When did I forget about the builders or crafters in the game? Builders have already built and sold houses, received materials to make stuff that’s already in game, examples of those are cookviper selling his home, havok selling his place on Vulpto, etc. The Oort Temple in Pixel Gate was built thanks to the donations of not only materials, but plots. There’s actually no need to grind for materials, when you can buy them for cheap. If you build nice things, people will come and visit, making you earn footfall. Thus earning you money to continue building.
You don’t need levels to start building. You can build from level 1, only difference is how much control or dexterity you will have invested in game. Other than that, give a man a blueprint and the materials and everyone can build the same, some easier than others, but it’s the same end result.
I know many players who were interested in this game, who haven’t played minecraft, they don’t want to build, they may want a nice house, but they’ll may try to get other people to do it for them. They came from WOW or other RPG’s. Progression is being worked at the moment. Rome wasn’t build in a day. And any of the games with good progression systems, have been fine tuning them for ages, and yet can’t appease the masses.
Devs are not designing a game for only crafters or builders, we’re designing a game for all types of players. End game for a builder may be capital city or the most visited or popular build. End game for a hunter will be titans, End game for a crafter will be branded goods. An economist will want the most busy shop. A guild or leader will want the biggest group or the closest group of friends they can have.
Take me for example. I love building, but I haven’t deviated from crafting and woodcutting and the things I like to do when it comes to skill points. I haven’t invested a single point in control, as I don’t deem it worth it. And have invested in dexterity as it helps me deal with woodcutting, I use iron tools, the only luxury I give myself are gem grapples, but truly are just a luxury and could handle myself with other stuff.
When you focus all your resources to appeal one group, you end up disatisfying the rest. Building isn’t even skill locked. A level 1 builder isn’t really locked from creating a masterpiece, it will take longer, but it’s bearable.
Hunters have seen some improvement to their job in the recent patches. With more creatures coming, it should be improved. Maybe it’s not a question of increasing spawn rate, when more mobs come that you need to deal with. But that’s a matter to be tackled when it comes.