Mining instability system changes

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Mining instability system changes

Postby TerraSleet » Sat Oct 10, 2015 12:31 am

The new instability system is pretty neat and adds some actual thinking to mining if you don't want to use support pillars. However it has a couple issues:

  • Because of the random "minesweeper" mechanic, it's possible to, like in the original Minesweeper, to hit a "mine" on your first tile. In other words, causing a cave-in on the first block you mine because of bad luck. This is a little unfair since instead of just instantly restarting you've now created a huge mess and ruined your SHP.
  • The rubble that appears when an unstable block is nearby is both too subtle and a bit too vague. It's silent, barely visible and doesn't show exactly how many unstable blocks are nearby, just that there's one or more. Also it disappears after a few moments which means if you forget to label that spot by paving it, you have no way of telling if there was rubble there when you come back to the spot later.
Some ideas I quickly came up with to change this:

1. Add a prospect button for mineable blocks, but unlike Rustroot prospecting have it show the instability of the blocks of it and nearby blocks. For example, if the block you prospect will show rubble when mined out, give a message saying something like "this area seems unstable". The same message will show if you actually prospected an unstable block, meaning you can't just prospect blocks until you find the one that's unstable and mark it. You still have to use minesweeper logic.

2. Have rubble appear when you start mining an unstable block or a block next to it. Similar to the current rubble system but appearing as you're mining the block as well as after the block is mined out.

3. Make rubble leave a permanent clue or a direct indication to how many unstable blocks are next to it. For example, you could make it show a small number on the ground like in Minesweeper. Or make the rubble animation permanent and make it more intense with more unstable blocks.

Adding some short sound / camera shake / message along with the rubble would be great too.
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Re: Mining instability system changes

Postby Granger » Sat Oct 10, 2015 1:00 am

TerraSleet wrote:[*] Because of the random "minesweeper" mechanic, it's possible to, like in the original Minesweeper, to hit a "mine" on your first tile. In other words, causing a cave-in on the first block you mine because of bad luck. This is a little unfair since instead of just instantly restarting you've now created a huge mess and ruined your SHP.
Which will recover in case you're well fed

[*] The rubble that appears when an unstable block is nearby is both too subtle and a bit too vague. It's silent, barely visible and doesn't show exactly how many unstable blocks are nearby, just that there's one or more. Also it disappears after a few moments which means if you forget to label that spot by paving it, you have no way of telling if there was rubble there when you come back to the spot later.
Just use the land survey tool and place a flag ;)

System seems fine to me.
Your suggestion about sound might have some merit though: the world currently is either silent or monotonic.
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Re: Mining instability system changes

Postby Sevenless » Sat Oct 10, 2015 1:15 am

Since cave ins are not fatal, like they were in legacy, being forced to eat a cave in is by no means the end of the world.
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Re: Mining instability system changes

Postby Lunarius_Haberdash » Sat Oct 10, 2015 9:55 am

odd, i was just thinking that the mining system needs to have some dynamics to the instability system to prevent support free mining... >.>
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Re: Mining instability system changes

Postby Vigilance » Sat Oct 10, 2015 10:08 am

I do think support free mining should be a thing, I feel like it's very hit or miss with how generous it is right now (I was able to mine every piece of a vein without a support, while sevenless had some miserable time digging to one of his veins iirc)
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Re: Mining instability system changes

Postby Procne » Sat Oct 10, 2015 10:39 am

Sevenless wrote:Since cave ins are not fatal, like they were in legacy, being forced to eat a cave in is by no means the end of the world.

Even on lower levels?
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Re: Mining instability system changes

Postby Lunarius_Haberdash » Sat Oct 10, 2015 10:52 am

We have verification that that is, in fact, changing... Jorb has stated that 'for now' cave ins won't cause us harm.
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Re: Mining instability system changes

Postby TerraSleet » Sat Oct 10, 2015 12:29 pm

Sevenless wrote:Since cave ins are not fatal, like they were in legacy, being forced to eat a cave in is by no means the end of the world.

True, but why should we be forced to eat a cave in due to RNG? RNG-based punishment is bad game design IMO.
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Re: Mining instability system changes

Postby jorb » Sat Oct 10, 2015 12:52 pm

Vigilance wrote:I do think support free mining should be a thing


Well, it is? I mean, you can with almost perfect accuracy avoid cave-ins if you want to.
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Re: Mining instability system changes

Postby Vigilance » Sat Oct 10, 2015 1:50 pm

jorb wrote:
Vigilance wrote:I do think support free mining should be a thing


Well, it is? I mean, you can with almost perfect accuracy avoid cave-ins if you want to.

Precisely, I'm saying it should remain a thing.
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