I’ve been beating my head against a wall trying to come up with a concept for this. I posted this in the other thread:
“I’ve been trying to figure out how you make unique crafting goods in this game. Like maybe you could “lock” signs with ASCII art or 4x4 blocks of…erm…blocks that you could sell as statues.”
So I thought I’d start a new thread and throw this open to the brain trust here.
Any ideas on how there could be crafted items that are more “art” based or made unique somehow?
Well there are a lot of ideas I’ve never bothered to share on the forums cause the developers have enough ideas and stuff to read through. I don’t know if these are unique enough for what you’re talking about but these are just some ideas I’ve thought up over the years of playing the game. These could all be things that are rewarded to those who play in certain events that the developers run, like the Halloween event, and can craft them whenever the event starts or the event specific crafting materials are available to farm up.
Glow sticks
Basically a throwable light source that comes in two forms, sticky and non-sticky. Since bombs can bounce off stuff and have physics, this means you could drop them through holes, throw them through cave systems, etc. They would either bounce off stuff or stick depending on which version. They would have color based on gleam or gems that they are made out of. Gem versions have a larger light source than gleam but are basically a consumable item similar to food and brews.
Blueprints
Basically taking any structure you’ve made and create a blueprint out of it to sell to someone else. It would require that person to have the same blocks that are within the blueprint. This could work for things like statues to be placed quickly in people’s settlements. The blueprint would have a player only specific telegraph that allows them to place it where they want to place it, kind of like the Plotter tool, and with a click you apply the blocks of the blueprint. After that the blueprint is consumed or takes a durability hit (like 1 point out of 10).
Boomerang
Another weapon type that has a decent range. Kind of like the Boomerang in Zelda games and functions the same way in being able to stun creatures for a short amount of time but after so many applications of the effect it becomes immune for 30 seconds. Would help with group hunting events and solo hunting. The boomerang would return to the player regardless of where they are standing from where they originally used it. Line of sight could be an issue or not depending on how it’s balanced. Other stats of the weapon are kind of up to balance passes on it.
Flare Gun
Kind of like the glow stick idea but lasts longer and uses elemental fusion (cause it doesn’t have a crafting recipe). It would use titanium and gems in its crafting and the gem is what determines the color of the flare. The light source of the flared area would be huge and last for 10-15 minutes (maybe?). Basically is just a supportive item, sort of like grapples are.
Functional Furniture
All existing furniture becomes functional. So chairs you can actually interact with and sit down on. Tables that can function as tables. Desks that can store a small amount of stuff in them if you’re sitting at it.
Chest storage
Alternative storage for players besides Storage Shelves, Blocks, Shop Stands, Crafting Tables and Machines. Could come in a variety of different slot sizes and appearances.
Paintings
This is a pretty interesting idea. This could be incorporated into other areas of the game besides building and that’s also the economy mini game. The idea would allow you as a player to actually paint something on a canvas and create an actual painting in the game. It would require an interface for this to work but it would definitely be an interesting part of the game. I’d personally spend a lot of coin on a player made painting if it was good and fit with what I need it for.
Snowball Machine
Finally be able to use Ice and Glacier blocks to turn into a throwable item at other players. Minecraft had this and it was kind of nice. I think the entire concept behind it could spark a whole set of events, such as paint ball arenas in the game. Fun little events that players can hold would be nice.
Armor and Weapon Racks
A decorative item that you can place stuff on, such as wearable items (when they’re in the game) and weapons or tools. It could make a barracks room in a castle or fortress look really nice or even a guard barracks in a settlement have more artistic appeal towards it.
Just some thoughts. I don’t know if there’s any merits to any of it but I figured I’d share them anyways.
Other than the flare gun, they all sound cool. Flare guns just don’t feel Oortian.
Much more weapon types than currently in the game, though i trust this will come with Titans (what a meme lol). ARMOR.
Just a sample name. Name isn’t important. It could be called something else. It’s what it does that’s important.
A glow stick with smoking effects then?
Glow sticks don’t emit smoke in real life. Flares do though. Could also be a boon on bombs to make smoke bombs. 
MaGiCaL GlOw StIcK
I like most of this, but the paintings and blueprints best fit what I’m talking about. Unique items you can ONLY get from that one person.
Well a unique item doesn’t necessarily need to be crafted by only by a player. It could be a crafting recipe that’s rewarded to those who finish a set of tasks. This is how a questing system could functionally benefit the game to introduce those sorts of things. So as new players join the game those players would have to get those items from other players that have received the crafting recipe. It also doesn’t need to necessarily be events that only spawn the crafting mats either.
There’s multiple approaches to this.
Yeah, I was thinking this as well. Rust does this very well and it adds alot of personality to the game and people’s settlements. The only issue is I can see the paintings can get rated R and the game tries to keep it to a PG-13 environment. The number of ingame reports would skyrocket. I don’t mind rated R myself.
I think those reports are handled on a case by case basis. Art is art. Smut is something different. It’s why we don’t see plots with giant dicks made out of gleam all over the place.
I also think that personalized items also would be cool. Like weapon paintings or camo on guns you see in various Call of Duty games. People love to run around with something that looks cool. So that could also be a thing too.
I’d prefer no outside art, but I’m not sure how you’d do it. Maybe a frame you can craft and then place blocks in, pixel style. Obviously the blocks would be at a vastly reduced scale.
I imagine it would work like a minigame.
They could add the ability to turn screenshots into photos.
Possibly add a canvas item to transfer the screenshot on to, that way you can transfer the screen to another person.
Or they could add a camera mechanic on top of that.
This way you can preeetty much guarantee you won’t get any questionable pictures. Not saying that’s impossible, but less likely then.
That would be neat.
Totally love the idea of blueprints, this has to happen. Paintings would be cool too.
I think blueprints would be cool, in two different ways.
You could “draw” up a blueprint at a drawing board and then save it onto a blueprint paper. Which you can then:
A. Sell for profit.
B. Commission to build at another player’s need or want on their plots.
C. Use for preplanning settlement additions.
Which would be an interesting way for builders and designers to make money.
This would also potentially create an interesting opportunity for lower level player to gather resources for the build. For example, say you need so many black stone, waxy leaves, copper, iron, and fibrous leaves or any multiple of blocks being used.
That would create a definite supply and demand interaction between builder and gatherers.
Then it would also create a sort of player created “quest or mission”. For the builder and another player made quest for the gatherers.
Edit: to clarify in my idea – the builder would still have to build it once the blueprint was placed on the world. But the builder would need to:
A. Level or clear the area, so none of the blueprint is blocked by current world blocks.
B. Collect the materials needed via request baskets or trade or self gathering
C. Would have to still build the structure manually block by block as normal once the blueprint is placed.
Basically providing a service, a trade, a sink for trade from all economic levels and creating demand, and would help propel the movement of coin and goods, while promoting teamwork.
And create a form of player made quests for hunters, surface gatherers, manufactured goods, builders, and miners.
Oh and the requester or buyer would need the plots, so maybe on the blueprint it could list how many plots it would take to complete.
@james – sorry, just linking for brainstorming. Let me know if this gets on your nerves. Not sure who else to link on the dev team.
I wouldn’t mind a monthly event that lasts for 7 days and allows players to unlock certain special and unique things, such as the ability to add a new Boon to an item or a cool craftable item that is only obtained from that event.
These monthly events could be on a rotation and start at the beginning of the month regardless if it overlaps with another event that happens to be around that time (such as for US players that would be July 4th but not trying to suggest that American holidays should be used). There could just be a series of activities players have to do in order to unlock the unique thing. It gets players playing more, sends the message to new players and prospecting players that there is going to be a lot of player activity every month.
One of those unique things could be a weapon Boon unlocked for gathering various orbs from surface plants. The boon could make it so that creatures hit by the slingbow or bomb a debuff. The debuff could be a damage reduction or possibly every time they deal damage to you that they take a percentage of the total damage they dealt to you. It could paint the creature with a colored steam matching the type of bomb or slingbow used.
I don’t know. I think there’s a lot that can be done to incentivize players to continue playing. I wouldn’t mind being able to give a decal paint job on a slingbow or bomb. Cause it would be totally awesome to throw baseball grenades at creatures. Fallout style! 
Option to modify each weapon to add a nickname to it. Say like aoe3x3 or single or Musclor for what I care… OR changing weapon name colora so that ypu can spot forged item WAYYY more easily than checking 20 stacks to find 3 little hiding gear
I would have to say paintings, that was the idea I got initialy after fully reading the post.
I was going to say that, but you already mentioned so. Kudos to you 
Only problem then would be people drawing inappropriate things.
