I have been plugging away learning the various crafting systems and I am thoroughly impressed. Each system seems to have been well thought out fairly logically implemented in the server.
However I have noticed something of an oversight.
The tools to craft in the server all, with the exception of the Alchemy tools and the Herbalist's mortar, seem to sell from the NPCs for a single gold piece.
The interesting and RP problematic result of this 1 gold price set up is that often these tools are buy - use - then discard. I have seen carpentry saws, woodworkers kits, mining picks of both sizes, smith hammers, gilding pliers, smelters bellows, leather worker kits, curing knives, and boiler hooks, all left on floor near the craft stations, next to the trash barrels in the craft locations, and at the feet of the NPC's who sell them. Because of this "drop it and leave it" habit the crafting areas tend to get junked up after a few real hours, and can even with enough of these things left around add to the lag problems the server gets after awhile. The IC reason for leaving it seems mainly to come from some sort of idea that, leaving it will benefit some future crafter who can't afford the 1 gp cost of the tool. I have had 3 separate RP conversations about this behavior with 3 different characters. Each one firmly believed that dropping tools on the floor was no big deal. Each of these conversations took place in the Dverghiem smithy. After the 3rd conversation I realized that it wasn't going to change anything. The reason it won't is simple, the tools are so cheep that they have become disposable. If anyone thinks that is an unfair assessment, I humbly point out that I have never encountered a free herbalist mortar left for use at any of the herbalist cauldrons, most likely due to the high cost (56 gp) of purchasing one. I have however seen the herbalist mortar, and the Alchemy tools in the regular merchants stores.
I have read other posts about the crafting systems here on the forums and a common early point was the crafting skills are suppose to be a "gold sink" for a PC. I certainly have come to believe that to be true as my PC has spent most of every gold piece found on continuing the craft. I ooc'ly am a cheep miser and hate to spend good money (real or in game) on stuff I already own. So my PC has the same tool he bought to craft with for each crafting disciplines. All the tools he has takes up an entire bag. The entire weight of the tools, Alchemy, Woodworking, Herbalist, and Smithing with the large pickax comes to 9 lbs. In the 40% magic bag it comes to 5. It isn't that much compared to the bags of ore he ends up lugging back to the smithy.
As far as the IC part of this. My dwarf has chosen to live in Dvergheim, and considers it his home. He takes pride in his home and his chosen "profession" as a steel and silver smith. He will continue to remind others, especially non-dwarves to please clean up after themselves. He also hopes that by sticking around Dvergheim that other dwarves will follow suit and maybe something will happen to propel the "Dark Crystal" story line along. OOC'ly I doubt that is going to happen if players continue to treat the NPCs and the areas as non-important.
Thanks for reading please know my intent is to help make things more immersive and fun.
