I see your point Rolf, and I think you are mostly right. Deriving from the subject, I was under the impression that the source code for the game is available as binaries. Maybe not for the client?
 Anyway, after some thinking about it, I realized that there is another, more complex problem with my ideea. Graphics. The game doesn\'t know what I am about to invent, nor does it know it\'s future shape/colour et cetera. The only way I can see as a working solution to this and to the problems you have brought up, would be to include automated scripts (yes you are right!) that would be able to generate completly new graphics and !code! extrapolated from the initial ingredients mixed with prediction/probability algorithms. What I mean by this is that if I succesfuly craft something very difficult, for this ex. a sword, out of high quality items, I will prefer the one with huge damage rather than the one with no damage but too heavy to move.  The code could be communicated in 2 ways, first to any clients in sight range, or better, if not lag-prone, from any client that has made \"eye contact\" to any other clients this initial client encounters. Yes blahblah malitious code blahblah. Could the clients recieving the new code check against the game server at the recieving moment for a signature?
Sounds to AI era? I guess it is, and now that I re-read everything, I guess it would be far to complicated to implement something with so many variables and unknown factors, even with moderate succes.
It was worth a brainstorm over it though.

(Off topic) First of all, Hello everybody.  I am so new at planeshift, the game is still download in progress.  I did some extensive reading on the forums, however, and I\'ll try to be as concise as possible concerning my ideeas.

(Main) As I understand there are weapong (maybe other items) smithing/crafting skills already implemented in-game.  But what I am talking about is true inventing. For instance: somebody could take gold, and a hammer, and through some simple interface could choose a shape. Than add some other ingredients, making the final object get some stats/qualities from all (in this case the golden fork, or the gold chicken with gemmed eyes) . Or: craft 20 sprokets, combine them together, tie a hammer and 2 knives to them, and you have a pendulum.

Some might consider this a usseles skill, but think about it. It would allow for interesting game developements, such as forgery, and, most importantly, will create a great sense of control over the gameworld and should lead to technological competition and imporvements, as well as benefitting overall economy.

(Off topic) I really am in love with mmorpgs, and from what   I have read so far, I have great expectations from this game. I really like the ease with wich the players can, and do, communicate with the devs. I look forward to playing planeshift.