Originally posted by OscillatingOcelot:

I enjoy the initial hunt for iron to then gear up for the 3d boss. However, after that I hate the swamp with a passion. No matter how strong I get, how much endurance, or whether I can find a new cyrpt, I still hate going into the swamp. It is not because the swamp is to difficult, but rather being annoyed with constantly being wet and slowed down by everything....
Figure I'd toss out a few ideas or changing things up to see what poeple think

1) After defeating the last boss you gain an item that allows you to use the portal with metal on you or even just iron metal only

2) Make a device from transmuting one type of metal to another at a steep but realistic trade ratio (10x copper for 1x iron )

3) Future biome instances have a chance of iron being found from structures you destroy

4) Make an item or set of gear that will allow you to stay dry regardless of weather or being in water

5) Make Iron or all metals available for purchase at the merchant

Another option would be to add sub surface Iron deposits to the Plains biom. Just like Silver the Player would use the Wishbone to find them, That would remove having to go back and spend hours in a Swamp you are over geared for.

i find the rooted armor to be better in the plains , due to the fact u can out run the fulings and snipe them , but the deathsquiters will out run u or snipe u when u a least expect it, as long as u dont let the fulings set u on fire

Mining iron solo is actually very easy. Just make a stagbreaker and use it liberally. When you first get in the crypt go into all the open areas and clean them out. Then either go from Rt to Lt or Lt to Rt. Be methodical. Look for chests! Use that stagbreaker watch your hits, whether they crit or not. You hear buzzing at a doorway, whack the ground a few times and many of the enemies on the other side disappear, leaving only their gifts behind. Not perfect but helpful when you are still wearing last biome's gear. Clear out the iron piles in doorways until you can see enough of what's left in there to finish them off with your bow.

Upgrade your shield and bow as quickly as possible. The swamp is not a melee area until you are better geared (well it's fine for some, not most though).

An overlooked skill is jumping. You need to be able to jump to get up on the downed logs. The more you jump, the less stam it uses and the higher you can go. The swamp trees and mountain rocks are only helpful if you can get up on them. Jump early, jump often.

The goal in the swamps is as noted in a few earlier posts. You play mostly as as sniper. Swaggering in there is a big mistake. Most critters should be killed or badly wounded long before they even notice you. This is where the bow shines, and your bow skills. Try to get them into the 50s by this time, you will really notice the difference. Using the hoe, being aware of water depth, all make your life easier. The more time you spend in the swamps, the better warrior you will become.
Let the swamp tell you how to be successful. Listen to the game, you are given clues all the time about what is going to happen, concentrate on the objectives. Turn up the game sound. That brings immersion, and you will improve a lot. Know your enemies. Don't die. Don't mess about in the swamps when you are tired, go build or make food, don't die. Can I say it again? Don't die. You need those skills leveled up. Running away is a good strat sometimes. Only play during the day. The game shows you exactly what time it is by the direction and quality of the light, even in the swamps. Ignore it at your peril.
Travel safe.

Originally posted by OneEye:

Originally posted by OscillatingOcelot:

Awesome can you give me an example? I am not familiar

Some of the Fuling towers have iron reinforced beams

Wolf caves have iron and bronze, but not in vast quantities.

Originally posted by Gregomoto:

My thoughts:
1) i created an storage world, so i can bypass portal limitations for metal

Agreed, the concept felt cheesy at first. However, doing a playthru with 4 friends getting enough iron was going to be a massive chore. It literally required us to create iron harvest worlds to avoid a needlessly endless grind for iron. That said, it is still fun and I hope they ballance that out in the future.

Yes, the frost caves have tons of resources. You want to break everything in there. Most peeps miss most of the hair as they don't go to all the rooms, don't jump across the well downwards to find even more rooms further back, they miss all kinds of stuff, usually 3-6 alters all with resources, little rags in doorways are red material, bones on the floor turn into entrails. It is easy to get lost in the caves and most take 2-3 in-game days to complete. I always build a little shed right outside the door with a chest to put all the loot in so can portal home and sleep when half through. And I drop a pc of wood in a doorway of a completed area as they do begin to look the same. Destroying doors and braziers as I leave an area helps to see they are done too.
Granted, it is rng but there's way more in them than seems at first.

Originally posted by OscillatingOcelot:

Originally posted by Jitatha:

That already exists.

Awesome can you give me an example? I am not familiar

Some of the Fuling towers have iron reinforced beams

Either have a base in the swamp to process / create weapons / armor and then store a bunch of iron in the longboat before leaving - or use a cart to transport iron to your ship since it's super easy to use a hoe in the swamp to make paths for carts to easily traverse.

Fire Geysers can provide free warmth for a base / outpost that you can even use to cook with and if you have a bunch you can make a path for coal runs from spawns that can instantly die when they touch water.

The wet status can be annoying but that is offset with the easy terrain and using the rested buff or potions / good foods + you can build fires in crypts to get rid of the wet status and regain rested.

My thoughts:
1) i created an storage world, so i can bypass portal limitations for metal
2) sounds not really plausible to me
3) i‘d rather like to have armor made of black metal f.e.
4) this could be an option, maybe made from sea serpent scales
5) great idea, would add possibility to sell also items that one has masses of (f.e. black metal, greydwarf eyes, raisin, wood, coal, honey, bones, teeth, puke berries, etc.)

Originally posted by OscillatingOcelot:

Originally posted by Jitatha:

That already exists.

Awesome can you give me an example? I am not familiar

You can destroy doors and braziers inside the Frost Caves for Iron and Bronze.

Originally posted by OscillatingOcelot:

3) Future biome instances have a chance of iron being found from structures you destroy

That already exists.

Originally posted by Jitatha:

Originally posted by OscillatingOcelot:

3) Future biome instances have a chance of iron being found from structures you destroy

That already exists.

Awesome can you give me an example? I am not familiar

Iron is less tedious than miming both copper AND tin to make bronze.

You can download a mod that lets you portal metals and ores or you can log off with ore/metal. Log into a new server and drop it off. Log back in and portal. Log off and pick your ore/metal up. Log back in and start smelting. Killing oozers occasionally causes a unit of iron scrap to drop and you can occasionally find bit of iron scrap at the base of ancient trees.

When you reach the plains you'll need iron again. Padded armor pieces require iron and linen and not black metal. Black metal is used for weapons and shields but not armor.

It would be nice if Haldor was more useful in game. Maybe trade ores and other items instead of just jewels and pearls for gold and then gold for a few useful items and fishing worms. I have all the worms I can use and a chest and a half of gold and nothing to spend it on.

Manufacture in place using a crypt top smelter/forge/portal outpost. Reduces need to ship iron out of swamp by 90% unless you use a lot of iron for building. Requires only one run in (with Haldor's belt) to carry the necessary bronze age mats for initial setup, everything else can be portaled in - no portal'ing of metals required.

Not doing that is like killing Bonemass with a spear.. can be done.. just really painful.