I must agree with everything above, yet I think a big part of the frustration with the current system is actually the interface. I understand the logic behind stamina, that blacksmithing should take time, and that there shouldn't be a skill that you can just spam click until it is max. However, it is frustrating that there's no way to tell how low on stamina you are without mousing over an icon. To get more materials when you run out, you have to click back and forth between smithing, town, and trade screens. You have to click multiple times to repeat an action. This is definitely going to give someone a repetitive strain injury to their index finger. How can we solve this?
1. A visible stamina bar that color codes how long an action will take.
2. color coding a stamina bar or showing a prompt of how much time it will take.
3. Putting a rest button in the forging screen.
4. Turn the dead materials icons at the bottom of the screen in to clickable options to buy those materials.
5. Add sliders to refining and smelting to reduce finger strain.
6. Right now only a few categories of weapons can be forged at the beginning. it makes no sense that I can forge a spear but not a Javelin, a dagger but not a throwing knife, give us some default parts for every category.
7. We're not a village blacksmith, we're the commander of a military force who happens to be versed in the art of metallurgy. If you have to have a stamina mechanic, give it a bonus for party size!