Does anybody feel like too many games are using crafting mechanics as a shallow attempt at gameplay depth and resource management? There's games where the player has a lot of options to turn materials into all kinds of random bullshit like equipment or potions, whatever. And these are often very open-ended, player-driven titles or immersive sims that ostensibly are meant to support multiple playstyles
But then there's games where while a game like Zelda on the N64 or SNES would've been content to just give you a thing, this modern game wants you to collect random debris and duct tape and sticks to arbitrarily turn into that same thing. Sometimes it borders on the hilariously inane like the RPG Assassin Creeds letting you pick up wood for the sole purpose of turning that wood into arrows for your bow, just adding an extra fucking step to picking up arrows which you can already do by slaughtering enemies and raiding their camps.
leaving your mattress on the floor allows mildew and mold to build up
Juan Long
I can't find the damn wheels, it makes a good towel rack though.
Joseph Roberts
I think they just add it because it's a fad, mechanics seem to spread like viruses through game developers. suddenly everything had to have sprinting, had to have leveling, had to have crafting, had to have an open world. I'm not saying these things are inherently bad at all, just that they tend to be done badly when they are slapped on because someone thinks they are obligatory
Mason Ward
It depends on how well it works and if there aren't any alternatives that defeats the purpose. Like if money is sparse so you more encouraged to collect the materials to craft them and there is no replacements, then it actually works well. Otherwise yeah, tacked on for nothing makes it pointless unless the game was actually designed for it.
I find it ironic that the most lazy developer in existence, Gamefreak, managed to actually put thought and effort into Legends Arceus by having the game designed around crafting Materials. It's a once in blue moon moment that's already going to shit since the next Pokemon games are dropping all the improvements because they can't have Kids not having the same garbage for the 9th generation in a row
