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The thing that makes mining a PITA is the number of times you have to whack on the node. With Herbalism, you click on the herb, the bar counts down your opening time, you take the stack of herbs (1-3 or 4, plus occasionally an extra swiftthistle or other bonus) and head out to the next herb. With mining you stand there whacking at the node, pick up one ore and maybe some stone or a gem, whack on it again, pick up one ore, whack on it again, pick up one ore, whack on it again... Why can't you just open the node once, pick up the 1-4 ores that it would contain, plus the 1-8 stones, plus the 1-2 gems? Why do you have to keep mining the same node over and over again? You don't have to skin the same animal twice to get two light leathers, or pick the same plant twice to get three briarthorns and a swiftthistle, why this discrimination against miners?
< rant mode off >