OK, I did not realize that you thought of this as an add-on rather than an expansion of current plans. (Though any crafting extension *will* affect the current crafting; it is inevitable.
I think you grossly under-estimate the complexity of putting "pieces" together to form a coherent whole in a model, especially when you are talking about three different kinds of armor (at 5 5 and 6 pieces each plus caster pants), 8 weapons, and amps (jewelry doesn't show up so no models needed and I'm ignoring range for the moment), then modeled to fit on four different races. On the other hand, a new look will be a big incentive for this to go forward. Many Atysians are style-conscious.
I also think you grossly under-estimate the amount of calculation that would be necessary to make sure that the variable plans that you suggest would not end up with a game-breaker uber weapon/armor.
However, even if that could be done, it still is going to give something to only a small portion of the Atysian population. I'm not saying it won't provide value, but that the cost/added value will be much higher even than adding a new type of mob (one model, some AI code and some animations plus the necessity of fitting it in somewhere).
I saw how new mats (with new colors and stats combinations) would definitely add to what crafters already do.
I think that if all that was found in the new lands (beyond the mats) was the ability to talk to some of these isolated tribes and learn their native crafts so that there was a new model set (not fancy combos) for armor and weapons that such would be sufficient to excite people to try it out. Not a new (complex) minigame, but just new plans, would be sufficient.
It seems to me that what you are aiming for here is game equipment development as a minigame. I'm not sure that's truly viable. If you have a limited number of pieces (even if they are pieces of pieces) you are going to be constrained in development. What makes heavy armor heavy? Is it number of Mats, which Mats are used or is it something else? What if I want to make a cloak? There's a lot of animation in a cloak, but everyone would want one.
It's not that you don't have good ideas here, Aseeker, but that I don't see them as feasible given the realities of the current dev staff.
I think you grossly under-estimate the complexity of putting "pieces" together to form a coherent whole in a model, especially when you are talking about three different kinds of armor (at 5 5 and 6 pieces each plus caster pants), 8 weapons, and amps (jewelry doesn't show up so no models needed and I'm ignoring range for the moment), then modeled to fit on four different races. On the other hand, a new look will be a big incentive for this to go forward. Many Atysians are style-conscious.
I also think you grossly under-estimate the amount of calculation that would be necessary to make sure that the variable plans that you suggest would not end up with a game-breaker uber weapon/armor.
However, even if that could be done, it still is going to give something to only a small portion of the Atysian population. I'm not saying it won't provide value, but that the cost/added value will be much higher even than adding a new type of mob (one model, some AI code and some animations plus the necessity of fitting it in somewhere).
I saw how new mats (with new colors and stats combinations) would definitely add to what crafters already do.
I think that if all that was found in the new lands (beyond the mats) was the ability to talk to some of these isolated tribes and learn their native crafts so that there was a new model set (not fancy combos) for armor and weapons that such would be sufficient to excite people to try it out. Not a new (complex) minigame, but just new plans, would be sufficient.
The number of mats used would be just one aspect you can influence - should you wish as the driver behind the research of the plan - you can chose to take it in a number of different directions.
What do you think would be useful/interesting aspects of plans that could/should be affected?
It seems to me that what you are aiming for here is game equipment development as a minigame. I'm not sure that's truly viable. If you have a limited number of pieces (even if they are pieces of pieces) you are going to be constrained in development. What makes heavy armor heavy? Is it number of Mats, which Mats are used or is it something else? What if I want to make a cloak? There's a lot of animation in a cloak, but everyone would want one.
It's not that you don't have good ideas here, Aseeker, but that I don't see them as feasible given the realities of the current dev staff.
---
Remembering Tyneetryk
Phaedreas Tears - 15 years old and first(*) of true neutral guilds in Atys.
(*) This statement is contested, but we are certainly the longest lasting.
<clowns | me & you | jokers>