Why use gold in making the water pipe tool?

[GrumpyOne]

Other than to make life difficult, I see no reason for gold in making the water pipe tool. Copper, yes, because it's needed for brass fittings.

I ask because I've currently run out of gold and am having trouble finding more.

[КрендельФигов]

So you need to go to another cave and mine the gold ore there. An interactive map with all the maps. It shows all the caves and more.
https://www.icarusintel.com/

[Spaceminnow]

It's a good question.
Why is gold needed to craft the water pipe tool?

We are allowed to lay down all the pipes we need with just "one" water pipe tool.

Unlimited water pipes = "golden" :)

I believe the "unlimited" water pipes justifies the requirement for gold.

[GrumpyOne]

I went back to some caves that I thought I had cleared out and found one patch of gold way up on the wall, just out of reach. Took some fancy footwork to get to it. Was just enough to craft the water pipe tool.

I swear I found a deep gold deposit somewhere on my map (Olympus) but had no way at the time to mark it. Can't find it now to save my life, but I'm armpit deep in copper and coal.

[GrumpyOne]

Oh, and I checked the interactive map before posting this. It shows deep ore deposits and cave locations but the actual ore is randomized when the map is generated.

[william_es]

yeah, deep mining deposits are random. But all you have to do is find one of them and your worries are essentially over.

The are also talents and gear that hugely increase the amount of gold you can harvest. The are mining pick upgrades that can increase your harvest by up to 40%. Workshop picks have increased yields, the new ion backpack, and others.

[Shwartzs]

Originally posted by GrumpyOne:

Other than to make life difficult, I see no reason for gold in making the water pipe tool. Copper, yes, because it's needed for brass fittings.

I ask because I've currently run out of gold and am having trouble finding more.

because why not, you ran out of gold, that is on you. And its just another added feature to create. Not a big deal, I'm sure if you build a thumper you have no issues getting gold back.

[Newsush]

Originally posted by william_es:

yeah, deep mining deposits are random. But all you have to do is find one of them and your worries are essentially over.

The are also talents and gear that hugely increase the amount of gold you can harvest. The are mining pick upgrades that can increase your harvest by up to 40%. Workshop picks have increased yields, the new ion backpack, and others.

well that not really true deep core miner can get mined out i have 1/3 of map deep core mined out so slow going to other parts for more ore i do build alot of electroics

[TYWREX]

Originally posted by Shwartzs:

Originally posted by GrumpyOne:

Other than to make life difficult, I see no reason for gold in making the water pipe tool. Copper, yes, because it's needed for brass fittings.

I ask because I've currently run out of gold and am having trouble finding more.

because why not, you ran out of gold, that is on you. And its just another added feature to create. Not a big deal, I'm sure if you build a thumper you have no issues getting gold back.

But building a thumper requires a substantial amount of gold so this is not a very helpful suggestion.

The best option is to build a deep ore scanner, or better yet get the advanced one through one of the missions, as it will tell you which ore you want, if in range, and can be changed at will. It is hands down the handiest tool if you plan to stay in one place for an extended period of time. Ultimately my 'home base' is wherever the best deep ore veins are. Everything else is just a moa's run away.

[GrumpyOne]

The answer to my own question is "because they can". My problem is that I had too many engineering classes back in the day and I sometimes have trouble suspending disbelief. Gold is too soft and is really only useful in electronics and as decoration. The water pipe tool doesn't seem to have any electronic dependencies and you sure as heck don't care if it's pretty.

[GrumpyOne]

Yay, finally found that missing gold deposit. Picture me doing a happy-dance (or not, it isn't a pretty sight).

[TYWREX]

It does seem too identical to the wire tool. What would you suggest it's build be instead? Carbon fiber, aluminum or platinum? Would any of those track better from a realism stance?

I just spent wayyy too long to rediscover a silica deposit I stumbled past the day before.. I even have the advanced scanner xD

[GrumpyOne]

Current ingredients are copper wire, gold wire and carbon fiber. You'd want something strong but flexible, so maybe replace the gold with platinum weave?

[Powerferret]

The gold wire is for the HDMI cables running through it for better picture fidelity while you are looking at the pipes.

[Rekal]

You can always handwave it and say the gold is needed because it's some self-replicating nano-technology that produces unlimited pipes and connectors without any resource input... Oh wait...

Really it's just a resource cost for a tool. The fact that it's even being complained about is because the OP didn't have the resources...

[PhalseDemeise]

Well aluminum, copper and gold are your pliable metals. you'd already be using copper for the pipe so you need the soldering material to have a lower melting point than that which leaves only aluminum. Which is good cause aluminum diffuses heat very well and would solidify quickly.