In the survival MMO H1Z1, crafting is one of the most important pillars. Players can build what they need to survive in the post-apocalyptic world.
Do you want to see my awesome wooden shack in H1Z1?
It feels a bit like Robinson Crusoe on Zombie Island when you look at the crafting system in H1Z1. From humble beginnings, hunting meal to meal, it evolves to a hut with an adjoining farm, providing the essentials for survival, up to a veritable fortress. However, in H1Z1 everything looks intentionally a bit shabbier than you might imagine. Paul Carrico, a Senior Game Designer at SOE, is responsible for this and has now given us insight into the intricacies of the crafting system.
For Carrico, it is important that everything fits the mood. The self-sufficient hut does not look like a postcard idyll, but rather like a dirty utility item. And when we think of “fortress,” most of us probably have something different in mind than a wooden shack with shooting slots.
The world of H1Z1 is getting dirty, that’s already clear.
You take some time away from reality while crafting
As with the combat system, the motto also applies to crafting: “Fun over realism.” The idea that you can boil water in a plastic bottle until it becomes germ-free probably only works in the world of H1Z1. The alternative, Carrico says, would be to make players carry a cooking pot around. Instead, they prefer heat-resistant plastic. Probably only in the world of H1Z1 will it be possible to bake a blueberry pie over a grill fire.
Diversity of recipes is impressive
The impressive part of the crafting system in H1Z1 is the variety of recipes and the directions they can take: Besides classic survival tools and “basebuilding” elements, players will later also be able to craft their own firearms. However, these should not look as if they just came off an assembly line from a weapons company, but rather have a “handmade” and improvised appearance, just as they really are. Provisions that either work or don’t.
Even after early access, more recipes will continually be introduced into the game. They won’t always be noted in the patch notes. The thrill of the game lies in the exploratory mentality of a Robinson Crusoe. Back then, he built a world rather than trying to hold together the remnants of civilization with duct tape and prevent it from complete decay.
With duct tape against decay – Nothing lasts forever
Decay is a big theme in H1Z1: Everything goes to hell. Axes, the basic tools of the player, wear down slowly when players chop wood. And quickly, when they strike against metal or even concrete. Firearms also have a limited lifespan, and the painstakingly built wooden shack requires regular maintenance. Everything needs to be replaced.
In the world of H1Z1, nothing lasts forever.
