Is There a Forge Strategy?

[OneManStanding]

When I gamed with my brother he would have several forges all along one wall. His base designs anticipated the intermittent conga line of screamers and zombies which would result, so he basically had a staircase which path-guided the zombies right up to a convenient window immediately beside him so he could just look right and quickly thump them with a hammer. However, when I play alone I just use the one forge and spend some time of the night just melting down the various things into the one.

 

This time around I decided on three - one for iron, one for lead, one for brass, remembering to put some clay in now and again. My question is, is there an optimum or efficient setup that veteran players would recommend? Optimum if you're a massive builder who needs multiple forges for iron, efficient if you've turned horde nights off to just explore and only need essential stuff.

[Sjustus548]

It usually depends on how many people we have playing with us and what our plans are.  Usually we go with 2 forges for Iron, 2 for Brass, 2 for Lead/Glass, and 2 for Stone, of course with Clay in them all.  This Alpha since you no longer have to craft ammo, we'll see how 20.1 changes that though, we have just been using one forge instead.  We don't seem to need near as much stuff as we usually do.

[pApA^LeGBa]

Easiest way to deal with screamers is still a moat filled with spikes, 2 rows. If you have no windows they can´t see you, so they can´t summon a horde and will simply die in the spikes. I don´t think there is an optimal number of forges, depends on how quick you need the materials and how much. Once your base is save from screamers it doesn´t really matter how many you have running. If you don´t mind to manage a ton of forges build as many as you can fit in your crafting area. 

Edited January 20, 2022 by pApA^LeGBa (see edit history)

[Vaeliorin]

I usually run 8, 4 for stone, 2 for iron, 1 for lead, 1 for brass.  But I go through lots of cement.  In previous alphas I may have dropped some spikes for screamers (solar powered turrets later game), but I haven't had enough time in A20 to know what's really needed for that (though I have found annoyingly frequent screamers while mining...like 5 a night.)

[8_Hussars]

If you don't want to bother with screamers, one suggestion is to build a shaft down to near bedrock.  Mine a straight shot out a couple of hundred meters from your home base and hollow out a space.  Place multiple forges (mixers/chem Stations) and run them as required.  Screamers will be attracted to the chunk activity but will never see you at home base, and will de-spawn eventually.   Never noticed any digging above the forges.

In SP I generally run 4; two for cement, one brass/lead, and one iron/steel.  Once the massive need for cement is over you can split iron/steel and or brass/lead up as required.

[Kraxin]

I usually have 6 forges, 3 cement mixers and 1-2 chem stations running at all times and the occasional row of campfires. I have turrets watching my walls and never worry about screamers. Before turrets, I still run 2-3 things at once. It was never a big issue, but I usually mine far away and try and keep noise down near base to not raise heat level too much.