Metal opposite mold for fast clay molding.

[tony Liberatto]

I have no idea what the thing is actually called. Help here is appreciated.

The idea is that the player creates an inverted mold of the piece he wants to make, he then smelts metal and creates the inverted mold.

Next time when he needs to make clay molds he just places that inverted metal mold and right clicks with clay and instantly has a clay piece.

Useful for creating bows for Lamps.

A similar system could also be used for making bricks, although that should be just a wood box in the shape of a brick.

[redram]

I think allowing that sort of thing in the early ages would trivialize clay molding quite a bit.  I'd suggest making it machine powered.  Except for bricks - those are needed in such quantity that it'd be fine any tech level; any in-world process for bricks is going to take longer than it currently does anyway.  There should still be a machine for brick making though, that would be even faster.

[tony Liberatto]

But, that's why I said to use metal to make this thing. It should not be available in the stone age. I wouldn't even mind if asked for Iron. Don't see a reason for that, but would be OK with it.

My point is that I do not mind working very hard to get all the way to the top of the Tec Tree. But once I am there I want to build nice structures so I can show off on the server. that's when I want to be able to mass make blocks and decorative items.

It's like this, once you get to iron age what else is there to do, but to build a castle, or a village? 

I am not asking it to be extremely easy, but the main reason to get technology is so we can make more things faster. 

[redram]

Oh I totally agree that once you get up in the tech tree a ways you should be able to mass produce clay bowls and flower pots, etc.   You just kind of said 'metal', and appeared to just want it to be hand held, like a tool. Copper is a metal and you can have that before monsters start to appear, so it's pretty easy to get.  That's why I suggested it be a powered machine.  That at least requires the player to get some metal AND some power.  If there's enough machines in the lower tech levels, it might make the player make some choices in the copper and bronze age.  But ya, iron and steel ages should absolutely start to open up lots of possibilities for power and machinery, so the player can make a comprehensive clay casting operation if they want.

[RainnMannx]

I can see this as a tiered system.

1st tier a press is made, containing a base, mold, and die. First ones can be manual. You put the clay in, pull down on the die with a lever, and after x time, get a mold.

The x amount of time would represent the time its take doing it manually and applying the pressure to squeeze the clay into shape.

Could also apply wear to the die, so x amount of things made and you need to make a new one.

Could also make the press with a screw for applying the pressure, so you would twist something to lower it down, maybe make it take x amount of twists and show it going down until done.

2nd tier could add a hopper for the clay, click it a few times to add clay then use the press.

3rd tier add some type of engine / power to it for faster production.