Improving Prospecting

[Thorfinn]

This isn't fleshed out to the point that it's worth putting in Suggestions. More something to brainstorm some ideas after a recent post got me thinking about how confusing it is to those new to the game. And, heck, those of us who haven't put as much effort into figuring it out as @Streetwind

One reasonably plausible (and only coincidentally realistic) idea is to actually perform an assay. Maybe the third prospect dig returns a sample in addition to the current information it gives you. Maybe you select a different mode on the ProPick. Anyway, you put that sample into a crucible, smelt it, and it spits out the actual concentration of the ore, weighted in whatever distance formula the current prospecting does? Instead of just what the worldgen says might be there, it's based on what blocks really generated, and did not get destroyed by caves? If it says there is trace, it means there is at least one (or whatever) block of that ore within whatever weighted radius? It would get rid of the odd results you can sometimes get with iron. And having to wait for the smelting means it doesn't worsen possible lag, because it has all the time it takes to melt the sample to figure out what's actually there.

 

[LastChime]

Currently it sort of reminds me of WURM but better.

 

  Perhaps a different tool like a core drill or something you construct onsite could do propick node 40~60 over the course of a day or 2 so maybe operates like a quern? I just can't see me ever remembering which exact muddy gravel hole I made on the bottom of the ocean floor, but if there's a derrick set up that makes location much easier.

[Thorfinn]

I don't want it to become even less useful or intuitive than it is, though. I'd never build a core drill if it took even 2 hours to get an answer back, let alone the hours of game time to get a windmill going. Within a few game hours, I've narrowed it down enough via the main propick mode, and probably am already mining the actual ore. Unless it somehow marked the ore nodes (which is much more difficult without map), just telling you there's something within 60 nodes is useless. Barring that, the only reason I can think of that I would consider it is if it actually mined those nodes, kind of like the autominers in The Planet Crafter, but even at, say, 6 nodes per hour, it's just not worth the investment.

Kinda like the glider or the Jonas devices. Maybe if you have absolutely nothing left to do but slit your wrists, it might be worth the effort.

[Thorfinn]

Incidentally, when I was talking about smelting the sample, I was thinking something on the order of smelting a nugget, so would be finished in a few game minutes with a single piece of charcoal. It's really only confirming the results of your main propick are "correct" and not just "on average, correct".

[EDIT]

Maybe the output of the crucible is a block that has the assay results written on it? Or maybe it's an approximate (or exact) count of the number of nodes of each ore within, say, 7-blocks?

[/EDIT]

Edited February 21 by Thorfinn

[LastChime]

2 hours ago, Thorfinn said:

I don't want it to become even less useful or intuitive than it is, though. I'd never build a core drill if it took even 2 hours to get an answer back, let alone the hours of game time to get a windmill going. Within a few game hours, I've narrowed it down enough via the main propick mode, and probably am already mining the actual ore. Unless it somehow marked the ore nodes (which is much more difficult without map), just telling you there's something within 60 nodes is useless. Barring that, the only reason I can think of that I would consider it is if it actually mined those nodes, kind of like the autominers in The Planet Crafter, but even at, say, 6 nodes per hour, it's just not worth the investment.

Kinda like the glider or the Jonas devices. Maybe if you have absolutely nothing left to do but slit your wrists, it might be worth the effort.

60 was just a number pulled out of my tucus, just to indicate big. It would be like node search just bigger to save a bit on the worthless checkerboard bore holes, not density where it's just what the triangulated section of the map *could* potentially have. Idk the code but I was thinking if there's concerns with making the propick itself that large due to lag, and if smelting would be less intensive, maybe grinding for a similar time to smelting would also be less lag generating.

Kinda would like it for my own yard cause bout 7 bore holes in on high magnetite across several triangulations so be nice to know if it's just the 14 tonnes of lignite and galena or if there's actual magnetite somewhere vaguely in the vicinity. Cause it's conglomerate on top of slate on top of andesite :/

[Thorfinn]

I don't know that the reason to limit it to 8 was lag. Doubtful. How long could it possibly take to check only, um, only 4094(?) blocks? I think its more likely that you end up with useless information if you expand the radius too large. It's probably set to no more than allows you to distinguish between one disc of ore and another.

In your specific case, it's probably just potential magnetite. Those deposits are huge enough that you sink a single mineshaft at the highest density reading, you should hit it if it is there.

Wow. That's a lot of itty-bitty words in a row. "...hit it if it is.." That's probably a personal best.

[EDIT]

If this were not a family friendly site, I could have added to it by saying, "...hit on...", though that's a completely different meaning.

[/EDIT]

Edited February 21 by Thorfinn

[Maelstrom]

I don't think there's anything that needs to be changed.  I view the node search mode as the assay step you describe.  Having watched a few shows on TV bank in the day and on the Yewtoobs the VS prospecting system is realistic.

Prospect around with density mode to determine likely places to assay.  Then assay the targeted area to confirm/deny existence of desired ore.  Sometimes the prospecting looks good but you come up with bupkis.