[Suggestion] Reverse Engineering Mechanic

[Holytoe]

I think "effort-based" crew skills makes more sense than current status of reverse engineering. Basically, the more time and money you invest increases the possibility of learning new crafting recipes.

 

 

For simplicity, I assume the following: 100 premium recipes learned from trainer and 30 recipes from schematic. With 3 prototype versions for each premium recipe trained, there are 300 total; and with 14 artifact versions for each prototype recipe, there are 4200 total. With 3 artifact versions for each prototype schematic, there are 90 total. As base numbers change based upon current crew skill used, the initial Chance to Learn New Recipe stays consistent across the board for all crew skills as long as the total Pyramid Content (4720) remains the same.

 

Crafter learns 1 premium quality recipe from trainer, crafts item, and researches new recipes via reverse engineering.

Chance to Learn New Recipe (100 point system): 1.1502 % to 15.1502 %

- Premium (1 of 100 recipes): 0.15 points

- Prototype (0 of 300 recipes): 0.0 pts

- Prototype Schematic (0 of 30): 0.0 pts

- Artifact (0 of 4200): 0.0 pts

- Artifact Schematic (0 of 90): 0.0 pts

- Random Number Generator (1-100): 1 to 15 pts

- Pyramid Content (1 of 4720): 0.0002

 

If crafter learns 100 premium quality recipes from trainer, then begins crafting items...

Chance to Learn New Recipe (100 point system): 16.0211 % to 30.0211 %

- Premium (100 of 100 recipes): 15 points

- Prototype (0 of 300 recipes): 0.0 pts

- Prototype Schematic (0 of 30): 0.0 pts

- Artifact (0 of 4200): 0.0 pts

- Artifact Schematic (0 of 90): 0.0 pts

- Random Number Generator (1-100): 1 to 15 pts

- Pyramid Content (100 of 4720): 0.0211

 

 

Here is a very rough graphic attempting to show my suggestion: http://imgur.com/a/a5mxG

[venomlash]

No offense, but that was like reading Time Cube. What are you trying to say, Lassie?

[Holytoe]

As a player progresses through learning all the recipes for their given crafting profession, the chance for a new discovery i.e. learning a new crafting recipe should become easier. This idea follows the logic of any artisan able to craft a specific object, whether a glass vase or a kitchen knife or clothing/armor/earrings/etc, new recipes in that artisan's crafting realm would be much simpler to learn.

 

Example:

 

Making a butcher knife and bread knife are not that different, but artisans using slightly different materials and processes achieve success. Making a "Miracle Blade" may require more, but the basic concepts for that craft remain the same. Essentially, the argument here is only on very rare occasions is a specific, complicated process required. After that new complicated process is shown at the next crafting convention, all the knife-makers would know it as a simple process.

 

 

Attaining a 400 level crafting can be very quick and easy if one has the materials readily available. Crafting trainers sell their knowledge of new recipes, akin to going to a technical college to learn a skill. Beyond that, world drops and mission rewards on occasion have additional schematics.

 

Currently, the barrier to completely learning all possible recipes seems to be an impossible amount of crafting materials, which equates to a very large crafting money-sink for the game. I submit there should be a level of investment attainment that improves that rate of learning new recipes.

 

I can understand BioWare dev's and producer's desire to remove resources and money from the game, but I believe they have over-tuned the crafting mechanic. Resources required to learn all possible artifact recipes for a given crafting profession seems to be endless. Crafting time to create 400 level items is another issue, but I suppose that helps control the availability of goods.

 

Will they reduce the crafting time and therefore increase the crafting money-sink? Unlikely since patch1.2 will "fix" crafting crit chances and researching new recipe/patterns. But think about it, the rate at which crafting materials leave the game can be much faster. Every crafter I talk to about this is waiting for patch1.2 and gathering/storing materials until then.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Holytoe