Good Crafting/Economic game?

MarkusDark · April 2004

I played SWG for a bit - personally, I loved the crafting in it. The fact that there were no system vendors - everything you got was made by other players. Finding the best resources, using the best tools, trial and error to get the best product.

However, I became bored with the rest of the game. I have been 'out of the loop' for a bit and was wondering if there were any other games out there that had that type of crafting/economy within the game.

Stiger · April 2004

You should check the following two games:

Horizons: Everything is player made (no other items in game) and the game has rather deep crafting system. Be warned though - you have a lot of options with crafting, but it misses the "finding best resources" thing as well as quality/customization of item in a way SWG does it. Any basic item is the same regardless of who done it. The only way to do a different thing is adding techs and it is not exactly the same feel.

A tale in the desert: Again, the player-made only items economy. But it has no combat at all and it is difficult to trade items as not only this game has no vendors, it has no money also and barter is the only option. Also see above about lack of cusomization with crafted items - the same here.

I know no other games with this type of economy (not even in development).

Obiyer · April 2004

Try Horizons it has one of the best crafting systems I have ever seen. Sadly though it's the only thing the game has going for it. A lot of people bought Horizons just for the crafting system so you should give it a shot and see if it is for you.

Also:

Try the Ryzom Beta, it has unique albeit incomplete crafting system which will keep you occupied for a LONG time. ( If you know what I mean. )

hercules · April 2004

Only 2 games stand out in crafting for me.SWG and horizons.Problem is both lack other aspects of the game.

Stukov · April 2004

As already mentioned, if you only want the crafting/economic portions, ATITD is the way to go. No real combat (Just some mini games and such), everything you have is made by you more or less. Worth checking out, free trial.

bamzen · April 2004

wait for dragon empires - even the cities will be player run, and it should be very advanced in its economic game-part. I look forward to this game, as it seems to have so many opportunities. Check it out: www.dragonempires.com

Dreamers can find their way by moonlight and their only punishment is that they see the dawn before the rest of the world

THX2 · April 2004

I thought Eve: Online had a great economic system, but most don't seem to like it because of the mining gameplay

Although, I think the game is great.

THX
Guild Wars OGaming Webmaster
http://guildwars.ogaming.com

McGlu · April 2004

Yep, both Horizons and Eve Online have complex crafting systems.

If you are looking for a good space mmorpg, check out Eve. Mostly everything worth having in the game is made by the players.

McGlu
Lead Developer
www.guilduniverse.com

Arleonenis · April 2004

I say that eve is a game you seek, mining isnt needed (except of start) if you know what to do and you are good in economics you could make a fortune selling and buying stuff, I know i made little fortune this way;) Fightning is a good way to earn cash too or running missions but i prefer to stick to trading to earning cash and other activities for fun:)))

Smelly_Armor · April 2004

Try the Ryzom open-beta. Ryzom has an unique crafting, harvesting, prospecting economic system. Be warned though, the game is laggy at this moment and time. Once Ryzom is a more complete and finished product near release, you might find this game fun, especially since you can have a career as a miner, artisan, blacksmith, or jeweler.

Oakstead · April 2004

Dark and Light also in development will have a complex player based economy. All items can be improved and modified by characters having a greater skill than was used to make the item. Resources come from MOB drops and mining.

Cites will have a persistant central market for resources and player owned shops (with hired NPC store keepers if desired) for finished items.

wystan · April 2004

horizon has the best i know of up to date

ATM

Anshe · May 2004

The by far best crafting/economy game I know is SecondLife (www.secondlife.com). I know SWG, AC, EQ, AO and all the others. But only SL allows you to really design and create new things. What you do is basically what content creators at game companies do: you have a 3D authoring tool, create 3D models, upload textures and script/animate your models using an in game programming language. Those creations, which are really unique and new (and not just instances of something a game designer pre-fabricated) you can sell in game. The currency you get you can even convert to US$ if you like.

I just created some oriental dresses, an avatar attachments that makes my avatar "feel" and react when kissed on her cheeks and at the moment I am working on a replica of a famous Chinese tea house in Shanghai :-)

When you want to be added to my friends list in SecondLife, just enter "Anshe Chung" as referal when you sign up :-)

Thoemse · May 2004

Eve online definatly. Every spaceship and every module you can fit on them are crafted by players.
The market system is great.
Example: We had a major war going on against a pirate corp (m0o) that lasted for weeks.
We couldn't mine high end ores and therefore the price of the minerals refined out of these ores went up in the whole reagion and affected the market of the whole galaxy.
The crafters still build the battleships that were lost all the time while fighting for territory but the price went up by a lot.

To get a Battleship for a better price you'd have to fly VERY far or build it yourself wich was a problem since we had no time for that.

The market is affected by lots of things and is never the same.
Good crafters can get rich only with knowing where the demand for some things is high. The market system is great and you don't have to trade the things to the buyer yourself.

I played Horizons and i played SWG. Eve's system surpasses them both because of the great market system in my opinion.

Anshe · May 2004

Hmmm, in Eve, can you build a Tie fighter or an F-16 fighter plane? Or something completely new nobody has seen before? Upload your own textures, design your own cockpit? And after you are done, will you retain the intellectual property rights for your creation? :-)

In SL you can. I think most people are just too much used to not expecting more than being allowed to copy pre-designed things in games and to at most be allowed to customize them a little.

I heared Eve has a great combat system though.... :-)