It is true that it is not completely random now. You are just required to wear specific equipment while having specific skills slotted in order to have a chance (or rather eliminate chance) at receiving the desired outcome, opposed to just collecting materials and randomly achieving it. There is some choice involved, but no real control. You just follow the designed path to get the results taking the control out of the hands of the player.
This isn't a bad system, just not as deep as I would hope from a revision to a previous system creating something more in the end.
I disagree completely.
I'm coming at this from the perspective of the other individual since XI's is the epitome of simple RNG in play. One failure in the string of creating the final time that is completely out of your hands constitutes a complete and utter failure. Meanwhile, in XIV I can have a complete botch of durability. Absolute failure, but playing my cards right I still have an out in the form of the skills.
I mean the way you're putting it, of course the only possible outcome is a binary one. Not sure what you're getting at, this is true for literally every crafting ever. Even if you come out with something different as you seem to suggest, you're still in a binary mode of WIN OR LOSE.
What I'm getting at and what the other individual is trying to say is that we're not at the complete mercy of the game in terms of whether we make it or not like games past. Hell I can completely botch something, but I have a skill that lets me completely restart when worst comes to worst.
I would have killed for that in XI with all the millions I dropped on failed crafts. I understand what you're looking for... it sounds more like you were into what Tanaka originally envisioned for crafting before he shit it up in the Japanese vid-docs. He was planning to allow for subtle customization of crafts. Adding a different leather to a hat changed its texture or a flower on it left it pinned, all working off the base recipe.
While that sounds awesome, he fucking blew it, so we pretty much have to make due.
WHILE I'M ON THE SUBJECT OF TANAKA BLOWING IT, WHERE THE FUCK IS MY DUO-CRAFTING AND XBOX HUGE CAKES, SE?!