LootCraft

Ah!  This stuff is actually fairly relaxing.  I should have started a Atelier game sooner.

There's just something satisfying about a game that lets you tear about the countryside, gathering all sorts of improbable things, and then going back to base and turning them into all sorts of ridiculous goodies.  Plenty of RPGs have made this an integral mechanic, but sometimes it takes making crafting the core of the gameplay to scratch that sort of itch.

It's also very interesting to actually take orders from NPCs and hand out the fruits of the Harvest.  I'm still somewhat aghast that somehow steam technology (even the semi-punk kind seen here) can render this sort of thing obsolete in-universe.  Instead of pulling away, somebody should have thought about actually blending the two together, and seeing what wonders could result.  We could be talking awesomesauce stuff like Final Fantasy VI style magitek, without all the nasty downsides.  The government (hell, the closest thing we have to a villain) seems to dimly realize that this style of alchemy is not lightly thrown aside; the location of the workshop itself is somewhat inconvenient, and the original owner of the place is not exactly popular (far less about her chosen craft than the fact that she is an infuriating, lazy, know-it-all harpy.)

We can also take some solace in the time management aspect of the game.  It gives you a good sense of urgency and prioritization.  There are some rough spots, and it can be easy to screw up deadlines and scheduled events, but overall it just take a bit of practice and you're off.

The items themselves are fairly standard fare, but the variety of materials, products, and end results is pretty amazing.  The in-game artwork and sprites for them are also fairly nice; they give a good sense of mystery and that cheerful fantasy look.  They tend to pop out from the fairly drab menu windows and grab attention.

On a final note, Atelier Rorona has the distinction of being one of only a handful of games that I've actually wrote and accumulated notes for.  It's hilarious that a game full of girly gala gunk that comes across like work and research is engrossing enough to actually elicit that sort of thing.