Idea for next generation iron working - iron ore through flora modding

[Buoidda]

Since I'm out of Urw modding points, I'm throwing this idea on the boards just in case this spark meets some flammable material.

I never liked the fact that iron ore could be harvested anywhere in suitable terrain - indefinitely.

I think flora files could be used to mimic iron ore as well as other minerals.

That way ore wouldn't be an infinite resource, but required to actually find.

There's an example code about vitriol, which could be modified to harvest lake or bog ore. I would start by studying lake reed tags.

What do you guys and girls think?

[JP_Finn]

Doesn’t flora regrow every year?

[Buoidda]

Well I guess so for most flora, though I've yet to see [root]s regrow without planting. I don't know.

Besides, (bog) iron ore is renewable irl. Though not yearly more like after a decade.

Anyway, it couldn't be made perfect, yet (?), but still able to moderate scarcity and definitely more balanced than current practice.

[Privateer]

 I have not messed with these in about 4 years, and obviously never found a method that I found acceptable, given a number of 'emersion' breaking things with 'growing' irons.

 I never gave up as I still have my 2015 'Smithy' folder.. Right next to the crabs, clams & mussels folder >_<

[rudy]

I think it's a cool idea. I have yet to figure out a way to modify how long it takes to "harvest" flora, though, so you'd possibly be stuck with ore that was very quick to gather. You could have an additional step, of course. I also don't think you can make it effortful?

Ultimately I'd prefer a mod that just informed me of an appropriate limit and then rely on my own RP to enforce it. Like, X ore per pit dug, for example.

[Buoidda]

@Privateer please tell us more about it. And do you have a working seafood mod? 

:
I have yet to figure out a way to modify how long it takes to "harvest" flora,

Only by adding yield, I'm afraid.

You could have an additional step, of course. I also don't think you can make it effortful?

How about stretching a bioindicator into existence, like "iron/red bulrush" which would then be consumed when using dip net to collect the ore?

[JP_Finn]

If the unrefined bog ore yield is relatively high mass, with most of it slag, that should be a working solution. For longer ‘picking up time’

OTOH, can the ‘picking up’ require tool, just as rye and barley need a blade, pref sickle. Or is the flora modding limited to wild plant picking type only?

[Privateer]

@Privateer please tell us more about it. And do you have a working seafood mod? 

 I'm no plant expert and have never really played a farmer or herbalist to see what all the options 'hooks you can use' are.
Some things that always pushed me away are;
The weights/measures, all items go to food, locations showing 'former' item (picked) and limited 'method(s)' for collection.

 Most likely I'm just thinking wrong and so have not had anything I felt deserved to be public beyond bee hives which are modeled on berries, and have leave behind, will be eaten by bears and birds, and produce fistfuls of honey combs.

 I do have a functional coastal sea life mod which is modeled on mushrooms to not produce leave behind, produce whole number quantities and generally need to be boiled to be 'fully' safely consumed.

[Brygun]

Ive watched some of the considerations in the past.

It has pros and cons.

One thing I've wondered is how iron would a bog actually have... in this time period?

In practice Ive had characters spend a week sleeping on the bog to harvest as much as they can. Then come back to camp. I wouldnt actually be likely to go back to the bog for a year anyway. A spring of harvesting bog, a summer of adventuring, a fall of harvest, a winter of processing the iron.

The lake iron lumps, which are real thing, surprised me too.

Currently in the BAC you need to find the right terrain and for bog it needs to be near a cliff or mountain (IIRC).

I concur with Bouidda on the bogs replenishing after about 10 years. Which is still an extremely long time for someone to play the same UrW character. A few do (Privateer Im sure) but most don't.

[Privateer]

  full disclosure  

I've never had a character alive for 4 yrs.
I do have some that I rarely play that are 19