Non-Nugget Ores - how to search

[CovertGuardian 0]

For the starter ores you can find deposits by looking for surface nuggets - a resource efficient way to search since no resources are used.

For copper - you can find one of three ore types by surface nuggets. But the other two ore types

are never found on the surface.

From Iron (and the more advanced alloy materials) , none of the ore types appear on the surface.

I am currently at Tier 1 and only have a small metal surplus, so I need to watch out for how many

picks and proPicks I burn up in the process of searching.

So how do you normally search, possible ideas:

0) Ignore Malachite and Tetrahedrite - stick to areas where Native Copper has been found on the surface

(That may work to get me into the bronze age, but then option 0 goes away once you need to find iron...)

1) Use prospecting pick on surface in a grid search pattern. A grid with 10 or 12 square sample spacing should miss very little

of the available ore near the surface at one tap every sample line intersection..

Concerns :Build 72 added a thicker dirt layer and low tier picks now have ~60% of the old usages - so using metal

on fruitless searches is more of a concern.

2) As in option 1 - prospect in a grid pattern, but dig down to rock (uses only stone tools) at each test point and do the tap there -

takes more time, but gets better use of each metal consumed by reaching deeper ores.

3) Build and operate sluice units - only do option 1 or 2 in areas covered by a sluice (200x200 search area if I read the wiki right!)

which has returned a hit on the metal you are seeking.

Once you have a steady supply of metal, I expect a underground grid of samples every 10/12 squares becomes practical,

I am afraid with my current metal supply a deep mining project could use up all my available ingots on pick heads before

the mining effort finds anything useful. Cutting rock burns through tier 0 tools pretty fast.

Which of these strategies (or please offer your own) would you suggest, and how would your search strategy change as you

advanced up the tiers to iron/steel.

Tron - I think that undersea sluicing would be on of those minecraft "cool to show you can do it" activities,

but I don't think it will be practical on a regular basis

[Tron 2]

I would suggest to do undersea sluices. I'm in tier 1 yet, but it is what i have planned for the future, as i advance in tiers, because if some ores are so deep, i just don't want to go wasting my prospector's pick (enough headaches by now...) randomly.

i watched a spumwack gameplay series in which he did a well to the bottom of the sea. It doesn't seem so difficult, and could save me up many precious pickaxes.

then i'll just dig down and use the water from above.

What do you think?

[GreenLeaf 198]

Attach yourself to ravines when you find them. they are great ways to get down deep without having to use up your precious pickaxes. i have rarely found a ravine that does not give off an ore finding nearby. and sometimes i've even found 2 ravines pretty much stacked ontop of eachother which allowed me to go even deeper.

[Stalkio 4]

I would suggest to do undersea sluices. I'm in tier 1 yet, but it is what i have planned for the future, as i advance in tiers, because if some ores are so deep, i just don't want to go wasting my prospector's pick (enough headaches by now...) randomly.

i watched a spumwack gameplay series in which he did a well to the bottom of the sea. It doesn't seem so difficult, and could save me up many precious pickaxes.

then i'll just dig down and use the water from above.

What do you think?

That sound very interesting! I'd love to see it working, could you record it if you give it a go please? Also do you have a link to the video that he creates the well?

[Tron 2]

he does in the last 5 minutes of this video

and he continues in the next episode:

but i think its more efficient to build 5 sand, cobble, etc.. towers on the top of 5 blocks not affected by gravity. then take that blocks and let the sand to fall down into the sea.

then dig the central tower and there you go.

[Just_Another_Guy_:) 1,066]

but i think its more efficient to build 5 sand, cobble, etc.. towers on the top of 5 blocks not affected by gravity. then take that blocks and let the sand to fall down into the sea.

then dig the central tower and there you go.

As sand and dirt are not only affected by gravity, but by sliding as well, the optins are gravel and cobblestone. In fact, i don't know if gravel is an option, as it COULD (don't remember if it is) be affected by the sliding as well... if it isn't, it's the best option, as it's easy to find and to pick back up in if you make a mistake. Otherwise, it's something you won't be able to do unless you get a metal pick.

[Tron 2]

oh yeah, i've just tried with gravel and it works fine. I totally forgot about the sliding thing, so as you say, sand and dirt don't work.

[halfmaster1 77]

I just dig a really long tunnel underground, perfectly straight. I mostly only get zinc and coal though.

[splatman1981 44]

when i mine i try to stay in rock types that dont have tons of minerals, just the ore i'm looking for. makes it much easier to prospect when there arent so many pointless readings.