Tool quality brainstorm thread

Game Talk The Drawing Board
1

What different tools could we have with different quality modifiers?

I have one idea so far: a roll of spanners.

The roll of spanners would just be one item (no need to have a million and one different sizes of spanners to keep track of) that has a higher weight, volume, and tool quality than the adjustable spanner. Obviously it would also make a very poor weapon.

Adjustable spanners will work on most things, but there is a notable difference when using them compared to using a tool specifically designed for the task at hand.

(Note: wrenches and spanners are the same tool in case anyone gets confused here. A monkey wrench is an adjustable spanner.)

I’m certainly no grease monkey, so if I’ve gotten anything wrong feel free to correct/ridicule/etc. me. :stuck_out_tongue:

Also, I’m not sure about things like Phillips head screwdrivers vs flathead screwdrivers, but if anyone has any ideas for those that’d be interesting. Once again, I’m not really knowledgeable here, but from memory most electronics require Philips head screwdrivers.

2

I like the idea.

3

Absolutely, with even the minimal amount of car and bike work I’ve done, a full set of spanners makes tasks FAR faster compared to using monkey wrenches for everything.
I also agree that the item should be a “set” of spanners rather than messing with individual tools somehow.
For more detail, we could have a minimal set of spanners, which is assumed to have the most common sizes Any missing sizes would make one resort to an adjustable spanner (assumed to be included). Then you could also have a full set of spanners that has every spanner imaginable, so you never have to use an adjustable.

In-game it’d just be two similar “Spanner roll” items with slightly different weights, stats, and descriptions.

You can do the same with screwdriver sets, I’d prefer to just make it generic “partial set”, “full set”, etc rather than messing with specific types such as phillips vs flat head, or hex or star-whatsits.

4

[quote=“Kevin Granade, post:3, topic:3542”]Absolutely, with even the minimal amount of car and bike work I’ve done, a full set of spanners makes tasks FAR faster compared to using monkey wrenches for everything.
I also agree that the item should be a “set” of spanners rather than messing with individual tools somehow.
For more detail, we could have a minimal set of spanners, which is assumed to have the most common sizes Any missing sizes would make one resort to an adjustable spanner (assumed to be included). Then you could also have a full set of spanners that has every spanner imaginable, so you never have to use an adjustable.

In-game it’d just be two similar “Spanner roll” items with slightly different weights, stats, and descriptions.

You can do the same with screwdriver sets, I’d prefer to just make it generic “partial set”, “full set”, etc rather than messing with specific types such as phillips vs flat head, or hex or star-whatsits.[/quote]

Professional Set, Hobby Set, Every-Day Set

Every-Day would be used for stuff like tightening screws on stuff, Hobby sets would be useful for say disassembling computers, professional grade would be useable for say assembling a CBM from scratch, and of course they’d be backwards compatable

On a side note, I’d love to see profession toolsets

Professional Mechanic Toolbox: Comes with Pro-Wrench, Pro-Hacksaw, Pro-Screwdriver, Hobby Cut
Professional Carpenter Toolbox: Pro-Hammer, Pro-Saw, Pro-Cut, Pro-Screw, Hobby Wrench
Computer Toolbox: Pro-Screwdriver, Hobby Cut, Everyday-Wrench

as well as…
Toolstore Bronze Toolkit: All “Every-day” Tools, Uncommon
Toolstore Silver Toolkit: All “Hobby” Tools, Rare
Toolstore Gold Toolkit (Powered): All “Professional” Tools, Extremely Rare
Toolstore Platinum Toolkit (Powered, but recharges over time): All “Professional” Tools, Artifact-Rare

I’d go so far as to say most the Professional and some of the Hobby tools would require power.

5

I liked the simple, 1 screwdriver to rule them all. As long as a pocket knife and screwdriver could get simple stuff done, I have no qualms with high tier crafting requiring high tier tools.
My play style involves finding gathering as many items (bullets, flashlights, clothing) as possible for parts around town, and throwing them into the large room in a conquered house. Fancy tools are set in these piles for recipe convenience. Proceed to disassemble said items and micromanage piles for maximum hoarder satisfaction. Assembling items works the same way.
The quest for professional tools would be delicious as well. You should be able to craft tier 1 tools yourself right? Hopefully they don’t have that god awful makeshift prefix on them.

An obvious note: A idea must be found so tool management is not overly complicated and somehow fun.

6

[quote=“Rask, post:5, topic:3542”]I liked the simple, 1 screwdriver to rule them all. As long as a pocket knife and screwdriver could get simple stuff done, I have no qualms with high tier crafting requiring high tier tools.
My play style involves finding gathering as many items (bullets, flashlights, clothing) as possible for parts around town, and throwing them into the large room in a conquered house. Fancy tools are set in these piles for recipe convenience. Proceed to disassemble said items and micromanage piles for maximum hoarder satisfaction. Assembling items works the same way.
The quest for professional tools would be delicious as well. You should be able to craft tier 1 tools yourself right? Hopefully they don’t have that god awful makeshift prefix on them.

An obvious note: A idea must be found so tool management is not overly complicated and somehow fun.[/quote]
Yeah, I believe the idea behind tool quality is that you can still use tools more ill equipped for the task, but it might take longer, have a higher likelihood of wasting crafting ingredients, or produce an inferior quality product. I’m not so sure about the last one though.

More tools:

[ul][li]A lug wrench would make changing tires faster.[/li]
[li]A clamp could make certain recipes (electronics, some mechanics) crafting times go down as you’re not fiddling around so much.[/li]
[li]Vice grips could possibly do the same, but to a lesser degree.[/li]
[li]Needle nosed pliers perhaps would make electronics recipes crafting times reduced along with a lower possibility of losing crafting ingredients (fine manipulation of the internal parts being the justification here).[/li]
[li]A sander might produce higher quality carpentry constructions (bits actually fit together without leaving little gaps, so the difference between ‘finely constructed bed’ and ‘poorly constructed bed’ could be an easier chance to sleep in the better bed, or something).[/li][/ul]

Some of these ideas would probably serve better as streamlined versions (such as the tool sets EkarusRyndren suggested), but the goal of this list was also to give ideas for how the tools could effect crafting/construction.

Any comments/feedback? This list is pretty flawed, but that’s what constructive criticism is for. :slight_smile:

7

[quote=“Leper, post:6, topic:3542”][quote=“Rask, post:5, topic:3542”]I liked the simple, 1 screwdriver to rule them all. As long as a pocket knife and screwdriver could get simple stuff done, I have no qualms with high tier crafting requiring high tier tools.
My play style involves finding gathering as many items (bullets, flashlights, clothing) as possible for parts around town, and throwing them into the large room in a conquered house. Fancy tools are set in these piles for recipe convenience. Proceed to disassemble said items and micromanage piles for maximum hoarder satisfaction. Assembling items works the same way.
The quest for professional tools would be delicious as well. You should be able to craft tier 1 tools yourself right? Hopefully they don’t have that god awful makeshift prefix on them.

An obvious note: A idea must be found so tool management is not overly complicated and somehow fun.[/quote]
Yeah, I believe the idea behind tool quality is that you can still use tools more ill equipped for the task, but it might take longer, have a higher likelihood of wasting crafting ingredients, or produce an inferior quality product. I’m not so sure about the last one though.

More tools:

[ul][li]A lug wrench would make changing tires faster.[/li]
[li]A clamp could make certain recipes (electronics, some mechanics) crafting times go down as you’re not fiddling around so much.[/li]
[li]Vice grips could possibly do the same, but to a lesser degree.[/li]
[li]Needle nosed pliers perhaps would make electronics recipes crafting times reduced along with a lower possibility of losing crafting ingredients (fine manipulation of the internal parts being the justification here).[/li]
[li]A sander might produce higher quality carpentry constructions (bits actually fit together without leaving little gaps, so the difference between ‘finely constructed bed’ and ‘poorly constructed bed’ could be an easier chance to sleep in the better bed, or something).[/li][/ul]

Some of these ideas would probably serve better as streamlined versions (such as the tool sets EkarusRyndren suggested), but the goal of this list was also to give ideas for how the tools could effect crafting/construction.

Any comments/feedback? This list is pretty flawed, but that’s what constructive criticism is for. :)[/quote]
I like the sound of it, I also move to suggest we all start highlighting keywords LoZ style to stress a point. XD Though Rask brought up an interesting point, the “Godawful Makeshift Tag” I completely forgot about it. XD

Quality 1 tools would be “Makeshift” Basically anything you could make in the woods. A craftable toolset being “Toolstore Stone Toolkit” Collection of ‘makeshift’ tools in a handy dandy fur pelt bag. XD Shift the other titles appropriately.

8

Edited my previous post. :smiley:

I’m not sure if we should be able to make a makeshift version of everything, but I guess that’s what fabrication is for. I could totally see someone cobbling together stuff like vise grips with a spring and some scrap metal.

I’m also not sure how I feel about ‘makeshift’ prefacing these home-made tools. It might wear a bit thin to have your entire inventory full of makeshift everything, but I’m not sure how else to represent it at first glance.
There’s no precedent for it, but we could use colour to highlight tool quality. Something like Screwdriver being makeshift, but Screwdriver being higher quality.

Not too sure about this, because colourblindness needs to be considered, as does the fact that having a screen full of varying colours of text could be a bit overwhelming and an eyesore.

9

[quote=“Leper, post:8, topic:3542”]Edited my previous post. :smiley:

I’m not sure if we should be able to make a makeshift version of everything, but I guess that’s what fabrication is for. I could totally see someone cobbling together stuff like vise grips with a spring and some scrap metal.

I’m also not sure how I feel about ‘makeshift’ prefacing these home-made tools. It might wear a bit thin to have your entire inventory full of makeshift everything, but I’m not sure how else to represent it at first glance.
There’s no precedent for it, but we could use colour to highlight tool quality. Something like Screwdriver being makeshift, but Screwdriver being higher quality.

Not too sure about this, because colourblindness needs to be considered, as does the fact that having a screen full of varying colours of text could be a bit overwhelming and an eyesore.[/quote]

Well in practice not everything can be makeshift, that said a few things can be /used/ as a makeshift tool, scissors for example, ever used them as a screwdriver? XD

10

Yeah, and I’ve also given myself a nasty cut while trying to do something similar with a blade. :stuck_out_tongue:

Which reminds me, we were discussing multi-tools (such as the Leatherman brand and the Swiss Army Knife brand) on the IRC, and I just wanted to put that out here on the forums.

Things like multi-tools can often do pretty basic tasks, especially if you have a version like Kevin Granade’s that has like 46 (??) tools on it.

I could see that being quite handy for those that don’t want to carry around a tool-box in their game.
I think basic attachments are screwdrivers (usually with detachable bits so you can have both flat and Philips head), corkscrews (no idea what this could do in-game tbh), blades, pliers (usually constitutes the body of the multi-tool), saws, and plenty of others.