Blacksmith NPCs and ordering their products

[Sami]

In the next version we'll be featuring blacksmith NPCs, and possibility of ordering various iron goods directly from them. You order, they'll forge, and you will then pay and obtain the item when it's ready. This will be a fundamental new addition, and although there's still lots of work to do we're hoping to have the new version out this month.

Not all the villages will have a blacksmith, but it will still be easier to find one to make you that knife, axe, sword or tool you need than to run through several storehouses in several villages in a search for a missing equipment. The available blacksmith products will vary a bit depending on the cultural areas, but all the blacksmiths can make at least the most basic and essential iron goods, tools and weapons.





These are future features - not yet functional in current version 3.72.2

[Plotinus]

Wow! That's great!

[Ezhe]

can't wait to see this in game. by the way, does it mean that iron tools or weapon can be repairable some day？Sometimes people will stint on blocking with their precious materwork weapon to save them from loss of durability or espically quality. but if high quality tool or weapon are craftable, there will be no need for such stint anyway.

[PALU]

This sounds like an excellent addition.

I've got a couple of follow on comments/questions:
1. Like Ezhe, I'd definitely like to see the ability to commission repairs eventually.

2. How will quality be handled in the process?

One approach would be to always produce standard quality items, in which case the blacksmith would be a help to get started with the basics, but irrelevant once that level has been reached.

Another approach would be to give blacksmiths skill levels so they can produce items of up to a certain quality in each category (e.g. fine tools, decent swords. fine knives, decent axes), where you'd order the quality you want (or rather, can afford).
In this case the player would want to eventually hunt down the rich settlements where masterwork level smiths reside to compose their sets of masterwork items.

A third alternative, which I'd definitely recommend against, would be to have the blacksmith make a quality roll to see what you happened to get. I think that would be bad, as a craftsman with self respect would make new attempt until the result is satisfactory (and the price should reflect how much extra work it is to produce higher quality items).

[Sami]

by the way, does it mean that iron tools or weapon can be repairable some day？Sometimes people will stint on blocking with their precious materwork weapon to save them from loss of durability or espically quality. but if high quality tool or weapon are craftable, there will be no need for such stint anyway.

Sharpening and re-shafting weapons is planned at least, so  in that regard repairing is to be featured somewhere in the future - and that is to be doable by player character. But if you mean if blacksmith could eg. repair a broken sword, we haven't given a thought for that yet.

[Sami]

2. How will quality be handled in the process?

It's not completely decided quite yet, but as the blacksmiths are highly skilled professionals I think you should able to ask them to produce a desired quality item - if it doesn't exceed their skill level.
Eg. "Make me a finest sword you can!" or "I'm okay with an any ordinary axe."
We're likely giving blacksmiths a level of expertise, so that all of them can produce at least decent quality items, some can produce fine, and some can produce masterwork. And the player character can then define what quality item they are after with their order - and will pay accordingly.

 

[Dynggyldai]

Great! Could villages loaded from old saves eventually get these blacksmiths? I mean, I have an old save from version 3.62 and the villages loaded from there still have gender-neutral kids and sauna scoops.

[Privateer]

Great! Could villages loaded from old saves eventually get these blacksmiths? I mean, I have an old save from version 3.62 and the villages loaded from there still have gender-neutral kids and sauna scoops.

 I may be mistaken but, historically changes like this DO migrate in to old saves, appearing only in villages/settlements the player has not entered/visited.

[Mati256]

Excellent news!

How about modding Blacksmiths? Can we add stuff to the list of thing they can forge?
Will they be able to forge pots even if they are from a culture that doesn't usually have pots for trading?

[MHB]

Will blacksmiths be able to produce all types of weaponry?

Will they be able to produce armor in the future and if so, what is the use of foreign traders?

[Dynggyldai]

Eg. "Make me a finest sword you can!" or "I'm okay with an any ordinary axe."
We're likely giving blacksmiths a level of expertise, so that all of them can produce at least decent quality items, some can produce fine, and some can produce masterwork. And the player character can then define what quality item they are after with their order - and will pay accordingly.

In Real World I once asked a blacksmith dealing with advanced stuff like damascus spears, chainmail, ram's head pommels on knives to make me an ordinary carving knife and he refused.

[Sami]

Great! Could villages loaded from old saves eventually get these blacksmiths? I mean, I have an old save from version 3.62 and the villages loaded from there still have gender-neutral kids and sauna scoops.

It depends in how much detail the villages have been generated in your save - which depends.
At least if you've visited them, their population is generated, and no blacksmith will appear there. If you visit new villages, then it's possible that you'll  find blacksmiths too.
But 3.62 is so old that some problems may arise as there's been a lots of new stuff since then. Why not to update.

[Sami]

How about modding Blacksmiths? Can we add stuff to the list of thing they can forge?

.

Nope.

Will they be able to forge pots even if they are from a culture that doesn't usually have pots for trading?

I guess no. They foremostly make culturally related items.

[Sami]

Will blacksmiths be able to produce all types of weaponry?

Iron weapons only. Culturally related.

Will they be able to produce armor in the future and if so, what is the use of foreign traders?

Maybe some helmets, but as we know armors aren't the thing among of the most cultures - so the blacksmith also don't forge what isn't culturally known nor relevant.
So the use of foreign traders remains the same, to bring in the foreign goods ie. armors.

[Vahvapito]

In the example picture the "Is there a blacksmith here?" seems to be in the "Ask for help/company" chat mode selection. Would it be more easy to find if it was put under "Ask for directions" like for example "where is your water supply" is?

This is a great quality of life addition. No more travelling from village to village just to find a small knife or a hand axe.