[Solved] Support Beam Range

[Arctic_Wolfy 2]

I know support beams cover a area o 9x9x3 (width x depth x height). But if I have two support post with a single horizontal beam (block), is the 9x9x3 protection centered on just the horizontal? Or do the top of the verticals count?

[Bunsan 323]

Only the horizontal. The vertical beams add no support.

[Arctic_Wolfy 2]

Okay, another thing, I was mining next to  my beams. to be exact, right next to the horizontal beam. and I had a small cave in... Why?

[Darmo 303]

Okay, another thing, I was mining next to  my beams. to be exact, right next to the horizontal beam. and I had a small cave in... Why?

Support beams support within a range of 4, however every time you mine raw stone it checks for cave-ins up to 10 (iirc) blocks away.  If it finds an unsupported block, it has a *chance* to begin a cave-in, and that cave-in can spread back into your supported area, despite your supports.  Supports only prevent the blocks in the supported area from *beginning* a cave-in, they do not prevent the cave-in from starting outside the area, and working back in.  Most likely there was a natural cavern that you didn't see, and the cave-in started there, and propogated back into your mine.  It's an unfortunate side effect of the current mechanic.  It makes mining in or near natural caves very tiresome.  Hopefully this is not the intended mechanic, and eventually it gets fixed, if not in the current game, in TFC2 at least.

 

Your best bet is, once you have these kind of hidden cave-ins start, you need to start supporting your ceiling with smooth stone, or wood blocks, or some other gravity-defying block.  If you can eventually find the cave, you can go in and support every single ceiling tile.  However, if you let the cave-ins continue long enough, eventually the ceiling will be high enough they'll mostly stop. 

Edited 17 Oct 2015 by Darmo

[ChunkHunter 73]

I'd also add that the floor should be similarly "anti-gravitied" - the floor you're standing on could very easily be right above a cave and collapse when a cavein propogates to where you're standing...

[Terex 108]

I seem to have noticed these long range cave ins, outside a supported area i'm mining. I'd imagine a simple rule that says "i'm mining a supported block, don't cause a cave in", sounds simple to implement. I'm more of a "going for the ore where i see it, than systematically building supported tunnels" kinda guy... 

[Kittychanley 1,002]

While it's simple to implement, it also completely defeats the point and would be highly exploitable. The problem is that it's a huge misconception that players think if the block they are mining is within support beam range, a cave in cannot happen. This is not true, and it is very clearly (imho) explained on the support beam page of the wiki.

 

http://wiki.terrafirmacraft.com/Support_Beam

 

A single horizontally placed support beam will prevent cave-ins from originating from an area that is 4 blocks in each horizontal direction, and 1 block above and below the beam (9x9x3 Area). Raw Stone that is within this area can still cause cave-ins that originate outside the area when mined. Raw stone that is mined, regardless of if it is supported or not, will randomly scan an area that is 4 blocks in each horizontal direction, and 2 blocks above and below the raw stone (9x9x5 Area). If this random scan finds raw stone or ore that is unsupported, the unsupported block will become the epicenter of a cave-in that will then spread outwards.

[ChunkHunter 73]

Kitty - your other post about support beams is also a great insight http://terrafirmacraft.com/f/topic/8187-7917-getting-too-punishing/?p=106742#10).

I also just noticed on that wiki page that the axe is shown as a "tool" in the panel on the right - is that because you need to use an axe to fell a tree to get logs, or is it a mistake? 

[Kittychanley 1,002]

No. It's because if you use an axe the block will break faster than using your hand. That "tool" field is specifically listing tools you can use to quickly break the block.

Edited 12 Nov 2015 by Kittychanley

[ChunkHunter 73]

Ah - sorry - misunderstanding - thought it was things needed to *make*  not * break* (facepalm)