<Rant>
<Rage>
Another "elite RPG player". God, I hate this bunch. Can't you friggin' understand that there be no friggin' rpg game without a friggin' rpg-oriented playerbase? You could have an rpg game using IRC channel without any rules. You could use DnD 3rd edition to resolve combat. You could write a MUD to make it more streamlined. Finally, you could build something like FOnline. But it's still a stupid engine and a stupid set of rules. How it's used is determined by players. If they behave out of character (and trust me, with an open registration system they will), there's fuck-all you can do. Longer craft times won't help. Shorter craft times won't help. Changing travel time won't help. No amount of game mechanics added or removed is going to change shit because RPG IS NOT ABOUT MECHANICS. If you actually had anything to do with real roleplaying, you'd understand that. The only thing devs could do about it would be stringent moderation and bans for acting out of character. Guess how big the playerbase would be then.
You want to have your Fallout rpg experience with your friends on 2238? Fine, do so, just don't cry here if someone who doesn't care mows you down with his automatic rifle or even a friggin' cannon. You want your-own-purist-postapo-trueRPG? Start a pen-and-paper Neuroshima group, cause you won't find any of it in an MMO game, ever. Not because of the devs, but because it comes with the "massive" aspect of the genre.
Oh, and where I play pen-and-paper we don't act out every shitty little detail, like describing how exactly do we dig out metal for our guns and trade some of it for wood. That's what a bad gamemaster or bad mechanics would force on you. It's the same with an online game. Less bullshit, more choices and more suspense is the general rule of a thumb, especially with an RPG game. You want it the other way around. You want grind. You want to replicate every shitty trivial little detail of the real-world in a game that exists solely because people want to take a break from shitty trivia they deal with on a daily basis in their lives. That's why most guys here are telling you your idea sucks. Deal with it - and be thankful, they're actually preventing you from wasting your effort ever again. You're obviously a very creative individual, so if you did something that wouldn't go against "human nature" it could really prove useful instead of reviving the "roleplayer vs powergamer" dispute.
</Rage>
As far as the new crafting system is concerned - I'm in love with it. It preserves the post-apo setting by keeping resources limited, but it introduces suspense to the gathering process. It makes every trip to the mine a game of cat and mouse. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the way to go. It's not realistic, but it's streamlined and it's a set piece of the post-apo genre. Unlike grind, it doesn't break the mood. And roleplaying is all about mood - so quit bitching, start up your favourite Lustmord album and ENJOY. It's what this game is for.
</Rant>
