! Keep ingot temperature in forge !

[Terex 108]

I reported this as a bug but it turned out to be a 'feature'. Anyhow, maybe it didn't get any attention so I want to address it as a topic of discussion. The first question is why?

 

Why can we no longer keep items (ingots, armour, etc) at temperature in the auxiliary slots of the forge (and in the anvil)?

 

My rebuttal is that this is a mistake. Juggling tens of ingots to make something was already finicky before but now it will be downright impossible since they cool down so fast. That means as a player I can only heat up a pair of ingots to make a double ingot at a time. That is not in the spirit of TFC where doing things in bulk should be more rewarding. Furthermore, playing on a server adds lag. Sometimes ingots just fly out of my inventory because it took a little longer to place them in an item slot (or crafting area). With this in mind, it is incredibly frustrating that I get punished for that because in the mean time the ingot already cooled outside it's workable temperature range. Lastly, since ingots cool down so fast, a LOT more charcoal will be required to constantly reheat them to workable temperature. What is the point of a forge having 5 slots when obviously you wont use them all. Who can juggle 5 hot ingots at variable temperatures??

 

So I urge the developers to reconsider adding the option of keeping item temperatures in the forge (and anvil). If not re-implemented by default, at least give us the option in a config file.

Or, drastically reduce the cooling rate of items (ingots, etc). In the real world, surely items do not cool down as fast as they do in TFC nor does a blacksmith have to juggle so many ingots (to make armour or higher grade metals).

[Euphoric 48]

What? Too hardcore for you? I'm all for this change. It actually makes the smithing interesting. And if we use real world as an argument, it is normal to constantly reheat single piece of metal when smithing.

[Temujen 31]

Personally I like it this way.  Metal should have to be carefully re-heated to keep the temperature right for forging.  The old way was too easily abused - most forges that I saw were setup around a boulder with every nearby surface turned into a stone anvil and filled with permanently hot ingots.  Removed a lot of the skill from blacksmithing.

 

I would suggest an alternative fix

 

The current Forge design has 4 slots on the side that are effectively unused - you can drop ceramic ingot molds in there to catch any accidental melting, but otherwise it's just storage.  Convert those 4 open spots into 'stable temperature' areas.  In other words a sweet spot where we're able to rest an ingot and it's temperature remains stable as long as the forge is feed.  Forge runs out of coal, ingots cool as normal.

[AllenWL 186]

So while the metal doesn't heat up, melt, and evaporate, it won't cool?

That would be nice.

[VegasGoat 51]

The current Forge design has 4 slots on the side that are effectively unused - you can drop ceramic ingot molds in there to catch any accidental melting, but otherwise it's just storage.  Convert those 4 open spots into 'stable temperature' areas.  In other words a sweet spot where we're able to rest an ingot and it's temperature remains stable as long as the forge is feed.  Forge runs out of coal, ingots cool as normal.

 

This is how I think it should be also. This makes heating multiple ingots to the same temp a lot less clicky, especially since the forge slots heat at different rates. I used it a lot for that in previous builds, getting multiple ingots to working temp before moving to the anvil for quick working / welding.

 

Ingots cooling on the anvil is fine, it never made sense that they didn't lose heat there.

[Terex 108]

Temujen and VegasGoat, thanks for your support!

[kaldskryke 27]

The current Forge design has 4 slots on the side that are effectively unused - you can drop ceramic ingot molds in there to catch any accidental melting, but otherwise it's just storage.  Convert those 4 open spots into 'stable temperature' areas.  In other words a sweet spot where we're able to rest an ingot and it's temperature remains stable as long as the forge is feed.  Forge runs out of coal, ingots cool as normal.

 

I agree!... and the cooling rate is just bit too quick for my tastes also.

[theubie 19]

I don't mind it at all.  Making multiple double ingots isn't that difficult to manage.  Start two ingots in the middle two slots so they heat evenly.  Wait until they are faint red then add two more to the top two slots.  When the two in the middle are at the very upper end of weld temp, shift click them into your inventory and move the top two down.  Exit out and turn to your anvil where your hammer and flux are already setup.  You should have plenty of time to get the ingots into the weld slots and weld (I shift click both...the first goes into the working slot, the second goes into the first weld slot...then just move the first one where is should go and click weld.  Takes NO time to do.)  Shift click the double ingot into your inventory and turn back to the forge.  By now the two in the middle should be faint red or higher.  Add two more to the top two slots and repeat.  You are only using 4 of the 5 slots in the forge, but it keeps everything flowing smoothly and there's plenty of time to keep everything flowing.  If you're working a higher temp metal, you can get everyone in place and use your bellows a bit to speed up the process (or if you're on multiplayer you should be working with someone as a team on either two forges or with one doing the work and one working the bellows).  

 

If you're working towards armor or things that require double sheets make all your double ingots first and then repeat the process just replacing the ingots with double ingots or sheets as you need.

 

Yes it's tedious.  Not nearly as tedious as actual blacksmithing was...

[AllenWL 186]

And if it still cools too fast, there is always the option of liquefying your ingots, then waiting for it to turn weldable and wielding it.

That should give plenty of time