After reading a some blogs and tweets about MMO crafting I wanted to off and write a giant post explaining where I currently stand on crafting.

I wanted to talk about where I see game doing well, where I see games failing, where I would like to see game go and so on.  Then the writing started and I found myself frustrated, because I could not make it sound ranty.  So instead, after the break, I have created a quick list of ideas I love. They sum up my thoughts pretty well.

I love the idea of crafting in and Role Playing Game. When you add the Massively Multiplayer part to the RPG, I think the idea of player crafting is even be better.

I love items showing who crafted them.

I love being someone people come to get something made or a service performed.

I love the idea of regional supply and demand, and regional good and services.

I love the idea of players having the option to use their tradecraft as a way to help other players out.

I love the idea that resources and good need to be transported across, possibly unsafe, distances and that other players may need to be hired to protect them.

I love the idea of a player getting rich by buying low and selling high.

I love the idea that while out adventuring a player can collect things they can sell to other players.

I even love the idea that a “gatherer” may want to hire protection.

I love the idea of requiring character and player skill to craft, just as combat required those things.

Sadly most MMOs don’t offer more than one or two of those. And if they do they, often times, do not turn out to be as fun as most expected it to be.  Though that is no reason for companies to stop trying.  I would love to see each new virtual world / MMORPG to have some element of crafting / player economy.

For those of you that don’t like crafting, don’t do it. Please for your own sake, stop.

Oh and as a side note: I think Eve Online offers the most of those. Its too bad I don’t enjoy the other elements of gameplay enough to play.