Crafting in Lord of the Rings Online is an idea that passes the time, something so that youre character or 'toon' is customized to you're style and all that blabbering. I want a change in crafting, though i do not expect it in any update soon (or in any of the next expansions to say the least) but some new elements recently added should be discarded with a one way ticket to disaster land. Here is a list in my opinion that should be changed.
 

#1:   The Crafting items selected to have a higher critical chance is a nice touch, but it is basically a different picture that shows to which craft it goes too. Nothing more, nothing less. In my opinion, Turbine should switch them so that the community can add a little creativity and flare to their crafting. An example would be: (Please Note that these are not direct stats, its supposed to be an example.)

Bronze Sword      (Picture)
5.4 DPS             2.0 Speed
7-12 Common
(Stats for other weapons)

Price: 72 Copper


Thats a basic tooltip example of an item found through out LOTRO. I think item's like Crude Brimstone, and items of like should be used to create more, well, creativty. My idea is to use these items to chage a slight aspect of the weapon such as, with using the bronze sword example, augmenting the 7 in the damage output to an 8, or the 12 to a 13, or lower the speed from 2.0 to 1.9. The bigger differences coming with yellow recipe items, single use recipe, and mastery items.

Yellow recipe items could have their bonuses changed slightly, such as choose which stat the weapon boosts (example: it used to just give +5 will, now you can change it to any of the other four stats) or enhance slightly the morale, power, crit, resist, etc. boosts (example: an item used to give +13 morale, now it gives +16 morale).

Single use and mastery items just have the yellow recipe items, just slightly boosted for more extensive customization.

All you would need is one of those items Turbine just recently included (obviously relating to the profession) and you have an item created the way you like it.

#2:  Add elven and dwarf variations of weapons to weaponsmithing. It would be really cool to be dressed up like a real elven warrior, or a dwarf guard. In my opinion, this might appeal alot more to Role Players dressing to 'look the part'

#3:   A quest that introduces crafting to new people, but in a creative fashion. For example, a new person looking to try out crafting accepts a vocation, but has trouble comprehending it. They search around and find these 'Novices' of their 3 selected trades. These quests show the ropes on how to use the professions they chose. If they are a veteran of the game and may not require such aid, they can just cancel the assignment, but these quests should give a little boost like a little ore here and there or some wood, maybe even some hides. The quest giver tells them what they want (with the NPC giving him/her the materials), the player crafts it, talks to the quest giver, and he/she will be rewarded with crafting an item to help support the armies of Middle Earth.



I thank you for reading my 'first' absolute post on MMORPG.com, please comment about it, hopefully praise, but if not, polite criticism would be nice. Who knows, if this is a popular topic, Turbine might implement it. If i was vague with some info, contact me and ill 'try' to give a clearer vision of what I am thinking. If i was amiss with any information in this suggestion, please tell me what it is and ill try not to make the fault again.

Most of these things are in the game, although a bit differently.

1. You can see what the crit gear will look like when they are made. They have fixed stats, but if you are looking for stats specifically, you just make a weapon with said stat.

I don't see the point of having X type of the same recipe for everything. It would just clutter up.

2. Armors have different looks and their name suggest it. Men, Elven and Dwarven. If you want to look the part, use the outfit system.

3. When you take up a vocation you get a small book or tome that you are supposed to read. It tells you what you can do and how to do them. Essentially it is a tutorial. For the immersion part, you have the craft quests that you get at each tier.

I hope I understood you correctly. But if not, feel free to elaborate. :)