Improve
Improve (or imp for short) is done on an item to increase its quality.
To improve the item, right-click it, click "Examine", read what item is needed to improve it, activate the necessary item, and right-click the first item again to attempt to improve it.
Containers and the inventory usually show an extra imp-column to show you the tool you need to improve the items. This can be enabled or disabled by right-clicking the name header, and select 'toggle imp column'
Notes
- Some items require certain conditions to be improved. For example, smithing items need to be glowing hot to improve. Also, most items need to be at 0 damage (repaired) to be improved, except wooden fences, wooden gates, and stone walls.
- Some items cannot be improved and will reflect that when the examine command gives no information for improvement: newbie starter kit tools, most building materials (dirt, planks, etc), yoyo, raw materials (but can be combined with higher quality material to improve (at the expense of the higher quality material), unrepairable items]], etc.
- Unfinished items can't be improved until finished. The improve keybind won't work on them, use finish instead.
Tips
Here's a few things you could do to help improve when doing smithing. It's very helpful to have a toolbelt, with the toolbelt you can bind your number keys 1-5 with key bindings for toggling imping tools on your toolbelt.
- Use the console and type "Bind 1 Activate_Tool1", then doing it 4 more times until you have your number keys 1-5 tied to the toolbelt.
- After, use the console and type "Bind R Repair" and then "Bind I Improve".
You now have all of your key bindings set. Now drag the common imping tools to your toolbelt like a whetstone for sharpening, a pelt for polishing, a hammer for dents, and when tempering with water, have a small barrel of water or a waterskin in your inventory and drag the water onto the toolbelt. And as well for the lump you are using for imping, put that onto your toolbelt. So now you should have everything ready. When you have your item that you are going to imp in your inventory, drag your mouse over the item and press the number keys 1 through 5 to whatever next step of imping it needs. Then press "I" for improving with that tool, and "R" for repairing. With this you are conveniently imping with minimal effort. Enjoy!
