Author Topic: Surface Mining  (Read 3985 times)

Offline White Claw

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Surface Mining
« on: October 24, 2006, 08:28:54 PM »
A possible third type of mine: Surface mining...

Idea: Some surface area could be "mine-able" where you could scrape off the surface layer and smelt is for low yield metals.

Pros:
Could allow for mining if that painful act of "siesmic event detected" takes out your last robo-miner.

Cons:
More coding. Have to label areas as "surface minable".
Method for scouting. (Same as usual?)

Limits:
Would probably be more of a single player / scenario type of mining.
Would only want to allow superficial surface mining to avoid creating a "pit" and thereby terraforming the landscape.

Offline Freeza-CII

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Surface Mining
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2006, 12:17:58 AM »
your talking about strip mining.

There are mines and ways to mine already no one would really go use a more archaic form of mining for ore that is most likely going to be deeper.

Things you get in a strip mine are like coal copper aluminium.  You dont get iron or uranium or some of that heavier s***.  

Offline White Claw

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Surface Mining
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2006, 10:39:06 AM »
I wasn't talking about strip mining directly. I was saying you could only pull off the top surface of loose material with a dozer or cargo truck (or whatever). Not the creation of a "pit".

If you want to debate what elements you strip mine, I doubt things like coal and aluminum would be available on a barren planet. Coal comes from organic matter (ancient boggy marshes), and large quantities of baxuite (aluminum ore) are found in tropical rainforest type areas (where everything else was leached). Unless you landed on a once active planet, these things wouldn't be available.

Homogenous bodies (like Mars) have large quantities of iron on the surface. That's why Mars is red.

This was offered as an alternative to simply starting a mission over when your robo-miner is destroyed and you haven't built a vech factory yet...

And yes, I would resort to whatever archaic tactic I needed to if it meant the survival of humanity. Including making Billybob go out with a pick axe and bucket.
« Last Edit: October 25, 2006, 10:42:49 AM by White Claw »

Offline Savant 231-A

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Surface Mining
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2006, 01:06:36 PM »
hmm, this sounds good, with some changes it will be good.

By sesmic activites the ground shakes, probably in the epicentre will  some ore appear to mine or, to the edge or near lava fumaroles.

It will be a good choice for a quick start, in campaign or skirmish.
It will be mined with the cargo truck (scrapes the ground.)

Scouting? Sonar on scouts will be good.
Probably if you want medium yeild, you could set up a mine.

 
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Offline Freeza-CII

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Surface Mining
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2006, 01:14:49 PM »
Quote
By sesmic activites the ground shakes, probably in the epicentre will some ore appear to mine or, to the edge or near lava fumaroles.

A quake capable of doing that would destroy every thing on the map and cause the ground to rupture.

Offline Savant 231-A

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Surface Mining
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2006, 01:19:14 PM »
uh, i didn't think of that option, but those ores are very light and the pressure inside the "inside" can be high, an low earthquake will be enough.
Somehow, that could be done
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Offline Freeza-CII

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Surface Mining
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2006, 01:30:22 PM »
A low yield ore mine when some one can pick they will go the extra mile to get the 2 bar and just build on the 1 bar.  This Idea isnt that great in my opinion flooding the map with more mines is just bad.  Earth Quakes arent going to make ore appear around lava flows or make a 1 bar into a 2 bar or make ore magically shoot up to the surface.

Also what your talking about is Salvaging rubble basicly.  It wouldnt be a mine its just a temporary source or ore.  But at such a low level its rather useless to any one.

Offline White Claw

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Surface Mining
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2006, 07:27:20 PM »
An earthquake pushing ore to the surface wasn't what I had in mind. More of (as Freeza said) similar to rubble sitting on the surface.

This idea wasn't meant as a main source of ore. Simply as a suppliment in an emergency. And Freeza, this probably wouldn't be useful for multiplayer given the pace of things, but could have application in the campaign.

Example:
Early campaign, your colony is relocating. While you are establishing your new base, you send your trusty robo-miner out to that delicious 3-bar mine. As he is on his way when an "seismic event" is detected. Now your poor robo-miner is trashed. You'd build another one but you have no vech factory with you, can't build one, or just don't have enough ore (because you already spent it). Leaves you with no choice but to restart the map.

This situation is present in OP2 campaign. I don't remember which mission. It also occurs in one of the starship missions with a mine to the north of your base (in the path of a lava flow).

Offline Skydock Command

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Surface Mining
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2006, 04:43:41 AM »
Its a nice idea.
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