Another n00b mining thread.

[Anomander]

I'll post here to not spam
how much strenght should I get just to think about going to the caves

I mined my first ore with a q10 axe, and 12 Strenght, so it's all about being lucky and thoroughly exploring your cave.
But I'd say with around ~50Str + q30 Axe you should be able to find several minable spots in a decent sized cave.
Good luck

[Grable]

Some more noob questions:
If I got this right mining nodes are just segments of mine wall that drop ore? Or do they have their own image, like the boulder? How do they show when prospecting? Do nodes get completely depleted when you mine thru them?

[Sevenless]

Some more noob questions:
If I got this right mining nodes are just segments of mine wall that drop ore? Or do they have their own image, like the boulder? How do they show when prospecting? Do nodes get completely depleted when you mine thru them?

Nodes can be quite massive, but yes, you can mine them out completely. A tin node I found was about 20 wide, and maybe 100-200 tiles long.I'd say each tile produces on average 5 ore, so about 1 bar with full industry. If you can use the 3000 bars before the world end, then you just need to find another tin node xD I don't know about precious metal nodes. They might be smaller and more realistically exhaustible.

As for strength, usually +/- 0 barb/civ, a bear cape/tooth necklace (~40str), and a Q20 tool is good enough for at least most areas in caves. Softer caves tend to be claimed by now, but even if the entrance is hard you can usually find softer areas further in. And a Q20 axe is dirt easy to make, just go stone node hunting in a mountain.

a_Ficus wrote:Read my OP, you lazy bum!

by prospecting i meant really bother to prospect. Seriously, i found so far 3 or 4 copper mines, 3 iron mines, and countless tin, in one or two supergrids. prospecting seems to be borked you say? it might but works fine with me.

Prospecting direction isn't borked entirely. Enders has a fix for it, but I still have trouble figuring it out, and occasionally using the same Q extract the node just disappears on me even though i'm in the same spot. Standing directly on the node will give proper readings, but there's a bit of luck in that. And it doesn't work well for cave systems when the vein is in the walls somewhere and you don't know which way to mine.

[a_Ficus]

Prospecting direction isn't borked entirely. Enders has a fix for it, but I still have trouble figuring it out, and occasionally using the same Q extract the node just disappears on me even though i'm in the same spot. Standing directly on the node will give proper readings, but there's a bit of luck in that. And it doesn't work well for cave systems when the vein is in the walls somewhere and you don't know which way to mine.

I'm using Enders. I've prospected and followed the arrow, only to reach dead ends. I've doubled back to re-prospect, only to be told there's no ore detected. I've moved around, back and forth, 10 tiles, 5 tiles, 1 tile, and been told all sorts of interesting things. And yeah... it seems like, if you follow the positives, you might eventually find something. So I did.

Finally had it tell me "there is a tin vein below" or somesuch. Moved one tile off, prospected again. Nothing found. Move back to the tile it told me there was ore. Nothing found. Move a couple tiles away. Get a directional arrow pointing back at where the supposed ore vein was. Move back there, nothing found. Move a couple tiles away, move back, prospect again, tin ore. So I figured there was probably something there.

I snake-tunneled through rock to get to where it, hypothetically, was. Over 50 tiles away with a Q29 stone axe... took far too long, but I figured the reward would be worth it.

Finally reached the spot a little while ago. Nothing but Q10 rock. Continued on, in case my counting was off. Still nothing for another 5 tiles beyond the point where ore should have been.

I say it again: Prospecting -- even with Enders -- is borked.

[Sevenless]

Prospecting direction isn't borked entirely. Enders has a fix for it, but I still have trouble figuring it out, and occasionally using the same Q extract the node just disappears on me even though i'm in the same spot. Standing directly on the node will give proper readings, but there's a bit of luck in that. And it doesn't work well for cave systems when the vein is in the walls somewhere and you don't know which way to mine.

I'm using Enders. I've prospected and followed the arrow, only to reach dead ends. I've doubled back to re-prospect, only to be told there's no ore detected. I've moved around, back and forth, 10 tiles, 5 tiles, 1 tile, and been told all sorts of interesting things. And yeah... it seems like, if you follow the positives, you might eventually find something. So I did.

Finally had it tell me "there is a tin vein below" or somesuch. Moved one tile off, prospected again. Nothing found. Move back to the tile it told me there was ore. Nothing found. Move a couple tiles away. Get a directional arrow pointing back at where the supposed ore vein was. Move back there, nothing found. Move a couple tiles away, move back, prospect again, tin ore. So I figured there was probably something there.

I snake-tunneled through rock to get to where it, hypothetically, was. Over 50 tiles away with a Q29 stone axe... took far too long, but I figured the reward would be worth it.

Finally reached the spot a little while ago. Nothing but Q10 rock. Continued on, in case my counting was off. Still nothing for another 5 tiles beyond the point where ore should have been.

I say it again: Prospecting -- even with Enders -- is borked.

At first I agreed with you. But then I did some research, and a fuck ton of prospecting in my cave. I think I've figured it out? Here's my guide if you want to have a look

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18450

[a_Ficus]

Either I'd miscounted, or the positive reading was off by a few tiles. Either way, I finally just found my first ore.

Yay me.

[kohg]

im not using ender, thats the secret, it seems.

[Sevenless]

im not using ender, thats the secret, it seems.

Just... get it lol. There's so many amazing features that you really really need to have. It's too much of a hindrance using the traditional client compared to what enders offers.

[Grable]

Btw, if I want to prospect a natural cave, do I need to be outside (level above) the cave to prospect the cave or inside the cave?

What's the easiest way to find veins in a natural cave?

[TeckXKnight]

Btw, if I want to prospect a natural cave, do I need to be outside (level above) the cave to prospect the cave or inside the cave?

What's the easiest way to find veins in a natural cave?

Above the cave on the surface.