From a immersion perspective... because they do exist before the apocalypse. You would get inside a shotgun messiah and not find a single usable gun? (with minor exceptions, such as the pipe guns IMO). As other people also stated, not all players focus on craft and there's this idea of having multiple ways of reaching stuff in the game. Through craft or loot. I don't share your point of view and don't agree with what are you proposing.DeadElviS said:
But I hear ya, in the late game craft reach its roof (managing base/defenses and no longer useful for gun and equipping). But I think a lot of people suggested other ways to improve the experience. Such as:
- Improve balance and drop chances (this can push Q6 items even further down the line).
- Change how skills affects the craft (not only buffing craft time and effectiveness).
- Tweak traders and quest rewards and available items.
My honest and personal perspective about that is:
- It is a post apocalypse game... not in a lifetime you will be able to build some stuff like it was before the apocalypse, because you will always be handling with crapped material, improvised tools and components that will hardly be a match for the schematic you will find. Meaning:
I understand Q6 stuff as pre apocalypse stuff. Things that have been somehow kept in a safe and controlled environment for years.
- Even if you somehow find a schematic for a rifle. Imagine how many specific components you have to find (or find ways to craft it) in order to assemble it as it was specified. The Q1-Q5 means how much you had to improvise to put it in working conditions. That's why I think it's ok for Quality 6 of T2-T3 not be crafted.
- On the other hand... I don't agree with how repair work (from a immersion perspective). A duct tape and a forged iron will repair basically everything T2 or above in game. The same kit will repair your car, your armor and your gun. I think it's ok for items you can craft. But a Q6 weapon should be something really painful to upkeep. And Q6 armor and tools should be somewhat difficult to upkeep.
[*]I like how craft is working on A21. But it requires tweaks, a lot of tweaks. There are things we were able to craft much ahead of we were able to find (Guns and armors). But other stuff that worked on the other way around (such as tools). Some craft magazines seem to be much more abundant than others (even with the same focus on skills). But I would suggest:
Remove the whole isolated schematics. They seem out of place. They are not in a book, neither in a craft magazine. It feels disconnected and unpredictable. They can be easily moved with perks (like... gradual book unlock, such as level 3 and 5). If you read 3 archer books you can craft the arrow resting thing. With 5 archer books you can craft the string and so on... shutgun mods with the shotgun books, scopes with sniper books, silencer and noise reducers for armor in stealth books. Pokets in tailoring books and so on. Or even:
- Remove the recipes for some mods from the crafting. Make them really rare to find. This would make the extra mods from high quality items less effective and could be used to drive scavenging efforts even further. Or just make then harder to craft (less available materials required to craft).
[*]In a nutshell. I do belive:
Players may have basically 3 ways or improving their gear:
By crafting: That should be the most reliable and predicable way to do some narrowed intended craft. You get the skills for the craft you want, find the magazines, craft and maintain your focused gear. For instance... if you want to do handguns, you will always have a predictable and reliable way to craft and maintain and use handguns effectively. You will be a great handgun shooter because that's what you are invested both in craft and usage.
- By scavenging: Unpredictable but rewardable. It demands adaptation. You will likely find items with better quality stuff than you would if you were crafting focusing. But maybe its not the type of weapon you have skill points and maybe you will have to worry about the ammo because you wont have a reliable source of ammo. Y
- By trading: Somewhat unpredictable, but flexible. You improve your bartering and rewarding skills you get your dukes, you can choose how to spend it. Sometimes you will need to wait restock or move a lot to find that you are searching for. But you will have options as long as you keep your pockets filled enough.
[*]In a practical fashion. You will never have any of this ways as the only way. You will blend them according to what you want or know or need. How you mix this will tell you how predictable, reliable and rewarding this could be.
[*]The whole randomness is key element of the survival type of game. You can reduce it's effect by adopting a more predictable playstyle... focusing in few skills and aiming your exploring efforts in POIs that are related to what you are focusing. Or you can embraced it and make the most of what you find and adapt to your needs. You are running out of food? Better go check some dinners and kitchens and luckily you will have a decent meal. But reduce the randomness too much and it will be all about doing the right choices.