This guide delves into the topic of what players should be doing while they are waiting for their ores to be smelted.
As of writing this guide I have approximately played 55 hours of this game so I surely have gathered enough information for early game tips and tricks. This guide is mainly intended for players who are starting out but I will also include some advanced tips at the end.

Bear in mind that some "hardcore gamers" might disagree with some parts of this guide and only recommend using the end-game techniques but I strongly recommend not to do so. Start from the beginning and work your way slowly to get the right feeling of waiting.
Also note that I haven't finished the game just yet so there aren't any end-game related techniques at this guide yet. I'll probably update this guide later on if I see it necessary.

There are similar guides for other games on what to do while your game loads or you are waiting for the be respawned.
Bear in mind that techniques introduced in other guides MIGHT NOT WORK CORRECTLY WHILE PLAYING VALHEIM and I do not recommend using those techniques without proper supervision.

This guide contains spoilers. Reader discretion advised.

This section contains basic terms needed to understand this guide.

Name of the game.

Needs to be mined.

Process of hitting the ground with your pickaxe.

Process of transforming ore into metal bars.

Place where you smelt your ores.

This guide predicts it's reader to have a basic understanding about concepts of smelting and waiting.

If you are unfamiliar with the topic, please consult other guides before reading this.


As almost every process this one also requires a good planning before started. Planning is almost half of the work and if done correctly can save you a lots of time.

1. Start by thinking about what you would like to do while waiting for the ores to be smelted. Be sure to listen to your own intuition about this and be creative.
   
2. Make a schedule. Write down the time when you are going to smelt things and then try to estimate the time it would take. Practice makes you perfect but you can also check the times from the web if unsure.
   
3. Think about what you want to achieve while waiting. Set specific goals.
   
4. Gather all the necessary resources to your inventory in game and in real life.
   
5. Warm up beforehand. It has been shown that too much waiting can cause you various health problems if you haven't warm up properly beforehand.
   
6. Prepare for the waiting mentally. Good strategy is to head to bathroom or grab a snack at this point.

If done correctly you should now be able to start the smelting process. If not, delete all progress (just to be sure!) and start again from the beginning.

The waiting process is about to begin. Put your coal and ores into the smelter. If done correctly you should hear the sound of smelter activating and soon enough you should have a visual indication of bars being ejected out of the machine.

• Whenever smelter has ejected bar out, refill the smelter with desired ore.
  TIP: you can mix things up by putting in different ores!
  
• Smelters need coal to function. Inject more in if needed.
  TIP: smelter can have up to 20 coal inside. Use this to your advantage!

When you have mastered the in game functions it's time move on to more complicated things. What to do in real life?

You can choose either to train your physical or mental skill-sets or even observe your spiritual or mental state and concentrate on that. Another path is to just focus on relaxing but keep in mind that this requires planning as well.

• Write a song about waiting.
  
• Write a journal about waiting.
  
• Paint yourself waiting.
  TIP: You don't have to paint on real canvas but instead you can use paint on your PC.
  
• Make a waiting playlist for the next time you are waiting.
  
• Write a letter to yourself and open it next time you are waiting.
  
• Think about books you would like to start but never have time for.
  
• Show attention to your pet.
  TIP: If you do not have a pet, use one of your hands instead!
  
• Think about cleaning your apartment/house.
  
• Switch socks from other foot to another. You'll be surprised!
  
• Think about how you'll play Valheim after all this waiting.

This was just a short list of examples of what to do. Basically the list is endless if you just put your mind into it!

For those who have gotten deeper into the game or are just ready to face the challenge, I have collected some advanced techniques into this section.

The game-play part is almost identical to the basic section but you can spice things up by jumping and rolling around in game simultaneously when doing other things in real life.

• Meditation. Close your eyes and meditate while trying to refill things in game. No matter if you fail, your co-op friends will find you running into walls hilarious and you can all laugh at it later on.
  
• Hydrate and urinate to the bottle when done.
  
• Think about your ex and miss her/him. Remember all the fun things you did together and blame yourself for the breakup.
  TIP: If you never have had girlfriend/boyfriend - use your imagination and think about said scenario with your crush/imaginary person.
  
• Plan what fast food you are going to order next week.
  
• Write a Wikipedia article about non-existent person.
  
• Start a fight in the steam comment section or at Valheim sub-reddit.
  
• Physical exercise and going out for a walk.
  NOTE: only for the most experienced players!

Congratulations on reaching this far on the guide!

You should now have a basic understanding of what to do while your ores are being smelted at the smelter. Remember that applying all these techniques take time and motivation to reach so don't feel discouraged if you fail at first.

The process of waiting isn't the easiest one and game-play wise it's probably one of the most time-taking processes. Not everyone has to be perfect at waiting but the time you reach the end-game you should have applied almost all of basic techniques and some of the advanced ones on the way.

Remember that this game is still in early-access so any waiting related game-play mechanics might change in the future which will definitely have impact on the meta-gaming as well. Also there might be some techniques which have not yet been discovered so be sure to check out for any updates on this guide from time to time.

• Q: "My game lags while I am waiting. Any help?"
  A: As for now it seems that waiting is indeed very demanding process. If you are experiencing heavy FPS or other kind of lag while waiting I'll recommend you to upgrade your hardware.
  
  
• Q: "Can I use these techniques in other games as well?"
  A: I'd recommend you not to unless you are absolutely sure about your own limits and skill-set. I'd recommend you to consult experts of these other games before trying to.
  
  
• Q:

  Originally posted by Tyrr:

  11 Mar @ 9:13pm
  This guide would have helped me out on my play-though of The Longing.

  A: Don't use this guide for other games without proper supervision.
  
  
• Q:

  Originally posted by Dinok Hind:

  Once I've finished making the playlist for next time I wait, do I start on a new one or just keep adding to it? Do I even listen to it? Thank you so much!

  A: It is essential part of just keeping making the playlists. No need for actually listening and wasting your time.
  
  
• Q:

  Originally posted by Dinok Hind:

  Do I use a new bottle after urinating in it or that too advanced for a newer player like me?

  A: Wouldn't recommend using a new bottle. Creates too much plastic waste.

Originally posted by pensiveowl:

7 Mar @ 9:18pm
note you have a typo under the "conclusion section" where you wrote hat as opposed to what

• Removed hat. Added what.
  
  
• 5th Nov 2022
  Removed word "bare." Replaced with "bear."