Originally posted by Monketh
I might add that expensive weapons should receive more wear & tear from inexperienced users than weapons of their skill. They\'re more subject to abuse because they aren\'t as crude.
Quality of items, on the different durabilities of the materials they are manufactured could make items wear proof, or degrade quickly.
You want to get technical, you run through the rain with long sword, and fail to oil it, the darn things rusts.
A titanium bladed sword, forged in the bowels of mount doom, and befowled with indestructablility, leads to a sword that even a newbie could weild poorly and not damage.
Beating on certain monsters, for instance with tougher natural armour could deteriorate certain metals faster than others.
but you could also have different forging levels in sub-classes of each metal, increasing it\'s base durability. This sounds way too much like Diablo, but as far and item handling, generation, and effects handling and such, it\'s actually a pretty impressive engince. Despite the uber-!337 weapons you can attain, most of them were extremely expensive, required quests, as limited in functionality as they were, and usually several times through the game. It was hack a slash, but what other reason do have for better weapons.
Such as something say +1 vs. Gobbles, or +4 vs. Rats.
Random generation of items, or super ancient items, such as sets, or item groups I thought was a good feature. It lacked RPG (I know) but as far as item creation and development few games had it\'s diversity.
I kinda posted this in another thread, but it kinda spills into this thread also...
Quests are a huge problem with creation, and otherwise.
For natural economies and the benefits of skill building for a purpose. Multiple players should be required to create a good weapon.
This requires a specialized blacksmith, in weaponsmithing and someone to supply his ore, coal, and depending on his smithing tools, and the quality of the metal ore he\'s going to make the weapon out of should be thought to determine the basic product.
Upgrading a basic weapon.
You need to take the weapon to a Jeweler, who assesses the \'quality\' of the item, and weather he deems it worth socketing. What\'s the point of putting a blessed +2 ruby crysal of \'heat\' (just an example, does an extra +2 damage, non-regenerative, or something) and it\'s passed off to a magic user who bestows spells upon it. Depending on the skill of the blacksmith, the jeweler, and the magic user, it\'ll determine the final product.
Who can use the product should be determined by the formulas of those it took to create it. Tables, tables, tables...
Alright... so we have a multi-folded carbon steel blade, forged and polised creating a good balance and better damage capabilities, into the shape of two-handed bastard sword. It\'s encrusted with multiple jewels, and a magic user has bestoyed a +2 basic enchanment, and a basic \'light\' spell.
For this sort of item, the basic wielding requirements should be for the sword itself. In all magic systems, and most RPG\'s, magic weapons were assumed to contain some of the essence of the magic user, or the source of the magic that becomes a part of the weapon. Most systems of magic required weapons forged in this nature to cost skills permanently to create. So a magic user may instill 2 points of his intelligence into the weapon. That can\'t be gotten back, unless through something like a wish spell. This was a good modification of introduced in AD&D. And in a natural unfolding enconomy would fit perfectly.
Depending on the complexity of it, and the ones that create them are going to be losing stats, and fast depending on how many they create. This keeps magic users, to magic items in check with the game. And limits the need for merchants to randomly generate weapons. As the world and the people in it are more in control of the environment.
I would suspect a system like this would solve a number of other problems as well. And it\'ll find it balancing out powerful items on it\'s own, as users are going to want a hefty price for their services.
Which leaves, the requirements what it takes to weild a basic item.
Guilds can give away items, but this way, items have just become valuable beyond cost in price, but cost in physical traits to create.
So give them to newbies. I don\'t think this way, you\'ll find to many people giving away items.
And guilds as great a purpose, now might also serve another. As a relationship between the blacksmiths,
jewelers, and magic users. Dunno... it\'s kinda of off topic, but isn\'t... peace.
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