Originally posted by Arkendight:

Sandbox survival and "find your adventure" concept is just perfect.
I didn't mean to completely avoid combat, our group is capable. It's just that others need a bigger concept, than plain domination of the environment - a home, of sorts, to have a reason to play and fight at all.

I personally usually just roam - I'd grind levels and sleep in the woods, get stronger and get that next boss / challenge.
Others would do the same, in terms of leveling and fighting - but more moderately - and find it largely meaningless without a base, animals, and a place to kick back and decorate.

How tedious is crafting?
I remember The Forest game had payed so much attention to woodcutting, it's really engaging there. Even forging in Skyrim felt pretty neat - smashing that hammer, metal singing. Is there something like that in Valheim, or the usual (for the genre) looking blankly at the crafting table, watching numbers go up?

Its pretty similar to The Forest in wood farming and building ( valheim building its like an "evolve" from the forest ) , but its a huge grind in bronze , iron and silver metals
Here sleep is not a need ( you are a warrior spirit anyway ) so not gives any advantages
The game only have a skill system about leveling weapons and some movements , the handycap of hp and stamina goes with the food that you eat