Spoiler:
I've started pondering upon how it could work and be implemented into the game without any major changes... Main issue I see is that it utilises one ingredient (B) to operate on an item (A). Still, the UI tells us few things:
1. crit chance is influenced by
a. profession level
b. item level
c. ingredient crit modifier
2. you can upgrade upon existing in-game items
3. it requires gathering skill to operate
Let's start from the easiest element: gathering skill. I think salvaging is an obvious choice here. Modifying it to extract stat talisman fragments, magical essence AND weapon modifiers (+AP, +HP, + *power, +haste etc) should suffice. We could in theory complicate it further with either tali makers or cultivators crafting special ingredient to make it work to increase crafting crit chance (and possibly making +crafting power pots work in game again) or make it Crossout style upgrade system: add item, add modifier, get one of three pre-determined upgrades - this would make balancing easier and would provide more order and predictability in otherwise chaotic database.
ad 2. Making modified items boe would boost supply and demand, create new goldsinks and provide crafters with means to prosper in new economy. It would also allow non-blacksmith players to benefit from new profession. Upgrading an item should change it's rarity tier, going from white -> green -> blue -> purple -> orange. However I think orange items should have ridiculously low chance of upgrade success if any at all - end game items should remain BiS or close 2nd. Gear sets shouldn't be upgradeable at all to retain some form of control over balance but perhaps new sets can be created using purple items from PQ bags and maybe even inf rewards?.
Last but not least: which items should be upgradeable? Armour, weapons, jewels.
Pocket items (BL tome) should require whole other profession (enchanter maybe? Tied with butchering?)
ad 1. To upgrade an item one must meet required crit chance criteria - let's say 100%. Going over it can result in crit success - item will get higher rarity tier, new item level, new properties and new name. Critical failure destroys modifier as well as the item. High risk, high reward profession.
Critical chance is is influenced by
a. profession level - self explanatory, every other profession works this way.
b. item level - same as magical salvaging, each item level tier is -crit chance modifier.
c. ingredient crit modifier - this adds or subtracts from overall crit chance depending on modifier upgrade stats. This opens up a way to balance it while preventing OP combinations. For example adding +crit modifier to an item with already existing +crit should have circa 30% chance of success and 70% chance of loosing an item. Adding +crit to a purple end game T4 item with existing crit should have 5% chance of success - almost impossible to craft but chances can be improved with +crafting power potions. Still relatively low chance of success (50:50 at best... More like 35%) since new item would be very powerful.
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There are other ways of toying with Blacksmithing profession in terms of modifier acquisition:
- dungeon drop (also obtainable via ranked) akin to sentinel ring talismans
- time-restricted +stat items same as those event items we get from weekend events. Tiered as
white: 7days
green: 7 days, better stats
blue: 30 days, stats, +crit
purple: 30 days, stats, +crit, +AP or +HP
orange: 90 days, stats, +crit, +AP or +HP, +*power (reward for golden league in ranked maybe? )
- upgrade modifiers sold by emblem, medallion and coin merchants which allows for tiered item control, three styles of items to compliment three spec trees and a gold sink for those currencies.
I'm sure there are other and better ways of doing it - I just want to see blacksmithing in game ever since it was hinted on official forums years ago