Extracting Raw Materials from Shipwrecks (with pictures)

UPDATED.
If you are struggling with the gameplay mechanics of Kingdom of Wreck Business, you are probably not alone. But if you keep playing it anyway (like me), then I hope this guide might help with some of the frustration around extracting raw material resources from shipwrecks.

Introduction

I have never posted a guide before, but I have read quite a few. Here's hoping this is helpful.

When I started playing this game, I was excited about the salvaging component--however, there does not seem to be any clear instruction on how to do it. I have not yet successfully raised a wreck, for instance. I also found that the "extracting resources" from the ship's sunken cargo hold was frustrating in the sense that, 1.) there is no clear instruction or obvious intuitive way to do so, and 2.) no one else seemed to be sure how to do it either. I read through some of the discussions and was able to get an idea, but I decided to start fresh and simply trial-and-error it until I found a strategy.

The following is what worked for me. I hope it works for you.

UPDATED: Post-patch information

Hello. I played around a bit with the game today (June 21) to see how the changes in the new dev patch affected gameplay. It definitely does affect this prescribed strategy, but not the underlying principles. I don't currently have the time or inclination to drastically revise my guides, so I'm going to summarize in a nutshell.

According to the developer update, the following items have been changed:

• Fixed missing items labels (Much better now)
  
• Fixed tutorial names and descriptions (Much better now)
  
• Updated some tutorials with new texts and removed invalid ones (Much better now)
  
• Adjusted amount of money at the start of the new game - Thanks to @Blackhint, @Radar14, @DragonStryder for suggestions and feedback (Can't say I recommended this change, but sure, it makes sense...)
  
• Adjusted values of mission rewards for missions (Yes, seems different)
  
• Adjusted prices of foundable items (I think this means artifacts. Yes, seems different)
  
• Adjusted discounts at the pawnshop (Didn't verify)
  
• Added option to reset graphic and control settings (Didn't verify)
  
• Fixed bug with buttons not working when actions were reset when exiting the options panel (Didn't verify)
  
• Fixed soft-lock caused by refueling the ship over 100% - Thanks to @Heck if I Know for suggestions and feedback (Didn't verify)
  
• Fixed soft-lock on laptop when player exited on the main harbor view (Didn't verify)
  
• Fixed issue with counting the time required to refuel the ship (Didn't verify)
  
• Fixed a bug with the ability to items in the pawn shop directly from the player's inventory instead of from the warehouse (Didn't verify)
  
• Added the ability to change the name of a ship (I called mine Orca, because of course I did...)
  
• Added missing characters for the Chinese language - Thanks to @HGY1107 for the bug report (Wouldn't know how to verify)
  
• Added missing characters for the Polish language (Ditto)

The short version is that the game starts with less player money now--$300,000 in my configuration. While this is more realistic, it does break this strategy, as you are unable to purchase even a used NOAA vessel without making some big money. I didn't get that far myself. Also, some clarification about the extraction tools would be welcome from the devs, as the used fishing boat (base vessel) acted like it SHOULD be able to extract, giving me the blue circles and allowing me to use the extraction tool mechanic screen, I was never able to connect the hose to the wreck's cargo hold.

Basically, unless it was entirely a problem on my end, the raw material extraction might have to wait for now. If you have an old save you can load with lots of cash, try that. Sorry, folks...

Getting Started, and what I know for sure...

There were a few items of consensus in the discussions. For one, the only vessel that seems for certain to be suited to resource extraction is the NOAA vessel. It must be equipped with an upgrade to the back for an extraction tool (a crane), which will display in the statistics panel with a checkmark.



Also, it is necessary to purchase the GPS tracking gun from the Auction House panel, and it seems to me that you need to purchase BOTH scanner and GPS darts. I don't know why, and it is not intuitive, but that was my experience.


Lastly, this mission component seems to crop up randomly, and sometimes includes a note in the contract message indicating "extraction tools required". You would think the cargo extraction would be primarily aboard cargo ships, but that does not seems to be the case. Sometimes I would arrive on site without the proper tools, but as money seems abundant and there does not appear to be a penalty for wasting too much time, you can return to port and retrieve the proper equipment.

NOTE: Maybe it's stupid, but don't forget to select the correct ship for your expedition (in this case, the NOAA ship).

Extracting Resources

When I arrive on site, I like to ping the sonar and see what the wreck is like if it's close to the surface. This is easily accomplished on the bridge by selecting the ship's wheel [F], then toggling the alternate view [V], and lastly activating the sonar [K].

As you can see, this time the ship is intact and relatively close to the surface.



You can now either return to the ship's bridge and dive by selecting your tanks, or there is a "Dive" button at the top right corner from the third-person ship screen.

Dive down to the wreck and determine what the mission conditions are.



In this case, the contract calls for a wreck scan and 60% raw material resource extraction.

The scan is quite straightforward, equipping and selecting the Laser Tool and activating it from a depth that captures an adequate amount of the vessel.



Down to business. Extraction of the raw material resources.

First, you'll want to search the top deck area of the wreck for a cargo hatch. These seem to be a slightly different color and texture than the rest of the ship (in this case, brown with an anti-aircraft gun on top of it-- a strange arrangement for a cargo hatch).



If you approach it more closely, you will see a notice appear indicating it is a raw material container with instructions for marking the hatch for extraction.



Now, this is the tricky and irritating part. It does not say anywhere in the game (as far as I could see, anyway) and it is not intuitive, but: you must mark the container where highlighted with BOTH a GPS dart AND a scanner dart. I tested this theory by trying and eliminating things one at a time, and this was the only thing that worked across two separate wrecks. The GPS gun has an indicator light; the yellow is the GPS dart, and the green is the Scan dart.



Another sneaky thing is that there are sometimes multiple cargo holds; this ship had four of them, in fact. You have to check the whole deck. I zoomed out to show the four distinct cargo hatches, each with two darts (one yellow, one green).



With your cargo holds tagged, you can now return to your expedition ship on the surface and take the helm again (press [F] in front of the steering wheel) and then toggle the third-person view with [V].

From this screen, something will now be different if you select the "Extraction Mode" button on the right side of the screen. When you select it, there should now be a series of blue circles on the surface of the water and some new information on the info panel. The blue circles indicate the position on the seafloor of your marked cargo holds. Also, a rectangle beneath your ship's crane will have turned from orange to green if you are above these circles which tell you that you are in position to extract.




When your ship's green rectangle is lined up inside the blue ring of circles, exit the bridge and dive again. NOTE: Remember to make sure your anchor is deployed and the crane is extended before you leave, or you'll have to come back to the ship. Return to the wreck and the cargo hatch and a slightly different information pop-up should appear that tells you to connect the container [to the extraction hose]. When you press [F], the hose to the ship will appear.



Follow the hose to the surface, and you'll see you are all connected and ready to extract.



Return to the bridge, take the helm, and select the third-person ship view again. Selecting the extraction tool button, you will now be able to select an extraction container from the list. Make sure your anchor is deployed and the lift expanded. Choosing the one to which your hose is attached will prompt a "Start" button on the left side of your screen. Click it, and wait for the resources to be depleted. If there are multiple cargo holds, lather, rinse, and repeat until finished. NOTE: you do have to return to the wreck and detach the extraction hose...



Congratulations! With any luck, you have completed your objectives. Mission completed.

[aon.962622851]

To "Kimsdbg": You have to FOLD the Lift. Than it works.

[Ingeloak]

I stumbled across the way to raise a wreck. When you arrive on site, you are anchored directly over the wreck. In order to raise it, you have to back away a short distance and deploy the crane barge over the wreck. I stumbled over the controls and managed to pull it to the surface.

[kimsdbg]

it dosent work i cant ufold lift

[Latt11B]

All materials for me are worth $0

[Bomber]

Works for me too, thank you. Certain wrecks take a while to extract :)

[DrStrix]

Tanx a lot! Saved my day!
Solve the problem! But for some reason I can´t disconnect from second container! Ship storage seems full. there's 59 sec left on timer. When 55 is left it stops.

[Rags]

[kansas-67]

thank you

[Honest Ron]

seen what I did, I hit the wrong thing, not the wheel :O
also thx for the hints.

[Honest Ron]

update it's still no go, buttons not showing up.