[Dev Blog] Gear Crafting: Prototype Crafting and Targeted Processing

Gear crafting is a crucial system in "Torchlight: Infinite." We introduced the Crafting system during the preview event on April 22. However, due to time constraints, we might not have covered everything. Therefore, we will provide a more detailed introduction in a graphical format and share the design philosophy of the new Crafting system. We hope this clears up any misunderstandings and helps you better understand the Crafting system.

※Note: The screenshots shown here may not represent the final design, especially regarding the values. The actual values will be determined when the game is released.

The Crafting system comprises two parts: Prototype Crafting and Targeted Processing. Regular equipment can have up to 6 Affixes. In simple terms, Prototype Crafting determines any 4 of them, while Targeted Processing determines the remaining 2.

■ Prototype Crafting

1. Prototype Crafting materials: Any equipment with malleability can be used for Prototype Crafting. Each crafting process consumes malleability, and equipment without malleability cannot be used for Prototype Crafting.

2. Prototype Crafting consumables: The base consumption for Prototype Crafting is Flame Sand. If you lock 1 Affix, you need to consume additional Ember corresponding to the locked Affix. If you lock 2 Affixes, you need to consume more Flame Elementium and Ember.

3. Prototype Crafting results: Each Prototype Crafting process will result in 4 Affixes (Affix type and Tier are random). When no Affixes are locked, all 4 Affixes are re-rolled randomly. If you lock 1 Affix, the remaining 3 are rolled randomly, and if you lock 2 Affixes, the remaining 2 are rolled randomly. You can lock up to 2 Affixes. After each Prototype Crafting process, you can choose between the results before and after the crafting process.

■ Targeted Processing

1. Targeted Processing materials: Any regular equipment with an "Empty affix slot" can be used for Targeted Processing (i.e., equipment with Affix Quantity ≤ 5). (Directional After crafting equipment will lose all malleability and will not be able to undergo Prototype Crafting.)

2. Targeted Processing consumables: Each Targeted Processing process consumes a certain amount of Flame Elementium, Flame Sand, and Ember.

3. Targeted Processing results: Each Targeted Processing process adds one Affix. The Affix result is random within the selected processing direction (e.g., Common Tenacity processing yields Resistance Affixes, and Stats point Affixes are common in Ascetic processing). The results of Targeted Processing can no longer be chosen between before and after processing as in the previous Crafting system (i.e., no more Save/Load feature).

The Affix Weight added by Targeted Processing is different from that of equipment Drop and Prototype Crafting. Common affixes are more likely to have high-level Affixes, with at least one T6-level Affix.

4. Reforge: Although the results of each Targeted Processing process cannot be reverted, Hunters can choose to reforge the equipment, removing all Affixes added by Targeted Processing and reverting it to the Prototype State. If there are no Affixes added by Targeted Processing on the equipment, you cannot Reforge.

5.Refining: Since there is no standard rollback option for Targeted Processing, it may be more challenging to obtain multiple useful high-level Affixes in a row compared to the previous Crafting system. To compensate, we provide the option to refine during the Targeted Processing stage, which replaces the previous Spiral Fossil function.

Refining consumes 10 times the regular directional crafting consumption, but the probability of obtaining T1 and T2 level Affixes in the crafting results is also 10 times higher than usual. This way, when processing the second or even third Targeted Processing Affix, refining significantly increases the chances of getting satisfactory Affixes, reducing the additional cost of repeatedly Reforging.

■ Ember Simplification

If you have played the international version, please note that there are some changes between the new and old Crafting systems:

To reduce the learning curve and simplify the Crafting system, all Embers will no longer have different types, only Quality differences. All Embers are simplified to: Fine Ember (blue Quality), Precious Ember (purple Quality), Exquisite Ember (orange Quality), and Truth Ember (function unchanged). In Prototype Crafting, you need to consume the corresponding Ember when locking Affixes, and directional Crafting also consumes the corresponding Ember.

Additionally, during the Targeted Processing phase, you cannot use Exquisite Embers (previously Ominous/Restless Embers) to add powerful Affixes to the equipment. These Affixes will randomly appear when the equipment Drops or during the Prototype Crafting process, with a maximum of one per piece of equipment. Equipment with these Exquisite Affixes will have all Crafting consumption doubled.

■ Fossil Adjustment

The Fossil function has been adjusted in the new Crafting system. The original Acute Fossil and Spiral Fossil have been removed, replaced by Stripping Fossil and Streamlined Fossil. Both can remove one Affix from equipment. The difference is that Stripping Fossil randomly removes one Affix from the equipment, while Streamlined Fossil removes the lowest-level Affix on the equipment.

Please note that if equipment has Affixes added by Targeted Processing, you cannot use Fossils to remove them (but you can after Reforging), and the removal results cannot be reverted.

■ About Corrosion

In the new version, the function of Corrosion remains unchanged, but Corroded equipment can no longer undergo any Crafting, including Prototype Crafting, Targeted Processing, Reforge, and Fossil usage.

■ Adjustment Philosophy

The previous Crafting system had many advantages, but it also had some clear disadvantages:

1. The ease of obtaining endgame equipment reduced the game's depth and the excitement of veteran Hunters finding top-tier equipment.

2. The process of acquiring equipment was too rigid, making the game lose the element of surprise in finding equipment. This also weakened the game's replayability, as it was challenging to find unexpectedly good mid-to-high-level equipment.

3. Dropped equipment had little value other than the white base.

The new Crafting system aims to solve these issues and increase the consumption of Flames to prevent commodity inflation.

The Prototype Crafting mechanism will make more equipment bases valuable. Even if there are no T1 Affixes in the original equipment, you can still pick it up and try your luck with Prototype Crafting. If you happen to find equipment with one or even two T1 Affixes (indicated by Minimap and Drop alerts), it will be a significant lucky find, as this is precious Crafting material. This will greatly enhance Hunters' treasure hunting experience and solve the problem of dropped equipment having no value. It will also create many unexpected results, making the crafting process full of surprises and anticipation.

Additionally, the Memory Fragment "Second Star Path" is a new way to acquire valuable equipment bases. Collecting four fragments allows you to exchange them for random equipment with 2 T1 Affixes (with a chance to exchange for equipment with Exquisite Affixes).

The combination of Prototype Crafting and Targeted Processing makes it easier for Hunters to obtain decent equipment compared to the old Crafting system. This is particularly useful in the early and mid-game, helping players smoothly transition. However, crafting the highest strength endgame equipment will pose a significant challenge and require strategic planning.

We have noticed some misunderstandings in the community, with some Hunters mistakenly believing that we are extending the game's life by stretching the values. However, this is not the case. We have adjusted the difficulty and leveling requirements for most corresponding stages to align with the Crafting growth curve. In other words, the overall duration required for completion is basically the same as in previous versions. Rest assured, Hunters.

Of course, we are still refining and optimizing the overall Crafting experience, and there may be some value adjustments before the official release. We hope that Hunters will understand these changes and have a preliminary understanding of the new Crafting system. If you have any feedback or questions, please let us know, and we will do our best to answer.

source: https://www.taptap.io/post/5382819