Personally, I think the 21w16a Copper Ore Mechanics were better.

So... in 21w17a, you guys edited the copper, so that 9 ingots make 1 copper block like they did before, but you also made the ores drop 2-3 copper. Imo, this is really balanced. It takes roughly the same amount of time to make copper in this snapshot than it did in the last. Having the ore drop more than one piece of raw copper isnt even unprecedented, as lapis and redstone do the same thing.

However.

I personally see no reason for this change, and 21w16a's mechanics were more consistent. It made copper roughly the same as quartz, the only other ore that is primarily used for building, with 4 ingots making a block of copper, while 4 nether quartz make a block of quartz. They are both used primarily the same way, and crafted the same way too. If it takes the same amount of time to make a block of copper in this snapshot than the last, why did you even change it at all? Copper Blocks cannot even be used as beacon fuel after 21w17a.

21w17a is balanced, but personally, i feel like 21w16a's mechanics were better.