Why do many RPG fans hate crafting?

[MpuMngwana]

I still don't get why some character who does crafting part-time could ever get better results than the NPCs who devote their lives to it.

How is it different than a character who didn't know how to hold a sword until two weeks ago defeating Emperor Evil McGenocide who spent last one thousand years enslaving entire nations with necromancy? Becoming better at things than everyone in a record time frame is a key RPG protagonist characteristic.

 

[anvi]

Emperor Evil McGenocide who spent last one thousand years enslaving entire nations with necromancy?

He would have got away with it too, if it wasn't for you meddling heroes.

 

[Ranarama]

Yeah bra, totes unrealish.

In a world where people throw around fireballs using bat guano, a neutronium dense partial abortion cries, "muh realz!!!!"

Somethings are a core part of the setting, the rest should try to make sense.

Otherwise you might as well be playing white noise.

But hey, stick to your abortion fantasies - they're probably all you have.

Becoming better at things than everyone in a record time frame is a key RPG protagonist characteristic.

It's not actually. Not every RPG has a stupidly unrealistic leveling system. Some barely have any improvement at all - no grind. Imagine that.

 

[MpuMngwana]

It's not actually. Not every RPG has a stupidly unrealistic leveling system. Some barely have any improvement at all - no grind. Imagine that.

Yeah, such games may exist, but they are a minority. I was pointing out that your argument is "hurr durr how i become better at crafting than blacksmith is unrealistic" can be applied to a much more common RPG trope - ridiculousy quick power growth, which is present in everything from high fantasy DnD adaptations to attempts at a more grounded setting such as AoD. And never once did I mention grinding, for it is not necessary to achieve said power growth. In fact, ridiculous amounts of grind would lessen the effect of the trope, because it adds the "hero spent ten years honing his skills on the local bandits" phase between "hero sets out with a wooden sword and 1 melee weapons skill" and "hero kills Emperor Evil McGenocide" phases.