Item Creation/Customization

[Madame Adequate]

Many RPGs include the ability to create your own items or at least customize existing ones, sometimes to the point where these items are some of the best in the game (e.g. Dragon items in Skyrim). Do you enjoy these mechanics in general, or no? And can you think of any especially good or bad examples of how it was implemented? What games allowed you the greatest scope with making or customizing your own equipment?

[Ayen]

Uhhhhh... Not really.

[Depression Moon]

I can't think of a single game I've played or heard of that does this. Sounds like it could create some great balance issues.

[Sephiroth]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atelier_%28series%29

http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread....amp-Dusk-Sagas

[Skyblade]

I can't think of a single game I've played or heard of that does this. Sounds like it could create some great balance issues.

In a properly built game, not at all.

You just have to build the game for the customization process.

I haven't seen too many games use this, but those that do tend to use it well. Rune Factory 3 is probably my favorite. Crafting gear in that game rocks. The further you get, the more the game expects you to have custom gear. But there is no "right way" to customize it. I've seen people go to town with a single hammer that paralyzed enemies to allow the player to get around the slow speed and dish out massive damage. I've seen people use a spear with knockback to keep everything on its butt from yards away. I've seen people use staves imbued with ridiculously awesome attacks gained from bosses. I myself have used several different effective customizations to my Double Blades, no one of which is really any more powerful than the others. It's just a question of how you customize it, and what play style you use with it.

[NeoCracker]

No games even compete with the Atelier Dusk series in regards to alchemy. Hell, no games compete with it's predecessors.

Atelier Ayesha and Atelier Escha and Logy set a gold standard with varying ingredients used, altering the various properties of the end result with a variety of abilities, and having a high skill actually affects various stats, so you can re-make earlier items with properties that weren't' available to you before.

So much involved, but that's what you get when such a large portion of the games design is dedicated towards Alchemy.

[VeloZer0]

I can't think of a game that had an item creation/crafting//synthesis/customization/upgrade system that I didn't consider a stupid time sink.

[Quindiana Jones]

In Champions of Norrath, I had a massive warhammer that could be swung at an astonishing rate due to speed upgrades.

I love the ability to customise one's character, regardless of how it's implemented, so of course I love crafting and upgrading stuff.

[Jiro]

Yeah, I'm a fan. I like being able to customise stuff based on what my characters need. Having too many options can be really painful though; I never know what to take Too much flexibility makes it just kind of unmanageable.

[escobert]

I spent about 4 hours yesterday chopping wood and building walls for my new base in DayZ mod. I like crafting. it's a nice change of pace. And with the constant threat of other players attacking my base or me, it adds a lot to it.

[Pike]

Enchanting in Morrowind is insanely fun because the game lets you do whatever you want, even if it screws you over. Want shoes that make you permanently fly? GO FOR IT!

[Fynn]

Vagrant Story pulls this off awesomely! You need to do this to actually make your character stronger and when you finally do churn out that perfect weapon and wipe the floor with that stupid boss, it's just. So satisfying!

[Pete for President]

Vagrant Story pulls this off awesomely! You need to do this to actually make your character stronger and when you finally do churn out that perfect weapon and wipe the floor with that stupid boss, it's just. So satisfying!

100% agreed, it's probably my favourite crafting system.

Especially since every material is scavenged and not bought since there are no merchants. It adds so much more sense of survival and isolation.

[Vermachtnis]

Yes, the Rune Factory 3 one is great. Except for the times I passed out trying to level the skill. I haven't gotten far in Rune Factory 4 yet to mess with it, but each Rune Factory has been an improvement over the last.

And Skyrim, Blacksmithing is my third highest skill behind One Handed and Heavy Armor. Enchanting can get pretty fun too.

[Loony BoB]

I can't think of many games I've really got into the item creation in. I mean, Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim all had potions and I made them, but I didn't really try for anything amazing. Far Cry 3 allowed you to create items of certain use that were pretty vital, but again, nothing particularly amazing. I prefer magic if I have the option.