Smithing or Molds?

[WyrmGroundskeeper]

I have recently got the game, and I am having so much fun. I can't go back to the other block game, haha.

What I was wondering is this - What do you guys usually do? Smith your items and tools and such, or  make them in molds? Personally, I like to put them in molds and only smith what needs smithing instead. Is there really any difference besides running down your hammers with smithing for tools? Is either one faster than the other?

[LadyWYT]

52 minutes ago, WyrmGroundskeeper said:

What I was wondering is this - What do you guys usually do? Smith your items and tools and such, or  make them in molds? Personally, I like to put them in molds and only smith what needs smithing instead. Is there really any difference besides running down your hammers with smithing for tools? Is either one faster than the other?

It depends...for equipment better than bronze, smithing isn't optional unless you're using mods. For early tools, I cast my picks and hammers with molds, and smith the rest from ingots. The reasoning for that, is I don't use low tier metal tools except for rare occasion, since I jump straight to iron with relative ease. So instead of making a cast that I'll likely never use but once, I just use the ingot mold instead and sacrifice some hammer durability to smith out a particular tool if I really need it.

Otherwise, I would say it's more efficient to use molds when possible. You'll save some hammer life and fuel that way.

[WyrmGroundskeeper]

2 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

for equipment better than bronze, smithing isn't optional unless you're using mods

It's not option for above bronze? Huh, never knew that. Good to know.

 

2 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

Otherwise, I would say it's more efficient to use molds when possible. You'll save some hammer life and fuel that way.

Noted! I'm definitely using molds quite often for copper. Can't find Zinc for the life of me even at Decent readings, it's all bismuth, haha.

[vinnland]

molds are better for lower metals but by the time you get to iron you have no choice but to smith.

[hstone32]

I'm stingy about resources.  if I don't have to use a lignite to heat a broze ingot in the forge, than I'd rather not. It does mean my ore storage is a bit more cluttered though.

Of course most people who have been in their world as long as I've been in mine are already way past bronze. I like to take things at my own, methodical pace.

[CastIronFabric]

14 hours ago, WyrmGroundskeeper said:

I have recently got the game, and I am having so much fun. I can't go back to the other block game, haha.

What I was wondering is this - What do you guys usually do? Smith your items and tools and such, or  make them in molds? Personally, I like to put them in molds and only smith what needs smithing instead. Is there really any difference besides running down your hammers with smithing for tools? Is either one faster than the other?

molds for most items. My playthroughs tend to last longer than 200 hours. So..molds (not for everything but most)

[Maelstrom]

17 hours ago, WyrmGroundskeeper said:

Can't find Zinc for the life of me even at Decent readings, it's all bismuth, haha.

In granite zinc is abhorrently impossible to find.  The only visual cue is a single black pixel and the tool tip.   It is exceedingly easy to miss zinc in granite.  Once you see zinc in other rock strata it will become blazingly obvious why it is practically invisible in granite.

[WyrmGroundskeeper]

9 minutes ago, Maelstrom said:

In granite zinc is abhorrently impossible to find.  The only visual cue is a single black pixel and the tool tip.   It is exceedingly easy to miss zinc in granite.  Once you see zinc in other rock strata it will become blazingly obvious why it is practically invisible in granite.

Agh, so that's why! I'm right in a granite zone... Haha, it's somewhat infuriating. I hope they add some variation to the textures for different rocks if this happens like it does with Zinc and Granite. Thankfully, got myself several veins of bountiful Tin through a lovely bit of prospecting, and a trunk and a half of copper.

[Maelstrom]

No.  Devs choice of textures for rocks and ores is intentionally as it is.   They are sadistic in being uncompromising.

Some of us masochists like it.

[WyrmGroundskeeper]

2 hours ago, Maelstrom said:

Devs choice of textures for rocks and ores is intentionally as it is.

I'll have to keep my eyes peeled twice over then! Haha.