I give my vote for a mixed system:
1) General loot is randomized, even powerful items. So there isn't a big change for the current system.
2) But unique items are placed at special locations or are used for quest rewards.
3) There are unique items for every class or at least overall builds (two-handed, one-handed, dagger, shield, bow, crossbow, wands, staff; heavy armor, light armor, mage clothes).
4) Unique items are really powerful (at least one level above randomized loot). Upgraded normal items can get better than standard unique items, but never better than upgraded unique items.
5) Unique items can be improved by crafting with very rare ingredients to become even more powerful items. Sometimes the very same ingredient can only be used to improve one unique weapon or armor. To get these ingredients you have to look out for special locations or even solve quests and riddles in the "correct" way.
6) Unique items always have a special look and history behind them, making them interesting and enhancing the roleplaying.
I'd only add unique crafted items to that list and place normal crafted items in the same vain as normal loot items in terms of max and min power.
Sounds good to me, Normal crafted items should be used to make money or fill loot gaps. D:OS did a great job of allowing you to upgrade items you had found with specific gems or items so if that normal loot can be made better with a little elbow grease than we're good.
Well, alot of people seemingly had the issue with the fact that 5 crafting/blacksmithing meant that it was exceedingly rare to have random loot meet the same standards of crafted gear. As in, crafting gave a definite expected high value item for your skill level, but random loot generally fell on the median value for their level and thus making them worse.
^ Not that I see anything wrong with that given the RNG involved in relying on loot vs using a leveled skill to get specific gear. Some people seem to think that loot and crafted gear should have no differences or that loot should be better overall....which doesn't make any sense for random stuffs.
If we do go with the proposed mixed system, I hope that in order to upgrade/craft those unique items and otherwise get the best gear possible in game, maxed crafting/blacksmithing is still needed and desirable. If the differences in having it vs not having are negligible or small than what's the point of leveling the skill? We can already steal all the needed money.
