The Trouble With Crafting
When The Division first launched, it was quite easy to farm certain activities in areas, leaving those with ample time the opportunity to greatly surpass everyone else in the game. This led to a lot of unbalanced encounters in the Dark Zone as some players quickly farmed the resources necessary to make the best endgame gear in a matter of days. Those who only had limited hours, whether it be due to work, schooling, or just life in general, were at the mercy of those who didn’t.
In an effort to restore balance, crafting materials were changed. Now, in order to obtain the necessary pieces for great gear, you needed to invest even more time in farming for them. One yellow component now requires 15 blue ones, three times the amount it was previously. While this doesn’t erase the spoils of those who farmed well in advance, it does level the playing field a bit going forward, except it adds to the amount of time needed for those who still have limited time.
Another problem with crafting is the speed in which players are able to craft resources in The Division. When converting lower tiered resources, you have to do it one by one. Need 20? Have fun converting one, clicking through the commands, then doing it all over again. There’s no stacking, leaving players sitting at the table slowly getting their things together.
While the developers’ hearts were in the right place, a revamping of the system that doesn’t punish other players may help earn back some of the good will from launch.