On the Game: More metal for newcomers

[Bigfish]

http://www.havenandhearth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=46021#p46021
Thank you for taking the time to write that, I think you make several valid points. I will try to address your complaints.

1) Lack of metal
Problem: Several important steps in the economical development of a settlement require metal. Notably Chests, Meatgrinders, Pick Axes, Cellars. Apart from cutting off certain necessities, the lack of metal also prevents the new player from at all acquiring some of the more interesting gear. Scythes, metal cauldron, metal saw, etc.
Analysis: [...]
Solution: Increase trade connectivity. Implement bog ore -- small amounts of iron ore can be hoisted out of bogs. Consider panning for gold and silver. (In all cases, gain should be significantly lower than from mines). The great advantage of these latter steps are that -- even if they were to require a significant amount of work -- it would make it at least possible to solo play the game, something that I myself could appreciate. Another advantage is that industries like that also make it possible for us to increase reliance on metal in crafting recipes.

Copper and tin are contained in small veins on the surface (maybe in forests/mudflats or caves).
Bound iron ore can be found in meteor craters [which were for thousend of years the only source of iron] scattered over smaller versions of this

or can be found in small veins of mountain terrain.

These veins (meteorits) are rare (but much more likely to be found than mines, maybe one on a regional map or so) and are exhaustible (hold iron ore equal to 5-10 bars of cast iron; veins may or may not respawn like animals). They yield a certain amount of metal for tools but not enough for good weapons though (also they could have low quality)

digging is kind of static and mindless, though. lets you stay in one spot. it might be better to have it more like foraging

Conclusion: Prospecting now allows you to build mines holes, create rustroot extract and to see small veins of metal or if you are lucky enough some meteor ore. (can be smelted into cast bar)

[Jackard]

this doesnt sound very different from the current system of uncommon nonrenewable mines

how does this help the problem jorb described of the newer player without access to metal?

[burgingham]

Btw I don't think that used to be that big of a problem anymore since the map had grown older and some grids were added. I also suppose not everyone was doing it right to find a mine. When Klaue got summoned in WV and wanted to have his own secure place about 1 or 2 months ago, it did not even take an hour till he found himself his own silvermine. No new grids in place yet.

[Jackard]

yea, though it probably wouldnt hurt to add another way to get small amounts of metal, kind of like foraging but for nuggets instead of herbs. jorb mentioned gold panning and bog iron

[Chakravanti]

Also....meteorites are *not* a source of metal.

Impact vaporizes the meteor and the most you will ever find from one is debris that broke off before impact and was small enough not to impact-vaporize itslef.

Meteor craters *do* however prove to be a rich source of minerals due to an effect the impact has on the minerals within the surface of the earth whereby they are heated into magma by the sheer amount of energy from the impact and cause an effect much like the separation of water and oil where raw metals will sort themselves from others and cool into layers of near pure metal.

It occurs to me that bog ore should be obtained at random (e.g something liek %80 chance of obtaining mud from digging). It might further be made rare by not depending on nat/ind slider and always be as if procured by a neutral digger.

[Jackard]

digging is kind of static and mindless, though. lets you stay in one spot. it might be better to have it more like foraging

[Chakravanti]

I like that. Good idea.

[Jack]

I like that idea too.

This would solve one of the main complaints players have.

[Twentytwos]

I dont think there is an issue with lack of metal, just an issue with all being claim and abandon. I my area i have found 11 mines, 3 were in use at one point and the other 7 were just claimed and abandon. Now as for what type of ore they contained i have no clue. I had very horrible experenice with finding cave mines as they closest it got was 89% and ..... sigh lol. I tried many many many caves with even worse precentage's, so i eventally gave up. On the plus side i did find alot of cave bulbs lol.

[Winterbrass]

I found two cave mines within a ten minute walk of each other - copper and tin. The problem is that cave mines suck due to lack of ability to bring carts into mines and that cave maps are unalterable in that you can't do any digging of your own.