Why mine and forge anything but iron?

[invivo4u]

Is there any reason to mine and smelt copper and tin mid-game and later? It seems iron is more durable. Of course, we need copper hammers for the home renovation quest (but I can make the hammers quite quickly) but other than that it doesn't seem that copper or bronze items are necessary. I've "heard" discussions here regarding the relative profit of selling crafted metal items vs. the bars or ores and wonder what the updated game has done in setting these values.

[Edmund Greyfox]

Good question. I haven't quite unlocked iron yet in my current game, and my last game was all in EA so I'm not sure if the values have changed. I also wasn't selling tools, so other then the hammer quest i didn't see any need for the lower tier tools once i could make iron. It may just come down to whether you have excess capacity to do it. From a pure efficiency standpoint i think iron is probably the best, but from an RP perspective it makes sense to make some to sell at the market stalls.

[invivo4u]

Good point about the market stalls. In the EA, I found them slow to move product but it's worth a try now in the new game. Thanks for the response.

[invivo4u]

I forgot copper arrows for occasional "Time to Hunt" quests.

[bstangeby]

I have not yet unlocked mines so can not mine any iron but when I do guess go 95 iron 5 salt. Have to give my villagers some variation in food and make those soups that need salted meat.

[richardmgoldsmith]

Most of the iron products cant be unlocked until Smithy III is reached. Bronze is pretty important before that. Keeping a small set of bronze implements may be a good backup for those moments when supply of iron ones is outstripped by NPC use, which will happen sooner or later. When Bronze and Copper ere added to EA, our Iron production line was fully mature so i've only had to learn about copper and bronze implements since restarting for 1.0. I have just reached Smithy III so I suspect I'll switch everything over to iron in their work orders.

[alanisman1]

A lot of townspeople ask for Copper Hammers in radiant quests, and it's hard to even acquire iron until you unlock mines. Upgrading to Bronze Tools makes your townspeople's tools last much longer and they also sell for quite a bit (especially arrows).

[Sarke]

You'll need copper once you discover electricity.

[yeknod]

For me poisoned bronze arrows, damage 55, is plenty powerful. A well placed first shot in the head with one of those and most wild game falls immediately. Bronze and Tin are easily to mine. So, I'm happy to use them. Bronze tools also have great endurance. In comparison the extra hit power of iron arrows and bolts is marginal, the cost of iron is pricey, and I haven't found iron in the mines I've worked. Maybe iron is way back in the depths of the mine, but again, we are now talking about extra time to extract and to haul versus copper and tin. Maybe I'm cheap but my NPC's make do with stone tools. The materials are abundant and nearby, so I just craft a dozen at a time and keep the NPC's well stocked.

[Philtre]

Originally posted by yeknod:

I haven't found iron in the mines I've worked. Maybe iron is way back in the depths of the mine, but again, we are now talking about extra time to extract and to haul versus copper and tin.

Have you built an actual mine building at the site? The mine building unlocks the side passages with the iron ore deposits.

[Veny]

Once you unlock iron, there is no need to create tools from previous materials. Iron tools are more durable and you can mine more iron than copper+tin from mines. I mean... when entering iron age, people also replaced most of their bronze tools with iron.

[shmullster]

Originally posted by Veny:

Once you unlock iron, there is no need to create tools from previous materials. Iron tools are more durable and you can mine more iron than copper+tin from mines. I mean... when entering iron age, people also replaced most of their bronze tools with iron.

But still kept bronze for decoration (adornments, art, etc.)

[Sin]

Until you have maxed personal excavation skill to level 10, I don't know why you'd be picky about what you're digging. It all ends up being used or converted into coin anyway.

[Philtre]

Originally posted by Sin:

Until you have maxed personal excavation skill to level 10, I don't know why you'd be picky about what you're digging. It all ends up being used or converted into coin anyway.

Time, mainly. Hanging out in caves whacking at rocks is boring, so if you don't have a personal need for copper or whatever, there's easier ways of making money....

[invivo4u]

In the early game, copper and tin (=bronze) are essential to craft the tools needed. In the later game, iron is best due to durability. Early in the game, I used to mine copper and tin and drop them near the entrance to the mine because of their weight. I'd mine as much as possible and wait for the season change. As the critical hour approached I'd take all the ores and wait to be transported back to my village. Carrying them that far was impossible so teleporting was very convenient.

[Pretanama]

I built a resource shed near the cave. Mine Tin and copper until you can build a mine. You can still pick tin and copper for a change of pace and just to do it. Sometimes it's the experience of doing different things and not all about doing only what will make the most money.