Why is bg3 crafting sytem so bad?

[northernwater]

It basically does not exist. Same company that did DOS2 and they have a nice system in one and crap system in the other.

Maybe it was budget. They needed more mo-cap and skippable dialog, I'm guessing.

[EricHVela]

It's based on 5e 2024 D&D. That version of the DMG had a couple of pages on crafting with no information on the actual process: just how much time and money.

This isn't based on DoS except through the game engine.

[seeker1]

The only crafting you can do in the game is Alchemy. We can talk about how in-game (vanilla) Alchemy works, I personally don't like that many items can't be made through it (like some of the grenades ... why CAN'T you make a smokepowder grenade through alchemy?) .. it is a bit annoying you can't see the stats of "end products" you make through alchemy ... and the whole system of which ingredients you need to make what things is a bit ... wonky ... but .... (hmmm, "does this need a salt or a solution")

While there are hints of them possibly doing some sort of weapon crafting system for the game that was more generalized, all they've left in is the more narrow crafting options ... making Adamantine weapons or armor, or Sussur weapons. Or you can use Dammon to make Lesser Helldusk armor pieces for you. If you want a more full fledged crafting system, as I've said, JWL and others have mods for that.

Honestly, most players will bypass it, as I suspect they'd rather just have their Uber Sword of Eternal Death in the tutorial chest, then have to go through the work of crafting it.

[northernwater]

Originally posted by EricHVela:

It's based on 5e 2024 D&D. That version of the DMG had a couple of pages on crafting with no information on the actual process: just how much time and money.

This isn't based on DoS except through the game engine.

I agree they made budget choices ... lol

[Hobocop]

It's also a design choice. You don't exactly have easy access to the workshop and tools necessary to craft anything besides alchemy, and it takes weeks of work to make anything of substance based on the crafting rules in Xanathar's, so they elected to just not have it except in cases where 99% of the work is already done for you.

Plus, it devalues the actual equipment you can find ingame.

[Jeff Kaos]

Crafting in games sucks. It's the biggest waste of time in just about every game it's in; especially RPGs. Crafting is the reason players waste at least 2 or 3 hours of their overall playtime managing their inventory. Crafting is the reason players spend a couple of more total hours searching every container they come across. Crafting is the reason players fast-travel back and forth to their base so they can drop off materials. And for what? What's the actual point? So you can craft the one item worth having that's not really all that great compared tot the stuff you get from quest rewards? Or maybe make a bunch of potions you'll never use. And out of all the crafting systems I've played I thin D:OS had some of the worst. In the first game there were dozens and dozens of recipes (old-school cartoon barrel and rope suspender armor? Seriously?) and literally one sword and one amulet worth crafting.

If the whole game is about crafting, like say a survival game, I'm all for it. But if a game needlessly adds crafting, like most RPGs , it ends up little more than a time sink not worth putting in the effort.

[Alt]

Originally posted by Jeff Kaos:

Crafting in games sucks. It's the biggest waste of time in just about every game it's in; especially RPGs. Crafting is the reason players waste at least 2 or 3 hours of their overall playtime managing their inventory. Crafting is the reason players spend a couple of more total hours searching every container they come across. Crafting is the reason players fast-travel back and forth to their base so they can drop off materials. And for what? What's the actual point? So you can craft the one item worth having that's not really all that great compared tot the stuff you get from quest rewards? Or maybe make a bunch of potions you'll never use. And out of all the crafting systems I've played I thin D:OS had some of the worst. In the first game there were dozens and dozens of recipes (old-school cartoon barrel and rope suspender armor? Seriously?) and literally one sword and one amulet worth crafting.

If the whole game is about crafting, like say a survival game, I'm all for it. But if a game needlessly adds crafting, like most RPGs , it ends up little more than a time sink not worth putting in the effort.

Or unless whole equipment system in your RPG is based on crafting instead of gear drops.

[Chaosolous]

I hate crafting in games that aren’t strictly survival games.

[northernwater]

I like crafted gear based on drops some of which maybe rare. I like a crafting system that allows you to well you know craft what you want instead of filling your inventory with pre-crafted special stuff the vast majority of which you never use.

It's comical to watch some streamers. There inventory is basically a collection of everything in the game - except rags and suh. lol

[northernwater]

I hate survival games.

[northernwater]

Well on second thought I guess I try and survive in bg3 ... I take that back. I like survival games.

[fulf]

crafting is cringe

[dagdriver]

Personally, I dont need hardcore crafting mechanics forced into every game I play.

[Asheron]

The best part of subsequent playthroughs is confidently being able to ignore crafting and most loot. Get your hyena ears and epic and legendary weapons and forget the rest.

[Senhores, eu me caguei !!!]

Because is not a "craft" game.

[Detective Costeau]

My honest guess (though I have no special insight into BG3's development) is that they were going to include a more detailed crafting system initially, but at some point it was decided the resources to make it work were better used elsewhere.
But the alchemy system was more or less done, so that was kept in, and the rest of the crafting materials were just left as scene dressing and vendor trash.

The explanation for stuff like this is usually super mundane.