Best way to go down?

[Prismaa]

Title and for me it takes few hours usually to find stuff like iron and other ores that are lower, wonder if I'm doing my searching wrong way, but then I usually make 3x3 safts so I can later add lifts and stuff.

[TeeBee30]

I do that too but when choosing a location for your shaft, try to ping known ore as I think you hit ore patches on your way down and it slows your progress considerably if you're not on care package.

[Nestor]

Originally posted by Grim Reaper:

I do that too but when choosing a location for your shaft, try to ping known ore as I think you hit ore patches on your way down and it slows your progress considerably if you're not on care package.

Ore veins are not a problem for shafts if you use FlexibaleGames AutoExcavator mod :) But keep in mind that any mod will disable achievements!

Another alterative would be the nano disintegrator I guess..

http://fortresscrafte.wikia.com/wiki/NanoDisintegrator

[DjArcas]

Lifts!

[Count Sporkula]

Depends. A shaft down with a lift if i know where i am going. If not stairs with a 3x3 platform every 10 blocks down gives me a good way to branch off and create ancillary mines until i have found what i am looking for.

[Mitocondrian]

I usually build a central shaft directly under my CPH. Surface has my defenses, 10 m down is energy production and 20 m down is ore smelting and manufacturing. I build a massive array of pyrothermics and lasers sending the energy down the main shaft at 10 m and later upgrade to solar as i build up batteries and solar arrays that I laser in towards my main base. Normally i make the shaft 9x9(perfect for the excavators the dig up) and build conveyors and such up the walls. Im building a new version thats 15x15 to accomodate lifts and cargo lifts. I like to automate most of the digging so I set up a laser down a hole and go down in 64m increments and drop an auto excavator to dig out the hole for me and expand out from there. Using the grapple hook is viable until cold caverns where the cooldown becomes an issue but by then you should have iron to make lifts. They are needed and very useful. I dont make several shafts just the main one and branch out from it to reach deposits. You can always go deeper or farther out to the side for more ore just have to spread out your infrastructure. This method works well for me but try different things and see what works for you.

[Wade The Scrapper]

I ussually just jump out my window... oh in the game... a 1 square pioly hole then either stairs or lift once i know where i wanna be lol

[TeeBee30]

Build a column up to y=10k and jump down. Be sure to have at least 100k rock in your inventory (any variant will work). When you get to ground level you will make a crater to about -1000 due to all the mass in your inventory. Please note this works only in hardcore mode.

P.S.: Don't blame me if you die. Blame yourself for actually trying.
P.S.2: If it doesn't work the first time, try syncing your fall to an OET strike placed near the CPH. If that doesn't work either, you messed up. Try again.

[Dodgeball]

Hmm... how far down can you launch an orbital strike?

[steveman0]

Originally posted by Dodgeball:

Hmm... how far down can you launch an orbital strike?

I believe someone tested it to work no deeper than -40 or around there.

[DustBust]

Straight shot down, bringing laser power with you, stop where you need to, deploy auto excavator, clear out to surface, do again for lift. Build disentigrators to clear out deposits in your way.

Very effective.

Late game machines make this even more easier.

Also, dont bother setting the lift to stop at the perfect block, simply put a few blocks two spaces obove where you want it to stop.