine and less cluttered code...

[Uska]

Actually your wrong about that almost every MMO has professions, DDO is one of the very few that do not. As for roleplaying more players incorporate at least a bit of roleplaying in there characters, you would be surprised.

Read more carefully I said there really wasnt roleplaying in mmo's I know many of them have professions but they truthfully add little to nothing. MMO's especially ones like ddo with repeating of quests arent really good grounds for role playing and putting a little blurb in your bio isnt roleplaying. A few groups might do some roleplaying but unless they just do it part time and make sure they dont repeat quests its will always feel fake.

[Mastikator]

Every character has the profession "veteran of the last war". Or did you all forget the cinematic were it's explained why we're in Xen'drik and not in Khorvaire?

It might have worked if it were implemented from the very beginning, but DDO wouldn't be like it's now if that were the case, DDO is not an open world sandbox rpg, it's a themepark rpg.

[CaptainSpacePony]

I'm not interested in professions. My toons are full time adventurers, bankers, or cannith crafters. Another skill set to ignore would not add an interesting dimension of play to me.