Pottery Wheel | Automate Clay-forming!

[HugoCortell]

Imagine if you could simply extend your arms, and with the shape of your palms, let the shape of pottery emerge forth.

Clay forming is fun for a while, then it can become tedious when you are on your fourth storage vessel.
A pottery wheel could be an early form of automation that essentially auto-knapps clay objects for you. Working similar to a quern but for knapping.

A simple, pedal and flywheel powered device that can be attained early game (after attaining copper) that automates the previously primitive and labour-intensive method of building a clay shape out of chunks being pressed together.

Here is what I imagine the recipe would look like:

The choice of an angled gear is deliberate, as it forces players to make a chisel, which means gathering plenty of copper and exploring for resin. This means that players will still be forced to interact with hand-powered clay-forming during the early game before they can jump into an automated solution. The pottery wheel isn't meant to be a shortcut, but an actual goalpost in your overall progress as you go from being a caveman to whatever the technological end goal of the game will be (post-steam?).

I don't have much else to add. It just feels like a natural addition to the game which does not detract from the experience in any way (and in my opinion, adds to it by granting you the satisfaction of evolving through the ages, each time you don't have to manually click a block to place a voxel of clay, you'll know it'll be because of your efforts and advancements).

This idea was originally suggested by u/MaenHerself, but since they don't want to make a forum account, I am here as their proxy.
In addition, I am writing this at 2:03am, I admit I used fewer neurons than the usual two I have when writing this post, excuse the poor grammar and blunt presentation.

Edited June 16, 2025 by HugoCortell
Quern comparison

[Rudometkin]

Are you thinking totally automated? I think to make it less labor intensive, yes, as an upgrade, excellent idea. But to make it totally automated would be to undermine a beautiful mechanic that doesn't need to be undermined so harshly. That would be bad in my book.

Perhaps when spinning the clay mold, you only have to form the shape on a vertical axis. This would be different, but overall be a smoother and quicker process if implemented right. This would be an effort to simulate the "simply extend your arms" mechanic.

There needs to be discussion on how it could be best implemented without being fully automated.

[LadyWYT]

I do like the concept of a pottery wheel, but I agree with @Rudometkin here--it shouldn't be a way to automate pottery. What a pottery wheel should do, is allow the player to rotate the project without needing to physically move around the project--similar to rotating forged items on an anvil. There might be a few exceptions, such as roof tiles, but otherwise most clayworks should fit on the wheel(technically, it's more of a turntable in this case, but still). 

I would say that some pottery could be locked behind the making of a pottery wheel in order to smooth out the early game a bit more. However, I think that kind of change would introduce unnecessary frustration for players, not to mention the fact that you don't need a pottery wheel in order to make pottery. A pottery wheel expedites the process and results in a prettier product in general, to be sure(been there done that), but it's not absolutely critical to have in order to make something functional.

[HugoCortell]

On 6/28/2025 at 9:13 PM, Rudometkin said:

Are you thinking totally automated? I think to make it less labor intensive, yes, as an upgrade, excellent idea. But to make it totally automated would be to undermine a beautiful mechanic that doesn't need to be undermined so harshly. That would be bad in my book.

Perhaps when spinning the clay mold, you only have to form the shape on a vertical axis. This would be different, but overall be a smoother and quicker process if implemented right. This would be an effort to simulate the "simply extend your arms" mechanic.

There needs to be discussion on how it could be best implemented without being fully automated.

Hey @Rudometkin, thanks for the feedback, and apologies for the late reply.

You are indeed correct that fully automating the process would be a bit disappointing. Watching a bar fill like with querns isn't engaging like knapping is (trading tedium for boredom is a disappointing tradeoff, that much I'll readily admit). The primary reason I had proposed the quern-like system was out of implementation pragmatism, it would be (relatively) easy and fast to implement this new item if old code could be recycled for a new use.

With that said, as I've become more acquainted with the development process of this game (mostly from reading tweets and forum threads), I've come to realize that the developers aren't afraid to invest the time and resources necessary to 'get the details right', so it seems like a more in-depth discussion to flesh out the mechanics involved with using the pottery wheel is warranted, as you suggested.

Your idea of filling the vertical axis is a good idea, I'm assuming that by this you mean that only one face would have to be knapped, with all other faces being copied or auto-completed as you work on the singular face. With that said, I am still a bit worried if this is enough of an improvement over manual work, on paper we are removing a great deal of work, but considering that knapping is mostly done on a layer looking down and working up, and that many layers can be automatically repeated once laid, it might end up being less than expected. If rather than filling an entire face you are thinking more of a system where you instead lay down a "depth" of clay to be replicated in all directions (as in, rather than a 2D plane, you just have a single line of voxels that forms into a circle based on how many voxels you put in that single forward axis, then repeat for each layer going up to get the right depth), that could indeed be both engaging and much less labour-intensive than manual clay forming.

(I'm not sure if this image does a good job of portraying what I mean. Essentially, a set of single voxel wide lines defines the shape of a 3D object)

Another 'spin' (excuse the pun) on the idea could be to use a subtractive clay forming process unique to the pottery wheel: The player first places a blob of clay on the wheel, then, as it spins, you remove chunks (voxels) of clay to until it takes shape. Like flint/stone knapping but in 3D. This system would likely work quite well with the idea of removing a "depth of voxels" from a 3D space. With that said, I still believe that the "singular face" approach that you most likely mean is probably the best approach if we are throwing dev time and player cognitive load into the mix, since the depth system would likely require new recipes to be made, which isn't optimal. I want to believe that there is a way to reduce the number of voxels (and more importantly, tool mode switching, which is a mayor source of tedium in my opinion) that the player needs to deal with while still using the same recipes and overall system, but I can't quite picture it clearly. Maybe it's not possible, maybe I just lack imagination.

If I am allowed to wallow displeasurably once again in a cost-driven implementation mindset (apologies, it's a bad habit), we could solve the engagement issue without having to re-introduce knapping back into the mix. Perhaps a mini-game where one must time clicks within a window of success (or also known by the derogatory term of a "quick time event") to shape the clay into form would ensure the player stays engaged while making the process fast and easy (again, with the idea being that the timeliness and ease is a reward for building the item, rather than a punishment in the form of taking away knapping from the player). I know I've just committed a cardinal sin by mentioning such a justifiably hated mechanic, but it was at the very least worth bringing up.

19 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

I do like the concept of a pottery wheel, but I agree with @Rudometkin here--it shouldn't be a way to automate pottery. What a pottery wheel should do, is allow the player to rotate the project without needing to physically move around the project--similar to rotating forged items on an anvil. There might be a few exceptions, such as roof tiles, but otherwise most clayworks should fit on the wheel(technically, it's more of a turntable in this case, but still). 

I would say that some pottery could be locked behind the making of a pottery wheel in order to smooth out the early game a bit more. However, I think that kind of change would introduce unnecessary frustration for players, not to mention the fact that you don't need a pottery wheel in order to make pottery. A pottery wheel expedites the process and results in a prettier product in general, to be sure(been there done that), but it's not absolutely critical to have in order to make something functional.

Personally speaking, I'm a bit concerned with such an approach. I quite like the idea of items made with the pottery wheel having a nicer finish, perhaps this could be easily accomplished through texture variations, with objects made by hand having visible cracks, bumps, and other imperfections, while items made on the wheel look smooth and fancy.

However, as for rotating and smithing items with the pottery wheel; As far as I can tell, the current recipes wouldn't benefit from the ability to rotate them, although that's not to say that future recipes would not benefit from it. More importantly, turning it into a smithing-like system might make the process more laborious and likely tedious too. I'm personally against this part of the idea, progression should be looked forward to by the player, and, at least speaking for myself, I would probably delay and dread having to unlock the pottery wheel if it involved engaging in the Dark Souls™ of™ Knapping™ to make a pot.

I'm very biased against smithing, so I'll say that my view on this is probably not very objective. I could very well be in the minority, with most players looking forward to working the anvil. In which case, the added depth and engagement would be an added bonus for players hungry for the kind of gameplay that only Vintage Story can provide.
But, since I have no stakes in this matter, I'll go ahead and stay biased and continue to lobby for my vision of a knapping-free world (okay that last part was a joke, I actually like Knapping too, I just want a way to avoid repeating the same process over and over again when I'm further into the game).

Since I don't have a good alternative (thunderlord forbid the QTE idea gets taken seriously), I'll say that both yours and @Rudometkin's ideas are better than my original suggestion of just copying the quern's "hold the mouse and stare until done" approach, all I really have is a position (of reducing manual labour as the game progresses) but no real solution or plan towards that. And once again, your idea of texture variations is downright genius and will certainly further add to the game's coziness levels.

[LadyWYT]

12 minutes ago, HugoCortell said:

I'm very biased against smithing, so I'll say that my view on this is probably not very objective. I could very well be in the minority, with most players looking forward to working the anvil. In which case, the added depth and engagement would be an added bonus for players hungry for the kind of gameplay that only Vintage Story can provide.
But, since I have no stakes in this matter, I'll go ahead and stay biased and continue to lobby for my vision of a knapping-free world (okay that last part was a joke, I actually like Knapping too, I just want a way to avoid repeating the same process over and over again when I'm further into the game).

Smithing is one of my favorite parts about the time, though ironically I hate spending long hours at the anvil banging out repetitive items. I daresay most players would agree that it's very tedious. However, in the case of smithing, it's generally not something you need to do very often, with certain exceptions such as iron blooms and plates. That is where the helve hammer shines though, and also what pushes players to go to the trouble of setting one up. A helve hammer will make processing all that iron and manufacturing all those parts much less tedious, and by the time you actually need all that stuff you should already have a helve hammer set up.

 

16 minutes ago, HugoCortell said:

However, as for rotating and smithing items with the pottery wheel; As far as I can tell, the current recipes wouldn't benefit from the ability to rotate them, although that's not to say that future recipes would not benefit from it. More importantly, turning it into a smithing-like system might make the process more laborious and likely tedious too. I'm personally against this part of the idea, progression should be looked forward to by the player, and, at least speaking for myself, I would probably delay and dread having to unlock the pottery wheel if it involved engaging in the Dark Souls™ of™ Knapping™ to make a pot.

Yeah, I wouldn't do that to pottery--that's a bit much. Smaller recipes like pots and bowls don't really benefit from a turning ability; in that case, I'm thinking more of a niche QoL feature for larger objects like storage vessels and planters. Not that it's hard to just walk around the object in question either, but it can be a bit of a hassle whereas a pottery wheel you can just shove into a corner and keep the project out of the way.

20 minutes ago, HugoCortell said:

And once again, your idea of texture variations is downright genius and will certainly further add to the game's coziness levels.

I don't recall suggesting texture variations, but different textures is a decent way to give a pottery wheel a bit more purpose. You could take that a step further and make certain items like vases, pitchers, and whatnot as decorative/functional items exclusive to the wheel. In that case, you still have functional pottery that can be completed with the system we have at the moment, and ignore the wheel entirely if you wish, without penalty. But for those wanting more decorative vessels, or a wider range of function, the wheel could serve that niche.

With a proper glazing system added for pottery, perhaps you could limit glazing to only the higher quality pottery crafted on the wheel, and leave the standard pottery as-is. That way players just in it for pure function aren't punished for ignoring the pottery wheel(which may not be something they enjoy messing with), while players who lean more heavily into the decorative aspects of the game will probably love it.

25 minutes ago, HugoCortell said:

(thunderlord forbid the QTE idea gets taken seriously)

Oh I can think of worse things than QTEs...microtransanctions.

[FlareUKCS]

There is a mod that adds a Simple Pottery Wheel, that can also be powered by a Windmill.

Simple Pottery Wheel - Vintage Story Mod DB

Does this cover what you want ?

[Thorfinn]

I'd think a wheel would be best implemented in a manner similar to what @Rudometkin is saying. Don't know if separate shapes for finished goods using the wheel make sense. From a realism POV, it you are rounding a storage vessel, for example, it should only hold about 3/4 of the one that's square. Same with bowls -- they are now 3/4 of a liter. And from a gameplay POV, it's ok making it easier, but I'm not convinced it should also be faster, particularly with such an easy recipe for the wheel, which is available within minutes of having a saw. Seconds if you were planning ahead. Maybe if you made it using a brass plate or something. Worth doing, sure, but not overbalanced, similar to the effect of the helve hammer.

An example of what I think makes sense is Knapster with the setting:

/cf v 1

You just hold down the buttton (Right? Left? I don't remember) and it applies one voxel per half second or so. The same rate as the game itself does. You could watch the pottery take shape as the wheel rotates the new voxel to face you, not to mention that it gets rid of the carpal tunnel issues. That would be pretty cute, IMO.

 

Edited June 29, 2025 by Thorfinn

[FlareUKCS]

Thats what the mod I mentioned does, its slow when used without the windmill, and when you can use a windmill you are past most pottery related progression, as in at that time you are mostly making crocks and rooftiles I would guess, so the speed improved wont effect progress.

[Thorfinn]

The windmill does not take very long. May, typically. If I've found sources of lime, it's usually before populating all the linen sacks so I can automate the quern.

[HugoCortell]

On 6/29/2025 at 11:23 PM, FlareUKCS said:

There is a mod that adds a Simple Pottery Wheel, that can also be powered by a Windmill.

Simple Pottery Wheel - Vintage Story Mod DB

Does this cover what you want ?

From the description, this mod seems to work similarly to how I had described in the original pitch, so that's neat and can act as a point of reference for how good of an addition it would be. With that said, I don't believe this covers what I want (or more specifically what u/MaenHerself wanted, and I second), as this suggestion is for an addition to the base game rather than a mod creation request.

 

I might add this to my mod list if I find the time to boot up the game in the near future, I'll make a reply post with thoughts about the mod and what can be learned from it to improve this suggestion.

Edited July 1, 2025 by HugoCortell

[HugoCortell]

On 6/29/2025 at 11:11 PM, LadyWYT said:

I don't recall suggesting texture variations, but different textures is a decent way to give a pottery wheel a bit more purpose.

My bad, I can only assume that as I scrolled back and forth between posts last night, my mind must have expanded on "a pottery wheel expedites the process and results in a prettier product in general" without realizing it. The word smooth appears several times, I reckon that conjured some imagery of smooth pottery in the back of my mind without me realizing.

As for the rest of the comment, I don't have much else to add. I was overly harsh on the anvil, which I admit is really cool to use (as is knapping in general), I mostly just fret since unlike anvil items, pottery is (at least in my experience) a rather common thing to craft. There's always more storage vessels that can be made, or bowls to be crafted for oil lamps or for leaving behind after eating while travelling because you need that inventory space (lol). Indeed, as you stated the helve hammer is quite welcome for the repetitive task of plate manufacture, an analogue to it could be welcome for pottery.

 

On 6/29/2025 at 11:11 PM, LadyWYT said:

With a proper glazing system added for pottery, perhaps you could limit glazing to only the higher quality pottery crafted on the wheel

(Okay, I did have one thing to add...) This comment makes me realize that perhaps it is not an "either or" matter. Perhaps both simple automation and knapping could be used by the pottery wheel. Simple items like bowls or vessels could be automated, while more complex items or ones with special properties (like being a mixture of various materials to make them more fire-resistant or something) or additional steps (like glazing) could then result in knapping being used. This would make the pottery wheel both a technological advancement that not only rewards the player by removing a repetitive task (this would be essentially a helve hammer but for bowls) and it would unlock further technological progress and more advanced items. Perhaps having two ways of using the same item might be too irregular and add too much cognitive overload and confusion, but it could be worth exploring. 

Edited July 1, 2025 by HugoCortell
Expanding on helve hammer comment

[JYAR]

I did feel it a bit odd that there wasn't a pottery wheel in the game as it seemed like such a natural next progression step.

Maybe it would be as simple as instead of placing the layers voxel by voxel, you just click and hold as the voxels fill in around a square for each layer