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Gameplay Preview #11 - Crafting in Age of Conan
Age_Of_Conan
Member Posts: 98
This week we take a look into the crafting system in Age of Conan.
Whilst the bare hands and ingenuity of a warrior can take them far, even in the brutal realm of King Conan, they are though even better served with some well forged steel or finely made iron sheathed by their side.
Weapons and armor are the tools by which those whose adventures find them in the dangerous lands of Hyboria live or die by. Likewise there is always a need for potions and other medicinal aids, as even the hardiest of warriors can find themselves in need of recovery.
This is where the Crafter prestige class comes in. Crafters in Age of Conan are those making essential items and equipment needed for them and their guilds to succeed in extended battles and harsh conditions.
Supplying everything from siege engines to weapons, the crafter will be the person keeping their friends and customers supplied with the goods that will see them through the dangers that threaten them at every turn.
With crafting in Age of Conan we wanted to create a system that would not be weighed down by the need for constant repetition. We also wanted to ensure crafting is able to yield useful items and abilities so that those who choose to follow crafting as their prestige profession feel that they can really contribute to their guild and other customers.
There will be five different schools of crafting that crafters will be able to progress through. Crafters will have access to all of the different crafting schools. Other prestige classes may have access to one or more of the schools (although they may be restricted in the tiers that can be attained)
Weaponsmithing
As the name implies, a weaponsmith specializes in making various forms of weaponry for arming those he plans to support in battle. Using techniques passed down for generations, a smith trained in these arts can produce some of the most deadly weapons in Hyboria. In addition to creating arms, this smith may also supply various other forms of weapon enhancement materials, such as whetstones and polishes.
Armorsmithing
Similar to the weaponsmith, the armorsmith focuses on crafting various pieces of protective gear in addition to ways to enhance said equipment. Having many avenues available to them in terms of advancement, the armorsmith may choose to provide a very wide variety of armor styles, ranging from leather to full plate.
Gemcutting
Taking advantage of the skills of the armor and weapon smiths, the gemcutter specializes in honing and crafting gems to decorate and enhance equipment.
While some gems only have minor effects, others found in crypts or carried by those practicing darker arts may carry strange powers that can be harnessed by the gemcutter's craft.
As the gemcutter is familiar with working with a fresh set of armor or weaponry, they can also provide some more straightforward modifications such as counterweights or other reinforcement.
Alchemy
Trained in various pharmaceutical and metallurgical arts, the Alchemist specializes in creating various compounds with strange and seemingly unnatural effects.
Utilizing both common and rare ingredients found around Hyboria, those trained in this art may provide many useful consumables to their allies for use both in and out of battle.
Architect
Concerned more with the "big picture" than simply making equipment or potions, the architect is set on designing the more impressive buildings and siege engines used to wage war in the Border Kingdoms and beyond. Carrying a great burden of responsibility to those he allies himself with, architects facilitate the design of cities as well as devices designed to protect his allies' assets or destroy his enemy's.
Progression
There will be some rudimentary crafting processes that you will encounter in the early stages of the game, but we didn't want to focus on the early levels when it comes to the crafting elements. This is because we want to introduce it to people when it can make a difference and when they feel they can produce items, weapons and armor that will be truly useful to them and their friends.
We didn't want to go down the route of forcing people to 'grind' items countless times in order to progress in crafting and at the same time make the process more involved and in keeping with the ancient traditions of learning your trade from a learned master as was the way in ancient Hyboria!
At level 40 players will be able to begin to embark on the crafting quests that will see them progress through the tiers of crafted goods. You will seek out one already well versed in the craft you wish to study and perform a series of quests for them to prove yourself worthy to receive the knowledge they are capable of teaching.
There will be six tiers available for crafters to work through in each of the different crafting categories. Each tier is broken down into various categories, for example in weaponsmithing you will find categories like edged, blunt and ranged weapons.
These categories are then broken down further into specific types of weapon, like for example the edged category might include the knowledge of making daggers, short swords, long swords and bastard swords.
When you find the Master Crafters and seek to learn their knowledge they will ask you which of the categories you first wish to study. Then you will be asked to make an example of each of the separate types of item in that category until you have completed all the quests in that category.
Once each quest has been completed you will have access to that process and can make that item as often as you require (providing you have the components of course!) all the trainer asks in return is that the example piece you produce as part of the quest is returned to him as both payment, and an example of a job well done!
Once all the categories in your current tier have been learnt then you will be able to advance to the next tier of learning.
Crafters will also have the ability to use better or rare components to make a better version of an item from the same recipe. So for example if you already have the knowledge to make a 'Bronze short sword' using a rare or higher quality component might yield you a 'Refined Bronze Short Sword'
These more valuable components will have to be gathered from the wilds of the lands and by those who take the time improve their ability to gather resources through quests.
Making items that matter
Crafters in Age of Conan will be a vital part of the world, and the swords they forge and the armor they craft will see battle and blood and serve their owners in times of peril.
We really want the crafting in Age of Conan to feel useful to players. The items that are created through this system, especially when improved by gemcutters, will be a viable option compared to those items commonly found through your general adventures.
Likewise the toughest of encounters and most dangerous of dungeons might also yield components that will allow you to craft items that might even exceed those made by the great artisans of ancient Hyboria!
Comments
A step in the right direction.
I wonder though whether regular found gear > crafted gear, crafted > regular or will both have their own pros and cons?
closer to the third option. A looted item might be more powerfull at first glance than its crafted counterpart, however, with the customization available to crafted gear, you can get a much better effect if you plan ahead for certain scenarios.
For example your about to run into a bunch of giant spiders, you get the poision resistant gear out.
Or perhaps a flaming demon from the nether regions of hell, you get your axe with the cold damage
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Hemingway