Hi "Factions forum lurking early access program" members =) (you if you're reading this)
Just a quick update, the crafting interface is now functional and players can turn rocks into hammerstones, hammerstones into crude handled stone hammers and any other item we decide to code into the system. While it's not the prettiest interface and doesn't display all information that it eventually will, it functions very well, works with the inventory, server, etc.. etc.. which we are happy about =) A little preview of it is below.

- Crafting interface sneak preview
- crafting_sneak_preview.jpg (125.72 KiB) Viewed 18850 times
Just to give a little more detail on the actual crafting system in Factions. Every item crafted will accept not simply an "item type" but an actual "resource category". For example, lets take our hammerstone item, which all players will have access to initially regardless of their starting skills chosen. The hammerstone is an important starting tool which will allow the creation of other stone tools and can be used in place of more advanced hammers to hammer, shape, crush, or defend yourself in a bind.

- Hammerstone_Icon
- Hammerstone.png (3.24 KiB) Viewed 18850 times
It is made from the "resource category" of "blunt tool stone". This is a classification of stone which distinguishes some stone varieties which will shatter or crumble when struck. For example, Granite is an excellent stone for blunt tools as it is very durable and does not shatter easily, whereas sandstone is still usable but will deteriorate quickly. Something like shale simply is not usable as a blunt stone tool.
So lets say we use granite in our hammerstone, we scavenge a piece of granite lying on the ground, it is of poor quality but will suffice. We place the item in our crafting interface and craft it, we now have a hammerstone that can be used to craft stone knives, stone arrowheads, some bone tools, etc.. etc.. The hammerstone now has the resource categories of "1 handed hammer" "hammer head" "hammerstone" meaning we can use this as a poor one handed hammer, affix it to a handle to make a crude (yet more effective) one handed hammer, or use it as a hammerstone for crafting which requires the precise control of a hammerstone (such as arrow or spearhead crafting).
I hope you enjoyed this and look forward to any feedback you might have =)