Fallout 4 - The Crafting System

[Myrthos]

Gamasutra features an article where three game developers, are talking about the crafting system in Fallout 4.

Freelance Designer Rick Ernst, who’s currently contracting at Riot Games, compares Fallout 4’s crafting to Bethesda's Skyrim, and says there’s an immediately visible shift in design that shows significant evolution from older modes of RPG thinking.

“The crafting system is much more interesting and useful than that of Skyrim, despite the superficial similarities and reuse of core mechanics," he says. “With Skyrim, early crafting was, with few exceptions, grinding out garbage to skill up. Low level enchanters couldn’t make anything worth a damn, but you still did these low-cost transactions because it was the only way to level up enchanting.”

By comparison, Fallout 4 begins by “demoing” skill trees that players may be interested in later. “For example, mods, chems, and structures you build early on are immediately useful power-wise, and don’t feel like grinding to build," says Ernst. "Though a small amount of XP is awarded with crafting, it isn’t a primary means of advancement. “

Thanks Eye.

More information.

 

[joxer]

IMO there is only one flaw with FO4 crafting and it's persuading ranged based character into melee.
To get "ingredients" one has to loot and hoard junk. And to carry all of that, needs high STR stat.

Other than that, crafting n FO4 is - fun. I love it.

 

[Morrandir]

Yup, already noticed that myself.

 

[Stingray]

Crafting seems to have been used as an excuse in FO4 to reduce the amount of weapon variety, though. Pretty much everything you kill (at any given stage in the game) drops the same few weapons, just with different mods on them. I guess the presence of "legendary" weapons alleviates the problem to some extent. Moving all your mods from your existing weapon to any legendary weapon you find is a hassle, though. I think I preferred the previous setup overall.

 

[Silver]

This game is a bit like Tony Stark's workshop isn't it. Iron Man the game should have lots and lots of crafting. I guess it works for a future setting where technology is king. I would expect a specialist to be crafting for me in a medieval setting through baldurs gate 2 style.

 

[joxer]

Erm... I'm not actually sure why would you care about moving mods around.
I don't do that. When I need an upgrade, I just make a new.

 

[Stingray]

Erm… I'm not actually sure why would you care about moving mods around.
I don't do that. When I need an upgrade, I just make a new.

Well that's a waste of rare materials...

 

[joxer]

There are rare materials in this game?
Didn't know, honestly.

Then again, I loot everything. Well... Except buckets.

 

[Stingray]

Adhesive is the worst for me. Depends on how much you build and how often you upgrade your mods and how many weapons you carry I suppose.

 

[joxer]

Didn't notice any shortage of that one, but lemme check.

EDIT:
Seems it's not that rare. Gold and nuclear material are harder to get, at least in my game - checked on gauss rifle vulgaris:

btw I carry only three different weapons with me and switch depending on situation.

 

[JDR13]

Adhesive is the worst for me. Depends on how much you build and how often you upgrade your mods and how many weapons you carry I suppose.

Oil is the worst for me by far.. I never seem to have enough for all the explosives I want to make. Screws seem to run out pretty fast too.

I disagree that there's less weapon variety in FO4 though. Even without the mods, there seems to be a good variety or at least as good as FO3.

 

[Morrandir]

Oil is the worst for me by far.. I never seem to have enough for all the explosives I want to make.

From all I've learned from today's western politics you now have to inva... err... bring democracy and freedom to a country sitting on oil.

 

[joxer]

With JDR I can agree partially. Earlygame, oil can be a problem. It seems rare in northwestern quarter of the map.
Midgame however, there's crapload of it to hoard.

Screws… We talked about that IIRC. The scavver perk helps it.

 

[Thrasher]

You can make adhesive from crops so there's an infinite supply.

 

[joxer]

True but I never did it and still have more than enough of adhesive.
Probably needed only for those who rush the main story.