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General: Top Crafting Systems
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
Crafting is a make it or break it proposition for many MMO players. A good crafting system can keep a player involved for years. A bad one can chase them out very quickly. In The List this week, MMORPG.com Lead Writer Bill Murphy takes a look at several MMOs that he thinks set the standard for all that's right in crafting. Check it out and then weigh in with your thoughts in the comments below.
What you see here is merely the best of the current crop - examples that companies even thinking about adding crafting should take a look at. While you may not agree with every title on this list, we definitely ask that you toss in your own nominations. That's the point of this weekly List of ours as always. And so, we present to you these seven examples of MMO crafting at its finest.
Read more of Bill Murphy's The List: Top Crafting Systems.
Comments
Good choices.
1)Star Wars Galaxies (Pre-NGE)
I have to agree ... best crafting system I have tried so far.
I haven't played all those games but of those I have, I definitely agree that SWG was the best of the lot with Fallen Earth at number two and PotBS at number three.
Interestingly, all three had an offline element where you could start a project one day and have to wait until the next one to retrieve resources or goods.
Some of the best crafting is on that list and hard not to disagree with it.
Bang on. Can't fault this list.
While I haven't played all the games on there, I think it's a really good list.
Good list, though unfortunately other aspects of some of those games watered down their value to most.
Personally I loved FFXI's, even though it was a bit obscene in many regards, it was one of the most complex & rewarding systems I've personally experienced. Maybe FFXIV's (though its a work in progress). Most would disagree with me.
Expand on the list in the future, maybe categorize it by time frame of the game or difficulties, etc...
Have to agree with Fallen Earth. Only game I've enjoyed crafting in. I'm usually just into fightin.
"Never met a pack of humans that were any different. Look at the idiots that get elected every couple of years. You really consider those guys more mature than us? The only difference between us and them is, when they gank some noobs and take their stuff, the noobs actually die." - Madimorga
Playing: Rift, LotRO
Waiting on: GW2, BP
well number 1 I agree with possibly number 2 also I'm quite surprised AIons isnt there though I enjoyed Aion's crafting and a lot like SWG a good crafter could make a rela name for themselves.
Yes it has a lot of RNG to it but its sytem is still decent certainly better than a few on the list.
SWG number one, (absolute)
vanguard number two (fun and complex minigame)
and eve number three. (mainly for the Blueprint thing complexity)
EVE should be #2 (maybe #1 because of the economy), but good list otherwise.
defently missing: ryzom and istaria
These are terrible choices in this article. The only decent crafting choices on it, are EQ2 and SWG, with SWG being the better one of the two. The all-time best crafting system in an mmo should of been listed is Istaria. Yes, I know it doesn't have the popularity or subscriber numbers like a lot of mmo's today, but the article was about the best crafting system in an mmo, and Istaria has it hands down. It would of been nice if the OP would of done more research before throwing just the most current talked about mmo names on a list.
All true... but one thing needs to be of note... The crafting system of SWG today is THE SAME as it was 7 years ago. Its more geared the way you descibed today then in the past. For instance... back in the day crafters were less dependant on other crafters then they are now.
Got to agree with the number 1 of SWG , I have crafted in many games but none have come close to what there was in SWG pre NGE .Got to be honest I keep on hoping that something as good will come again ..oh well
BestSigEver :P
I mostly agree with the list except that I would have put EVE Online at number 2 and not 4. Having not played Fallen Earth (yet), it might have earned that spot. Having PotBS, I didn't find crafting there that engaging (just my opinioin).
Let's party like it is 1863!
ryzom was interesting, but I found I was always behind the curve - perhaps I just made some poor skill choices, but I found that all through the trial I played I couldn't get materials without buying more advanced gear than I could make myself. So while the crafting system was complex, it wasn't satisfying that made-it-myself desire.
Bit of a mixed bag this list, perhaps telling us more about what games the author played instead of what games have a top crafting system.
Definitely missing: Ryzom, Horizons (now Istaria) and Tale in the Desert, all of them candidates for a top 5 spot.
I maintain this List of Sandbox MMORPGs. Please post or send PM for corrections and suggestions.
yeah, not to mention small indie sandboxes like wurm of haven and hearth, also maybe puzzle pirates, tho i am not sure if to count that one as full fledged mmorpg
My list: 1 SWG, 2 Vanguard, 3 EQ2. I found Fallen Earth crafting boring; combine and wait 2 hours. Haven't played the others so cannot comment. But I like crafting that has it's own mini-game that can effect quality. I hate boring crafting that results in the same thing every time. Make it a fun, diverse, skill influenced activity please.
Great choices. I've tried all those games but SWG and I love crafting quite a lot. Are there any people still playing that game and would you still recommend it for a crafter (at least before SW TOR is out, because that is actually the game I'm waiting for today)?
"Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted.
Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world."
Hans Margolius
Still playing fallen earth and enjoying crafting. the most fun part to me is that the crafting fits in with the world. Hunting for scraps in the wasteland and making nicer (often not nice) things.
"Never met a pack of humans that were any different. Look at the idiots that get elected every couple of years. You really consider those guys more mature than us? The only difference between us and them is, when they gank some noobs and take their stuff, the noobs actually die." - Madimorga
While Darkfall crafting & gathering is boring, it is nice that everything is craftable and the stuff that you make is better than any mob dropped item. The next major expansion promises some extra crafting love as well.