Discussion about Future Crafting Updates

[SSG_Orion]

We have some plans for LOTRO's crafting system, and we want to update you on where we are headed, so that you can share in our thought process and direction.

Overall, we like our crafting system, and we know that many players like it too. We want to take a very “do no harm” style of approach to this update. That said, we know there are some frustration points with the crafting system, and that the system suffers from being developed over 16 years ago.

Vocations:

At the outset of the game, we wanted the crafting system to serve manifold purposes. Vocations were designed with these factors in mind: socialization, game economy, and a unique way to highlight crafting. As time wore on, we added tiers, and then complexity through guilds. Crafting has been bumped with each new level band, but a focus on the system is something that has not happened in some time.

We hope, throughout 2023, to address that with updates that modernize the system.

Professions:

The first step is to separate vocations into individual professions. Our intent is allowing characters with a vocation to keep the three associated professions at the level that they have currently achieved. Players who are just enrolling in the crafting system can choose any three professions that they want.

We are also likely to allow players to expand their crafting vocations by one more slot. The details on how this is acquired is not yet solidified, but we are not expecting to allow players to have more than four professions trained at any time.The reason for this is simple, we still want to keep the social and game economy moving through the crafting system. While also offering you more flexibility.

Crafting Resource Tiers:

With Update 35: Return to Carn Dûm, we are introducing minor updates to the crafting system with new recipes and added items needed to craft those new recipes. This is the start of changes that will re-align crafting tiers. While we are not going to refine all the earlier tiers, we will continue to increase resource tiers for future level updates. We will continue creating more recipes for crafting vocations over time, rather than only at level increases.

Crafting Guilds:

There are three omissions for crafting professions and associated guilds: Forester, Prospector, and Farmer. We want to address this. We know that the length of time
needed in order to increase standing with guilds is prohibitive. We want to address that by making enrollment in the guild a more active experience. (Already enough consternation about what was deleted from here that we will not discuss it further.)
Crafting Relevance:

Our goal is to work toward making the relevance of crafted gear more important in the next level band, then over time integrate that back through the lower-level bands of the crafting system. The process to work backward through the tiers will take longer than this year.

The effort to make crafting more useful is integrated with the release of the expansion later this year. We want to establish crafted gear to be slightly ahead of quest gear. This will lead to two behaviors. One, providing optional rewards through the quests specific to crafters. And two, making crafting a unique stepping stone to assist in instances. The major quest lines and crafted gear should be used to get you prepared for the instances that come with the expansion.

Further, new gear and armor in instances will have some measure of crafting included to ensure that there is always something for crafters to look forward to. These items will assist in the stepping stones needed to move into raids, and so on.

The widgets or extra items that are needed to craft these latest items will be scattered throughout the game, not only in instance or raid spaces, so crafters should not feel forced to engage with the systems that they might feel less inclined to play. They will, however, be able to directly assist their fellow players and kinmates by making items that could help them in those endeavors.

Crafting and Housing:

We are looking at options to enhance how crafting influences and is influenced by the housing system. Details on this are still in the formative state but we have some ideas such as new hooked items or NPCs that function as gatherers for materials that you would need to visit and obtain the items that they are collecting for you. We expect that this will need a hefty side of control to ensure that it does not become abused.

Further, we want to make new recipes that allow crafters to make objects for home and hearth.

Events:

One idea that we have around enhancing the crafting system is the establishment of events that rotate and move from place to place in support of the different professions. An example might be a logging contest at different lumber camps, cooking competitions in the Shire or Bree, scholarly activities, metal working, and so on. Something available to engage in regularly that rewards unique recipes, items, titles, and most importantly crafting advancement for engaging with the events.

In Closing:

This is the first time we have spoken about crafting in a while. Now, we want to hear from you!

This thread will remain open until Monday of next week for your comments, questions, and opinions.

We will do our best to answer all questions, concerns, or thoughts within reason.

We hope you enjoy this little sneak peek at what may be and look forward to hearing from you.

[bohbashum]

Sounds good. Especially crafting + instances for best gear. That was fun in some ways before.

But what about the big issues?

1. Crafting guildes are painful to get up. Are people expected to do these?

2. Newer players have a harder time than those who played caps running through later tiers. Are we at least looking to "level squish" these?

3. Crafted class items and consumables are all over the place. With class updates, are these being updated?

4. Some vocations (jewler, cook, scholar) have always had an advantage. Even now, suggesting "crafted gear, jewler likely will be king. And many of them provide stuff always needed (scrolls, food, hope). Is this "usefulness imbalance" ever going to be resolved? Ive always felt punished for picking woodworker and weaponsmitg as my main character crafts. Yet many other games can make all crafts have perminance in usefulness.

[SSG_Orion]

Sounds good. Especially crafting + instances for best gear. That was fun in some ways before.

But what about the big issues?

1. Crafting guildes are painful to get up. Are people expected to do these?

One of the issues that we know needs to be addressed, there are some bread crumbs in the post that allude to ways that this might be accomplished. Details, obviously as we move closer to implementation.

2. Newer players have a harder time than those who played caps running through later tiers. Are we at least looking to "level squish" these?

Not a level squish, but a better and hopefully more engaging way for players of all levels to participate and advance in social events.

3. Crafted class items and consumables are all over the place. With class updates, are these being updated?

Good question. This is something that we should also look at.

4. Some vocations (jewler, cook, scholar) have always had an advantage. Even now, suggesting "crafted gear, jewler likely will be king. And many of them provide stuff always needed (scrolls, food, hope). Is this "usefulness imbalance" ever going to be resolved? Ive always felt punished for picking woodworker and weaponsmitg as my main character crafts. Yet many other games can make all crafts have perminance in usefulness.

Scholar, cook, and jewler are the current top dogs, there is no doubt. With the shift to LIs, ages ago, we diminished the value of weaponsmith - we need to rectify that. Same with woodworker, metalsmith, and tailor. Though the direct moment to moment impact with those professions may not become equivalent, we do want to eliminate the feeling of being punished.

[zipfile]

Scholar, cook, and jewler are the current top dogs, there is no doubt. With the shift to LIs, ages ago, we diminished the value of weaponsmith - we need to rectify that. Same with woodworker, metalsmith, and tailor. Though the direct moment to moment impact with those professions may not become equivalent, we do want to eliminate the feeling of being punished.

Could just make craftable Traceries and you'd fix the majority of issues...assign each type of tracery to a craft and leave the Rivendell room for intro's.

Edit: could tie in to the "drops for high crafting" in here as well....

[zipfile]

We want to establish crafted gear to be slightly ahead of quest gear. This will lead to two behaviors. One, providing optional rewards through the quests specific to crafters. And two, making crafting a unique stepping stone to assist in instances. The major quest lines and crafted gear should be used to get you prepared for the instances that come with the expansion.

Further, new gear and armor in instances will have some measure of crafting included to ensure that there is always something for crafters to look forward to. These items will assist in the stepping stones needed to move into raids, and so on.

Neat. But how will the Delving gear sit in this hierarchy?

Quest << Crafted << Low Instance << High Crafted << Low Raid << High Instance << High Raid (If I am understanding this correctly)

(Low = Tier 1/2 ; High = Tier 3-5)

[Hierona]

Just a couple of things about getting to endgame:

- Can we have a way to speedup earlier tiers to get more easily to endgame, or make it that every tier is awarded per level and crafting recipes are possible by how far you increased in every tier.
- Guilds are quite a pain. Can we maybe make it that you get quests like with Minas Morgul that gives the xp for guilds too.

Would say interact crafting with instances. Let set items give only the set when used with a crafting recipe. For example the Hiddenhoard gear. The Helm drops without the set and you need another item from a 6man and some landscape stuff to get the 3 set and another to get the 4 set.

Maybe an idea is to make runes craftable so the grind for LI's is a bit more doable.

Neat. But how will the Delving gear sit in this hierarchy?

Quest << Crafted << Low Instance << High Crafted << Low Raid << High Instance << High Raid (If I am understanding this correctly)

(Low = Tier 1/2 ; High = Tier 3-5)

I would do it like this: Quest < Low craft < Low Instance < Low Raid < Delvings < Delvings + Crafting < High Instance < High Raids

[SSG_Orion]

Neat. But how will the Delving gear sit in this hierarchy?

Quest << Crafted << Low Instance << High Crafted << Low Raid << High Instance << High Raid (If I am understanding this correctly)

(Low = Tier 1/2 ; High = Tier 3-5)

Delving gear is still going to fill the Raid Tier gear. The goal with Delving gear is that it is updated when the majority of the servers move toward T3 Raids.

[CaerArianrhod]

Delving gear is still going to fill the Raid Tier gear. The goal with Delving gear is that it is updated when the majority of the servers move toward T3 Raids.

Would you be so kind to provide some information about what SSG means with "majority of the servers" and also statistics about how many players finished Abnankara T3?
I'm just curious because usually "the majority" means a number over 50%. But currently not even 10% of the players have a T3 raid completion.

[Elmagor]

At first, all of that sounds like crazy amount of ideas. Yes, all of that sounds great on papper, but we need more examples about how it work. I don't have much faith about SSG expanding game in all directions at once in next years, that sounds like huge amount of work. It can die really quick, we already hear about "crafting revamp" many times. Maybe it's great time to play Lotro, maybe we will be disappointed again.

As example, we have really good LI revamp, and many things was really good, but whole LI system was half backed. Around 1/3 of old LI resources was wasted and never turns into anything with new system. We have crazy amount of Tracery, like 16 BPE tracery what NO ONE use, and SSG refuse to do anything good with them. We have crazy amount of enchanting runes for different levels, and they just waste place in our vaults. Yes, LI revamp was great, but follow up build to expand LI system wasn't so great. I have fear what crafting revamp after start will freeze in same uncompleted unpolished state.

And IMHO biggest problem what I see: we can get a lot of new grind. Yes, we will get new good things with crafting, but that things will work only if you play 24/7/365. So don't go crazy with amount of time what we need to get new things, or new crafting events.

P.S. I have some crazy idea: What if we get new crafted items, and that special items needs many different professions to work on them? Like we can create Shield (metalsmith), after that we can use Scholar to change color for Shield with different dyes, and after that we can use Weaponsmith to add spikes on Shield to buff some stats for item. Or we can cook some food, and Scholar make it better. Or tailor create armor, and metalsmith buff stats for item.

[snommis]

I want you to know that some of us do use the uncommon traceries, I have a Guardian that is built around BPE and I like it that way because it suits my play style. It is fun to avalanche anything non raid and watch my character absorb heal and block and parry everything. I know this setup is not raid ready, but it is a lot of fun to play. Don't take something that you don't use and assume no one does because it's not part of end game feasibility. I want you to be able to play how you want to play, I expect the same.

Crafting can be a boon to the game if its updated correctly. I enjoy working through the crafting tiers as i level a character, but it becomes almost useless after level 105. If the system gets an update to where the crafted items can be integrated with a system like LI, I think we can have some real advantage.

If we add to the crafting system a means of crafting items towards making ancient script or whatever currency used for an OPTIONAL system of Legendary Armour we can have a renaissance of crafting importance. Have items that flow with the current new expansion content where you acquire the crafting materials to bring your Legendary Armour to the next level(s). Have the items be available in different tiers based on how / where they are acquired. EG: (curent expansion levels) landscape t1, quest t2, skirmish/instance solo/duo t3, skirmish/instance 3-6 man t4, raid t5. Each tier is applicable to craft an update to the armour. The items do not have to be restricted to which a single profession like Armourer, but each would provide a unique stat based on which profession makes it. EG: Scholar made 'Polishing Oil' for a gain of reflect X%. Metalsmith made 'Cladding' for increase +X armour rating. Weaponsmith 'Barbs' for +Physical Mastery rating. Jeweler made 'Adornment' for +tactical Mitigation rating. etc etc. It could work the same way that Legendary items do so that we can add a limited number of different professions crafted add-ons. Each level up would possibly unlock a slot or allow the slot to be upgraded. I know it seems like it would be a grind, but if we utilize crafting for the items instead of essences, it would make an existing grind be more useful and lucrative.

[Eddrick]

I want you to know that some of us do use the uncommon traceries, I have a Guardian that is built around BPE and I like it that way because it suits my play style. It is fun to avalanche anything non raid and watch my character absorb heal and block and parry everything. I know this setup is not raid ready, but it is a lot of fun to play. Don't take something that you don't use and assume no one does because it's not part of end game feasibility. I want you to be able to play how you want to play, I expect the same.

Crafting can be a boon to the game if its updated correctly. I enjoy working through the crafting tiers as i level a character, but it becomes almost useless after level 105. If the system gets an update to where the crafted items can be integrated with a system like LI, I think we can have some real advantage.

If we add to the crafting system a means of crafting items towards making ancient script or whatever currency used for an OPTIONAL system of Legendary Armour we can have a renaissance of crafting importance. Have items that flow with the current new expansion content where you acquire the crafting materials to bring your Legendary Armour to the next level(s). Have the items be available in different tiers based on how / where they are acquired. EG: (curent expansion levels) landscape t1, quest t2, skirmish/instance solo/duo t3, skirmish/instance 3-6 man t4, raid t5. Each tier is applicable to craft an update to the armour. The items do not have to be restricted to which a single profession like Armourer, but each would provide a unique stat based on which profession makes it. EG: Scholar made 'Polishing Oil' for a gain of reflect X%. Metalsmith made 'Cladding' for increase +X armour rating. Weaponsmith 'Barbs' for +Physical Mastery rating. Jeweler made 'Adornment' for +tactical Mitigation rating. etc etc. It could work the same way that Legendary items do so that we can add a limited number of different professions crafted add-ons. Each level up would possibly unlock a slot or allow the slot to be upgraded. I know it seems like it would be a grind, but if we utilize crafting for the items instead of essences, it would make an existing grind be more useful and lucrative.

Another take on this. Would something like a reverse auction house section be possibly (I am not a designed i have no idea). We already have a post, bid search option, what if one was added that allowed you to list items you wanted and the price you would pay someone could go to the auction house and hit accept and drop the items in a box and hit complete and it auto mails it to the person for the price, they listed COD and deletes the posting like a bough auction item would.? Would of course decrease the usefulness of the trade channel and negotiating prices but could still use trade for other items and for trading mats for gear etc.

[Ketriana]

We know that the length of time
needed in order to increase standing with guilds is prohibitive. We want to address that by making enrollment in the guild a more activeexperience where you will be able to maintain your membership and access by continued activity or it will decay slowly over time.

I'm rather concerned about this. I'm constantly seeing players returning to the game after long absences, and I've taken a lengthy absence from the game in the past myself. Does this mean that all our hard work to raise our guild standing would have decayed during our break from the game? I came back after 7 years myself and I would have been extremely disappointed if I had to start over to raise my guild standing. Something like that is very likely to frustrate and anger returning players, possibly to the point it would discourage them from returning. We really don't need endless grinds or punishment for putting RL first when it comes to something like crafting.

I really dislike this idea unless it is something very simple like, "go talk to this npc and do one quest to have your standing restored to where it was prior to your break." In that case though it seems like it would be a pointless change and would only serve to confuse and annoy people.

[SSG_Orion]

I'm rather concerned about this. I'm constantly seeing players returning to the game after long absences, and I've taken a lengthy absence from the game in the past myself. Does this mean that all our hard work to raise our guild standing would have decayed during our break from the game? I came back after 7 years myself and I would have been extremely disappointed if I had to start over to raise my guild standing. Something like that is very likely to frustrate and anger returning players, possibly to the point it would discourage them from returning. We really don't need endless grinds or punishment for putting RL first when it comes to something like crafting.

I really dislike this idea unless it is something very simple like, "go talk to this npc and do one quest to have your standing restored to where it was prior to your break." In that case though it seems like it would be a pointless change and would only serve to confuse and annoy people.

Understandable and something that we will need to be cautious about implementing and integrating.

[Oddessia]

Understandable and something that we will need to be cautious about implementing and integrating.

Ooorrrrr, can we just NOT do this at all? Seriously, to put it blunty I find this is a terrible idea. Many of us have countless alts across many servers and doing this immediately turns this game into a "job." I dont come here to work. Stressing about all the hard work I've put in being eroded away in any form is a complete turn off. It actually makes me want to not engage with Guild crafting whatsoever. I actually cannot keep up with that many alts across servers if this is implemented. Even if I wanted to, its just too much.

If Im working out of town for a number of weeks and dont have game access, I get actively punished. For having a real life...thanks? And to think....I subscribe to this XD. Im not a masochist, I wont pay to be actively punished for having an existence outside this game. My hubby is deployed with the military for 6 months overseas, you're telling me with these changes he's going to just lose his guild progress.

The mind truly boggles.

Please dont. Just dont.

-Ods

P.S. I dont care how slow the degradation of guild rep is, I consider it a bad idea. Please don't pressure me with *must do* things in this game....I come here to RELAX.

[Levanthalas]

I'm rather concerned about this. I'm constantly seeing players returning to the game after long absences, and I've taken a lengthy absence from the game in the past myself. Does this mean that all our hard work to raise our guild standing would have decayed during our break from the game? I came back after 7 years myself and I would have been extremely disappointed if I had to start over to raise my guild standing. Something like that is very likely to frustrate and anger returning players, possibly to the point it would discourage them from returning. We really don't need endless grinds or punishment for putting RL first when it comes to something like crafting.

I really dislike this idea unless it is something very simple like, "go talk to this npc and do one quest to have your standing restored to where it was prior to your break." In that case though it seems like it would be a pointless change and would only serve to confuse and annoy people.

Seconded. This would be especially burdensome for anyone that plays multiple characters. It's one thing to have grinds that people can get done faster than you because they prioritize them, or have less IRL time restrictions etc; it's another thing entirely to say "not only can you not reach as high a tier as quickly, you can't keep it once you have it.

Losing progress feels horrible. Imagine if enhancement runes decayed over time, or even if you weren't using that LI (say my DPS set for my LM). Or if you had to "re-earn" virtues, or faction reputation. I can't imagine that ever getting proposed or accepted, and I don't see the difference between those and guilds. Don't take things away from people unless they choose to lose it. (e.g Ale Association and Inn League. That's perfect because it's a choice).

Choices are fun, progressing your journey is fun, even if you have to do it an inch at a time when you finally have a free hour to log in. Treading water is not.


"We know that the length of time needed in order to increase standing with guilds is prohibitive." Adding a grind to stay at full standing undermines any feeling of victory you would get for finishing the grind, even if it is shorter.
And if reducing grind time is the goal, I don't see how adding a grind where none exists would do that.

If you want people to actively engage in crafting, rather than just making it a one-time thing, some of the other ideas are better. Participating in limited-time crafting events or cranking out some quests to get the best stuff, that's good. It's the same for people running Thrang to get the best pocket items. Need mithril for the best jewelry? Join the Moria expedition as they uncover a new vein, that will only last so long.

On the whole, I like a lot of the points, just want to shoot down what seems like at minimum a frustrating change for no benefit.



Custom profession combos? Great! Never got much use farming or weaponsmithing on my historian, but maybe now he'll cook some bread and write a book by the fire.
Additional slot? Amazing. My armorer will love being able to tan hides on his own.
Useful crafting gear beyond just "done with quests, haven't done instances yet?" Awesome. What I want from it. To not *just* be a stepping stone I use for a couple weeks.
Decorations / housing utility? Wonderful. I have a friend who decorates every house he buys (6+?) in exquisite detail, and always wants more options. I'd love to provide them.
Crafting Events? Perfect. As I noted above, I think they are a much better solution to "repeated engagement" with a crafting profession than a forced continuous grind. Working for something shiny is good gameplay. Working to survive is well, real life.

Thanks for opening this up to discussion. I've always love LotRO's crafting, and I'm excited to see it get some new life and attention.

[Panaeon]

I'm rather concerned about this. I'm constantly seeing players returning to the game after long absences, and I've taken a lengthy absence from the game in the past myself. Does this mean that all our hard work to raise our guild standing would have decayed during our break from the game? I came back after 7 years myself and I would have been extremely disappointed if I had to start over to raise my guild standing. Something like that is very likely to frustrate and anger returning players, possibly to the point it would discourage them from returning. We really don't need endless grinds or punishment for putting RL first when it comes to something like crafting.

I really dislike this idea unless it is something very simple like, "go talk to this npc and do one quest to have your standing restored to where it was prior to your break." In that case though it seems like it would be a pointless change and would only serve to confuse and annoy people.

Thanks for posting this - I've had the exact same thoughts - that would be really awful since it would be a huge disadvantage for players who cannot (accidents, illnesses etc.) continue playing constantly and then are "punished" for it by such a toxic system, that needs regular activity. I understand where this "idea" might be coming from, but it's toxic nevertheless for a Game, that is supposed to be an "Escape from Reality" and not a mere reconstruction of - especially the distressing! parts of - it!

So, for relaxation's sake, that has been the very reason for me to return to this Game over and over again, I really hope, that such "gaslighting" Game Mechanics, that require players to be active or otherwise be "punished" for inactivity, should not be implemented into a Game, that is and has been a source of enjoyment and escape from an already very "gaslighting" reality in many areas of the World!

Do not to this, Standing-Stone-Devs, I implore you!

[Pharone]

Professions:

The first step is to separate vocations into individual professions. Our intent is allowing characters with a vocation to keep the three associated professions at the level that they have currently achieved. Players who are just enrolling in the crafting system can choose any three professions that they want.

Will we be able to keep 2 of the existing professions we have already levelled up and replace the third one with a different profession?

[bohbashum]

Can i suggest some insane things from other games?

Crafting itself is very boring. Its just a menu and an induction. We have to jazz it up.

Some crafts could have utility for groups like others. For example. Durability is very boring. But look at monster hunter for a moment. You can sharpern your weapons before a hunt. You can then resharpen it later. Mechanically you could say its like food, but it could be a single weapon smith in a group who buffs everyones weapons before a raid. Musical instruments like war drums have commonly given buffs before fights. Woodworkers already make drums..

Tradepack runs from Archeage are huge. Im not suggesting to make tge world Open PvP. But maybe some kinda of travling challange to move resources over vast distances with challanges along the way. Maybe Umbar doesnt have great wood, so a run from mirkwood to supply them is needed. Players could do this for there own gain, or complete novices do this for people who do not want to do the challange that isnt fighting. Maybe a session play like the chicken to transport the goods making landscape much harder. You get the idea?

[Elmagor]

Can i suggest some insane things from other games?

Crafting itself is very boring. Its just a menu and an induction. We have to jazz it up.

Some crafts could have utility for groups like others. For example. Durability is very boring. But look at monster hunter for a moment. You can sharpern your weapons before a hunt. You can then resharpen it later. Mechanically you could say its like food, but it could be a single weapon smith in a group who buffs everyones weapons before a raid. Musical instruments like war drums have commonly given buffs before fights. Woodworkers already make drums..

Tradepack runs from Archeage are huge. Im not suggesting to make tge world Open PvP. But maybe some kinda of travling challange to move resources over vast distances with challanges along the way. Maybe Umbar doesnt have great wood, so a run from mirkwood to supply them is needed. Players could do this for there own gain, or complete novices do this for people who do not want to do the challange that isnt fighting. Maybe a session play like the chicken to transport the goods making landscape much harder. You get the idea?

Well, durability is good mention. It's good way to buff item without reaching caps. Like we have raid armor with 40 durability, but we can use our crafting profession to "upgrade" item to 50 durability

[zipfile]

Well, durability is good mention. It's good way to buff item without reaching caps. Like we have raid armor with 40 durability, but we can use our crafting profession to "upgrade" item to 50 durability

What is VIP.....

...what is durability maintenance....

I swear, some of you have no grasps on reality.

[Elmagor]

What is VIP.....

...what is durability maintenance....

I swear, some of you have no grasps on reality.

No grasps on reality - consider what every player in Lotro must have VIP. What if they don't want to have VIP? What if they can't have VIP?

[thesilverpen]

More hobbies, ones that can tie into crafting. Make the crafting a hobbies actually fun like--maybe an artifact collection thing. Some items crafted, some found. Crafted items that are collectable for housing decor, trade value for a goal, or to do a community collection goal.
When the game began, it seemed like loremasters were gonna be needed to read scrolls for the good of others to achieve objectives. That was not the case--but it would be a cool idea. They could use that system in the way crafting is done, and others can seek them out (economy boost) to provide that service.
Cooks and farmers could supply community festival goals, perhaps. Imagine the farmer faire with a community stew, that would buff the server for a certain time, or whatever. Crafting would be interesting if it just had a more exciting connection than some gear that is outdated often by the time the skill is acquired.

And to a previous mention of those of us who leave the game for periods of time--due to life or whatever---- if my crafting level decayed, I woud be peeved enough, I would not return. Simply that. It would be a lot of wasted effort that I could not over-look.

[laughatdo0m]

Well, durability is good mention. It's good way to buff item without reaching caps. Like we have raid armor with 40 durability, but we can use our crafting profession to "upgrade" item to 50 durability

It does get a bit subverted by VIPs basically just skipping that part of the grind by having unbreakable gear then

[WeirdJedi]

I like the flexibility of recipes being offered through landscape quests. I don't mind if you reward a specific recipe from a quest instead of using regional tokens to barter for them. Obtaining recipes like in the bounty system for Barrow-downs or in Harloeg is fine. Gathering items in Ered Mithrin resource instances and completing weekly quests that can be done inside solo instances in the case of Minas Morgul are fine too. The last thing I want to see happen is for items to drop exclusively from non-solo instances or raids. I don't like seeing a higher chance of something dropping or more currency being offered if you run them at higher tiers. If they are meant to be an auxiliary approach before starting the instances, then they should be offered in such a way you can get it by yourself.

[SSG_Orion]

Will we be able to keep 2 of the existing professions we have already levelled up and replace the third one with a different profession?

Keep three, potentially get a fourth.