tinkering to improve tools and armour

[Elwood]

I was reading some discussions about armour and how it would not make sense to have diamond armour.  I totally agree with not having unrealistic things like a diamond armour or pickaxe. I also dont want to see magical book enchantments like minecraft added but i think there is still room to add a type of mechanic to items to add improvement.

Oftentimes in the past  smiths would add engraving, encrust gems, add gold embossment to items to demonstrate this is no common sword.  the adornments generally were used to demonstrate that "This is no common sword but it was custom built for a Lord". 

I would like to see a tool and armour enhancement/improvement mechanic where combining certain things with items could demonstrate good workmanship and result in some buffs like faster speed. 

How the mechanic could work, for example, is one could carve a handle from a bone and add a gemstone or gold inlay.  Take any pick. combine with a carved bone handle and obtain a +1 speed boost with that pick.  use the same base model for the pick but change the name of it.

Not sure if the current API can modify the base attributes or name of an item that is hardcoded in the JSON config for an item.

[Elwood]

When a flint tool breaks it makes sense to discard the fragments but you would be a fool to discard a piece of refined copper if you were mining copper ore!

Based on the Law of Conservation of Matter.  I think metal tools should not disappear when broken but should drop metal fragments that can be recycled. Perhaps a 50-75% loss of original material.

Metal tools could lose effectiveness with use.  So in addition to losing durability and eventually breaking, the speed should be affected over time and require sharpening and could get a temporary sharpness buff when sharpened.  For example a scythe is super fast at breaking grass but dulls very quickly.  My grampa on the farm would make a few swipes then stop to sharpen the tool with a sharpening stone on a rope attached to his belt.

One final thought.  most tools should require some type of binding during crafting.  The binding could be grass twine, linen string, sinew, leather, or metal rivets and the type used could also affect the durability or other stats if the mechanics to modify stats existed.

I don't want to make this over complicated but build attribute adjustments in the foundation so modders can have something to work with.  Who knows this might already be in the API.  But currently it looks like most items have pretty static attributes in the JSON configs.

[redram]

Previous topic covering sharpening, just fyi:

Also my opinion on tool scraps.

[Unclesid]

I honestly think that engraving and improving a sword from a regular iron sword. to a gem encrusted sword of kings should be implemented, giving us more of a reason to spend time with our weapons and making something unique would add a lot of variety and trading options in multiplayer. Assuming there is an RPG system, and any sort of bartering system. You could go a long way impressing people with how much work you put into something.

A hoard of gem encrusted, hardened, and sharpened swords sound more like a successful village than just plain ol' sharpened swords.

this goes for armor as well, i mean what kind of king are you if you don't even have a helm adorned with gems.

[redram]

It's quite true that fancy encrustations and such are a fantasy staple.  And if VS goes that way I won't complain.  But from a RL standpoint gem encrustations are just opportunities to get caught on a strap or otherwise mess you up, exposing you to counter-blows.  I think that irl, the more engraved and encrusted a piece of armor was, the less expected it was that the wearer was to ever see actual combat.  But, viking horned helms are the same thing, and I still love them.  So w/e.  I definitely endorse being able to sell fancified stuff for a lot to merchants though, similar to encrusting with gems for trade purposes in dwarf fortress.

[Unclesid]

That's the general idea i was going for, just making them more valuable. though i realize they do get caught up in pretty much anything, it's mostly just a reason to continue on into skill systems, and add more specialization into blacksmithing trees or something (if it gets implemented).

Dwarf fortress was basically the entire reason i even bring it up, It's just such a neat concept to create a unique item that's difficult to obtain in the world itself. I wouldn't use a gem encrusted sword to fight honestly, but i would keep it around for display purposes. I would fight with an engraved sword that's well forged and sharpened. I can't get enough of Nordic symbols along the blade (though i know it would make a weak point, but if i'm gonna fight i would prob die anyways, so might as well die with something that gives me honor).

when npc's come around, and most of the games fleshed out. I do believe luxury resources like this should become a time investment opportunity, especially as gifts to npcs or something.

 

[Telem]

Maybe it could also be useful to tinker with the application of tools on the matter in the world.

Axe´s, for example, are a real headache with the losing of durability per woodblock of the chopped down tree. I think it would be more fitting to lose "sharpness" instead of overall durability and make the tool lose more durability the less it is maintained.

Also for the armour/weapon part, why not just make it accessoires? For example strappable barbs for gauntlets or specially crafted weights to give your weapon more power in the down swing.