Repair Idea: NPC Gunsmiths, NPC Blacksmiths at specific traders or even their own POI

[MacTX]

An idea that was brought up during a Twitch A17 stream was having repairs be done at a gunsmith or a blacksmith in order to get perfect repairs (no loss of quality). The gunsmith or blacksmith would want materials and dukes for the repair. They could be located at certain traders, all traders, or even have their own NPC and POI.

 

Player repairs could still be done, but only at a workbench, and would be gated to higher levels or with skill level perks or maybe both. A penalty on player repaired items should be implemented, such as dropping down to the next lower level and level 1 items being un-repairable by a player but still repairable by the professionals.

 

The thinking behind this is the "professionals" should be able to perfectly repair your tools/weapons but you as the player wouldn't. Your repair attempts would be less than perfect. Players would have to weigh the pros/con of doing the repairs themselves or taking it to the pros. It would remove the ridiculousness that is clicking repair on your gun while in the middle of running away from zombies and turning around and firing the gun that you just flawlessly repaired.

 

Anyone with any thoughts about the idea?

[Kam R.]

This would have worked well with the old quality and parts system, but on a 6 tier scale as we have it now it seems kinda rough to lose a whole tier to a repair action. And how exactly would you handle installed mods? Does a mod just "fall off" the weapon when it loses a quality tier?

 

I think repairing should become something the player character has to learn and not something they inherently know about, while they are clueless about how to make some tea at the same time...

If not by some sort of manuals or schematics (which they did away with), then maybe tied to an INT based perk (in line with their current system), or – blacksmith/gunsmith NPC that can teach you how to do it (more fun, more immersive, more incentive to travel and find said NPC, additional money dump for the economy... could go on forever..).

 

I like the "workbench-needed" part of your suggestion though. It does feel a bit off that you could do this sorta thing on the fly.

[InSanity]

Certainly makes more sense/is more in depth than the current system, I'd be down for a system somewhat like this as it both adds a little more realism and gives the player a choice that actually means something and will have consequences.

[PoppaTot]

If something like this were implemented I would think it would have to be across the board. All weapons, all tools, all vehicles. Nailguns, augers, chainsaws, everything if we are going for realism here. Then it would just become completely tedious. If we continue to fall back on realism as a way to change everything we wouldn't have a game anymore. Think about it, vehicles in back packs, 6000 stacks of materials, carrying more than say 50lbs worth of items, having a literal arsenal on your toolbelt, ect. We can't always fall back on realism. Just my opinion though.

[Aerial]

If something like this were implemented I would think it would have to be across the board. All weapons, all tools, all vehicles. Nailguns, augers, chainsaws, everything if we are going for realism here. Then it would just become completely tedious. If we continue to fall back on realism as a way to change everything we wouldn't have a game anymore. Think about it, vehicles in back packs, 6000 stacks of materials, carrying more than say 50lbs worth of items, having a literal arsenal on your toolbelt, ect. We can't always fall back on realism. Just my opinion though.

 

Agree, it would have to be across the board to work as a game mechanic. It would become tedious quickly at the current rate of degradation, for sure, but if things didn't degrade so fast it could potentially work.

 

Anything that adds more meaningful choice to the game is a good thing, IMO.

[InSanity]

If something like this were implemented I would think it would have to be across the board. All weapons, all tools, all vehicles. Nailguns, augers, chainsaws, everything if we are going for realism here. Then it would just become completely tedious. If we continue to fall back on realism as a way to change everything we wouldn't have a game anymore. Think about it, vehicles in back packs, 6000 stacks of materials, carrying more than say 50lbs worth of items, having a literal arsenal on your toolbelt, ect. We can't always fall back on realism. Just my opinion though.

 

While I do agree with you to an extent as I don't want tedious activities that add nothing to the game, I would also like to see more done with the repair system because none of the level gates or int perks mean anything if you can get an endgame steel tool or high quality weapon in the first week and simply continue repairing it and never lose it.

[Krougal]

If something like this were implemented I would think it would have to be across the board. All weapons, all tools, all vehicles. Nailguns, augers, chainsaws, everything if we are going for realism here. Then it would just become completely tedious. If we continue to fall back on realism as a way to change everything we wouldn't have a game anymore. Think about it, vehicles in back packs, 6000 stacks of materials, carrying more than say 50lbs worth of items, having a literal arsenal on your toolbelt, ect. We can't always fall back on realism. Just my opinion though.

 

Agree. Or in other words; don't do it.

[fazi]

With the current system, i would just scrap the item and craft a new one.I wanna go loot, build, mine, kill zombies, not just go to trader and npc...

[LuckyStar]

This would have worked well with the old quality and parts system, but on a 6 tier scale as we have it now it seems kinda rough to lose a whole tier to a repair action. And how exactly would you handle installed mods? Does a mod just "fall off" the weapon when it loses a quality tier?

 

I think repairing should become something the player character has to learn and not something they inherently know about, while they are clueless about how to make some tea at the same time...

If not by some sort of manuals or schematics (which they did away with), then maybe tied to an INT based perk (in line with their current system), or – blacksmith/gunsmith NPC that can teach you how to do it (more fun, more immersive, more incentive to travel and find said NPC, additional money dump for the economy... could go on forever..).

 

I like the "workbench-needed" part of your suggestion though. It does feel a bit off that you could do this sorta thing on the fly.

 

Yeah agreed.

 

 

With the current system, i would just scrap the item and craft a new one.I wanna go loot, build, mine, kill zombies, not just go to trader and npc...

 

This as well.

[skullpoker]

lol 4x4. I get it

 

Luckily my posting that in the wrong thread is nowhere near as facepalmy as your OP. Putting that sort of repair back in the game would be foolish and bad. Putting in specific NPCs in a RGW world that you can't repair until you find them is even worse. Please never put this in the game, and delete this thread ASAP!

[MacTX]

This would have worked well with the old quality and parts system, but on a 6 tier scale as we have it now it seems kinda rough to lose a whole tier to a repair action. And how exactly would you handle installed mods? Does a mod just "fall off" the weapon when it loses a quality tier?

 

I guess that would be the trade-off with player repairing, losing a level from the repair and having to use a workbench in addition to the repair material. The current system is just way too easy. The installed mods would have to be given some consideration and balanced if this is considered for implementation. Anywhere from all the mods being returned to your inventory and the player having to reinstall the ones they want again to having an installed mod randomly get destroyed in the player repair attempt. The former would probably be preferred than the latter.

 

If something like this were implemented I would think it would have to be across the board. All weapons, all tools, all vehicles. Nailguns, augers, chainsaws, everything if we are going for realism here. Then it would just become completely tedious. If we continue to fall back on realism as a way to change everything we wouldn't have a game anymore. Think about it, vehicles in back packs, 6000 stacks of materials, carrying more than say 50lbs worth of items, having a literal arsenal on your toolbelt, ect. We can't always fall back on realism. Just my opinion though.

 

Implementing it across the board shouldn't be an issue since the items we're talking about can be picked up by players as an item in an inventory slot. The idea wasn't to fall back on realism but to better balance out repairs. The current system is just way too easy. You should have to learn or achieve some sort of level before even being able to repair and having to find a workbench or make a workbench. That is balanced out by being able to bypass all that and do repairs at a trader. If TFP wanted to also allow perfect player repairs, that could be done as the very top tier perk or something.

 

I would also like to see more done with the repair system because none of the level gates or int perks mean anything if you can get an endgame steel tool or high quality weapon in the first week and simply continue repairing it and never lose it.

 

That was actually what sparked the conversation in the Twitch chats. Someone found an endgame steel pickax on day 1.

 

Putting in specific NPCs in a RGW world that you can't repair until you find them is even worse.

 

The option is there for TFP, they can do all traders or just specific NPCs. Balancing would probably determine that. If you can't find a trader in random, repairs are the least of your problems. Also the option is always there for leveling up a player to the point of having repair abilities using a workbench, that's not being replaced, it's just adding a new re-balancing of the repair system. The current A17 repair system is atrocious. The old repair system of losing quality was more balanced. This new idea is just taking that and evolving it.

[RawGage]

I kindly disagree where the game perks and stats system designs YOU to become the professional. If you're learning those skills it would be foolish to pay someone else to fix what you can.

 

I like where your heads at and hope you can take my view with a gentle smile... I'm merely sharing my thoughts is all.

 

Thank you for creating this post, btw.

[MacTX]

I kindly disagree where the game perks and stats system designs YOU to become the professional. If you're learning those skills it would be foolish to pay someone else to fix what you can.

 

I like where your heads at and hope you can take my view with a gentle smile... I'm merely sharing my thoughts is all.

 

Thank you for creating this post, btw.

 

That's what the post was for, to get the idea out there and let people add their thoughts or suggestions to it. TFP can pick and choose whatever aspect of the idea we discuss in this thread they would like to use or none at all.

 

The idea behind letting players become professionals at repairing things is mostly for balance and endgame. When you do something enough times, the possibly is there that you'll eventually get good at it. So it kind of made sense with regards to player repairs. By the time a player has acquired that perfect crafting skill, they would essentially be at an end point, and they would be the master of the game. Preferably for the sake of balance, the workbench would still be required, they just won't need to travel to the trader and pay them for the service.

 

Something that just occurred to me while writing this is that it could just be a repetition reward skill.... after a player has repaired a specific item a certain number of times, they will just gain perfect repairs for that item. Say after repairing iron fireaxe for 40 times (TFP could change that to any number for the sake of game balance), the player gains the ability for perfect iron fireaxe repairs. This would add a lot of depth and complexity to the game but it would make it that much more interesting. I don't know if TFP wants to make their game that detailed though.