Suggestion. Craft. New System.

A system in which the player is almost completely in control of the outcome. The system uses a loot system, currency, as well as an in-game puzzle.

The system consists of three stages:

Step 1. Collecting Ingredients - this is where you collect resources
Step 2. Assembly - here you define what properties can be on the item
Step 3. Fine-tuning - here you achieve the best property ranks

For a simpler understanding, I think it's better to look at the system from end to beginning.

Step 3. Fine-tuning

As a result of the stage, you get the final item.

An item can have up to 6 affixes. 3 prefixes and 3 suffixes. This allows us to create a 3x2 matrix where all the affixes can be placed.

Affixes form form similar to "15 puzzle".
- In the step3 process, we can have more suffixes or prefixes than 3.
- Affixes in wrong column at the and will not appears on final item.

There are 3 actions available to the player:
1. Move tile
2. Bump-up tile
3. Bump-down tile

The figure below shows the result of two consecutive movements.


- If there no free space coz of maximum affixes, so you can not move tiles.

The picture below shows the result of Bump-up the tile (the green Arrow on the affix level)

You level-up affix tier of a tile, so other tile in a row and column of aim tile will level-down (red arrows).

- If tier have to go higher then maximum tier for that item-lvl you will get to 1 (lowest) tier.
- If tier have to go lower then 1 (lowest) tier you will get to maximum tier for that item-lvl

The picture below shows the result of Bump-down the tile (the red Arrow on the affix level)


You have to pay for every action. Actions are "bought" for currency (1to1, 1to5, 1to10... it can be one currency, or several different ones – the specific payment is determined by the balance of the game)
At the end, the player completes the item, for all affixes, the values rolled within the tiers. Then you can work with the subject in the usual way.

To make more complicated: frame can be wider then 3x2, but aim affixes should match the "base zone"
To make easier: let the tiles to swap places.

And where did the tile affixes come from?
They were received at Step 2.

Step 2. Assembly
The player places the available ingredients in the "base area", just as it is happening now with the Relics.
The base area can be randomly formed or be fixed for the base. The base area may be wider as the base level increases to reflect the potential power of the item, or it may be narrower, reflecting the higher difficulty of crafting a high-level item.

- The base area can be expanded with a special currency (for example, Artificer's Orb).
- The affixes on the ingredients form a pool of affixes on the tiles.
- There may be more affixes on ingredients that possible on an item, but there can only be 6 affixes in an item. The final pool is selected by counting matches, or by tier, or, if equal, randomly.
- Affixes on ingredients have only a name and tiers , and do not have specific values.

And did the ingredients come from? ? They were obtained at the Step 1.

Step 1. Collecting Ingredients

The ingredients are obtained through a drop.

-They can be of different shapes and can have up to two properties.
-They can be unique, and give the subject unique affixes.
-They are subject to the same rules as all other items.

END. (START?)

P.S.
Better base can be obtained with other system, witch I suggest here Trade-Craft-Player System Issues