Test eqstr change

[Ruldar]

Because of the melee changes coming down the pipe, as well as the new expansion in the distance, I have been paying close attention to the test server eqstr_us.txt file. Today's update to it was pretty small, just a couple of lines added, but they were pretty interesting lines:

3455 You are missing a %1.
3456 Sorry, but you don't have everything you need for this recipe in your general inventory.

[Lilosh]

[KyrosKrane]

Bearing in mind that this change is apparently not yet live in game on test, let alone on real servers, and that lots of stuff on test never makes it to live servers, I'll indulge myself in a little idle speculation.

We've discussed here (and elsewhere) the possibility of a recipe book that records tradeskill recipes you've made. Once you've made them once, you can click on the recipe in your recipe book to repeat the recipe; the game itself handles the tedium of reducing the items from your inventory and so forth. Other MMORPG's have taken and will take similar approaches.

Around the time of the last Fan Faire (I forget exactly when), I remember reports and discussion that the devs said something about making repetetive tradeskill combines easier. Options at the time included putting a stack or partial stack of each component into the container, and each click of "combine" reduces the stack by one; a recipe book as I mentioned above; auto-selecting items from inventory; and so forth. I also remember lots of discussion about how stacks in a container would work, how to deal with non-stackable components, whether the recipe book idea would apply to any recipe or only to ones you've trivialled, and so forth.

On a semi-related note, we're getting quite close to a new expansion for EQ. In the past, expansions have been a mix of content (new zones, encounters, etc.), abilities (AA's, new classes or races), interface enhancements (the Luclin interface, more bank slots), and game engine enhancements (mostly back-end tinkering and tuning). This upcoming expansion appears to have a little bit of all these thus far. They've already announced a new graphics engine, the new class is visible on test, Nedaria's Landing predicts a jump-off point for new zones ... and of course, the melee changes, while not part of the new expansion, certainly fit the bill for back-end retuning.

Maybe, as part of the general trend towards new and better features, they'll simplify tradeskills somewhat with the new expansion? I for one would feel no loss at all if they'd simplify how we make Metal Bits, Celestial Essence or Heady Kiolas.

[Salitorn]

OMG a recipe book like you mention would be a god sent. Lets all pray that something even similar o this goes live. I wouldn't care if you had to buy the recipe book in some off the wall dungeon for 10k, I'd still go there for it.

[Cerpicio]

Those messages sound similar to the ones you get if you try to cast spells without the proper component.

Seems like they could do something similar for tradeskills.


-- C.

[Dunthor Warsmith]

Originally posted by Cerpicio
Those messages sound similar to the ones you get if you try to cast spells without the proper component.

Seems like they could do something similar for tradeskills.


-- C.

Good point. And with their revamp of the melee system into a "spells with a different mana bar", they might've become more comfortable with taking the spell system and applying it to other areas - perhaps Tradeskills are next. Tradeskills did have melee ability timers in some of the test screenshots

[eniamn]

facial expression hehe. a what huh? to a little smile then a big smile for 8 item combines. WOOT. that would be nice and kinda what i figured looking at it too.

[Ursawraith]

If they do implement that in the live servers it could have serious repercussions. If SOE forgets to change buy back prices on a combine, this "legal macro" could have a huge impact on server econimies. (depending on how fast they fix things)

Another downfall is that some recipies will start to generate less profit, As more and more people are "easily" able to do oppressive combines ala Halas Meat Pies or Afternoon Tea.

While I would like the option to do this for combines it does beg to have the question asked if this is really a "good" thing. Perhaps if they limit it to combines XXX points behind your skill they could perhaps curb the second issue.

[eniamn]

would crush ce and heady kiola market if they let this go on ad infinitum. if you still had to select the recipe from your book every time it wouldn't change them much.

[Tudamorf]

Ugh. This smells of DAoC, which had the most boring trade skill system ever: click a button, wait a LONG delay (like 1-2 minutes), and you make the item. DAoC trade skills practically begged for macroing, which many people did because it was so easy and they were so boring to do.

If they introduce something like this, it could destroy the trade skill market because it will remove a lot of the effort involved in skilling up. Tons of players would macro up the vendorable trade skills, and the cost of components for the non-vendorable skills (e.g., tailoring and smithing) would go through the roof, destroying what little profit margin there is.

Logically, any system like this should only work for trivial combines to avoid this problem, but that would be giving SoE too much credit for thinking things through.

[Ruldar]

Another line added to this file on test:

3457 You have learned the recipe %1!

[Lilosh]

[KyrosKrane]

Originally posted by Lord Grimrose
As more and more people are "easily" able to do oppressive combines ala Halas Meat Pies or Afternoon Tea.

I don't necessarily agree with this. At the simplest level, every recipe in the game consists of "put one of this, one of that, two of this, etc. into a container, unstacked, and click combine." At this level, the tedium of, say, celestial essence (a no-fail two item combine) is less than that of a Minotaur Hero Brew (9-item, high trivial, and failable) only due to the lower number of clicks involved. A Misty Thicket Picnic (I believe an eight-item combine) would be comparable in annoyance factor to the Mino brew.

The differentiating factor between Hero brew and MTP's is the number of subcombines needed to make the final components for a Picnic. There are an INSANE number of subcombines, and even more for Halas meat pies.

I can't imagine any system that would step back through multiple steps for the final combine. In other words, if I have some Wolf Meat, Bear Meat, etc. in my backpacks, and I select the recipe for Halas Meat Pies, the game won't automatically filet the parts, make the cream, make the parts in cream, etc., and THEN put all the final components into the oven for the HMP combine. Rather, it will just look to see if you have one of every FINAL component in your backpacks, and combine them if you do. At least, that's the only logical way I can come up with that wouldn't bog down the servers like mad.

So, you'd still have to go through interminable sub-combines to make the picnic; it's just less clicks per subcombine now. The barrier to entry, while lower, is still very much there. It's a VERY effective deterrent to the uninitiated when they see how many subcombines are needed to make even simple things.

[Rorgg]

Originally posted by eniamn
would crush ce and heady kiola market if they let this go on ad infinitum. if you still had to select the recipe from your book every time it wouldn't change them much.

Or, to put it another way -- since I'm not going to pay to do a simple combine, it makes making CEs much, much better.

As it is now, every time I need 20, even if I have a supply, I make 40 and bank the extra, because I know before long I'm going to have to make a couple hundred at once and I just can't take it.

the cost of components for the non-vendorable skills (e.g., tailoring and smithing) would go through the roof,

Sorry -- why?

[eniamn]

Originally posted by Rorgg
Or, to put it another way -- since I'm not going to pay to do a simple combine, it makes making CEs much, much better.

me neither but have made some pp off them. only a few times though when i really got sick of grinding and needed money.