I made a poll on reddit and in it, I saw this comment:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AshesofCreation/comments/1h1l1ds/comment/lzcvh1n/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
It speculates that the nodes in AoC respawn on a 24 hour cycle, which falls in line with other comments I've seen in my posts and others. If you mine first thing in the morning/night, it's all there for the taking, and then no one else sees any for the rest of the day. u/Steven_AoC said during the live stream that the copper is out there and being mined, but it's not getting to the people, which is what the shops are for, but this does not solve the negative player sentiment around the lack of copper.
A universal 24 hour node spawn allows for the control of resources in the game and reinforces scarcity as a game mechanic, but it also makes the game experience objectively worse for players who aren't able to play at the right time to take advantage of the nodes. As a casual player myself, I have been trying to get into mining. I spent 3 hours after I got off work hoping to find some copper and test some things in game. I found nothing. My time, that I have in limited supply, was spent on an effort that was doomed from the start without my knowledge. That really sucks.
Even if it's not one respawn per 24 hours, if the spawn rate is too long, then we still get the same feast and famine scenario that we have now. If you're lucky, you get everything, if not, then good luck.
Every player should have the opportunity to take part in all aspects of gameplay, including gathering. If I can only play 2 hours a day, I still want the chance to take part in the game's economy with the same chances as any other player. Yes, player shops will aleviate some of the tension around a lack of resources, but the current system gives a subset of players a monopoly of a resource that is mandatory for several core aspects of the game, and many have no incentive to share it. Why sell your ore at this stage of the game when every player can spec into every aspect of an apprentice crafting line and handle all production aspects themselves? This cuts vast swaths of players from taking part in key aspects of gameplay.
To be fair, there's no confirmation yet on this being the current state of the game, but all I've heard points to it as true, and I think it makes the game worse experience rather than better. Please change this, I want to play the game too.