Forging Mechanics, or What the Hell Does This Stuff Do Anyway?

[theshim is the shimiest shim of all the shims that ever shim]

I know how to forge a weapon and I know that coins are always welcome.  Stuff I don't understand is forging points.  How do these accumulate?  Do these do anything?  (I wouldn't really care except that now that I have the Silver Card, apparently I won't be getting any more of them.)  Are the mechanics identical in Path of Radiance, or are there differences, and if so, what are they (because I didn't know what they did then either)?

Thanks!

[Lord Fuckboy]

Forging Points don't exist in NOA/E FE10.  The only different mechanic is the coin; if you decide to use one, you gotta pick one of five cards.  Each card triggers a random extra effect to go along with the forged weapon; could be more hit, more attack, more critical, etc.  One of them do nothing though.

The Silver Card you get disappears after that chapter, btw.  IIRC anyway.

[theshim is the shimiest shim of all the shims that ever shim]

Thanks! Just two more things.  1) Better weapons will appear periodically, there's nothing I can do to make them come faster.  Correct?

2) The same applies to PoR?

[Neofox]

Yeah, what weapons are available depends on where you are in the game. Later means better weapons.

[Lord Fuckboy]

Same applies to PoR except the coin things.  PoR also has no knife forging, where RD does.