Burning resin == Tar ?

[Ragnaman]

A rhetoric question, if the above is not true, will it ever be implemented ?
If I'm not mistaken one can burn tree (pine) resin to obtain the black hydrophobic/insulating material we call tar.

Just wondering why its not possible to burn resin ingame to obtain tar.

[Jiala]

Probably not. Because we already get tar from bark and hide at the tannery. Lore-wise, the tar used in the game comes from the bark itself and not the leather, but functionally in game its the other way around.

With a decent thrall at the station though you can get loads of tar in short order. I often end up throwing out a bunch of leather just to make tar myself, and do mass loads of it at a time. As a result I have more bandages then any one person should be able to use in two years of constant play.... wee I'm a little bit of a hoarder when it comes to healing and food supplies. <.<;

[Ragnaman]

"I often end up throwing out a bunch of leather just to make tar"

This is the exact reason why current resource logistics makes no sense in regard to tar.
It should be:
Want to get tar ? The logical thing to do would be to burn resin.
Burning bark side effect yields tar, well great, but that should not be the main source of tar.

Of course one also can squeeze coal...but that makes no sense in my books.

[Jiala]

Huh. I just looked it up and it /is/ possible to make tar from resin in the game. However, the recipe is only available with a tier 4 alchemist, and only one that spawns in a purge event. Its 10 Resin, and 10 raw ash equals 2 tar.

So pardon me, I was wrong. It is in the game. But the odds of having the alchemist who can do it is astronomically low.

[Ragnaman]

Oh wow, thanks for info, jeez why would creating tar be behind an RNG wall.

[DigginTiger]

you should go there, create an account and give your suggestion to the funcom team.
https://forums.funcom.com/t/reduce-brick-and-harden-brick-cost/29049
Sorry, the link is not very accurate but still should do the trick :D

[cooperman]

You can put coal in the press to make tar if you are next to a lot of it and dont use it much (i use dry wood it burns longer)

[Bimdur]

Here is Sweden we build something we call Kolmila, only translation I can find is Charcoal Stack or Charcoal Kiln but I'm not sure that is correct.

Anyhow, this thing is more or less a hole in the ground like a root cellar where where the wood was smoldering, and absolutely not burning. Stones on top and the sides where added or removed to create the right air flow to accomplish this.

So to my point: The Kolmila Used tar rich wood and produced tar and charcoal. Why can't the game have something similar?

[Ragnaman]

Originally posted by Bimdurian:

Here is Sweden we build something we call Kolmila, only translation I can find is Charcoal Stack or Charcoal Kiln but I'm not sure that is correct.

Anyhow, this thing is more or less a hole in the ground like a root cellar where where the wood was smoldering, and absolutely not burning. Stones on top and the sides where added or removed to create the right air flow to accomplish this.

So to my point: The Kolmila Used tar rich wood and produced tar and charcoal. Why can't the game have something similar?

Tar from wood - completely viable (as in your example, with charcoal as byproduct). And I agree with you that the game should have something like that. But for now the game considers charcoal and coal as the same thing.

Tar from "squeezing" coal (a piece of black sedimentary rock) - makes absolutely no sense. Coal tar can be obtained in process of coke making, but that requires high temperature low oxygen environment, not simply squeezing a piece of rock.

[Ragnarök]

Steelfire should likewise be eliminated. Charcoal + Iron = Steel. Indeed, it's impossible to smelt iron with Iron age technology without producing a little bit of steel as a byproduct. So why does Steelfire even exist? Silly.

[nephilimnexus]

Originally posted by cooperman:

You can put coal in the press to make tar if you are next to a lot of it and dont use it much (i use dry wood it burns longer)

I did not know this! Thanks! Now I won't have to exterminate every animal in Hyboria just to make some dang steel. :D

Originally posted by Ragnarök:

Steelfire should likewise be eliminated. Charcoal + Iron = Steel. Indeed, it's impossible to smelt iron with Iron age technology without producing a little bit of steel as a byproduct. So why does Steelfire even exist? Silly.

I concur completely, but I suppose they could write it off for Lore reaons. After all, steel was kind of a Big Deal in the Conan books and it's creation was dang near considered mystacism.

What is really sad is the number of sci-fi games that seem to think that steel is a naturally occuring element that can be mined straight from rocks.

[Ragnarök]

Originally posted by nephilimnexus:

I concur completely, but I suppose they could write it off for Lore reaons. After all, steel was kind of a Big Deal in the Conan books and it's creation was dang near considered mystacism.

I don't think they can because what you're describing as mysticism, according to the books, was taken directly from real-world history. Smithing was akin to sorcery to ancient people, where the smith was taking something from the earth, going away to his hut on the edge of town and with his apprentice, transforming it into something completely different. Basically wizardry to the uneducated. So the books and the real world substance are actually in accordance in this.

As is, it's simply more ill-concieved video game logic and there's no real reason that the Conan setting can't serve an educational purpose and teach the plebs a little about ancient technology where applicable, in addition to being fun.

In addition to steel making, I'd also change coal gathering and production, with a new crafting station called a charcoal pit and a new thrall-type called a charcoal burner. Wooded areas would become very important as a result, and I'd restrict the coal nodes to spawn only in the high-desert, where trees are naturally scarce, and they'd be rare.