not getting copper from the big chunks of copper

[red13seto]

i thought it was 100% per segment to get 1 ore

[Cor.]

get a telephone pole troll to mine it for you.

[Sammi79]

The nodes are oddly shaped. They look like a large pebble from the top, but underneath they are more cone like (pointed downwards).

Depending on how it is set into the terrain height map it is probably about 50/50 whether or not you can mine out the very bottom of it. I always start by just digging away the terrain map until I can see exactly how much of the node I will have access to, then mine the node itself from the bottom up. those saying it collapses if you undermine it are only about 25% right in my experience, normally I have mined the entirety of the bottom of the node and the upper section just floats some meters up in the air, until you get down to maybe 6 or 7 pieces left then sometimes the last few all collapse at once. Not always though.

You get about 70 copper out of a node this way, but it takes the best part of an hour, with many pickaxe repairs and at least a couple of resets for the rested buff. (so build a temporary shack next to it each time) The hole it leaves is impressive, looks like a meteorite crater.

Mining copper is the absolute worst part of Valheim for me, I don't hate it with a passion, but it is a real time sink in a way that not even iron takes that long (though is harder to find)

And it kinda depends on your playstyle, I like to build a few 'main bases' distant from each other, due to the amount of copper and bronze needed for crafting station upgrades it means doing a fair few nodes. Around about 5 or 6 complete nodes should be enough for pretty much anyone though. That's probably about 5 or 6 hours or more of pure pickaxing though which isn't exactly fun.

My solution would be to tighten up on the structural collapse rule and disallow floating sections at all, along with pre deforming the terrain map so the nodes are set into holes removing the necessity to mine out the terrain map at the same time.

[Faceplant]

If you just mined the tops of the rocks, you could get the same amount in a fraction of the time.

[iaregamertom]

Originally posted by umop-apisdn:

Originally posted by Pat Fenis:

Expose the whole thing removing dirt and undermine it to collapse.

Yeah, this statement is demonstrably false.

That doesn't work with copper deposits... or at least, the 4 times I did it expecting it to collapse like a house with no support didn't act like that. To add insult to injury, having to build scaffolding to be able to reach the floating voxels, then falling as soon as I break through was an exercise in frustration.

I don't know if there's a collision glitch, or something, but if my character can pass through the smallest gap between the copper and the surrounding dirt, it should absolutely collapse... but it doesn't.

I spent DAYS in game mining all the stone around a copper deposit leaving it totally floating in the air, it did not collapse even a bit an frustratingly I had done such a good job, I could no longer jump onto it to mine, or mine above me to get the ***** copper
So for those who have got this to work, well done, i am not wasting my time again as its not guaranteed, as my floating copper island is testament too.

So yes it IS demonstratively true at least some of the time, its not "tricky" my floating island of copper has zero links to anything around it

Even if if it did reliably collapse everytime, it is still imo not worth using method, its not worth it, far quicker to just mine what you can see and find another deposit

[rexpiscator]

I find trenching around to expose it all in a pit helps with randos GDs/Trolls bugging my progress...big square pit around/under it then collapse it if not too close to water....if I'm working a node I'll want to harvest it all and stuff in a chest for crafting/etc...that's my standard MO: make a pit and laugh at the NPCs who can't deal with Z pathing...lol

[Pat Fenis]

There are some shenanigans, it seems the chunk hitboxes for purposes of structural support can include some air. I've had a deposit floating because there was a chunk of stone boulder near, or a tree, with visible space but pretty close. It collapse when you dig the dirt back enough or destroy the offending object.

[Schwift Master]

Originally posted by umop-apisdn:

Originally posted by rexpiscator:

As your Skill level goes up and you use better/durable pickaxes, you don't have to strike as many times to produce the resource/loot. Tin smashes in 1 strike, etc...

Aye, but does anyone actually mine copper, once iron is available? Is there a reason to?

When you first start mining, you've got an antler tied to a bundle of sticks. It takes quite a few swings to break a single voxel of copper... and then it might not even drop anything at all.

Even after you upgrade to a bronze pick, it still takes quite a few swings to knock off a chunk of copper deposit... which still may or may not drop anything.

Didn't read whole thread but wanted to answer that yes, later on I think copper and bronze is still used in dwemer recipes

[Khalysto]

Originally posted by umop-apisdn:

Aye, but does anyone actually mine copper, once iron is available? Is there a reason to?

You'll need Tin, Copper, and Bronze throughout the game for base component/workstations/workstation upgrades. Not much, but yes, all the way through to [current] end game. Fortunately the game compensates for this a bit.

[_I_]

Originally posted by umop-apisdn:

Originally posted by Pat Fenis:

Expose the whole thing removing dirt and undermine it to collapse.

Yeah, this statement is demonstrably false.

it does work if you can find a copper you can mine all dirt from under it
but most you will need to mine what dirt you can around and under it, then chip away til its gone

silver is much easier with this method, not many can not clear all dirt from under

[Zathabar]

Originally posted by iaregamertom:

Originally posted by umop-apisdn:

Yeah, this statement is demonstrably false.

That doesn't work with copper deposits... or at least, the 4 times I did it expecting it to collapse like a house with no support didn't act like that. To add insult to injury, having to build scaffolding to be able to reach the floating voxels, then falling as soon as I break through was an exercise in frustration.

I don't know if there's a collision glitch, or something, but if my character can pass through the smallest gap between the copper and the surrounding dirt, it should absolutely collapse... but it doesn't.

I spent DAYS in game mining all the stone around a copper deposit leaving it totally floating in the air, it did not collapse even a bit an frustratingly I had done such a good job, I could no longer jump onto it to mine, or mine above me to get the ***** copper ...snip..

OUCH! Never tried this myslef as despite having seen several Vids of this happening lets recall this is an EXPLOIT not a nasty game breaking one but nobodies really gonna suggest this was WAI will they - That being the case enjoy it if you can while you can.
As for gathering copper and all metal ores? Year should be a min of one per chunk RNG be hanged.

[_I_]

not really, some copper slivers are not large enough to warrant a copper
i have been getting around 100-120 copper per copper rock
one i found with 2 rocks inside each other, got over 250 from that mess

[red13seto]

Originally posted by _I_:

not really, some copper slivers are not large enough to warrant a copper
i have been getting around 100-120 copper per copper rock
one i found with 2 rocks inside each other, got over 250 from that mess

i would have to check but i dont remember ever getting more than 50 but its prob due to me not counting but that feels like how much i get will check later my skill is 20-25 with a unupgraded bronze pickax

[vinyblaster]

Originally posted by red13seto:

Originally posted by _I_:

not really, some copper slivers are not large enough to warrant a copper
i have been getting around 100-120 copper per copper rock
one i found with 2 rocks inside each other, got over 250 from that mess

i would have to check but i dont remember ever getting more than 50 but its prob due to me not counting but that feels like how much i get will check later my skill is 20-25 with a unupgraded bronze pickax

100+ sounds about right. A full node usually amounts to 3/4 stacks in a chest.

Despite the above comments I do like the "dig all the way under" strategy. Yes you most likely won't be able to dig under the node, but you can still start mining it from underneath. It does eventually explode the node.

The mining site makes it much easier to keep working at night without being bothered and it makes for a lot of stones to collect for when you reach iron age.

[umop-apisdn]

Originally posted by Sammi79:

You get about 70 copper out of a node this way, but it takes the best part of an hour, with many pickaxe repairs and at least a couple of resets for the rested buff. (so build a temporary shack next to it each time) The hole it leaves is impressive, looks like a meteorite crater.

Definitely not a pro tip: put a campfire under the copper node; the big rocks count as a roof, and you can be not only rested, but resting while you mine... at least until you have to remove the "roof" from your fire. Do watch out for smoke inhalation, of course. The same applies for a workbench; the copper itself acts as a roof, giving your workbench cover and allowing you to make repairs on-site.

That last bit potentially makes the antler pick better than any of the metal ones (at least until later in the game), because it doesn't require a forge for repairs.

[_I_]

i put a wall around the site before i start so mobs dont bother while mining
and bring 2 picks, for mining and swamp dungeons

use a chest near dungeon lobby to store goodies from the dungeon, then a few runs back to forge camp
makes it easier to check how much loot you get from places