Early Game Iron

[pearl shard]

As ive been playing, ive begun to find it odd that from the very beginning, the weapons and tools we use were made of iron IRL, but in game they require bronze or copper to make.
I would like to suggest that iron nodes be present in early game T1, with crafting requiring iron ore, and iron ingots where appropriate, instead of bronze or copper. Howver, to balance things out, would suggest that higher tiers give both better refinement, eg Early T1 using cast iron, late t1 and early T2 using Wrought Iron, before the transition to steel in T3.

[lucid scarab]

My guess is that's it's because of convention. Most other games in this genre have a copper -> bronze -> iron -> etc. progression

Not saying that it should be done like that, just that it is. I actually do agree that it would make more sense to either, as you suggest, have different tiers of iron/steel, or make the tools/weapons of the early tiers actually be stuff that is made from copper and bronze. There's also this one quest in Bradford where you have to deliver a Shortsword to a mercenary, and he comments that the "steel" in the sword is remarkable, even though you use copper for shortswords

[echo cave]

It's ironic because in real life, bronze is in many ways superior to iron for tools and weapons. Bronze is actually generally harder than wrought iron, and doesn't rust or corrode.

Bronze went away in favor of iron not because iron is the superior material, but because it's more available than bronze. Copper and Tin are not usually right next to each other like they are in video games. They are most usually hundreds of miles apart, and it was only possible in the bronze age because that is when innovations like inter-regional trade by ships began. And the bronze age collapse was when that became too hard.

So, really, if we cared about ordering it by metal quality, iron would be the early game, and bronze would be later 🙂

[pearl shard]

Researched with ChatGPT. It said:

⚒️ MEDIEVAL IRON PROGRESSION (Most Primitive to Best Steel)

1. Bloomery Iron (Raw Bloom)
   • When: Early medieval period, especially in rural or less advanced regions.
   • What: Spongy mass of iron and slag made in a bloomery furnace.
   • Carbon: Very low, inconsistent.
   • Use: Crude blades, nails, tools. Soft, bends easily, poor edge retention.
   • Limitations: Must be extensively hammered to remove slag and consolidate.

2. Wrought Iron
   • When: Throughout the medieval period.
   • What: Purified bloomery iron with slag fibers worked out.
   • Carbon: <0.08%
   • Use: Armor links (chainmail), knife tangs, spear sockets, hilts, nails.
   • Strengths: Tough, corrosion-resistant, very malleable.
   • Weaknesses: Cannot hold a sharp edge. Too soft for cutting weapons.

3. Case-Hardened Iron
   • When: Common by the early to high Middle Ages.
   • What: Wrought iron with surface carburized by heating in charcoal.
   • Carbon: Low core, higher carbon surface.
   • Use: Axes, knives, early swords.
   • Strengths: Surface is harder, can take an edge.
   • Weaknesses: Edge wears quickly; core is still soft.

4. Pattern-Welded Iron
   • When: 5th–10th century (especially in Viking, Merovingian, and Anglo-Saxon swords).
   • What: Alternating layers of low and high carbon iron forge-welded together.
   • Carbon: Mixed, patterned.
   • Use: Prestige swords and seaxes.
   • Strengths: Flexible, with a harder edge section; visually decorative.
   • Weaknesses: Labor-intensive; edge still not as sharp as steel.

[pearl shard]

So my updated suggestion for iron ingots is as follows.

1. Bloomery Iron - early T1. Made in bloomery.
2. Wrought Iron - late T1. Made using two bloomery iron ingots.
3. Case Hardened Iron - T2.

4 pattern welded iron - Early T3.

Also suggest around 2/3rds to 3/4s of the copper and tin rocks be replaced with iron rocks in early game, to reflect the wide availability of iron compared to tin and copper.

[lucid scarab]

Oh, I can't believe I didn't think of this before, but Bog Iron is a thing. Seeing as there is a swamp area on the map, adding Bog Iron seems like a decent idea, no?

[median rose]

My thing is I don't really see any further progress material wise after T3. Unless they wanna impliment mythic type metals

[pearl shard]

I hope they don’t do that, i like how grounded the game is thus far.

[pearl shard]

Hell yeah!

[pearl shard]

Ok so here’s the thing that just occurred to me. I researched bog iron and it’s a RENEWABLE resource. Basically if it were implemented historically and realistically, it would be mineable from the soil with SHOVELS, a certain amount every season, and then it would respawn every spring.

To balance it, I’d say that would mean iron rocks in the starting areas would need to have less total iron in them before they got played out. Maybe like half.

Oh and I also think it would make more sense for defeated enemies and camps to drop metal scraps, which would replace stone for early tools. Maybe also make scrap metal be sold at merchants, and make us buy some scrap in the starter quest chain before leaving to build our first hut, to make our first axe with.