Yeah, the forge basics aren’t hard to understand, but it gets progressively harder to forge tools to specifics. Then it starts to become a juggle of vials, which I mean, does fit as a ‘skilled trade’ in a way.
The trick is to know when to deconstruct and start new. Dont push it. It is just a mini game. Be smarter than the game. Some point you will have to gamble. " I can level up the skill with 1 more turn. My defect bar is very high. Do I take the change or play it safe. "
There is very little routine to forging. It will be differnt most of the time. You will have a pattern you follow but you must be able to adjust on the fly to counteract any odd rolls you get.
It is common to take a pause and count vigor and stability and plan for the next 2 to 3 rolls ahead. Always plan ahead.
The only thing routine about forging is questioning whether or not risking that defect going from grey to level 4 is worth an extra rank of busy bee or durability or damage lol
I was frustrated about Forging when I first started, and then I found the guide @Cactopod posted. Everything changed after studying that guide. The biggest problem for me was not understanding the mats at all. The guide goes into great detail. I’m no master but I’m not bad at it. The key is really knowing when to use what, and why you’re using it. .
I would recommend using the guide and following it exactly how it’s written… then once you have a better understanding you can tweak it to your liking.
The other big thing is just having patience and the willingness to deconstruct. It can be time consuming and I deconstruct a lot, but in the end I don’t end up with bad forges.
I’m one of those who only forges what I need for my shop… it’s not my favorite thing to do in the game… far from it… but it sells well enough.
I could have sworn someone posted a link to a program that you can practice on… I just don’t remember what it was.