Hardened Tools (Smithing tweak)

[Omega Haxors]

Basically just add an extra rule to the smithing: When using a heavy hit it will check the voxel under the hit voxel and if it is surrounded by all compass directions, the voxel above it will merge with the voxel below it creating a hardened voxel. The other voxels will behave as normally during this process, only the target voxel merges into the voxel below it. Hardened voxels are essentially two voxels in one. If you upset a hardened voxel you can release that voxel and return it to normal. Here's the fun part: If every single voxel is hardened, the output result will have vastly boosted stats and durability, making it worthwhile to go for.

Splitting works as is has always except you will gain 1 metal shaving per which you can recycle into ingots if you collect enough of them, or add them to a current job for an extra voxel. Adding a voxel doesn't require you preheat the shaving but it does consume a little heat from the job to bring the extra voxel to temp. Splitting essentially acts as the safe and easy option while hardening is more skill-intensive, risky and pays out way better.

To add to the prestige of hardened tools, they require a special crafting chain in order to process into high quality tools; which involves making a high-quality handle and binding. In some cases they will also require an extra step: for example, pickaxes and swords will require a sharpening step. This extra effort will be rewarded in that these tools will have more than double the durability and a not-insignificant boost in working stats (essentially being a +1 to the tier, stat-wise) and being far more desired by certain traders.

BONUS: Trimming

Add a new recipe to make metal leaf. You can then add this to a hardened tool head similar to adding shavings to apply a trim to the edge. This will be a required step in order to make hardened equipment in order to help curb the power creep associated with adding in a new tier, while also making them stand out from normal equipment. Applying the trim is pretty much just a formality (similar to combining two anvil halves) just hammer each trim voxel with a heavy hit and the trim is applied.

Here are the trim pairings:
Copper: cannot be hardened (to make up for it, copper can now be cold forged)
Tin Bronze: Copper
Bismuth Bronze: Bismuth
Black Bronze: Silver
Iron: Gold
Steel: Platinum

Once you're done you'll have a beautiful tool/weapon which will represent all the work you put in to making it.

Edited September 12, 2023 by Omega Haxors