Why is it that there has not been a game since pre-CU SWG that gives the player the ability to craft unique and custom items? For those of you that don't know what I mean, here is an example; In SWG, all the resources had variable stats such as Conductivity, Potential Energy and overall quality and each category could range from 1-1000. Resource quality and locations would change regularly so you had to explore and sample to find the best resources, sometimes it meant traveling to multiple planets and searching barren areas. So, for those who wanted to be known as the absolute best crafters, they had to really work for it, but for those that did they could demand top dollar for their goods. That handles the quality aspect, so what about the CUSTOM aspect? In SWG, say as an Armorsmith, your armor was layered. Each layer was crafted and then the layers were assembled along with the other components to make the final piece of armor. Here is the cool part, there were several types of layers, heat resist, stun resist, etc. So, you might have a customer special order some armor with kinetic and stun resist. Now, say you took that 998 overall quality/ 991 decay resist resource that you saved for special orders and made primo layers you could make some truly spectacular custom armor. Oh, I almost forgot, the customer wanted black chest and leg pieces but purple biceps, forearms, gloves, and helm to finish it off. See, crafters that would do all that made a name for themselves, they didn't just make 10 of the same chest piece that all the other armorsmiths' on the server could make. You all know what I mean, in every game since SWG I have mastered a crafting profession and it always becomes a game of undercutting the two other guys on the auction hall with the same damn swords that I made. So, again my question is, "why are devs afraid to put this kind of complex crafting into new MMOs?"
Is it too hard to code?
Is it a control thing?, meaning that they wouldn't be taking enough currency out of the economy?
What?
I think its bc they want to attract the average MMO player that plays play 2-4 hours per day max. ie. working ppl, students , ect who dont have that much time at hand to dive a into complex crafting system and just want a chill gameplay ... but well im only guessing here
Because complex crafting actually requires work, and most companies that produce MMOs don't wish to spend the money/time on the necessary development.
I have yet to find a crafting system that can even come close to comparing with SWG. In fact, for a long time, crafting was the only reason I would log in to SWG - I loved the complexity of it. If there was a game out there that had a crafting system even half as complex as the crafting system in SWG, my inner number-cruncher would be deliriously happy.
"You are obviously confusing a mature rating with actual maturity." -Asherman
Maybe MMO is not your genre, go play Modern Warfare...or something you can be all twitchy...and rank up all night. This is seriously getting tired. -Ranyr
Why is it that there has not been a game since pre-CU SWG that gives the player the ability to craft unique and custom items? For those of you that don't know what I mean, here is an example; In SWG, all the resources had variable stats such as Conductivity, Potential Energy and overall quality and each category could range from 1-1000. Resource quality and locations would change regularly so you had to explore and sample to find the best resources, sometimes it meant traveling to multiple planets and searching barren areas. So, for those who wanted to be known as the absolute best crafters, they had to really work for it, but for those that did they could demand top dollar for their goods. That handles the quality aspect, so what about the CUSTOM aspect? In SWG, say as an Armorsmith, your armor was layered. Each layer was crafted and then the layers were assembled along with the other components to make the final piece of armor. Here is the cool part, there were several types of layers, heat resist, stun resist, etc. So, you might have a customer special order some armor with kinetic and stun resist. Now, say you took that 998 overall quality/ 991 decay resist resource that you saved for special orders and made primo layers you could make some truly spectacular custom armor. Oh, I almost forgot, the customer wanted black chest and leg pieces but purple biceps, forearms, gloves, and helm to finish it off. See, crafters that would do all that made a name for themselves, they didn't just make 10 of the same chest piece that all the other armorsmiths' on the server could make. You all know what I mean, in every game since SWG I have mastered a crafting profession and it always becomes a game of undercutting the two other guys on the auction hall with the same damn swords that I made. So, again my question is, "why are devs afraid to put this kind of complex crafting into new MMOs?"
Is it too hard to code?
Is it a control thing?, meaning that they wouldn't be taking enough currency out of the economy?
What?
Ryzom is very much like swg as far as crafting goes, also very sandboxy as far as everything else.
Most devs are just lazy, crafting is considered a second priority.
Mortal online is trying to make crafting good however, we need one game that sells ok to force the other devs to include better crafting in their game.
I would really want to have a system similar to character selection where you can make the look and properties of the item.
Everyone likes quests, everyone likes level advancement or skill advancement, everyone likes great graphics and everyone likes their character to look good.
Only some people like crafting, role playing, stories, RvR and complex quests.
So new games have a streamlined build, initial development costs are less, the games appeal to the masses, that’s all it takes to make a profit. This is like the emperor deciding we need more bread and circuses rather than theatre and art. MMO companies are giving dumbing down a big thumbs up.
Q: "Why are developers opposed to complex crafting?"
A: "For the same reason the morbidly obese are opposed to exercise!"
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience"
I'd just like to see some genuine player shops. Where individual players are the only people who would know how to make a certain item and they would have to compete for business with people who make similar items. I don't know how but like, if a character was able to actually create a unique item themself, that only they would know how to make. Just an idea...
That was how Asheron's Call 2 was.
No NPC's anywhere to sell you weapons, armor and other goods.
The players were supposed to craft everything.
Asheron's Call 2 closed it's servers some years ago.
Frankly, for me the reason why crafting is never good is simply because devs are incompetents. There i said it.
It's not that hard to make a good crafting system that blends well with a loot system: Just don't oppose each other. So for example, make all the jewelry lootable while all the armor/weapons is crafted. Then you start having the gear farmers needing the crafters and the other way around.
So let's help our "head up the ass" devs get a clue here. READ ABOVE! It's not that hard... You know you can do it. Yeah, even "you".
Creativity : The ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods or interpretations; using originality, progressiveness, or imagination.
Frankly, for me the reason why crafting is never good is simply because devs are incompetents. There i said it. It's not that hard to make a good crafting system that blends well with a loot system: Just don't oppose each other. So for example, make all the jewelry lootable while all the armor/weapons is crafted. Then you start having the gear farmers needing the crafters and the other way around. So let's help our "head up the ass" devs get a clue here. READ ABOVE! It's not that hard... You know you can do it. Yeah, even "you".
But Seen you can have good loot jewelry/armor/weapons and good crafted jewelry/armor/weapons, etc. Mix the stats/looks up with a decay system and both loot and craft can and will be options for all and drive those to loot and craft for a thriving economy and adventure. SRSly preCU SWG had excellent loot and excellent craft and the sys was this way.
EDIT-Well as I remember with weapons it was, preCU I can't remember if bada$$ armor was looted but clothes were or jewelry crafted but I think looted..but weapons...you could loot some awesome weapons and some awesome weapons could be crafted...why not for all?
Thanks for the replies, I wonder if anyone has heard any rumors about games in developement to will have custom item crafting? I haven't heard of any but hopefully someone has.
Well to answer the OP.. Its because :-
A - Devs are lazy sometimes or rush
B - Devs think were all thick as pig shit and wouldnt get it
C - Devs are catering for the insta gratification, teenage ADHD crowd (related to
It's totally pathetic and I hate it... Im 39 years old and hold a technical job... I want depth and complexity in my MMO, especially around the crafing area.. It should take real life work and thought to learn the ropes and get good in your chosen field..
I think devs that create the " get ingredients and press craft " ways of crafting and have the cheek to call it a crafting system, let alone " a unigue and comlpex" crafting system should be fired or shot.. Or both in any order...
Now to answer your quoted question.. Two games are coming along that you should have a carefull look at.
1. Mortal Online - features " procedural" crafting much like SWG... Take weapons as an example.. In Mortal because everything is made from component parts there are 140,000,000 (140 Mill) combinations.. And thats JUST for weapons.. Theres Armour and all the other stuff thats craftable on top of that....
2.Earthrise - Futuristic MMO with a similar take on complex crafting and harvesting...
I recommend you go have a look at both if your as into crafting and gathering as I am...
While I don't think the crafting is "custom", Fallen Earth will have 95% of items be craftable. So crafted goods will be, theoretically, better than drops, and contribute to the in-game economy. My guess for why devs don't follow pre-cu swg, is it is too hard to balance classes that way. Everyone always gripes about class imbalance as it is. Imagine if everyone had custom made items that made them uber? Let the crying commence.
Dont mention Fallen Earth and crafting in the same sentence please.. Its as complex as gathering your ingredients and pressing make.. Anywhere in the world.. You just wait a certain time while it makes itself as you go about your business then DING... Its in your bags !
Bullshit crafting system... Ive tried it 1st hand and thats all im gonna say !
---------- "Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
Ryzom has good crafting. I've just created a new account to try it for free to check out the state of the game currently. The newbie area is empty. Literally! Well, I was there briefly. But no one is playing Ryzom. So the above poster might be right. Ryzom is also a sandbox, as players keep asking for. If players want crafting and sandbox why is Ryzom empty?
I don't think it has anything to do with developers being stupid or lazy, or players being too stupid and lazy.
Crafting just isn't most people's idea of a good time. They are there to kill dragons and orcs and go on an adventure, blacksmithing just isn't very interesting to them, maybe as a side activity when they are bored but that is it.
Personally I love rediculess amounts of customization for characters, clothing, weapons, houses, voice, animations you name it. The reason you don't see it is due to a general lack of interest, most people either don't care or not nearly as much as I do about customization, so it doesn't get made.
Don't you worry little buddy. You're dealing with a man of honor. However, honor requires a higher percentage of profit
Complex isn't neccessarily good or difficult or rewarding.
Complex can simply be complex, and often too complex.
Humanity as a whole has survived and prospered because we have found easier, less complex ways to do things.
Anyways...
The majority of MMO players like things like PvP combat and killing mobs/npcs in various ways.
Really intensive crafting mechanics in a game mean that you have to focus less of your time on the PvP/PvE stuff and more time on the crafting side.
Some enjoy that, most don't.
Most want crafting to be something they can do while they are doing PvP/PvE and they want it to be something that aids them in PvP/PvE.
Do I agree with it? Not really. I think SWG was a little too over the top. What happens when you have a system that rewards only the most dedicated and advanced crafters is that those crafters then dictate price and thus the economy and are 99% of the time greedy bastards who know people will pay ridiculous amounts of money for finely crafted gear.
So their finely crafted gear at ridiculous prices throws off balance in PvE and PvP even more so then usual.
It creates a have/have not system where only a few of the uber crafters and those able to afford their services benefit while the vast majority of the player base is at a disadvantage.
I know, I was there in SWG.
On the other end of the spectrum, you make crafting too easy and too simple and everyone will become a crafter in addition to what they are doing regularly (PvE/PvP) so it becomes the "norm" so everyone HAS to do crafting otherwise they are at a disadvantage.
What's a better way? Well, my ideal crafting system would take too long to type up in this post...
And LOL @ all the people saying the "Devs" are lazy. What a moronic statement.
---------- "Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
it is bad enough farming the mats all the time wasting our lives away like zombies please don't ask for more of a timesink as with what you want it makes the time spent in game only worse ...
because WoW has shown the developers that if you dumb down a game to the lowest common denominator that you make millions, especially when complex games don't even come close to the sub numbers WOW has.
so why would a company who is investing millions of dollars in a game make anything in it complex especially when your biggest market is the casual gamer who will whine, moan and cancel at the first sign of difficulty.
EQ2s crafting was crazy complex, designed with interdependancey in mind, know what happened .. the casual gamer played it and cried "but but why do i need to rely on other to make my goods i should be able to do everything myself" "its too long to make an item and too many components"
thus it was changed to some whack a mole clickfest.
you can thank WoW and the casual gamer for killing ANYTHING complex in any game.
because WoW has shown the developers that if you dumb down a game to the lowest common denominator that you make millions, especially when complex games don't even come close to the sub numbers WOW has.
so why would a company who is investing millions of dollars in a game make anything in it complex especially when your biggest market is the casual gamer who will whine, moan and cancel at the first sign of difficulty. EQ2s crafting was crazy complex, designed with interdependancey in mind, know what happened .. the casual gamer played it and cried "but but why do i need to rely on other to make my goods i should be able to do everything myself" "its too long to make an item and too many components" thus it was changed to some whack a mole clickfest.
you can thank WoW and the casual gamer for killing ANYTHING complex in any game.
It's amazing, it's like you people read a manual on how to say the exact same things as each other and sound exactly like one another.
Most likely,... economie in game don't work. So to make then work, the dev's have to add monstruosities like "bind on equip" that are artifacts that remove the fun from the game. Wen you are forced to add these, you have a problem.
Making a simple system, and making everyone a small crafter seems to almost make the problem reduced.
because WoW has shown the developers that if you dumb down a game to the lowest common denominator that you make millions, especially when complex games don't even come close to the sub numbers WOW has.
so why would a company who is investing millions of dollars in a game make anything in it complex especially when your biggest market is the casual gamer who will whine, moan and cancel at the first sign of difficulty. EQ2s crafting was crazy complex, designed with interdependancey in mind, know what happened .. the casual gamer played it and cried "but but why do i need to rely on other to make my goods i should be able to do everything myself" "its too long to make an item and too many components" thus it was changed to some whack a mole clickfest.
you can thank WoW and the casual gamer for killing ANYTHING complex in any game.
It's amazing, it's like you people read a manual on how to say the exact same things as each other and sound exactly like one another.
Next they will be blaming WoW for giving us the swine flu. WoW simply decided that without introducing item customization a complex crafting system did not make sense for the game.
The problem a lot of the 'complex' crafting systems have is that they are 'complex for complexity's sake'. If you have to jump through a hundred hoops to get a final product, that product should be really amazing. That pretty much means heavy-duty customization options. If I need pages of spreadsheets to produce basic items the system is needlessly complex.
It's amazing that no MMO has yet had an in-game economy that was strictly enforced.
In the virtual world the consequences for a bad economy are severe, and nothing is really enforced.
Player and especially crafter greed leads to price inflation which leads to gold selling which leads to further inflation on the part of the developers and bigger and more frequest money sinks which leads back to greedy crafters and price inflation and currency devaluation...
Set all goods that can be traded between players or sold to/from vendors at an absolute value based on whatever item it is (quality, rarity, difficulty to obtain, etc. etc.)
Market conditions of supply and demand can allow for some price deviation up or down but only to a certain extend without the extremes.
No price inflation, no currency devaluation and thus economic bloat, no need for gold sellers/buyers and no need for ridiculous money sinks.
You have to "fix" in game economies, both definitions of fix, before you can have a really robust and complex crafting and economic system in game.
Comments
I think its bc they want to attract the average MMO player that plays play 2-4 hours per day max. ie. working ppl, students , ect who dont have that much time at hand to dive a into complex crafting system and just want a chill gameplay ... but well im only guessing here
Complex crafting fits into thinking, and thats a big no no in todays market.
Devs are opposed to outside the box thinking.
Why are devs opposed to complex crafting?
Because complex crafting actually requires work, and most companies that produce MMOs don't wish to spend the money/time on the necessary development.
I have yet to find a crafting system that can even come close to comparing with SWG. In fact, for a long time, crafting was the only reason I would log in to SWG - I loved the complexity of it. If there was a game out there that had a crafting system even half as complex as the crafting system in SWG, my inner number-cruncher would be deliriously happy.
Firebrand Art
"You are obviously confusing a mature rating with actual maturity." -Asherman
Maybe MMO is not your genre, go play Modern Warfare...or something you can be all twitchy...and rank up all night. This is seriously getting tired. -Ranyr
Ryzom is very much like swg as far as crafting goes, also very sandboxy as far as everything else.
Most devs are just lazy, crafting is considered a second priority.
Mortal online is trying to make crafting good however, we need one game that sells ok to force the other devs to include better crafting in their game.
I would really want to have a system similar to character selection where you can make the look and properties of the item.
Everyone likes quests, everyone likes level advancement or skill advancement, everyone likes great graphics and everyone likes their character to look good.
Only some people like crafting, role playing, stories, RvR and complex quests.
So new games have a streamlined build, initial development costs are less, the games appeal to the masses, that’s all it takes to make a profit. This is like the emperor deciding we need more bread and circuses rather than theatre and art. MMO companies are giving dumbing down a big thumbs up.
Q: "Why are developers opposed to complex crafting?"
A: "For the same reason the morbidly obese are opposed to exercise!"
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience"
CS Lewis
That was how Asheron's Call 2 was.
No NPC's anywhere to sell you weapons, armor and other goods.
The players were supposed to craft everything.
Asheron's Call 2 closed it's servers some years ago.
Does this answer your question?
Frankly, for me the reason why crafting is never good is simply because devs are incompetents. There i said it.
It's not that hard to make a good crafting system that blends well with a loot system: Just don't oppose each other. So for example, make all the jewelry lootable while all the armor/weapons is crafted. Then you start having the gear farmers needing the crafters and the other way around.
So let's help our "head up the ass" devs get a clue here. READ ABOVE! It's not that hard... You know you can do it. Yeah, even "you".
Creativity : The ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods or interpretations; using originality, progressiveness, or imagination.
But Seen you can have good loot jewelry/armor/weapons and good crafted jewelry/armor/weapons, etc. Mix the stats/looks up with a decay system and both loot and craft can and will be options for all and drive those to loot and craft for a thriving economy and adventure. SRSly preCU SWG had excellent loot and excellent craft and the sys was this way.
EDIT-Well as I remember with weapons it was, preCU I can't remember if bada$$ armor was looted but clothes were or jewelry crafted but I think looted..but weapons...you could loot some awesome weapons and some awesome weapons could be crafted...why not for all?
PIRATE LORDS
Well to answer the OP.. Its because :-
A - Devs are lazy sometimes or rush
B - Devs think were all thick as pig shit and wouldnt get it
C - Devs are catering for the insta gratification, teenage ADHD crowd (related to
It's totally pathetic and I hate it... Im 39 years old and hold a technical job... I want depth and complexity in my MMO, especially around the crafing area.. It should take real life work and thought to learn the ropes and get good in your chosen field..
I think devs that create the " get ingredients and press craft " ways of crafting and have the cheek to call it a crafting system, let alone " a unigue and comlpex" crafting system should be fired or shot.. Or both in any order...
Now to answer your quoted question.. Two games are coming along that you should have a carefull look at.
1. Mortal Online - features " procedural" crafting much like SWG... Take weapons as an example.. In Mortal because everything is made from component parts there are 140,000,000 (140 Mill) combinations.. And thats JUST for weapons.. Theres Armour and all the other stuff thats craftable on top of that....
2.Earthrise - Futuristic MMO with a similar take on complex crafting and harvesting...
I recommend you go have a look at both if your as into crafting and gathering as I am...
Dont mention Fallen Earth and crafting in the same sentence please.. Its as complex as gathering your ingredients and pressing make.. Anywhere in the world.. You just wait a certain time while it makes itself as you go about your business then DING... Its in your bags !
Bullshit crafting system... Ive tried it 1st hand and thats all im gonna say !
FIFY!
----------
"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
Ryzom has good crafting. I've just created a new account to try it for free to check out the state of the game currently. The newbie area is empty. Literally! Well, I was there briefly. But no one is playing Ryzom. So the above poster might be right. Ryzom is also a sandbox, as players keep asking for. If players want crafting and sandbox why is Ryzom empty?
FIFY!
Crafting is just not high in priority. A poll on the Daedalus project shows that it is #7, behind things like quests.
http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/001630.php
I don't think it has anything to do with developers being stupid or lazy, or players being too stupid and lazy.
Crafting just isn't most people's idea of a good time. They are there to kill dragons and orcs and go on an adventure, blacksmithing just isn't very interesting to them, maybe as a side activity when they are bored but that is it.
Personally I love rediculess amounts of customization for characters, clothing, weapons, houses, voice, animations you name it. The reason you don't see it is due to a general lack of interest, most people either don't care or not nearly as much as I do about customization, so it doesn't get made.
Don't you worry little buddy. You're dealing with a man of honor. However, honor requires a higher percentage of profit
Complex isn't neccessarily good or difficult or rewarding.
Complex can simply be complex, and often too complex.
Humanity as a whole has survived and prospered because we have found easier, less complex ways to do things.
Anyways...
The majority of MMO players like things like PvP combat and killing mobs/npcs in various ways.
Really intensive crafting mechanics in a game mean that you have to focus less of your time on the PvP/PvE stuff and more time on the crafting side.
Some enjoy that, most don't.
Most want crafting to be something they can do while they are doing PvP/PvE and they want it to be something that aids them in PvP/PvE.
Do I agree with it? Not really. I think SWG was a little too over the top. What happens when you have a system that rewards only the most dedicated and advanced crafters is that those crafters then dictate price and thus the economy and are 99% of the time greedy bastards who know people will pay ridiculous amounts of money for finely crafted gear.
So their finely crafted gear at ridiculous prices throws off balance in PvE and PvP even more so then usual.
It creates a have/have not system where only a few of the uber crafters and those able to afford their services benefit while the vast majority of the player base is at a disadvantage.
I know, I was there in SWG.
On the other end of the spectrum, you make crafting too easy and too simple and everyone will become a crafter in addition to what they are doing regularly (PvE/PvP) so it becomes the "norm" so everyone HAS to do crafting otherwise they are at a disadvantage.
What's a better way? Well, my ideal crafting system would take too long to type up in this post...
FIFY!
Crafting is just not high in priority. A poll on the Daedalus project shows that it is #7, behind things like quests.
http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/001630.php
That, does not negate what i said, now does it?
And LOL @ all the people saying the "Devs" are lazy. What a moronic statement.
----------
"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
it is bad enough farming the mats all the time wasting our lives away like zombies please don't ask for more of a timesink as with what you want it makes the time spent in game only worse ...
because WoW has shown the developers that if you dumb down a game to the lowest common denominator that you make millions, especially when complex games don't even come close to the sub numbers WOW has.
so why would a company who is investing millions of dollars in a game make anything in it complex especially when your biggest market is the casual gamer who will whine, moan and cancel at the first sign of difficulty.
EQ2s crafting was crazy complex, designed with interdependancey in mind, know what happened .. the casual gamer played it and cried "but but why do i need to rely on other to make my goods i should be able to do everything myself" "its too long to make an item and too many components"
thus it was changed to some whack a mole clickfest.
you can thank WoW and the casual gamer for killing ANYTHING complex in any game.
It's amazing, it's like you people read a manual on how to say the exact same things as each other and sound exactly like one another.
Most likely,... economie in game don't work. So to make then work, the dev's have to add monstruosities like "bind on equip" that are artifacts that remove the fun from the game. Wen you are forced to add these, you have a problem.
Making a simple system, and making everyone a small crafter seems to almost make the problem reduced.
It's amazing, it's like you people read a manual on how to say the exact same things as each other and sound exactly like one another.
Next they will be blaming WoW for giving us the swine flu. WoW simply decided that without introducing item customization a complex crafting system did not make sense for the game.
The problem a lot of the 'complex' crafting systems have is that they are 'complex for complexity's sake'. If you have to jump through a hundred hoops to get a final product, that product should be really amazing. That pretty much means heavy-duty customization options. If I need pages of spreadsheets to produce basic items the system is needlessly complex.
It's amazing that no MMO has yet had an in-game economy that was strictly enforced.
In the virtual world the consequences for a bad economy are severe, and nothing is really enforced.
Player and especially crafter greed leads to price inflation which leads to gold selling which leads to further inflation on the part of the developers and bigger and more frequest money sinks which leads back to greedy crafters and price inflation and currency devaluation...
Set all goods that can be traded between players or sold to/from vendors at an absolute value based on whatever item it is (quality, rarity, difficulty to obtain, etc. etc.)
Market conditions of supply and demand can allow for some price deviation up or down but only to a certain extend without the extremes.
No price inflation, no currency devaluation and thus economic bloat, no need for gold sellers/buyers and no need for ridiculous money sinks.
You have to "fix" in game economies, both definitions of fix, before you can have a really robust and complex crafting and economic system in game.