Earthrise is the post-apocalyptic MMO being developed by Masthead Studios that will have a game setting quite different from the crumbled, burned out world we'd typically associate with global armageddon. Earthrise is set in a utopian future that's quickly turning dystopian, one that's still rather crumbly on the outskirts to keep that aftermath feel to the game. Beyond the guild warfare and sandbox elements of gameplay Massively has looked at in the past, Masthead Studios is putting a great deal of emphasis on the game's crafting system.
In fact, this is the focus of the Earthrise Question of the Week on the game's forums, posted by the game's community manager Moll. However, instead of simply doing a brief Q&A as in other weeks, Moll explains the concepts behind the crafting system before eliciting feedback from Earthrise fans.
Moll writes: "Earthrise is unique among MMO games with its design decision to provide most customization options to the crafter instead to the end user of an item (given they are different characters) in order to emphasize the importance and influence of crafting design. Players will be looking not just for any crafter, but the one with the right technologies and designs, capable of producing a specific tailored weapon or armor to the player's requirements."
Moll also explains how crafting specializations will give rise to increased competition in Earthrise: "Competition between crafters will be constantly fought because with extended use, designs attached to a technology will wear off and crafters will have to constantly support their technologies in order to stay on the top of the technological wave. Those crafters that see influx of sales will be able to maintain and strengthen their position, while crafters that are unable to will face high costs of supporting their technologies and most likely be forced to move to less competitive markets. That is why we are considering implementing gradually features that allow players to easily connect and provide services, in order to grow awareness in their wares."
Since Masthead Studios is still in the process of developing the game's crafting system, they've posed a question to the forum's readers. Moll writes, "Crafters, this is your call to action! What kind of features would you like to see, and what would help you easily connect with others and provide services?" The game's fans are providing feedback in the forum thread, so if you've got some views on crafting you'd like the Masthead Studios devs to consider, this would be the time to make yourself heard.
