Proposal to Revise the Crafting System for Better Accessibility

[Yazan Al-Khuzai]

Dear Developers and Community,

I’d like to address a significant challenge with the current crafting system in The West. While the professions—Field Cook, Tonic Peddler, Blacksmith, and Master Saddler—are exciting and add depth to the game, the dependence on other players to craft certain items has created a frustrating barrier for many.

In worlds with low populations, finding players who can craft specific items is increasingly difficult. Even when such items are available, the prices are often unreasonably high, making it nearly impossible to progress or enjoy crafting. This reliance on other players is particularly problematic in worlds where active traders and crafters are scarce.

Here are some suggestions to improve the crafting system:

1. Self-Sufficiency in Crafting: Allow each crafting profession to have access to all the resources and ingredients required for their recipes, either through in-game shops or item drops. This would eliminate the dependency on other players while keeping the system fair and balanced.
2. Dynamic Pricing System: Introduce minimum and maximum price caps for crafted items in the market. This ensures that item prices remain logical and accessible to all players, regardless of supply and demand fluctuations.

These changes would not only address the challenges posed by low-population worlds but also enhance the overall crafting experience for all players.

Thank you for considering this feedback. I hope to see improvements that will make The West even more enjoyable for its dedicated community.

 

[Barnstable]

Always a problem on Briscoe

 

[Caerdwyn]

If you're relying on the open market for your crafting resources, stop and ask your town/alliance why they are not responding to your requests in a timely fashion AFTER you have posted your ingredients for them to use and informed them from which town to pick up. The best part of the crafting system is how it requires people to work together so everyone can get to 850/49.

 

[BigNoob]

Crafting is a feature of the game meant to be "social". You are supposed to interact with other players to be able to craft. If you can't do it in your world it's not because there is something wrong with the crafting feature but because there is something wrong with your world.

I play in Montana. In Montana it's impossible to find crafted items. Specially from field cooks. I cannot do many of my blacksmith recipes without the help from the other 3 professions. But instead of crying I just realized the problem: unrealistic expectations for worlds that simply arent populated enough. In Montana I dont craft, I dont do quests that require interacting with other players and I also cant complete the event sets cause its simply impossible to find the items I am missing no matter how many millions I have sitting in my bank account. Example: I need a rolling thunder revolver and an endecott knife, there is none on the market, no one has any to sell even after I whispered everyone in the world. Is this my fault? No. Is this the other 20 players' fault? No. It's just how it is. You gotta learn to accept that you just cant accomplish everything you want in every world.

What I am trying to say is dont confuse problems that you have because of your world with problems with a game feature. Crafting works 100% perfectly fine in Colorado.

We are all free to choose which worlds we play but we must know, understand and accept that some worlds just dont offer all of the possibilities.

 

[Yazan Al-Khuzai]

Thanks for the detailed responses! They’ve given me a lot to think about, especially regarding the issues that arise in smaller, less populated worlds. This makes me wonder: why not consolidate the worlds into a single, unified server?

A single server with thousands of players would address many of the challenges we’re facing, like the lack of crafted items or collaboration opportunities. A more populated server would lead to a dynamic economy, better availability of resources, and more interaction among players. It would also make events and quests far more engaging with a larger, active community.

I understand that there may be technical or balancing challenges with such an approach, but it seems like the benefits could outweigh the drawbacks. Has this idea ever been considered, or are there specific reasons for keeping multiple worlds?

 

[PrancingPurplePony]

This has been brought up before many times, and the truth is that combining worlds won't really add much to the numbers as many people play on more than one world. Those duplicate accounts could not be merged, so the player base would still be low. With multiple worlds the company can get more money from players that buy nuggets for each world they play.

 

[Wellerman]

maybe trade will become interworldly like adventure

 

[Yazan Al-Khuzai]

As a dedicated player of The West, I believe there are numerous opportunities to enhance the game by building upon its existing features and introducing new mechanics. Below are some detailed suggestions to improve crafting, jobs, towns, fort battles, and overall gameplay:

Crafting Enhancements​

• Crafting Guilds: Introduce Crafting Guilds where players of the same profession collaborate on guild projects to unlock exclusive recipes, bonuses, and crafting buffs.
• Legendary Crafting Items: Add rare recipes requiring unique resources from jobs, events, or fort battles, encouraging players to explore all aspects of the game.
• Advanced Crafting Options: Allow players to upgrade existing items or combine crafted products for higher-tier equipment with better stats.

Job System Revamp​

• Dynamic Job Events: Create random events during jobs, such as treasure discoveries or accidents, which provide unexpected rewards or challenges.
• Advanced Job Tiers: Add high-level jobs with increased risks but greater rewards, such as unique items or high experience payouts.
• Daily Job Challenges: Include quests where players must complete specific jobs for bonus rewards.

Town System Improvements​

• Town Customization: Enable towns to customize their appearance with themed architecture or decorative items that provide minor bonuses.
• Town Specialization: Introduce options for towns to specialize in trade, crafting, or combat, granting unique benefits based on their focus.
• Rivalry System: Implement weekly challenges where towns compete for rewards, fostering collaboration and friendly competition.

Fort Battles Enhancements​

• Dynamic Maps: Introduce fort battle maps with environmental effects such as rain, fog, or wind, impacting visibility and combat efficiency.
• Specialized Roles: Add Engineer and Medic roles to battles, allowing players to repair defenses or heal teammates during combat.
• Persistent Rewards: Reward alliances that control forts with weekly benefits, such as crafting materials or exclusive items.

Exploration and Trade Features​

• Exploration Zones: Introduce new map areas where players can discover rare materials, hidden quests, or legendary items.
• Personal Outposts: Allow players to establish their own outposts, functioning as crafting stations, storage facilities, or trade hubs.
• Enhanced Market System: Add trade caravans and regional trade hubs for auctions, creating a more dynamic economy.

Achievements and Seasonal Content​

• Achievement System Upgrade: Include tiered challenges with greater rewards and an Achievement Points Store for unique items.
• Seasonal Content: Add event-specific jobs, crafting recipes, and themed fort battles to keep players engaged throughout the year.
• Event Leaderboards: Reward top contributors in events with exclusive prizes, encouraging active participation.

Guild and Alliance Expansion​

• Shared Goals: Allow alliances and guilds to work toward shared goals, such as constructing alliance-exclusive buildings.
• Weekly Guild Challenges: Provide guilds with tasks that offer collective rewards, fostering collaboration among members.

These suggestions aim to enrich the gameplay experience, foster community collaboration, and provide fresh challenges that keep players engaged and excited about The West.

 

[WesternCalin]

ChatGPT was consulted for this suggestions. As the game is not being worked on to change anything drastically these suggestions are almost useless.

 

[gordonhunter]

Be a good idea for Galveston been stuck on level 622 since February 2022 due to lack of materials that need to be made by other professions. Honey presses especially plus steel.