So I have been away from the forums the past few weeks and now that I am back I have seen this new topic area.

I would like to ask a few questions if anybody has the time to answer.

1. How have so many people got the game already?

2. How does smiting work?
can you actually shape weapons and armour (aesthetically) to how you want. E.g. I could reshape an iron long sword into a scimitar?

Thanks,

I would like to ask a few questions if anybody has the time to answer.

1. How have so many people got the game already?

some reviewers mainly pirates

2. How does smiting work?
smithing is just repairing and upgrading you can do things with Armour but not weapons the way you say it

As other dude said pirates mostly. That being said some people got them from stores that sold it early.

Smithing works with recipies. You get perks to be able to make a set of armor. You gather the materials. Then you make one of a few different variations of an armor set.

Thank you!

I'm going to leave this topic area before I ruin the game for myself

Don't go yet. You can also make your own, craft your own weapons and armor.

To correct HotBreath, you can't actually repair equipment, as item degradation has been removed.