It has been repeatedly messaged in game that the main cause of lag and server crashes is crafting. If that is true (and I can only assume that it is), it seems to me that the obvious answer is to diminish the need for crafting. If would therefore recommend the following:
It's not crafting, it's the 3rd party software like easyuo and razor that players are using to run macros.  They are setting times way to fast on making too many items overnight

1) Add a stone that would let you pay to maximize your crafting abilities. Although you can currently buy a stone to increase abilities for ED, it seems to me that it is a fair trade-off to be able to buy increases in crafting for gold or tokens since we are encouraged to vote and get even more players on the shard. Any loss in ED from this would be more than made up for in keeping players because the shard was running smoothly and encouraging players checking it out to stay.

2) Add a BOD filling bag. You would place your bod in this bag and it would do a skill check and tell you how many ingots/wood of what type to place in the bag to fill the BOD. The ingots/wood would then disappear and the filled BOD would appear in your pack. No crafting needed.

While on the subject of BOD's, it would be nice to have a bag that would let you put 2 in that you don't want/need and get a random BOD back.

Thanks for your consideration,
Crawdad

Crawdad,


Those are some interesting suggestions. I particularly like the last one of an exchange that gives unwanted bods for a new random one. I've read in other posts that Dante himself agrees that if you turn in a completed bod, you should be able to get another one immediately. I believe it's really an issue of figuring out a way of scripting it in successfully.

Your Fellow Evolutionite,

Lord Soronume

That would be nice. But I think the ability to trade in unwanted bod's would be better. On shards that have the ability to get another bod by turning one in, you often fill ones that you normally would not just to get another bod. The object here is to limit the crafting to that which would actually benefit you or other players.

The shard could script a timer to prevent the fast macro of items.  In the original EA game, it took 5 - 9 seconds to make a potion, and if you attempted to make another it yelled at you, or ruined the potion you were making.  Forcing players to place longer timers on crafting items (like the duration you have to wait to use a skill again.

Removing the need to craft items simply kills any economy the game SHOULD be focused on building.

Why not treat AFK crafting like AKF mining?
 
Bill The Cat
 

I totally agree with Bill, AFK macro-crafting should be treated exactly as AFK resource gathering. There needs to be an AFK checker scripted in to activate when someone is crafting or resource gathering, I have seen other free shards with similar checks in place to prevent AFK crafting/gathering. If I have to be present to go MINE materials I need to CRAFT items, then I should have to be present when I CRAFT items that I had to be present for when I MINED the materials I needed.
 
As far as the suggestion to totally remove crafting from UO.....thats just plain dumb. Crafting is one of the basic foundations of the game, always has been always should be. I for one enjoy the aspect of crafting items and working towards the goal of hitting GM or Legendary in a crafting skill. And as far as placing a "stone in the game where you can pay to max your skills" there is something similar to that.....ITS CALLED A SKILL BALL that has to be bought with ED's, hence "paid for skill maxxing."

With the exception of training, I don't afk anything.  Seems silly to play a game by not actually playing it.  Crafting is an essential part of the game.  Some ppl log in only to craft.  Since the framework of UO supports this style of gameplay we should too.

If someone reallay want to raise a skill by high volume crafting there are several scripts for EasyUO that will make items and either recycle or toss them in a trash barrel. There is no need to just AFK craft something to  the point is oveflows you pack and stacks on the floor.
 
 
Bill The Cat

There is already a precedent in game that avoids what otherwise would require crafting. The plant sprinkler system requires absolutely no potions. If it was a priority to keep crafting the same thing over and over to fulfill requirements, you would need to fill the sprinklers with potions as you do on most shards.