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Crafting System

Creating equipment and items using the Item Forge.

Crafting Interface

Crafting Requirements​

Reticle Cold War features more than 70 player-craftable items. The only way to acquire items is by:

  • Crafting the item on your own (covered below)
  • Purchasing the item from the marketplace
  • Receiving items as rewards via the attractor lottery

Craftable items require some combination of these resources:

ResourceDescriptionHow to Obtain
Forge Points (FP)Primary crafting currencyData Shards → Forge Engine conversion
BlueprintsRecipes for specific itemsMission rewards, puzzles, trading, intelligence operations
Memory Fragments (💠 MF)Essential operating currency for crafting, Forge Engine ops, and moreMemory Machine competition
Skill ProficiencyMinimum average XP in relevant skill areas to craft an itemSkill development through gameplay
Other ItemsCertain items can be merged togetherCraft required items

What Each Item Needs​

Item TypeForge PointsBlueprintMemory FragmentsSkill Check
Engine PartsYesYesNoYes
Puzzle ConsumablesYesNoNoYes
Memory Machine ComponentsYesYesNoYes
Repair KitsYesYesNoYes
Probability Matrix ItemsNoYesYesYes
Attractor ModulesNoYesYesYes
Market Intelligence ModulesNoYesYesYes
Skill-Boosting CosmeticsYesYes (rare+)NoYes
Merged ItemsYesNoSometimesYes

Using the Item Forge​

The Item Forge in the Operative Evolution Center is where all crafting happens.

Item Forge

Direct Crafting​

For items you can afford immediately:

  1. Select item — Browse available recipes (filtered by owned blueprints)
  2. Review requirements — Check FP cost, skill requirements, crafting time
  3. Initiate craft — Pay resources upfront
  4. Wait for completion — Items enter crafting queue
  5. Claim item — Move to inventory when ready

The Vault System​

Item Vault

For expensive items, use the Vault to accumulate FP over time:

  1. Set a crafting goal — Select the item you want to craft
  2. Allocate vault slots — Assign FP generation to this goal
  3. Monitor progress — Watch your vault fill toward the target
  4. Craft when ready — Once the vault reaches the goal, initiate crafting
  5. Liquid FP supplements — If your vault is short, liquid FP covers the difference

The vault prevents you from accidentally spending FP allocated to long-term goals.

Crafting Time​

Items take real time to craft based on complexity:

RarityBase Time
Common~2 hours
Uncommon~8 hours
Rare~36 hours (1.5 days)
Legendary~48 hours (2 days)

Modifiers: Crafting time adjusts based on skill requirements, player level, and item category.

Skill Checks During Crafting​

Crafting Confirmation Interface

Crafting involves a d20 skill check against the item's difficulty:

  • Success: Item created as expected
  • Failure: A percentage of allocated FP is consumed but no item produced (the remainder is retuned to the player)
  • Natural 1: Automatic failure (5% chance)
  • Natural 20: Automatic success (5% chance)

Higher skills dramatically improve success rates. See Skills & Skill Checks for the full system.

Blueprints​

Sample Blueprint

Most items require blueprints before crafting.

Obtaining Blueprints​

SourceBlueprint Types
Mission RewardsMatched to your skill progression
Puzzle CompletionBased on puzzle difficulty
Intelligence OperationsExclusive blueprints (Market Scanners)
TradingAny tradeable blueprint from other players
Attractor RewardsLottery-based blueprint drops

Blueprint Distribution Logic​

The system intelligently distributes blueprints based on:

FactorWeight
Current skill distributionPrimary (matches your strengths)
Near-term progressionSecondary (slightly ahead of your level)
Aspirational itemsSome (motivates advancement)
Trading stock~5% (off-spec items for market activity)

Blueprint Rarity Matches Item Rarity​

A Legendary blueprint unlocks a Legendary item. Blueprint rarity determines how difficult it is to obtain.

Merged Items​

Merged items are high-level gear created by combining two existing items. They require no blueprint—only the input items and sufficient skill.

How Merging Works​

  1. Acquire both input items — Must be in your inventory
  2. Open the crafting interface — Found in Item Forge
  3. Select the item requiring two or more parts — System will automatically detect whether you meet the item requirements
  4. Confirm craft — Both input items are consumed
  5. Receive merged item — New item appears after crafting time

Merged Item Benefits​

  • Cross-career synergies: Combines skill bonuses from different career paths
  • Higher stats: Merged items often exceed either input item alone
  • No blueprint barrier: Accessible once you have the inputs and skills

Item Categories​

Forge Engine Parts​

Components that improve your Forge Engine efficiency. Four quality tiers:

TierRarityEfficiency BoostBlueprint Required
BasicCommon+10%Yes
QualityUncommon+15%Yes
SuperiorRare+20%Yes
MasterworkLegendary+30%Yes

Memory Machine Components​

Cross-faction competitive items for the Memory Machine competition. Seven component types across five grades (I-V):

  • Machine Conduits, Machine Fuel, Machine Cores
  • Contest Algorithms, Contest Negotiation, Faction Interaction
  • Memory Sink (mission unlock only)

Consumables​

Single-use or limited-charge items:

CategoryExamplesBlueprint
Puzzle AidsInsight Heightener (extra attempts), Quantum Skeleton Key (bypass)No
Training EnhancersSkill-specific XP boostersYes
Intelligence SupportBriefing amplifiers, scenario assistanceYes
Crafting OptimizationQueue management, success rate boostersYes

Permanent Devices​

Items that persist indefinitely but require Memory Fragments to operate:

DeviceFunctionFragment Cost
Attractor ModulesLottery system for blueprint/cosmetic rewardsPer sync cycle feed
Market ScannersEconomic analytics and forecastingPer scan operation

Skill-Boosting Cosmetics​

Wearable items providing skill XP bonuses. Degrade with use and require Repair Kits.

RarityDurabilityXP BoostBlueprint
Common504-5%No
Uncommon758-10%No
Rare10012-15%Yes
Legendary15018-20%Yes

Repair Kits​

Restore durability to cosmetic items:

Kit TierDurability RestoredBlueprint
Basic25Yes
Standard50Yes
Premium100Yes

Probability Matrix Items​

Memory Fragment-gated skill enhancers that improve skill check odds. Require fragments to craft and recharge.

Planning Your Crafting: The Roadmap​

The Crafting Roadmap is an in-game tool that organizes all craftable items by progression tier, helping you understand what's accessible now and what you're working toward.

Two Planning Views​

ViewOrganizes ByPurpose
Item CraftingSkill requirementsShows what you can craft based on skill proficiency
Item UseOperative levelShows when you can equip or consume items

Key Features​

  • "You Are Here" indicator — Highlights your current tier in each view
  • Career filtering — Focus on items aligned with your career path
  • Goal tracking — Set up to 15 crafting targets with progress monitoring
  • Favorites — Mark up to 20 items for quick reference
  • Progress stats — Track your overall unlock percentage

Using the Roadmap​

  1. Open the Crafting Roadmap from the Item Forge
  2. Switch between Crafting and Use views to plan from both perspectives
  3. Filter by your career to see relevant items
  4. Set goals for items you want to target
  5. Use the roadmap to guide your skill development and vault allocation

Full Roadmap Guide →