Crafting in World of Warcraft is a nightmare – at least for newcomers or returnees. Because when you see the requirements, it almost seems absurdly funny.
Even if some Classic fans steadfastly claim that modern World of Warcraft is much easier and offers nothing, most people see it differently. Especially the crafting system, meaning the revamped professions, has become quite complex since Dragonflight and requires quite some time to familiarize oneself with.
Those who have followed and accompanied the system from the beginning may grasp it fairly quickly. However, for newcomers or returnees, it is a jungle of different factors and tasks that cannot be navigated without help.
The problem becomes particularly clear when you list all the requirements for a newly crafted item and imagine how overwhelming that is for a newcomer.
What is the problem with crafting? In the WoW Subreddit, Rwhejek writes that he wanted to explain the crafting system to a friend. This friend hadn’t played since Shadowlands and was now overwhelmed. We’ll shorten the text a bit and focus on the list of points that are all necessary for crafting a single item:
- First, you need a spark. You can get half of one each week, which then still needs to be processed with another reagent to become complete.
- Then you need a crest. There are 3 different crests. But before an enchanter can create the crest, you need to buy a crest with a similarly sounding name – depending on which item level you want. For this, you first need to find the location where the crest is sold and then create a crafting order – which is also not self-explanatory.
- Now you need “inscriptions” to determine the stats on the item. There are 35 different inscriptions, and the names don’t help at all. And you need to ensure that you buy the best inscription (i.e., Tier 3).
- Now you buy an embellishment, which is another separate item. For this, it’s best to check your “Best in Slot” lists to ensure you don’t buy the wrong one.
- Only now do you actually buy the materials for the item. Because not only the crest determines the item level, but the spark also determines the item level, and the materials determine the item level, which is why you should always buy materials at level 3. Only sometimes not, because then crafters can do it with inferior materials. But you don’t know that beforehand.
- If you want to create a PvP item, you also need PvP badges, which can be bought with honor or conquest and sometimes mean that you won’t need a spark at all. Sometimes, however, you do.
It is hardly surprising that with such complexity, most people are immediately overwhelmed, and many do not want to engage with the system any longer.
Rwhejek concludes with a rather damning verdict:
Maybe this has been said thousands of times. But today, it really dawned on me. This stuff is just WAY too complicated for anything older WoW players are used to. It just feels bad to get something crafted. There’s no excitement. Just the relief that you’re finally done with it.
I played during Dragonflight and have a pretty good understanding of the system, and I even used it at the launch of TWW to earn a bit of gold. But heaven, there are just way too many steps, and people just give up instead of getting an item crafted, let alone the highest possible item level.
It’s like day and night compared to how you used to get an item. And if it’s like this for the foreseeable future, there should at least be a more comprehensive tutorial for new and returning players instead of just the minimal tooltips we currently get.
So the community discusses: Below the post, there are many discussions about this. After all, the crafting system has been active for over two years – and yet many have not fully grasped it. Especially veterans seem to have a hard time with the new system:
- “I have played consistently since 2007 and I do not understand the new crafting system introduced in Dragonflight. I just have dual gathering professions and sell everything.” – audioshaman
- “I went through all the crap only to find out that I ordered a Dexterity staff for my mage. RIP 4 weeks of crafted items.” – garteninc
However, there are also many who appreciate the crafting system. You just have to take the time to really understand it and not rush through it, as Mlb1993 writes:
Counterargument: If you take the time to learn the system and do it even just slightly correctly, then you end up with a piece of equipment (or multiple) that you can upgrade throughout the entire expansion.
It is absolutely not mandatory, but it creates bonuses for those who invest time in the system and learn it. Do I think it is too complicated? Yes. Is it self-explanatory for new players? No. But does it reward correct usage? Definitely.
What do you think of the crafting system as it currently exists in World of Warcraft? Do you think the system is good and that it just requires some time to understand? Or does it urgently need improvements?
Significantly easier to learn than crafting are the bosses in M+ – just one graphic is enough.
