Make every weapon have a material. Make condition modifiers represent quality.

[zanzibar]

I don't see why this is really necessary. It would be nice to have it all fit together in a neat package, but there's far more important things to be worrying about... And by the time they're ready to implement this, the item system would probably already be very different what with the other crafting-skills, and it might not be applicable. (e.g. what do you call a gem-encrusted, Tefuskin-wrapped, high-quality, gold-riveted halberd?)

It doesn't matter if there are more important things to worry about.  If it's a good idea, then it's a good idea.

[Nikodemus]

I don't see why this is really necessary. It would be nice to have it all fit together in a neat package, but there's far more important things to be worrying about... And by the time they're ready to implement this, the item system would probably already be very different what with the other crafting-skills, and it might not be applicable. (e.g. what do you call a gem-encrusted, Tefuskin-wrapped, high-quality, gold-riveted halberd?)

Each weapon must be made of material and i gues the condition/quality also won't disappear, seeing that work was put into it and it is directly connected with repairing for example.
This idea will be valid for long, or at least bigger part of it.

[zanzibar]

What is a dagger made out of?  Iron?  Steel?  Then why are there also iron daggers and steel daggers with different stats?

Why can't a ruined dagger be repaired?  How can a perfect dagger be in need of fixing?

Those are some reasons why the system could use "fixing".

[emeraldfool]

What is a dagger made out of?  Iron?  Steel?  Then why are there also iron daggers and steel daggers with different stats?

Well that's obvious. The better a dagger is made, the better it will be. Someone who cocks up the process and accidentally creates a pocket of air inside their steel weapon will produce a much less effective blade than someone who uses bronze and makes it really well.

And a master-crafted blade could still be in need of repair. If it goes blunt, it's still masterfully crafted. If it breaks in two, it's still two parts of a masterfully crafted weapon. Sticking it back together might reduce the quality if you're not sure what you're doing (in other ways it could strengthen it if you know what to do), but the current system already accounts for that with the dip in quality upon repair.



I do like the idea of having a more structured identification-system for items though, but every crafted item should be unique anyway - unless they're being made by a machine - so there's only so much a name can account for...

[zanzibar]

You misunderstood me. I didn't say it as well as I could have.

There are items called "dagger".  But what are these items made out of?  Since there are also "iron daggers" and "steel daggers", are we to understand that "daggers" are made of something other than iron or steel?

[bilbous]

could be chert or obsidian, I suppose the uber weapons could be made of shards of the crystal...

[zanzibar]

could be chert or obsidian, I suppose the uber weapons could be made of shards of the crystal...

If that's the case (which it probably won't be), then there should be an indication of it in the item's label.

[Nikodemus]

could be chert or obsidian, I suppose the uber weapons could be made of shards of the crystal...

You do realise that for example steel has crystalic structure? (at leats without getting deeper into details) Saying that uber weapons should be made of crystal, you are probably refering to the precious stone materials, which are weak! So yeah, too much fantasy in your post.

And please, to people in general (inspired by someone up there ;P) when you try to compare a guy with good skills and bad material to a guy with poor skills, but good material, this is pointless comparison.

[bilbous]

Actually I was referring to the blue crystal that is central to the setting. Thus shards of the crystal and not some kind of crystal shard.

[Nikodemus]

Actually I was referring to the blue crystal that is central to the setting. Thus shards of the crystal and not some kind of crystal shard.

Cool, but does it make any difference?

[bilbous]

The Blue Crystal is made of the essence of magic and so a piece of it would not have mundane properties.

[zanzibar]

The Blue Crystal is made of the essence of magic and so a piece of it would not have mundane properties.

Or perhaps the crystal simply channels energy from another source.

Either way, crystals can be very sharp but probably more brittle.  This is all a tangent however and if you wish to discuss it you should start another thread.  The topic of this thread is not the discussion of different materials that items could be made out of in the future.

[bilbous]

This

What is a dagger made out of?  Iron?  Steel?  Then why are there also iron daggers and steel daggers with different stats?

would seem to open the door to the discussion, and from the thread originator to boot. I did however start another thread tangential to the tangent you object to here

[zanzibar]

That statement did not open a door to such tangents.  The point is that when an item lacks a modifier describing the material, but other items of the same type can come with such modifiers, then one is led to believe that the item without those modifiers is made up of something other than what those modifiers indicate.  That in and of itself is a problem.

The problem is further demonstrated by the fact that we know that normal weapons are made from steel.  If a weapon has no modifier, then it is made out of steel.  We know this is a fact because of the crafting system.  However, weapons which are crafted using steel are not given the steel modifier, and there are steel weapons that have different stats.

[bilbous]

I have yet to see a plain steel weapon, I have seen specialized alloy such as "blue steel" but not merely a "steel" weapon. I haven't looked much lately though.