Why is coal not mined?

[Bloodmoon]

I always thought coal was mined not produced?

[Thunder]

I think they took some liberties with it in order to make the production cycle make sense, and make it a "renewable" resource early on in game. While i'm sure if they can make manufactured diamonds manufactured coal is possible, it is never going to be cost effective and certainly didn't occur in the time period the game appears to be situated within. Just a slight historical/scientific inaccuracy i think.

[Cenzton]

It is mined. At level 22.

[kayeich]

You can treat the initial coal as lignite/peat equivalents, while the mined higher level version is the higher grade stuff.

The coal from wood is very inefficient, but it -is- possible to get it from there. It's just that the wood has better uses at higher levels (bows or softwood), and once you're leveled enough to get a coal mine, you get coal directly from the source which is much more efficient.

[Dreamer]

Native Americans used to make coal from wood in special TeePee's a few hundred years ago. That is your wood coal (less efficient, like Kayeich said).

And, as the OP suggested, there is coal that you mine (actually 3 types of mined coal), some burns hotter than others.

[BB_Katealyst]

Wow, thanks everyone for the helpful responses. Even I learned something new on this thread!

[ctarco]

Yes, cut wood would be stacked in closed containers and burned, but not let it flame. It then chemically changed and became charcoal which we use quite often today.

[Bloodmoon]

I also learned a lot, perhaps we can now use our gaming time and claim it as educational. For all those out there in the RW that think gaming is a waste of time.

[Thunder]

I attribute the entirety of my good performances in history classes to games like Age of Empires/Mythology

[Dreamer]

I own a 1600 forge which I use Anthrocite (hottest burning type of coal) to make things out of railroad spikes. Cool stuff.