Map navigation and resource mining ++

[Alex_Crazy]

-Different ore types, chance to dig up jems and stuff.
-Prospecting skill r/t mining skill instead of laboring the mine, may have laboring as complimentary to mining. Prospecting would identify the ore that is to be mined in the area, detection radius dependent on skill level. May have mining and prospecting skills combined.
-Ability to mine higher level ores r/t mining skills would make sense
-Researchable different alloys of metals with their unique applicational attributes (ex. durability, flexibility, weight)
-Higher tier ores would be generally occupied by small tent settlements of bandits and/or hostile animals
-Digging for gun powder??
-Different alloy weapons/armor different damage and other attributes including skill and stat improvement, no more researching forever to craft uber sword out of the same ore
-Hostiles drop treasure maps that include unique research recipes that cons a lot of $$ in case already found before
-Prospecting tool?
-Ability to decipher treasure maps Dependant on cartography skill
-Ability to create maps that would record the ore types and location as they are discovered
-Created maps are navigatable (selecting a group and creating waypoints on the map would send the crew out)
-Cartography skill and/or different researchable map types create different size and resolution maps.

\\ I believe this would create more dynamic feel to the game instead of digging in and researching day and night. Would have to organize scout parties often to look for different metals and/or treasure.

Thoughts?

[Santaissick]

I believe we will have different ores that's needed to make certain items and make better ones.

And personally I don't think mining really needs a separate skill. After all, mostly primitive mining only needs a vain and a ton of "dump muscle" or labor and slaves to swing the pickaxe and carry stuff out. I think labor skill and strength are enough to affect the efficiency.

And the same physical work is needed to mine any ore, even if it is a bit harder and might be slower to mine than softer ores. Maybe the processing of some ores could require certain kind of knowledge that becomes accessible through research?

What comes to the finding the ores, I don't really have an opinion. Usually when the discussion comes to that, all I think is "THIS IS NOT GOD DAMN MINECRAFT." Meaning it can't become too important or too complicated or this turns out to be just another mining-survival-adventure game which I think there's enough already. Yet again, we need some kind of a system for that.

I know that different materials can be obtained from different areas. There's no place you could get anything without trading or importing. And it's the same with ores as well. I can think of a few ways to implement this:

1. Annoying pile of stone in the middle of nowhere.
Meaning something similar to what we have now. We find this pile of stone (or ore with certain color indicating what it is) and build a mine to that pile. They could either have certain amount of ore in it or unlimited. The type of the ore would either be visible or revealed by simply mining it to see what's coming out.

Pros:
Squad has to venture to different areas to find rare metals.
AI can be easily made so bandits and factions conquer areas with valuable ores

Cons:
Ugly as f***
Limits possibilities to design your outposts as you have to put the mine to exact location.

2. Big areas where the certain ores can be mined
The mines could be build anywhere and the area would define what is coming out. Maybe the ore types could be visible in different colors on map. They could be visible from the start or maybe map would be "blank" at start and the colors would show up after you research the ore. Like study where it can be find. Also it could be implemented so you need to send a group, maybe with scientist and/or research equipment, to study the area. And I think the areas have to be really big this to work and if we have many different ores, they all would need few huge areas where it can be found and I don't know if the world map will be big enough for this. (Even though it will be pretty big map.)

Pros:
More freedom to outpost building
"Pretty-er" than the first one, though there would still be random ugly mines inside stone piles
More gameplay/features
Hard to control the whole area to control the ore

Cons:
Too much focus on Minecraft stuff IMHO (at least with all the studying the areas and equipment and specialists)
If there's many different ores, not enough space for everything.
Hard to control the whole area to control the ore

3. Mines on the side of mountains
Easy. Different ores can be found from different mountains or parts of mountains. This would again need studying or research caravans. But the detection and such still remains kind of mystery to me how it would work in in practice. At least we would get rid of the stone piles
I believe problems would again appear with the space as mountains are often pretty big. There could maybe be one mountain biome which would result in major fights as everyone wants a piece of prosperity gotten from mining. That would make the mining hard and therefore starting up the first settlement pretty hard in start and I think it is in conflict with Chriss vision. I'd love the hard start though ; )

Pros:
Wars and conflicts in the name of resources
No stone piles

Cons:
First settlement is hard to build
How would the detection work?
space




PS. I might add more and polish the post when I have time. Sorry for my horrible English and text editing skills. The text is terrible to read but try to understand Feel free to comment on my ideas and I might change them or bring up a whole new thing.

[Alex_Crazy]

Stop stressing about your editing skills, its easy to read and understand - thats all that matters.

Thanks for your thoughts and I understands that mining subject has been somewhat overplayed there last few years. This, however, does not mean that we need to avoid it; if anything it tells us the market wants crafting/mining features. My other point would be as mining/cartography/treasure hunting as just a few features I was thinking to add to the game and there should be plenty more stuff to do in the game.
At this time there is not much to do, but build tall walls and stock-up on resources while researching your butt off. The only reason I leave the base is to explore of boredom, sell my craftables and recruit.
I am sure there will be quests, but providing self directed challenges like treasure and mining I could use
Additionally if you are inexperienced prospector/miner there is no way you could ID the ore even if you are digging it. But there have to be a way to get that skill up, thats why I suggested mining skill - theoretically more you mine - the better you get acquainted with the ore lore. And I agree that laboring and STR should be part of the ore retrieving speed formula

Thanks for the feedback

P.S: misspelled been (has been) as b-e-e-s and it got censored, is b-e-e-s a curse word im not aware of?

[Santaissick]

Only true followers of Beedorum are allowed to pronounce name of his servants. Beеs.