On point 2: while I see your point, I feel like if the gameplay is really solid then this stuff is actually pretty enjoyable. in my case, I really love the hunting type of games like Horizon, Far Cry and Assassin's Creed. If it feels like a chore then the game didn't implement it very well.
Horizon Zero Dawn is probably the only game I have ever played where I collected all items and did all side missions.. it has the mechanic you are describing but the game is so damn fun to me I don't mind it.
Idk, i did'nt played any of the 3, so i can't say
I was thinking more like souls games, where you have that swordsomething+4 and you need to spend whatever amount of hours to do same areas over and over so days after you go to the blacksmith, he turn it into a swordsomething+5 and your dmg pass from 92 to 98
Then do all it again (but more) to turn it into swordsomething+6 and have dmg pass from 98 to 102
No skill, no challenge, no fun, just same shit same over and over
Just think the best/fastest route in terms of time and possible reward and do it
I adore souls games, but that's does'nt increase the experience... sure increase the time i spend there, but not the experience
If anything make me limit the number of run from zero (as create a completely new/different char) that i will do, because the time needed to reach a truly different specialized character with advanced stuff is so much that i will NOT try all the classes/types i would truly like to try
Specially if is a game where you can create very different characters it's quite big kick in replayability's balls
I've never forged a sword or built a gun. It seems complicated and I just use weapons I find in the game world.
I had that issue with Diablo 3. I maxed my blacksmith and didn't know how to build weapons. I'd have recipes for weapon and the stuff but didn't know how to get my blacksmith to build the equipment
to be clear, i'm not against the concept itself
Blacksmith saying "to make that kind of sword i need this and that" in my opinion is cool af way to give context to a gameplay situation
What i'm against is game designer chosing to cheap add hundreds of hours with absolutely disproportionate recipe request to build/power-up shit, like you having to raid same swamp killing each time the 6 giant frogs that are there, so after 300 times you have the "frog eye x10" you needed
Super rare ingredient should be "x1", then if other ingredients are sold in a shop at insane price i will work to gain enough gold... but at least there i'm chosing how to gain it, i'm not forced to raid the same area over and over