The Bottleneck of the Economy
Gatherers can find infinite ore. Crafters can buy infinite recipes. But Smelters are limited by time and space. Processing is the only step that requires significant infrastructure.
The Blueprint System (Freeholds)
You can refine basic Copper in a town. But for Orichalcum? You need a Master Smelter Freehold.
- Space: Smelting stations take up valuable plots on your land.
- Efficiency: A Master Smelter produces more ingots per ore than a novice.
Becoming a Tycoon
Smart guilds funnels all their ore to one designated “Grandmaster Smelter.”
- Why?: To maximize yield. If you refine your own ore at level 1, you are wasting 30% of the materials.