For a lot of people, logging on to their favorite MMO isn’t about raiding, or PvP, or dungeon runs – it’s about creating great items and contributing to the backbone of an MMOs economy. I’ve never personally been a huge proponent of crafting in MMOs, but there is undoubtedly a certain type of players that loves the art of creation and trading. This list will focus on 5 games that have or had great crafting systems, but they may not be specifically focused on crafting as a primary and necessary mechanic.
5) Fallen Earth
Any game that’s post-apocalypse themed probably has a detailed crafting system, and Fallen Earth is no exception. Virtually all items in the game can be crafted and the brutal atmosphere alone lends itself well to the type of situation where players would be forced to fend for themselves. The modern day setting also allows for unique concepts in crafted items – everything from clothes and weapons to transportation.
One of the great things about the crafting system in Fallen Earth is how it allows you to continue doing other things in the game without getting bogged down at workbenches. You can set stuff up in your queue and the game will let you know when an item is completed. The world is huge and there is great need for crafted items, so you could easily make a name for yourself in the world of Fallen Earth by specializing in different types of crafting.
4) Guild Wars 2
Out of all the crafting systems on this list, this game probably has the most traditional of them all. Guild Wars 2 doesn’t have a great crafting system because of how intricate it is, or even how reliant the agme is on player-made material. Instead, it’s great because of how sleek it is and how well it works. Every character has the opportunity to level every crafting profession and the progression system is extremely easy to follow and understand.
While playing the game, you’ll come across gathering nodes all across the world and enemies drop materials and items can be broken down further into materials as well. In fact, it’s entirely possible for players to level up their characters almost completely without ever having to fight anything – although it can get awfully expensive in the later portions of the game to craft so heavily. The slick auction house makes it super easy to sell crafted items, and at the very least crafting gear for friends and alts is a good way to go.
3) Mortal Online
While Mortal Online may not be the most polished and popular MMO on the market right now, anyone that actually tries it out and gets into the crafting system will know just how deep this rabbit hole goes. Virtually all worth-having items are crafted by players, which contribute to being a major part of the economy. What really makes the crafting in MO shine though, is just how intricate everything is on a purely system mechanics level.
There are tons of different types of materials that all can be combined in unique ways to make items. You can pick and choose the materials you want to include to create custom items and recipes that affect your states in different ways. When trading items, you can specialize and keep your recipes a secret and truly earn your way as a merchant and trader in the world. It’s a truly deep system that is much more immersive and flexible than the majority of MMOs on the market today.