I could definitely get behind second idea, if it hasn't already been changed, which it very well might have been, since that was...rather largely... mentioned... "mechanic" (*cough bug ("feature")(I dunno really) cough cough*)
I dislike dealing with copper at titanium, and yes, while it becomes less and less requested because there's more choice in customer request, Copper is still requested up to just before Titanium, at least... I didn't see Titanium much before I.... decided... That a fresh save was required...Haven't played hard enough since to be back at titanium again yet.
As for Conveyor. - I know there's ideas suggested/taken into consideration for speed and efficiency of the two units, among other things.. Maybe to "logic" and "theme" something "better" (Conveyor-ish) It can just be an upgrade which "Magically" stores and draws the ingots from one to the other.
One's stats could maybe determine the availability of the upgrade (it'd still cost money but perhaps wouldn't unlock till level 10 and/or whatever stats) and/or the number of times per day one could use the mechanic before being forced to have to do it by hand - Perhaps 1 absolute last time could be drawn after the fact but it'd force the player into fatigue and prevent further usage of the mechanic - as well, if its the end of the day normally and you're fatigued, it'd result in the same - the inability to use it.
Perhaps additional to that; Since Storage options have been 'discussed' as well - Perhaps a special crate could be sold or come with the upgrade as well. It'd consume one of those uses every time ore was placed into it (consume the ore like the "turned on" smelter would (when it's already hot/progress (instantly consumes new ore, instead of "melting' them into nothingness)))
Of course the purpose of the 'special' crate would be to act as a trigger for using "the skill" to transport ore from the mine quickly into the smelter, So that one could remain in the mine for a longer period of time actively mining - since no matter how good a haul or not you get, you're simply incapable of carrying more than one jammed full and over crate at a time, even if you have additional crates to swap off with, it still requires carrying each back out before it's "too late" (fatigue16h/24h)
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Alternatively. the Shining crystal nodes that reside in the mine - could be changed so they could "fuel magic" and be mined/procured and required for the function to work (or perhaps both methods could be used, "free" uses based on stats/level and "fuel" uses based on stock of (fuel item for magic) )
Apart from that: "conveyor" sounds .. or at least brings to mind, things that would be outside of the "theme" shown so far...
But that hasn't stop other games from utilizing "technological wonders" far exceeding the theme/era/etc (Dwemer machinations in elder scrolls, for example.)
So who knows.
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However back to the point of Copper. While i dislike it too, and feel there should be a hard player-controlled way to negate it...
Part of me does appreciate it's existence... The part that goes "This is a customer either getting what they can afford, or what they can equip"
When I'm level 12 and can use the "4th" weapon of my class or some such thing in pretty much any other rpg game, I desire, at best, buying the "4th" weapon.
I wouldn't want a shop offering me the 1st weapon, just like the shop wouldn't want me to demand the 1st weapon if they didn't sell it.
but at the same time, I wouldn't want a shop offering me weapons 8-12, either, nor one offering 40-50, even if they have a ridiculously good sale that for whatever reason makes a "9th" weapon cost less than a 4th weapon - I can't use it, and I don't have a billion trillion of the currency to go willy nilly spending spree at every deal I see, and then beyond that is ability to equip/use it, which usually by the time I could I'll have found something either rarer and lower tier that is stronger, or better than it in general, perhaps even same tier and rare - or perhaps found literally it, but better stats.
But I'd still like to be the one in control of that. - Unless.
Unless there was a feature added which would drastically change smith/store operation.
a sort've "stock" vs "showcase" - If you've seen Recettear - there's a... sort've... similar thing there.
What most customers see is what is showcase, but if they're looking for "something" in particular, they can come and ask "you" to see if you have "something" or similar in "stock" (inventory) Even though its not on showcase in the limit space you have to "display" items.
There way I could something of that scale easily working for MLB - is eventually getting the option to "Upgrade" the store to contain a "specific" stock storage. - like Copper "stock"
I wouldn't say "require" it to be "fully assembled items" though maybe it should, you /can/ still build them in off-hours, but for the purpose of this post, I'm going to say "not required"
Basically. It'd be an.. additionally and crate/chest (similar appearance as the customer scroll and coin chest)
And you'd be able to drop ingots (not ore), and finished tool parts - and fully assembled items matching the metal type (to "discount" the price to "assemble for stock")
That'd be the function of the crate/chest.
The function of the scroll would be to
- a) to display how much of the specific metal type you had stored in the scroll (ingots, Part heads, actual items)
- Example: (metal) Copper
- .........................Ingots on hand: 32
- .................Small Blades on hand: 3
- ........Normal Blade: 4
- Large Blade: 1
- Large 2h axehead: 2
- Pickaxe head: 1
- Small hammer: 0
- Large hammer: 0
- Small axehead: 2
- Dagger: 4
- Sword: 10
- Greatsword: 0
- etc
- ........Normal Blade: 4
- .................Small Blades on hand: 3
- .........................Ingots on hand: 32
- Example: (metal) Copper
- B) "Stock" Assembled copper items
- Example - Tab 2 (similar to Ingots/Grips/guards tab in delivery scroll)
- Display Cost: (Metal) (In this case, copper, so "10")
- Buttons for each possible item ("standard" - I.e "Spear/polearm variant 1" is a small blade and grip (lowest quality) But you can /make/ a "polearm" with the best grip, a 2h guard, and a large blade and sell it for more (because it takes price of parts and marks it up by 10+x%
- Pressing a button will "Buy" an assembled item without markup ( cost of parts)
- Minus parts on hand.
- So since there's 32 copper ingots stored in the scroll, even though there's no Large hammer heads nor greathammers stored in it, It'll only cost 1-3coins (wood 2h common) to make, automatically/instantly, a Greathammer (stored and not removable in/from scroll - Any item that goes into scroll is "gone" forever - Much like Incinerator or smelter+ore)
- Minus parts on hand.
- Example - Tab 2 (similar to Ingots/Grips/guards tab in delivery scroll)
That way displayed items can be the Epic magical +45015 enhance murdersword of galactic doom and "Authentic" +9001 "Over 9000 backstab knife" (Collector's edition, rainbow BlackSmith-New skin)
And the customer can still get their fill of low tier requests, and the player doesn't have to get frustrated over either having to have copper/make it, basically wasting their time or reputation (suggested feature, turning a customer away can happen, but would result in bad publicity/loss of rep)
I'm unsure whether I'd say "allow grip parts/guard parts" to be stored separately in it because its been talked about as well for grips to see massive changes too - making grips (wood) yourself as well as the possibility of future grips being "upgrades" (metal)
Obviously.
a lot of things would be "worse" with the "stock" scroll
Tool heads would "have" to lose their enhances, or rather, They wouldn't lose them, but simply wouldn't benefit from them - The scroll would just treat them as the part they are and nothing more.
Fully Assembled items would likely only sell for the basic grip/guard+ toolhead price, even if it had a better grip going in - again, for simplicity/code-ease/optimization.
But you could at least have -124591-580815089 on hand - I mean. once you get to iron/steel prices, you could probably get 100 of every item in copper - not that currently you'd want to cause it'd suck making them for like a month in game... but you could. - That'd be what I'd think is a good way of going about it...
However, another "worse" would probably be I'd say that "Church/King" requests wouldn't be fillable with it.
You'd have to fulfill those orders by hand, IMO. Neither of them would want your dime a billion crapstick, even if they still requested for crapsticks, and even if you still make literally the exact same thing stored in stock,
Oh
And Customers would "Query" "Stocks" for their requested item - So If you don't have the stock or don't have it in stock in the stock, and don't have it on display, They'll still stand there at your counter preventing other customers from coming in for the full duration of their "order time" (Unless you manually send them off) (fail or manual send off would still result in whatever future decided drawbacks (loss of rep))
And of course since there's also suggested talk for hired help or sorts and/or theft...
I would assume one can hire a "counter" clerk who'd ensure full sale prices while the blacksmith is out of the shop map-cell
The stock would still sell an item regardless of clerk or smith presence, but might have a chance of like 1-5% at being reduced price by 1-5% (reverse of chance (-5% = 1% chance) ) (and maybe a 0.1 to 0.01% chance of notifying you of "item stolen from stock/display" (100% loss)
I'm pretty much just rambling off onto different ideas at this point....
So I'll end it here.