The Ossiranth Chronicles

Just a random thought that's been running through my head:

One of the things about WoW that constantly disappoints me is the professions. Nothing below max level is remotely useful to anyone. You get better equipment and items through quest rewards than you can craft at the same skill level. You can power level your skill up to the max and craft things which are sort of useful, but by the time you are high enough level to use the equipment, the quest rewards and drops are once again better. They merely exist for raising your skill in the profession.

Since I'm planning out a level-less system, obviously the level of the equipment is of no consequence. As crafters become able to make stronger weapons and armor, the old weapons and armor become obsolete very quickly. I would prefer to have a system where all items that can be made have use to people.

What if, as materials get better for crafting, the amount of enhancements one can put on them shrink? A bronze shortsword could have the capacity to hold maybe three enchantments, but an iron shortsword could only hold two. Perhaps the more powerful materials could hold more powerful magics, but the lesser materials could hold more weaker magics which offer more total benefit? The iron short sword could hold two +5 damage enchantments. The bronze short sword could only hold +3 damage enchantments, but it can hold three of them for a total of +9 damage. The iron short sword could have other benefits such as more durability and then the player would have to choose "Do I go with the Bronze Sword which could do more damage after it is fully enchanted, or do I go with the Iron Sword which doesn't have to be repaired as often (making it cheaper in the long run)?"

There could be other benefits to different materials as well. Maybe some materials can't hold some kinds of magics. Iron could hold +holy damage enchantments, while Bronze could hold +nature damage enchantments. A Paladin would prefer the iron sword over the bronze if they have talents which depend on holy damage dealt, while an Assassin would favor the bronze if they had abilities which amplified nature damage.

Both swords are useful to someone and neither becomes obsolete.

Just a thought.