Being able to build stone structures takes too long to get to.

I'm currently playing this game with a friend, only they prefer to just build things and not do much of boss progression. So the first thing they did was try to make a really large house. Problem is wood only allows you to build so high before things start to break off, which has been causing them a bit of frustration.

I would like to finally get to iron so I can unlock the stonecutter. It won't completely solve things breaking off, but it will allow to make taller structures. However, the process of getting iron is quite lengthy. I have to go into the swamp, but need proper gear, so smelting bronze is essential. So time to haul copper back and forth with the cart, then find where the tree boss is so I can get the key for the crypt, then go find crypts which can potentially be hours of boat riding whilst being chased by a serpent, then finally get to the swamp, but only to be chased by blobs and wraiths and be killed by a draugr bow & arrow firing squad.

It just takes way too long to unlock something that I feel should be unlocked a bit early on. I mean we get to see stone structure ruins in the black forest, surely they would allow us to make stone blocks by then? Why not let the tree boss drop 2 bits of iron so we can make the stonecutter earlier?