In many MMORPGs players wield weapons of steel and magic in order to set out across foreign and dangerous lands to claim the title of "Hero". However, there are many different types of heroes. While some of these heroes are forged, there are those that do the forging themselves--these are the crafters.

Crafting in an MMORPG is usually at the economic core of any game in the genre, providing reasons for players to spend their gold and embark on adventures so that they may continue earning it. And while crafted items help provide a healthy in-game economy, a good crafting system provides much more to those who would take the time to master it. Creating a sword that was wielded by a warrior as she took on the game's final boss with her guild or a potion that allowed a healer to keep casting beneficial spells so he could continue to give his group a fighting chance. When implemented correctly, crafting provides the means for players to leave their mark in the game world in unique and helpful ways.

In Carbine's upcoming MMORPG, WildStar, crafting sits near the center as one of the game's core features. I received the opportunity to attend a round table discussion where WildStar's very own Econ Designer, Phillip Chan aka PChan, as we discussed Carbine's philosophies on crafting and what there goals for crafting systems are in WildStar. If you're unfamiliar with WildStar's crafting systems, or just want to brush up on some crafting-goodness, be sure to check out my "Crafting Deep Dive" article where I explain all the basics of WildStar's crafting and gathering systems.

Without further delay, let's talk crafting!

Another week is here which means another episode of Nexus Talk! This week, join Richie Procopio has he goes over the basics of WildStar's crafting system. If you like "shinies" and hoverboards, this episode is for you!

Hey WildStar fans! With the epic-six week class drop finally at an end and the press NDA lifting for levels 1-15, we’ve seen a lot of combat and action-packed info from the WildStar community. Today I want to take a step back and look at a different aspect of the game, one that can sometimes be overlooked in many MMOs. However, in the case of WildStar, our topic of discussion is actually one of the key systems that holds the entire game together and is also one that you might not think of right away. This is the game’s crafting system.

In some games, crafting is included as a “side-project” or something that isn’t given much attention compared to other design aspects. This can often make those dedicated crafters out there feel unimportant, especially once the majority of the player base has reached end-game and crafted gear becomes obsolete. However, In WildStar crafting serves a very important role and not only allows crafters to serve an important economic purpose in the game, but it also allows them to specialize in a specific crafting area and make crafted items that are generally better than other rewards given in various parts of the game.

Today I’ll walk you through the basics of the crafting system and touch on the individual parts that fit into the greater picture. And while this won’t cover every nook and cranny of each crafting skill--and there are a lot of them--it should get you started on the right road to becoming a master crafter at the very least. And one final note before we get started, keep in mind that while you will see some of the crafting UI that is currently in beta, all of the UI and even information we cover isn't final and may be subject to change; beta is beta remember. So without further ado, let’s jump into some crafting!

What is this sorcery? How can there be new WildStar information on a Friday? Clearly, Wednesday is the day we're supposed to get news of this caliber! We best not question it, and instead pay homage to the god of purple pixels for the gift we are about to receive.