Recent MMORPGs have taken a really simplified (some may even call it lazy) approach to their crafting systems that often include little more than a click-it-and-forget-it method of creation, allowing players to mass produce items with ease and little effort while maxing out their skills rather quickly. Unfortunately, this also makes the profession of crafting rather generic and something that everyone can do with relative ease. This is something Mark Jacobs hopes to avoid in Camelot Unchained.

In his seventh Founding Principle post, Jacobs detailed some of the plans for Camelot Unchained’s crafting system to make it both fun and useful, and even provide a little notoriety for skilled crafters on a server. The crafting system will be on par with the RvR leveling system, making players that choose to dedicate their time to the profession important and needed given that weapons and equipment will decay and break over time.

While magical items will not be commonly found in Camelot Unchained, Jacobs explained that the crafters will still be making some attractive items both visually and statistically. Crafting will involve a little experimentation to create a wide variety of items. But despite that, Jacobs wants more choices for players rather than a new kind of gear grind.

“Players will create items through a combination of experimentation and learned patterns based on the use and creation of various alloys, ingredients and parts and then shaping them into the item that the crafter wishes to make. The imbuing of the item with a limited set of magical properties will be another step in what will be overall a time-consuming process for the crafter. As per above, CU will not be a game where powerful magical items are commonly found but that does not mean that the crafters will be creating boring or useless items. As per above, crafters can create items that will be in demand but like so many other parts of this game, this system is based on more horizontal progression rather than a steep vertical progression. I want the players to have choices when it comes to their gear but also not get into the gear-grinding pattern found in other games, especially the whole “if it isn’t purple, it sucks” mindset. While there will be very powerful player-created magical items in the game, they will not be incredibly common and to obtain one, players will have to go to an artisan crafter, Jacobs wrote.”

Camelot Unchained will not be making use of a traditional auction house feature like those found in MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft but rather the social selling that went on in earlier games like EverQuest and Dark Age of Camelot. Jacobs does plan to modernize the social aspect of this kind of selling, so shouting WTS or WTT X item in the zone constantly will likely not be the only way to go.

Read Jacobs’ full crafting blog for all more on the tradeskill planning for Camelot Unchained.

Looking for more? Be sure to check out our Q&A with Mark Jacobs for a deeper look into what he has planned for Camelot Unchained.

Source: Foundational Principle #7 – Crafting should be fun, useful and not induce Carpal Tunnel Syndrome