Item synthesization: make (& break) your own stuff!

[Zargerth]

You may be familiar with customization, upgrade and synthesization features from other games: for example you can not only buy weapons and armor from shops, but also bring a weapon, along with other materials, to someone who then uses them to make a new, better weapon. Yet in Pokemon afaik the closest thing we've got to this is Kurt and Apricorn Balls. But that's not what I'm talking about. What if you could make items using other items? Or, alternatively, break one item in order to obtain several other items?

 

One simple example could be making (synthesizing) a Flame Plate with a few Red Shards and a Charcoal - again, alternatively, you could also shatter the Flame Plate into a few Red Shards and a Charcoal. Held items would be ideal for synthesizing, but synthesizing could be applied to various Poke Balls, healing items, evolution items and maybe even some TMs. For instance if you wanted to make Flame Charge, you'd need Flame Orb / Flame Plate, Salac Berry and Dubious Disk (or something). Reverting or breaking items is the less important part in my opinion, and thus not all items could be broken into some others, like TMs. In other words, for some items synthesizing would work only one way and not the other way around.

 

What I think is worth paying attention to is striking the balance: if you needed both an Ice Stone and Light Clay for Aurora Veil, you might prefer to let your Prankster Meowstic hold on to Light Clay and use the Ice Stone on your Alolan Vulpix. On the other hand, synthesizing items would allow players to obtain some advantages or benefits (that help them in the game) by giving up or sacrificing others. I'm not saying you'd have to lock yourself out of Aurora Veil if you decide to keep your items: instead you'd have a chance to obtain it (much) earlier. Items needed for synthesizing could be obtained from wild Pokemon, like Magnets, Stardust or Dragon Scales, as well as by doing side quests or simply by finding hidden items.

 

I know this is very bare bones of an idea - and most likely I'm not the first one to think of this -  but I don't recall seeing a feature like this in any Pokemon game (fan-game or not). I also don't expect it to be implemented any time soon, if at all. What's your take on this - do you think item synthesizing could be implemented in a Pokemon fan-game in the (near) future? Is it even worth implementing?

 

TL;DR: Item synthesizing would be a feature or mechanic that allows players to create items by using other items, as well as break some items into several others.

[Matt_]

I think creating or crafting items could be a cool feature in a fan game. Perhaps there could also be custom items that could be created, or custom boosting items that certain pokemon could wear in battle. Although, the main problem with making nearly every item craftable and possibly a few custom items would be time in my opinion. It would take an obnoxious amount of programming to make the feature its best, so it would only be worthwhile for large dev team with skilled programmers. 

[laggless01]

Since those plates are allegedly formed at the beginning of the universe's (or world's) existence, crafting them seems a bit...odd. And there have been NPC's that 'transformed' items (e.g. Fuego Ironworks in gen 4). What you propose is to have a more expansive system while also make it independent of NPC's? Or are you perhaps thinking of making such things possible through purchaseable Secret Base-items (e.g. a furnace), imitating Minecraft slightly?

[Zargerth]

@laggless01 I used the Flame Plate merely as an example doesn't mention how I completely neglected what you just brought up. Yeah, this would be more expansive, and if possible, independent of NPC's. There could be a tool or a workshop (either as a separate building or located in Pokemon Centers or something) which you could use for synthesizing. For example, in Ever Oasis in the second floor of your house there's this tree you can use for synthesizing items.

 

@Matt_ I'm not too keen on custom items, especially if they're available to the player only (Gym Leaders etc. don't have them). I have little knowledge on programming, so I didn't go into detail on how exactly one can implement a feature like this.

[Dante52]

Sorry this a bit late of a post, but have you played Super Pokemon Eevee Edition? It has an item synthesizing system, so maybe you could take a look at that and see what you like and don't like, get ideas, etc. I thought it was pretty cool. 

[Phi-Bi]

Item crafting is pretty cool. It'd be interesting if certain moves are needed to catalyze the item crafting process. Make the game revolve around being the best item crafter (or if I call it in my term, the best alchemist in Pokemon world) instead of being the best trainer. There is tournament to demonstrate the alchemist capabilities of using item in battle. A lot of custom items will be available which the opponent can use as well and throughout the game we have to collect recipes to craft a better item to win the tournament. The evil team would be a group who wants to create a ultimate item (like, philosopher's stone) but it requires the legendaries power.

Anyway, this script allow you to craft items although I have not seen a fan-game which use it:
https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=346573