Ai-chan wants to make it short. Ai-chan has only played Dragon Quest 3 or 4 maybe, but now there's Dragon Quest 11 even. Ai-chan wants to play the modern dragon quest games, but doesn't know which one of those would be good. Which of the modern dragon quest would you suggest? Why do you think those are good? Ai-chan isn't sure if this feature exists in modern dragon quest, but if there is crafting system, please inform Ai-chan of them and which version has that system. Thanks in futuristic credits.
I say play dragon quest V: hand of the heavenly bride, I say this game because you get to see your character grow and go through hardship Sadly no crafting mechanics, pretty old game (DS era) P.S. Nera is best girl!!! MAGIC FOR LIFE!!!
If you want to play in short bursts, Dragon Quest IX is pretty nice too and a little more "modern" than most of those recommended here until now. The story is quite simple and the main character is a little bland (as you create your character as you like) but there is way more freedom in this game than the usual on rail approach of the other DQ games, I felt I had to mention it as it is a really nice and light play experience, but of course DQ V is one of the "must play" of the serie, a really good and solid classic, with a great sense of growth and progression for both the story and most of the characters. It's certainly not a modern one but it introduced a lot of mecanics that became a classic of the serie later on (like class and monster stuff) and the scenario and characters are really great so it would be a waste to never play this one.
I recommend DQ 8. There’s a lot to recommend in this game. Crafting is pretty interesting. The artwork is way better than the previous ones. And retro compared to future ones. So future or pass this still has a place in my heart. The fighting style is my favorite compared to all the DQ. You have more control on how you attack and who you attack. A nice bonus is you have monster teams you could use. For instance if you find all three golems and tame them. Than put them on a team. They sometimes combine to create an ultimate monster. The transportation in this game is interesting. You ride animals or other transports. Lastly the story of the game is one of the best I found. Good luck on your search