Guild Wars 2

Crafting in GW2, as implemented, is not aimed at being a money making activity. Of course not, why should people expect to make money for pressing 10 buttons to craft an item? The buyer has to work for his money why would he part with it for something that involves no work? Real craftsmen spends hours and hours of their work, skilled, hard trained work, creating their products. Were this simulated by the game, you’d probably have to spend hours of work playing some kind of minigame to create quality products. However, SimSmith 3.0 would likely involve standing at a crafting station for hours doing minigames, which I expect would not be particularly attractive to most players – after all, I have yet to hear of an actual SimSmith 3.0 game in existence. It is not… well, not adventuring. So where is the real work in GW2 crafting? Believe it or not, it actually is there – the larger process of acquiring crafting resources is actually part of crafting itself. THAT is quite adequately profitable, as evidenced by the bot army.

Instead, it’s aimed at a different public.

Many people, myself included, get an immense sense of satisfaction of creating their own gear. Think »This gear is, essentially, REALLY mine, for it was made by myself. Unsullied by the touch of others. Truly earned, for without me it would not exist.« It is a different goal. And to allow the many players who seek it this sense of satisfaction, crafting is as it is.

Making crafting in GW2 profitable would be a big issue. Changing the existing crafting to make the act of crafting labor intensive would alienate many players who do not seek to make their living this way. I consider it unfeasible, actually.

What would be possible would be implementing an alternative way of acquiring resources by making them crafting themed. I could easily see a mine themed dungeon where hard work would be put into acquiring raw materials. Puzzles to determine profitable ores among junk. Actually pushing mining wagons loaded with ore to the surface. Preventing cave-ins as games of skill and speed, carrying timber and fixing the right beams at the right time. Things like that. I really think it could be made fun.

Jure Simich.6154:

Crafting in GW2, as implemented, is not aimed at being a money making activity.

Your premise is false. I make money crafting in GW2, and have been able to for over a month. It is a competitive activity, and takes a bit of skill and effort because the markets are dynamic and you have to search a bit to find the profitable items.

Jure Simich.6154:

Of course not, why should people expect to make money for pressing 10 buttons to craft an item? The buyer has to work for his money why would he part with it for something that involves no work? Real craftsmen spends hours and hours of their work, skilled, hard trained work, creating their products. Were this simulated by the game, you’d probably have to spend hours of work playing some kind of minigame to create quality products. However, SimSmith 3.0 would likely involve standing at a crafting station for hours doing minigames, which I expect would not be particularly attractive to most players – after all, I have yet to hear of an actual SimSmith 3.0 game in existence.

Actually, it’s called “A Tale in the Desert”, and it’s a non-combat MMO which attracts a niche crowd. It’s been around for years.

Jure Simich.6154:

Making crafting in GW2 profitable would be a big issue.

Again, crafting in GW2 is profitable. It is not a ‘push 10 buttons and make money’ activity, it involves constantly checking markets, finding the profitable thing to make, and making it. However, it is pretty profitable; I have made enough gold to swap for the gems to buy a character slot, a bag slot, and two vault slots. Obviously not worth it compared to a real job, but hey, it’s fun (at least for me). I probably spend way more time per gold doing this than I would make farming in Orr, but fun, not efficiency, is the point of playing a game.

So crafting in GW2 is just fine, at least for some of us. I have maxed out 5 crafts, and one profession (and quit adventuring with that ranger in favor of crafting more).

Jure Simich.6154:

What would be possible would be implementing an alternative way of acquiring resources by making them crafting themed. I could easily see a mine themed dungeon where hard work would be put into acquiring raw materials. Puzzles to determine profitable ores among junk. Actually pushing mining wagons loaded with ore to the surface. Preventing cave-ins as games of skill and speed, carrying timber and fixing the right beams at the right time. Things like that. I really think it could be made fun.

This is an excellent idea. Much better than just running around nodes, and much less able to be botted.

Daulnay.4971:

Jure Simich.6154:

What would be possible would be implementing an alternative way of acquiring resources by making them crafting themed. I could easily see a mine themed dungeon where hard work would be put into acquiring raw materials. Puzzles to determine profitable ores among junk. Actually pushing mining wagons loaded with ore to the surface. Preventing cave-ins as games of skill and speed, carrying timber and fixing the right beams at the right time. Things like that. I really think it could be made fun.

This is an excellent idea. Much better than just running around nodes, and much less able to be botted.

Me likes. As long as nodes get to stay though(cause I like gathering xD). But, meh, such suggestions never see the light of day…

The shifting markets always allow smart players to exploit inefficiency.

I’ve stated before that I would rather these mini games be around learning the patterns rather than making the items, or if you did have a quality rating I know of a game that had you do mini quests to get a tool that would let you alter the rating.