As it was stated in the 1st part of the topic, which can be found here, resource gathering includes:
A.Tiers of resources,
B. Resource Diversity,
C. Resource Stats,
D. Resource collecting mechanics.
A. Tiers of resources.
Player evolves his/hers character over time, gaining access to some new areas with new types of enemy monsters. Thus player has to be in dire need for better equipment, which can be crafted in DA: I. So basically there has to be same number of resource tiers as there are stages of character development in the game.
For now those stages are tied to main story questline (battling Corifeus ones). It's 1-8, 8-12, 12-16, 16-21, 21+ lvls. Tho we have only 4 tiers of resources with 4th being very limited in access (drops from 10 monsters in all game only), which is definitely wrong. Starting from lvl 16 we aren't supposed to have any new materials to craft with, but we're sort of already addicted to it.
Here game adds insult to injury.
Most tier 3 resources apart from Cloth and some Leathers are available at lvl 10 or so. That's how tier 1 and 2 resources are a waste for the most part of the game, you see? Those become instantly useless (well maybe some maniac can collect stuffs to turn in for Inquisition Power, that isn't crafting anyways).
I'd say there are quite a few options to turn things right in this part:
- Make more than 4 tiers of resources, rebalancing them into, let's say, 6. That will also help in Resource Diversity later.
- Reseed resource pods so that there is just 1-2 metal (main crafting resource) types for the location, eliminating the possibility to find low-tier metals in high-level locations (like Serpentstone @ Hissing Wastes)
- Rethink level design so that access to high-level resources in some of the locations is blocked (like Emprise du Lion) by agressive monsters.
- Rebalance main attribute contribution in crafting, so that collecting higher tier materials makes sense. Difference between every next tier (in case there are 6) must be like 20-25%, other way it doesn't really motivate players to go and waste there time on landscape resource gathering.
- Rebalance dragon-looted resources to be really best among all. Make those be 30% better than tier 5 something as an example.
Afterall dragons are rare and not respawning, right?
- Rebalance dragons so that they aren't easily killed on lvls 12-18. May the easiest one be like lvl 18, and so on.
B. Resource diversity
As players learn the basics of game mechanics with time passed, most of us gamers want to tune their gear to suit our needs. And this requires highly-diversed crafting materials' effects.
However in the actual game options are very limited by:
- Fixed number of effects we can apply to the gear. That is a problem with used variety of effects tho. Most effects give the weaker version of some ability that can be purchased with lvl-ups, but there's only 1 unique effect (bleeding) that doesn't have the ability version.
Why don't invent something new or something that logically completes the present ones?
Like, you know, frontal attack bonus. Rogues can backstab and it's fine, but how'bout a little frontal attack bonus for warriors? That won't negate the rogue part because of insane dagger abilities DPS, but it will boost a little the shield+sword warrior role. For now it's only a tank/buffer, but it can be so versatile with block+counterattack mechanics!
Armour bonus? Damage bonus (attack doesn't count)? Some materials must be better for weaponsmithing, some - for crafting armour. Make it happen!
Some effects provided my materials can be considered OP. Fine.
Then let those be present in low-tier materials only, so that there wouldn't be any OP gear crafted on outcome, and there still would be something to choose from.
- Effects being too common for the materials of the same tier. Like 2-3 materials in a tier that provide same effects? That's lazy developing.
Can be solved with both inventing more effects and making more tiers (with the same number of resources used).
C. Resource stats.
Weird thing comes when you craft a bow handler with 8 parts of metal and 4 of leather, while the same amount of mats goes for low-level ARMOUR. Or you craft a POMMEL (!) with a resource count previously used for a WHOLE SWORD (!).
That's why I find it weird to use only the quantity thing in calculating stats. Maybe there's a point in a certain modifiers for stats in crafting weapons and add-ons? Like make weapon and armour mods cost less, like 2 times, and give those a stat modifier (x1.5 for common recipies, x2 for reinforced ones, x3 for masterwork)?
Like, iron goes +1 str in commong items crafting per piece. Initial reinforced pommel main slot cost is 6 metal.
Reduce the price to 3 metal, but give that slot x2 bonus = same +6 str, but the quantity of resources spent makes sense.
Same rebalancing should be made to quest-related crafting. Like quartermaster tasks.
5 iron and 1 wood to craft weapons for ALL INQUISITION SCOUTS? You gotta be kidding me. Too little.
10 Silverite and 20 Dawnstone for A FEW LAMPS? You can't be serious. Too much.
Some of the resources that must have been gathered for Skyhold improvements don't make any sense. Like 20-30 pieces of herbs. Could you tell us what those were used for? Neither can I.
D. Resource collecting mechanics.
This is most funny part of all the crafting ingame. For now resources can be gathered in 2 ways:
- Personal collecting (you go yourself in the location and... hehe... screwdrive ores).
- Wartable tasks (you order one of your advisors to go and collect something).
First of all here - wartable tasks get you lauphable amount of resources. 6 ores/herbs/mix tops. 6. That's 1-3 resource deposits if you decide to collect them MANUALLY.
So situation goes like this: wartable tasks were designed to save your time on gathering resources while you do quests. But you get hell of a more and FASTER by going and farming resources yourself.
Isn't it hilarious?
I'd say it can be fixed with 2 ... fixes:
1. Rebalance the amount of resources we get from wartable tasks to like 12-20 basics;
2. Allow players to set the longevity of the resource expedition (15/30/60m), each step increasing the amount of the resources found and the chance to get exceptionally good items touched by Fade.
Second here is the whole screwdriving thing. I'm not joking.
Grand Inquisitor mines ores like this:
I've spilled my tea lauphing when I saw that the first time. Yeah. That's definitely HOW YOU MINE ORES.
I'd say it's better to remove those animations at all ... or improve them.
How'bout to:
- Remove the Inquisition Power for Plant Gathering (as there would be no need for it);
- Add craftable Explorer Tools that can be improved as any other crafted items? So player decides what he wants in crafting (faster mining, more plants, or better critical chance in crafting) and makes&evolves his/her tools accordingly;
- Add animations to work with Crafting tools (mining, taking plants, using crafting tables) which will actually show player that his/her efforts were meaningful.
But it takes more into the Crafting Recipe part. I'll show what I think about it after I get back home (in 6 hours or so).
Just saying - I think I have some really good ideas for those.
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