Editing User:Celaeris/Guides/Mining

This is a guide all about Mining and getting raw resources: {{IL|Crystal Chunk}}, {{IL|Metal Ore}}, and later {{IL|Silica Sand}}.  Later in the game, this will help you with getting {{IL|Blight Crystal Chunk}}, and eventually {{IL|Laterite ore}}, and {{IL|Obsidian chunk}}.  The information on this page is current accurate as of the last closed Playtest before Early Access launch.

In order to avoid spoilers, the information will be presented over 3 sections:
* Early game (when you are in the first Robot tech tree, covered by the previous demos)
* Mid game (when some other tech trees are unlocked)
* End game (where all technologies are  unlocked, and other secrets)

=Basics=

At the start of the game, you have access to two miners: {{IL|Miner}}, and {{IL|Laser Mining Tool}}.  The latter is effectively a 2x speed up, at the same power cost for mining (with the except of {{IL|Crystal Chunk}}, where it's even better).  You start off with 2x Laser Miners, and the ability to create additional Miners.  These are all Small Components, so you have to fit them into Small sockets, which are generally easily accessible in the Early Game.

=Early Game=

==Recommended Starter Blueprints==

<!--TODO: Add blueprints once game releases in EA-->

* {{IL|Building 1x1 (1S)}} + 1x {{IL|Miner}}
* {{IL|Building 1x1 (2S)}} + 2x {{IL|Miner}}
* {{IL|Worker}} + 1x {{IL|Miner}}

Replace any Miner with Laser Mining Tool.

Make sure to set the Store register so they will dump resources when full.

===Explanation===

The early game {{IL|Scout|Scouts}} are great as Logistic Network bots or scouting explorables in early game, given their higher speed (4 vs 2 on workers) and extra space.  The 1S building is especially cheap, and also buildings doesn't use [[Power]].  Until {{IL|Solar Cell|Solar Cells}} are unlocked, you're stuck with a limit of 500 Power.  Make sure to build the buildings next to Rich Metal or Crystal Ore, so it takes a long time to exhaust.

Early on, there should be more miners on Ore, as {{IL|Reinforced Plate|Reinforced Plates}} require a ton of Ore, but if you invest in solar power, {{IL|Crystal Chunk|Crystal Chunks}} will increase in demand.

==Early Expansion==
If you need access to more resources without robust remote power generation, it's easier to build out the [[Power Grid]] using a {{IL|Small Power Field}} to reach further Metal deposits.  For remote Crystal Mining, {{IL|Crystal Power}} is a great component to always have power while you are far away from base, along with a {{IL|Portable Power Field}}.  There's plenty of Crystal everywhere, so don't worry too much about losing out on it.

==Twinbot Blueprints==

* {{IL|Twinbot}} + 2x {{IL|Miner}}

===Explanation===
Twinbots are the first bot to have two small sockets on a bot, so a single bot can mine twice as fast.  For mining bots, if there are too many, they can block each other from getting to mining nodes, which will reduce mining efficiency.  These bots will be great for early {{IL|Silica}} mining, as you expand out from your base.

{{IL|Cub|Cubs}} are generally too slow, and overclocking doesn't make up for the loss in the second miner.

==Re-simulator Blueprints==

* {{IL|Twinbot}} + 2x {{IL|Laser Mining Tool}}

The last part of early game, is once you have built the {{IL|Re-simulator}}.  A recipe in the [[Codex]], shows that {{IL|Miner|Miners}} can be turned into {{IL|Laser Mining Tool|Laser Mining Tools}} by putting it in the Re-simulator, as long as you feed in a number of {{IL|Robotics Data Cube|Robotics Data Cubes}}.  The actual recipe is you need 5x Cubes for each recipe. Upgrading all the miners will be very important for future Mining missions.

==Early Remote Mining Blueprints==

* Miner bot: {{IL|Twinbot}} + 2x{{IL|Miner}} + {{IL|Signal Reader}}
** Set Signal Reader register to the Foreman Bot.
** Link output of Signal Register to GoTo register.
** Set Miner registers to the resource.
** Set Home register to the Foreman bot.
* Foreman bot: {{IL|Twinbot}} + {{IL|Small Storage}} + {{IL|Solar Cell}} + {{IL|Portable Radar}} + {{IL|Portable Power Field}}
** Set GoTo register to one of the Miner bots.  This keeps the foreman from standing next to an ore node.
** Set the Radar registers to: (1) Resource, and (2) (Optional) Mineable.
** Link output of Radar to Signal register.
* Power bot: {{IL|Twinbot}} + {{IL|Solar Cell}} + {{IL|Small Battery}}
** Set GoTo/Home to the Foreman bot

You'll also need a Hauler to bring the materials back, but it won't be covered in this guide.  The no-behavior hauler is just a {{IL|Dashbot}} (or {{IL|Scout}}) set as a Transport Route.

===Explanation===

To automate remote mining we need to solve the following problems:

* Being able to mine and find new patches (Radar on Foreman bot)
* Being able to bring the resource back home (Hauler transport route)
* Have enough power (Power bots)
* (Optional) Possibly avoid being attacked by bugs in Hostile mode (Would require behaviors)

The Miner bots work the same, but we will use the Signal reader to read where the newest resource is.  You can link the resource to the Miner component, but it will cause all Miners to work on the same node, which may not be desired because of traffic jams.  But if you manually set the resource, they will just mine whatever is in its visible range.

The Foreman bot's job is to find the nearest ore node.  The radar allows us to find the closest one.  The Optional filter looks for only Mineable, but generally it's also good to pick up dropped and loose resource while mining as well.  The Radar has a radius of 30, so it can "see" pretty far.

The Power bot's job is to provide power to the swarm.  The number you need depends on the size of the swarm.  It's also possible to customize the number of Batteries/Solar Cells depending on size.

Here are the power costs:
* Miner bots costs 40 Power (10 for the bot, and 15 each per miner)
* Foreman bot costs 10 Power (10 for the bot, but radar occasionally uses 5).
* Power bots cost 10 Power (10 for the bot).

For Solar, you generate 50 per cell during the day, but generate 0 at night.  For normal Day/Night lengths, it averages out to about 40 per day.  But only if you have a battery to store the extra power.  Generally, you'd want about one battery for two solar cells.

Power is difficult to solve early on, since you'll need a number of bots to provide enough power.  If you run the 2x Miner bots + Foreman bot with 2x Solar cells, it can work at about 80% efficiency (100% during the day, and 0% at night). Adding a power bot (total of 3x Power + Battery, skipping the storage), you can probably bump that up to 90% efficiency.  The battery won't make it through the night.

But really, what we need is a {{IL|Power Transmitter}}.  Either unlock the second tier tech tree, or find it in an explorable, and we can move onto the Mid Game.

=Mid game=

==Power Transmitter blueprints==
* Miner bot: {{IL|Twinbot}} + 2x{{IL|Laser Mining Tool}} + {{IL|Signal Reader}}
** Set Signal Reader register to the Foreman Bot.
** Link output of Signal Register to GOTO register.
** Set Miner registers to the resource.
** Set Home register to the Foreman bot.
* Foreman bot: {{IL|Twinbot}} + {{IL|Small Storage}} + {{IL|Solar Cell}} + {{IL|Portable Radar}} + {{IL|Portable Power Field}}
** Set GOTO register to one of the Miner bots.  This keeps the foreman from standing next to an ore node.
** Set the Radar registers to: (1) Resource, and (2) (Optional) Mineable.
** Link output of Radar to Signal register.

This is the same as the remote mining blueprints, except we don't need a Power bot

===Explanation===
We can deliver power to the Foreman bot using a {{IL|Power Transmitter}}.  Set the Power Transmitter register to the Foreman bot.  This transmits 100 Power to the bots.  With 2x Miner bot, and a Foreman bot, we use exactly 95-100 Power, so this is perfect.  The Solar Cell charges the bots internal capacitors in case the Power Transmitter's power is cut out or helps charge the Hauler's capacitors as well.

The major limitation is that Power Transmitters only send power if the grid that it's on has excess power.  If that grid is running on batteries (e.g. at night when there's no Solar power), the Power Transmitters won't be able to send power.  But at least this way, you don't need extra Power bots.  Extra transmitters can support additional Miner bots--just be careful of traffic jams.

==Laser extractor blueprints==

* Miner bot: {{IL|Hound}} + {{IL|Laser Extractor}} + {{IL|Signal Reader}}
* Foreman bot: {{IL|Twinbot}} + {{IL|Small Storage}} + {{IL|Power Cell}} + {{IL|Small Radar}}

===Explanation===
To mine {{IL|Laterite ore}}, Laser extractors need to be used.  Unfortunately, they cost 100 Power to operate, and a medium socket.  Hounds are faster than Cubs but are later in the tech tree.  At this point, your power in the main base should be pretty good (with Wind Farms setup), so just steal the Command Center's {{IL|Power Cell}}, which provides 500 power in a large radius.  This supports 4 Miners (115 power each) and a foreman (10-15 power).  The bot setup is the same.  Note that Laterite only spawns in desert areas, so upgrading to a Small Radar may help when there's no ore around.  A {{IL|Large Power Transmitter}} can transmit 500 Power, but is later in the Tech tree, but that may be available when a size increase is warranted.

Alternatively, use a {{IL|Building 2x1 (2M)}}, with 2x {{IL|Power Transmitter}} to mine, but the building needs to be built and deconstructed by the Hauler bot makes it much less automated.

==Droning blueprints==

* Miner bot: {{IL|Hound}} + {{IL|Drone Launcher}} + 6x {{IL|Miner Drone}} + {{IL|Small Storage}} + {{IL|Signal Reader}}
* Foreman bot: {{IL|Hound}} + {{IL|Medium Storage}} + {{IL|Power Unit}} + {{IL|Portable Radar}}

===Explanation===

The next upgrade to our mining fleet is using the {{IL|Drone Launcher}} with {{IL|Miner Drone}}.  Miner Drones have normal Miners on them, and will mine when the Drone Launcher's register is set to the resource.  The {{IL|Drone Port}} only holds two drones in a small, so it's worse than a {{IL|Laser Mining Tool}} as it uses more power, but can be good if {{IL|Advanced Miner Drone}} are unlocked.  However, the Drone Launcher holds 6 drones, which is much better.  For power, it's best to use the Power Unit as it provides 1000 power in a 5 range.  Because we have access to drones, and the drones have 3 range, we don't really have to worry about traffic jams around the ore.  But if we have too many, we may have traffic jams around the Foreman.  At this point in the game, behaviors are recommended to prevent clumping (although an {{IL|Item Transporter}} could be used instead).

=End game=

=Secrets=