Ore Scanner - Ping & Ping Choices

[Avlon]

Two Questions, what is the range on the Ping (Distance), and how do I specifically look for a particular ore? Once I have discovered take for instance Lithium Ore down around -172, and I use it all up, I am finding it very hard to locate more of it. I ping known ores but I keep finding all the stuff I already have and I need Lithium.

[DjArcas]

I think the range is 256 metres, but it gets exponentially slower, and stops after locating 128 ores.

Specific ping is on the to-do list, possibly as a consumable item.

[Avlon]

Thank you, great idea on the "consumable" item. Some kind fuel from tier 1 plants or leaves or something maybe?

[Korenn]

Current plan: There will be a blank 'ore ping' item that will do an ore ping that costs no energy, but consumes the item. Then you can combine the blank ping with a piece of ore to get a specific ore ping of that type.

[Xeteth]

Originally posted by Korenn:

Current plan: There will be a blank 'ore ping' item that will do an ore ping that costs no energy, but consumes the item. Then you can combine the blank ping with a piece of ore to get a specific ore ping of that type.

I really like the idea of being able to ping specific ores however my issue at the moment is that I just cannot locate copper... It should be the easiest one however I spent ~3 hours last night trying to no avail, so no ore = no ping for it = me still screwed...

[steveman0]

The unknown ping should find you at least your first vein of each ore. Unless you find an unusual vein with only a few blocks you should have enough to get you started. I wouldn't research the ore though if you don't find a decent sized vein so you can keep using the unknown ore ping.

[john.reynolds123]

Originally posted by Korenn:

Current plan: There will be a blank 'ore ping' item that will do an ore ping that costs no energy, but consumes the item. Then you can combine the blank ping with a piece of ore to get a specific ore ping of that type.

just wanted to say this game is amazing loving it cant wait to see what else you will add to it!

[[CoFR]Kendrick]

korenn Im not in favor of 1 ore =1 scan If you get completely turned around in a cavern lyberinth that will just make a user even madder.

asumptions 1 you want us to NOT use dev console with x/y/z cords all the time. 2 you want the scan to be usefull yet no easy button.

I can see inserting an ore of your choice and untill you insert another ore that it will always find that ore but consuming 1 ore per scan will make it worthless when it is needed most. Xe's situation is often where the specific scan is needed most... either you loose a vein or because the reasurch station doesnt show you what your are reasurching you accidently reasurch the wrong ore or worse yet you find a 3block deposit attached to another unknown and realise this only AFTER you reasurch it.

[[CoFR]Kendrick]

avlon the scanner does some wierd things last I played. depending on where you stand and which direction you face when scanning for ore will greatly change results.

if you have 1 surface block and the vein extends below and to the right for 3 blocks. ore vein size of 50k blocks standing 2 blocks away and looking at the surface block will probably only show you that vein. if you step 3 blocks to the right it will probably ony show that vein. step 3 blocks to the left and you might get a couple blocks from that and find another huge vein 10 or so blocks off to the left.

I have also seen where pinging and then running in 1 direction will get residual pings from the scan. If i ping wait for it to end, ping again and run i will find things it didnt state before. I have never been able to verify scan depth due to the inconsistant nature in which the scanner works as well as it does take a while for the scan to reach max length. 15+ seconds have been able to recieve additional pings. I have not tried pinging and jumping off a cliff though may have to try that soon.

[steveman0]

If anything one ore per scan is too cheap. If tiny few block veins are really such an issue then the generation code should be changed but I can't say I've seen enough tiny veins to call it a problem. Only coal appears in small veins often but it is so plentiful at the surface that is hardly a problem.

[Korenn]

Originally posted by CoFRKendrick:

korenn Im not in favor of 1 ore =1 scan If you get completely turned around in a cavern lyberinth that will just make a user even madder.

once you find your first vein of an ore using unknown ping, getting a hundred or so ore out of that is no problem. Once this is implemented, personally I'll be keeping some ore unsmelted in a storage crate so I can craft a couple dozen ore specific scans whenever I need to find a new vein.

[DjArcas]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B0Gb1DNCUAEAJGF.jpg:large

Edit : Screw you, Steam, just show the damned pic!

[[CoFR]Kendrick]

Originally posted by Korenn:

once you find your first vein of an ore using unknown ping, getting a hundred or so ore out of that is no problem.

thats my whole point there are times where you loose that vein as soon as you find it due to various reasons like dying. even with the dev console now I still loose veins all the time due to finding it right as my life runs out and forgetting to write the cords down. I have MANY veins i know are there some where but have never found again.

we are NOT given a gps/automap of known territory as such due to the size and complexity of caverns we will loose things we find all the time unless we are super ocd about drop a torch every 10' you go so you never get lost again... that looses its fun REALLY quickly when you are stuck the whole day diggign for coal every 5 min to get another stupid torch to get another 10'

woo actual use for arthur that would solve the issues im thinking of and the targeted scan. for every known ore he can take you to the vein you found it from. That way some one who just found and lost their first vein can go back to it. that would lessen the issue of cost for targeted l1 scans. also using coal + initial block of specified ore for l1 scans would work to.

Steve tiny veins are occasionally an issue but often its more an issue of getting turned around or wondering off from your base and never finding you way back to the vein again. I would say initial veins i see are often atleast several hundred ore in size usually 6k or more coal i see more often in little pockets scattered around to drive you crazy while scanning for copper :)

[steveman0]

Originally posted by CoFRKendrick:

Originally posted by Korenn:

once you find your first vein of an ore using unknown ping, getting a hundred or so ore out of that is no problem.

thats my whole point there are times where you loose that vein as soon as you find it due to various reasons like dying. even with the dev console now I still loose veins all the time due to finding it right as my life runs out and forgetting to write the cords down. I have MANY veins i know are there some where but have never found again.

we are NOT given a gps/automap of known territory as such due to the size and complexity of caverns we will loose things we find all the time unless we are super ocd about drop a torch every 10' you go so you never get lost again... that looses its fun REALLY quickly when you are stuck the whole day diggign for coal every 5 min to get another stupid torch to get another 10'

woo actual use for arthur that would solve the issues im thinking of and the targeted scan. for every known ore he can take you to the vein you found it from. That way some one who just found and lost their first vein can go back to it. that would lessen the issue of cost for targeted l1 scans. also using coal + initial block of specified ore for l1 scans would work to.

Steve tiny veins are occasionally an issue but often its more an issue of getting turned around or wondering off from your base and never finding you way back to the vein again. I would say initial veins i see are often atleast several hundred ore in size usually 6k or more coal i see more often in little pockets scattered around to drive you crazy while scanning for copper :)

That sounds like exactly what you should expect from haphazard adventuring. I never leave my base in search of new resources without having a very clear idea of where I am, where the closest elevator shaft is to my base, and with energy to spare to safely excavate and mark off any new resource. The game can't be held accountable for irresponsible surveying.

[DjArcas]

Originally posted by steveman0:

The game can't be held accountable for irresponsible surveying.

Now that's a great t-shirt.

I usually leave lines of torches when I travel, In an emergency, you can leave a battery by the vein, and use the Holobase to re-locate it.

[[CoFR]Kendrick]

i have always had troubles with holobase and single pieces like that. If i drop a laser transmitter thats a bit easier to find but I am talking PRE battery stage where its a real frustration.


Torches are decent for that purpose in caves on the surface I have a harder time seeing the torches as well as even the central piller of the base. I have had a few starts granted a while back that i completely lost site of where the crash was and was wondering around for quite a while to find it. that is usually where i would find the first copper or tin vein that would get lost... usually copper. early game it is still a real pain that i should get better with the torches.

In caverns i often find single block holes to the next cave by accient and have it quite normally where i will fall 100+ ft some times i have fallen from 80 to 300+ my machine loves creating enormous interconnected cavern systems with many seperate pit falls I rarely can see torches at the bottom of those falls so its to late to figure out which one i fell down after the fact.