I don't need metal to craft a bow, I need the oil that comes from burning charcoal to craft the wood to make the bow.

I also like being self sufficient, so while buying things off the market is a good solution, it shouldnt always be the solution. same goes for plot sizes, if I want a 5x5 I need to be part of a city right? Thats not my playstyle, I play with IRL friends and alone.

Waiting 8 hours for charcoal to cook so I can craft a bow is pretty bad design imo. I dont mind things taking time, in fact i prefer it. however artificial time gating is just encouraging me to log out. Coupled with plot size, it compounds the issue as I can only have a few charcoal pits. I dont have any recommendations, but anything that encourages me to log out is bad.

I also recommend to increase plot size, I like playing solo or with IRL friends and they aren't always online, its just another artificial limit that makes the game feel bad for me.