PC Flaw or Feature?

[Melange]

When I go to scrap a tool or weapon, I have to remove its mods first., then I can scrap it.

If I have a land claim block placed, I can move say a forge, and I get both its mods and any resources in it returned to me if I 'take' it.

But if I bash the same forge with a pick axe, the bellows, anvil or crucible are lost and I get some stone and clay as a return. So, destroy by pickaxe is not the same as scrap.

If I bash a chest or wooden box, its contents drop as a loot bag.

Why would the forge behave differently?

 

[Maharin]

1. When I go to scrap a tool or weapon, I have to remove its mods first., then I can scrap it.
   
2. If I have a land claim block placed, I can move say a forge, and I get both its mods and any resources in it returned to me if I 'take' it.
   
3. But if I bash the same forge with a pick axe, the bellows, anvil or crucible are lost and I get some stone and clay as a return. So, destroy by pickaxe is not the same as scrap.
   
4. If I bash a chest or wooden box, its contents drop as a loot bag.
   
5. Why would the forge behave differently?
   

#1 is a feature, not a bug.  Accidentally scrapping 4 mods with the weapon/armor would make anyone furious.

#2 is also a feature and prevents you from just picking up any crafting station you find in the wild.

#3 is by design, neither feature or bug.  I'd recommend you always open things up and empty them before destroying them.  And using a pickaxe is NOT the same as scrapping or using a wrench.  As a rule: wrenching > scrapping > axing > sledge.  Except that scrapping can only return one kind of component while axing can return more than one.

#4 this only happens if the container was opened first.  An unopened container will not drop loot when destroyed.

#5 see #3

 

[Crater Creator]

If I have a land claim block placed, I can move say a forge, and I get both its mods and any resources in it returned to me if I 'take' it.

Wait, are you sure? Did you try this? Because historically, you lose all material that’s smelted in the forge when you pick it up. Many players, myself included, have experienced this at one time or another. And I assumed it was by design - that instantly getting out all the smelted material would be ‘cheating’, and tracking what’s in the forge while it’s in your backpack wouldn’t be technically feasible.

 

[Melange]

Wait, are you sure?

Alright, I do not get back what's been smelted (just confirmed). So 'any resources in it' was wrong. I stand corrected.

But I do get the bellows and anvil back, any unused fuel, and what's in the output slots. Anything in the smelting slots queue and anything that has been smelted is lost when picking it up.

Wrenching yields 5 leather, 40 stone and 20 clay. Anvil, bellows, fuel and anything in output slots and smelting slots as well as smelted material is gone.

So, the container (box or chest) needs to be opened first for it to drop loot if destroyed. Makes sense. That explains the dreaded double hit when breaking open a crate and we don't get a thing. And since the forge is not a crate, it behaves in its own way. And I can not move any crates anyhow, neither mine nor those in the wild.

Seems to me that losing smelted material is more of a 'gotcha' than an anti-cheat. I put it there, but I can't get it back unless I let the forge run its course.

So it is.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Syphon583]

Anything in the smelting slots queue and anything that has been smelted is lost when picking it up.

This has always been weird to me. As you mentioned, this is likely in place to prevent players from moving vast amounts of resources in a single inventory slot. My biggest gripe is that there's no warning. It allows you to pick it up, all of the mods and outputs are automatically returned to you; logic suggests the smelted materials would be returned or stay in the forge.

I agree with you that it feels more like a 'gotcha', especially since there's no warning. Honestly, the player spent the time and fuel smelting those materials, and they're only useful to the player when they spend more time and more fuel to craft new materials. I don't see what the problem is just leaving them in the forge when it's moved.

 

[Melange]

I don't see what the problem is just leaving them in the forge when it's moved.

Or just return them to our inventory.  

 

[Syphon583]

Or just return them to our inventory.  

They could do that too. The only problem I see with that solution is that it would skip the mechanic of smelting it back out of the forge, a process that requires the cost of time and fuel. Though I'm not sure I would have an answer to which way is more balanced. Overall it's just annoying to me that it happens in the first place. Of course, once you know of that restriction it would be pretty hard to mistakenly pickup your forge with smelted materials in it. Just check it first.

 

[Melange]

They could do that too. The only problem I see with that solution is that it would skip the mechanic of smelting it back out of the forge, a process that requires the cost of time and fuel. Though I'm not sure I would have an answer to which way is more balanced. Overall it's just annoying to me that it happens in the first place. Of course, once you know of that restriction it would be pretty hard to mistakenly pickup your forge with smelted materials in it. Just check it first.

One bitten, twice shy. Potentially an expensive lesson to be learned, and with out warning as you said.

Now @Maharin said that scrapping a tool with 4 mods (and losing those mods) would make anyone furious. 

Moving a forge full of smelted resources and losing them in the process won't exactly make anyone smile either.

 

[Syphon583]

Moving a forge full of smelted resources and losing them in the process won't exactly make anyone smile either.

I quit a run once because of it. Of course it was early on in the run, so I didn't lose that much progress. It was a bit rage-inducing, though.

 

[Melange]

Yeah, I've had a few rage quits myself. Always come back, but depending on the circumstance it may take a while. I will post a thread. Curious to see what's managed to really P1$$ of someone to the point they just drop it. Stay tuned.