- Skillgains are just a feature of decay – when you use your tools they decay and for that you will
get certain skillpoints which makes it possible to use certain tools at certain levels, giving you either benefits, or reducing your disadvantage of using the tools.  Its the tools, enhancers and amps that actually makes a real effect on increasing the chance to hit, to get deeper to better ores, and the size of the deposits.  The deposits acts like mobs – you deplete them and then they regenerate as locations – difference is that you cannot see them of course.
Comment: This seems like a good theory however it doesnt explain why there is a MindArk description of what every skillgain actually “shows”.  This is the most obvious explanation however, since its very tangible and selfexplaining. Also the location part is kind of complicated -  earlier you could bomb and not claim the find, and the find would still be there, and if someone else bombed it you could get it.  Meaning that there were at least a generated location.  Since you claim the deposits automatically it is not possible to say anything about it.

- Skillgains shows you that the next bomb you will drop has a higher chance of generate the specific “deposit” that are explained by the skillgains – as explained by MindArk.  Meaning for instance: Getting a prospecting, means you have a higher chance of getting ore next time.  Getting a surveying means the same for enmatter. Getting a geology means you are more likely to get the opposite resource next bomb. (Or that you will get a more deeply laying resource).  Getting a perception means you will have a higher chance of getting a larger deposit (probably of the same kind).   And so on…
Comment:  Well this is what many people actually experience from time to time.  It is true to the description of MindArk regarding the skillgains. However why implement such a system, when there are other much better?

Skillgains are an effect of decay and actually increases the chance of getting a find of a certain kind.  Well this theory is very computer-based.  We have all a default chance based upon on our avatars general attributes, our tool usage, and our skills using them. That decides IF you are going to hit something.  The chance is about 25% as default – however getting more and more skillgains gives you the possibility to use better tools, more enhancers which will increase the chance up to lets say 40%, when you are elite.  Now the skillgains Prospecting – adds to youre chance of getting finds. Geology – adds to youre chance of getting deeper on the average (getting rare ores).  Perception increases your chance of generating larger deposits.  Everytime is roll of the computer dices – and if everything adds up properly you will get that deposit.  This means there are no such thing as locations everything is generated.

-Skillgains as guidelines to the next find. Some have a real experience of getting help from the different skillgains. For instance getting a prospecting actually means that there are one or more deposits nearby your explosion.  Getting a geology means that you should switch tools from ore to enmatter and vice verse. Getting a perception means that theres a greater deposit nearby but its within a circle thats quite big,  possibly more than 500-800 wide.  Getting a ground assessment tells you that the specific areas around you are empty, and that you should run further away.  And so on… 
Some also say that it is possible to actually use these skillgains to triangulate the location of the deposit. Getting several prospecting can give you the direction to the location if you try to analyze where it could be, using simple geometry. This also goes for perception. Not Ground Assesment and Geology however.
Well – there we go. That is some of the theories out there.  I am not in favour of any of them, I use different techniques for certain reasons.  And I have a great time of doing my mining.  Bombs away.

Silver

Matrix Theory.

So how does it work?

Most likely the fields are predefined. As a matrix. With certain keys – also the names of the ores.

Fields are preset with different sizes but  they have definitive borders. These contains a set of predefined ores.

For instance you have a gold, duru, lyst, langotz, iron field. When you activate a bomb you actually

generate a hit or not. You created the deposit. It will stay there generated as long as no one claims it.

How does it respawn?

There is no actual “respawn”. What you do when you hit a deposit is actually that you move the

position of the integer. This is described better through this graphical representation of a matrix.

The matrix is outlayed like this, this is just a sample of it. It is generated and stays this way. The number

of possible hits is dynamic, meaning you cant deplete the area. They will move, but will generate again as

soon as soon as its “looted”.  This small part of a matrix shows how it is built up.

100010001000010001011000

000100010001001000001001

100100100010001000100000

100100100001001000100000

000100010001000100010001

100100010001000010000100

000010100010001000010001

100100100100010010001000

100100100100100001000100

With each cell figuring 10x10m, you will have a 1 or 0 as the activator of a sequence that generates the rest.

If you hit a cell with 1, you activate a trigger which will generate the following:

a.) The type of ore. OreType is set as 1 to 3.  Range is low value ores, middle value ores, high value ores, (OT1=lyst,) (OT2=iron, duru), 0T3=(langotz, gold)

Content = (Lyst, Iron, Duru, Gold, Langotz). Defined skilldepency is most likely Metallurgy.

b.) The type of deposit  DepositType is set as 1 to 3 (DT1= tiny, very poor, poor, ), (DT2= small, modest, average)  (DT3= medium,sizable… )

Content= (tiny, very poor, poor, small, modest, average…. ) Defined skill dependency is most likely prospecting.

c.) The type of depth. DepthRange is set as 1 to 3. Range is (DR1= 1-22) (DR2=14-22) (DR3=15-99)

Depency is most likely geology.

d.) The set of the deposit generated as  DRn {[DTn+OTn] } Depency to skills affected prospecting+geology+metallurgy  [Possible tool add-bonus]

After this you will excavate the deposit. And now you will generate the following.

a.) On each pull you will generate a stone within your ExcavationRange  ERn(OTn) ER1 ([12-16]…[20-24]), ER2 ([6-9]…[10-12])

Dependency on skills is extraction+mining

b.) On each pull you will generate a stone within this range SizeStone SR, ie. 18-22, (SR1=18,19) (SR2=20,21) (SR3=22,)

Depency on skills is extraction+mining [Possible tool bonus].

So the defining of a generation of a deposit is set as:

True= DRn {[DTn+OTn] }

False=0

And the output from excavation is set as:

Amount=ERn(OTn)((n=skillset[mining]))+SRn

I will give you some advice on how to use your tools properly, and effectively, and of course – economically.

A lot of people that I meet are just doing random drops of bombs.  Using high-level amps in this way is kind of a waste.  My theories are based upon experience, and statistics and also some simple triangulation.  You don’t need any fancy amounts of PEDs to actually become rich at CND, what you need as always is some smartness and some skills.

What you need on CND
A lot of people tend to use their favorite tools, advanced gear and high-level amps.  And thats cool.  But what you also need is something else. You need 2 sets of tools, and amps.  So preferably you should use:

A: OF-105, or ED-50, (or something similar), mid-level amps, not more than A103, or EMA-103.
B:  Your advanced tools, high-level amps. above 105-107. (Higher ones are still risky, but can be used for very exact and unusual occations.
C:  Your advanced tools, elite-amps, above 108-109, for that special occasion which occur very seldom.

You will need more bombs than usual. But every bomb spent will be worth it, even on the short run.

So now you are equipped. And you go to… your preferable dome as usual.

About skill gains -  the prospecting and surveying

Starting out you use Gear A.  You will now go out trying to find a skillgain:
If you get Geology, Ground Assessment, or something else, its good cause it shows theres something out there.
But the thing is to get Prospecting or Surveying. These skillgains means you are close to a find of some ore or enmatter.

Getting a Prospecting or Surveying is the key to the triangulation or “pin-pointing”.  So lets assume you get a Prospecting (same goes for Surveying and enmatter).
So thats the [P1], now start bombing around this Prosp, most likely in the direction you already are heading, and the try North, South, West, East of it to try to find another prospecting.  Now lets assume you get a second Prospecting [P2]. Repeat the search sequence and try to locate a third one [P3]. 

Now you have the possibility to make a triangulation, and when you are drawing straight lines from the different locations of your Prospecting skillgain, you can pin-point the location for the deposit, marked as [X1].  Now there could be interference to this, for instance you could have a second deposit which lays near marked as [X2] disturbing the triangulation, so you still can’t be sure it is the right location, to be  sure – you actually need about 4-5 prospecting skillgains, here marked as [P4] and [P5].

………………………………….
………………………………….
……………….p1……………..
………………………………….
………..p4……..X1……….p2
….p3…………………..p5…..
………X2………………………

Getting a triangulation of 3 prosp skillgains, is a good sign to pick up your high-level amped Gear B.  It is far more likely that you will get a good find this way with your pricy amps than just going for random.  Getting a triangulation with 5-6 prospecting, is a sure sign to pick-up the Elite-amped Gear C.

Some notes of caution:

Mining on CND is tricky – the range of your finders are less than on Calypso.  But actually what it does is that it gives a wider area for skillgains, meaning that when you get a skillgain its more distant from the actual deposit it points to, than on Calypso.  Since the range on the finder is 22 m, the distance to the deposit is more than doubled, that makes it harder to pinpoint the location, if you dont adjust your dropping of bombs to this.

So this was the first lesson on how to mine on CND.

The second lesson will be about how to find your NEXT  DEPOSIT.

———–

Answer to a comment made on EF:

Not much I guess. Mining seems to be as good as it is.  No improvements of any major scale.  Amps, Enhancers, and stuff like that doesn’t really make the mining experience any better.  But still the mining
fields seems to be same as before, even though there are a lot of new stuff in the ground.

The pattern of findings seems more concentrated in small groups of resources.  More whitspread,  so try to drop 
more at the place where you find the first resource. 

It also seems they’ve put the rare ores and enmatters more deeply into the ground.  So much for finding Terrudite and stuff like that with a medium finder like MD-50, or just above. MD-50? Thats an oldie.  Only 100 of them out there or so.

More to it is that there is a more obvious relation between mobs and findings:  thats the old school anyway, go where the toughest mobs are to find the nice stuff.

Thats all for now, 
cya and bombs away…

Silver

The blog of Silver di Avlo is back now

S.Y.M – Or How to Do Proper Mining

Maybe you have noticed there are skill gains popping up now and then while mining. Debates over the significance and meaning of skill gains and the interpretation of what effect they have been numerous. While I have been mining now for almost 4 years there have been some major structural changes to the mining matrix, and consequently also changes to the methods used for proper mining.

I will through this first paper on mining methods try to reveal some of the research thats been done by me and others, under the supervision of UPC|Mining research. As always – this is a theory, even though it works in the field. There are many interpretations of facts and the outcome from different approaches to knowledge and gathered data. So keep on searching…

First I will give a short background to some of the major changes which have affected mining. Most parts can be read elsewhere on the forums, or my blog. But its important to have at least read some parts of my Matrix Theory – to understand the elementals.

Mining Matrix – a retrospective

The Gold-period

At first the matrix had larger deposits, smaller HOFs. What was important back then was the so called ”veins” – linear behaviour of the matrix. There where location coordinates from which you generated deposits from a default base+tool combination, however what really affected the output, in relation to size and type, was very clear. If you had good Mining Xp, your deposits became bigger. Prospecting and Geology pointed out if the area was rich and if you had different or deeper deposits nearby. The general deposit was a ”Medium”-deposit. The behaviour of the spawn within mining fields were pretty obvious. There was a physical relocation of deposit-locations, and you had a time countdown on how fast you could run over the same area again.

Importance for the miner lay on geographical analys of the field. To map the fields boundaries, to avoid non-resource areas, and to note the type of ores and enmatters whitin the boundaries were the main focus for miners. Within this framework was a major work to also note where the so called ”veins” were generated.

Not much changed during the years after this. Some minor changes, with new minerals, Amethera-mining, removal of bomb-craters, change of rods, and a reduction of the sizes of the deposits – downsized in steps from, medium to modests, to generate larger HOFs came during this period. The possibility to buy skills also came into play which radically changed the oppurtunity for newcomers to become professional miners within a short timespan, they could now rely on income regarding the output. (You still needed to have a set of knowledge around the mining).

The Matrix Change

With the 7.6.x came a very major change within the mining system. At first they revamp the way skills work. Instead of focusing on active skills, the system now rely on passive skill-behaviour. One of the major changes to the matrix was the introduction of ASD, depth now matters – but not to the size of deposits, but for the type of ores you can expect to reach.

What really made sense now was tools – with new statistics, and new behaviour, personlized output became much more obvious. What skills and tools you use and on what field totally affects the outcome. Unfortunately all this was released at the same time as ”the Metor” crashed into the safety perimeter defense system of Calypso, creating a very unbalanced output of major HOFs. Also the introduction of a new mining ground at the Asteroid – Club Neverdie Domes – with its very unique mining matrix – downsized 4 times regarding of the extension and clustering of locations, but upsized 400% in regard of the deposit sizes, made a huge impact on miners. It was a time of great confusion as well as more clarification about the changes to tools, skills and what to expect as a miner.

New dimensions to tools and skills.

With the introduction of the Attachment-based mining and the so called ”Amped-mining”, a new dimension has come to the mining matrix. Deposits are now downsized, and the general output is also downgraded, following the impact ”Amp-mining” made on the matrix. Skill gains are affected and the ”Caps”, the progressive development of skills are changed. With the introduction of new tools, such as the (L)-limited versions, you now can greatly affect your chances to get certain types of ores and matters, with the right skills and with the right attachments. Mining as an activity for a professional miner have become more expensive. The future of mining is still a bit blurred, the crafting system has made a great impact of the demand on minerals and ores, even some other professions within Entropia now rely on the ”miners”. However there is great uncertainity what will happen to mining if the economical risk gets bigger with the ”Amp-mining”. Veterans are a bit disappointed about their status loss, and the loss of an exclusive advantage from skills, tools and knowledge, which they have aquired during hard efforts and lots of time.

Future guidelines

It seems theres a new setup for professional mining now. Its more industrial, its fast, with high costs, a greater economical risk, and with a setup that could give major profits for those who can afford the initial costs. Where will this end?

Theres another setup for professional mining – freerunners. Where the costs are low, the output just over the margins, and very time consuming. It is mining the old way, with a slow progress, and low risk and the hunt for cutting expenses is the major issue. This mining is heavily knowledge based.

For the future there should be more of a diversified context for miners. Right now we are seeing some small steps to the introduction of a real mining industry. We have a proper market behaviour, we have a lot of miners, a complex setup for the professional miner. What we still lack in my opinion is more land to explore, and new tools for surveying, we need factories and we need actually a new landscape and a sub-matrix that lets us go underground, and to new asteroids. I think that this is the way to make mining industrial – open up the underground for automated, and semi-automated machinery. Refining ores within factories. Also expand the frontier to asteroid belts, where automated, even robotized, mining plants with domelike and underground fields could make mining more interesting.

We need machinery. I would like to go out in a machine, almost looking like ”Warrior 05”, or a Sentinel, and getting advantage in time, output, and the range. This could be a new dimension of crafting, and also a sub-profession of ”Mechanics”, that invents new components, repair the machines from decay, and that could use the vast number of different robot-parts, and other mechanical, electronical and metal combinations that could be made.

We need power within the mining industry – machines need to run on something. Heavy-duty engines may run on fission or fusion, charged with enmatters or nexus, simpler machines can run on fossil-fuel, maybe there could be even water, wind or solar-powered engines.

One thing I think would definately make the mining more interesting is the introduction of new skills. Compared with the skills you need for proper hunting or crafting, you really could use a lot more skills, with more explicit definition of how they work.

S.Y.M – method: making mining locational

Is there a method that can be developed from the skill gains you get while out mining? Even though many answer no on the question, I will put forward a framwork which you can use, and which can be tested. Its a modell which I call the SYM-method, from Skill-based Y-formation Mining.

There are at least 4 dimensions to the skills and what they affect. Let me list the skills that is in play here and elaborate some on the issue before we go into more practical techniques and how to use the modell. Also note that the skills dont make a difference between enmatter or minerals. And also make it very clear that ”Detection Range”, and ”Skill-Range”, aint the same. On Calypso the closest ”Skill-range” is <200m. On CND its <80m. This compared to ”Detection Range” which is 53-55m on Calypso, and 20-22m on CND. However the general function is the same for both. Under each skill i will explain what you can espect from the skill.

Some basic facts at first:

Quick Matrix-knowledge about fields:

The matrix is the system – its virtual, its the action and reaction of what you do out on the mining trip. At first the matrix consists of fields – it has boundaries, mostly the fields are rectangular, they vary in size – from the huge fields on Amethera, to small fields like some on Eudoria, and ultimately specially designed very small fields on CND-asteroid.

Within the fields you can expect to find a setup of ores and enmatters. These are fixed and doesnt change, as long as MA doesnt change the output, I dont know of any player controlled setups yet, this could be a future implementation. The setup of ores always have 3 levels. Low-level, Mid-level, and High-level (Rare) ores and enmatters. Within these levels you have 2 grades – a low and high. That means you can expect to find between 2-6 oretypes within a field. What defines the Level is of course the type of ores that you have within that field. But mostly a low-level ore is Lysterium, Belk, Blau, a mid-level Iron, Cumb or Duru, a high-level Azzurdite – Tridenite- Rugaritz.

Now – location- is never set as a ”real deposit”, its just coordinates, however these can be located and you can get a notion of the whereabouts, even the direction to a location, and hence also actually the deposit which is generated from a mix of tools, skills and the economical rebalance-system.

Using skill-gains methodically

You have to depict a circular and a 2 ½ dimensional virtual matrix. Remember that depth comes into play only as the limit for getting the high-level type of ores. Now you can use the skill-gains like this, looking at the figure below:

Range, Skill and Location:

Perception: <800mGeology: <200mProspecting: <160m Calypso Groud Control: <80m Detonation <55m

If you drop a bomb and get Perception it means that it can be somewhere within the 800m perimeter. Also you can get a double skillgains, even triple, and you can hit a deposit and get a skillgain. However you dont get skillgains everytime, even if there is a location nearby. This is decided by your other skills affecting tool-usage, for instance computer, and engineering, and maybe even such general attributes as Intelligence. Even if you pindown a location, you can still miss to generate the deposit too, this is most likely dependent on your tool and skills. Remember that “SHOWS”, means actually increase the chance of….

What the skillgains means for Perception, Geology, Prospecting, CGA, Surverying,Mineral Sense:

Perception

*

Location: Points out something extra-ordinary in the surroundings
*

Direction: Shows thats its far away
*

Matrix: Getting 2-3 of them can be used in a triangulation
*

Output: Affects your chances of actually generating them

Geology

*

Location: Shows thats theres another mineral or enmatter at another depth (Could be out of reach.)
*

Output: Affects the output of high-level ores and enmatters
*

Tool: Pushes up your skillbased ASD so you can get deeper more often. (Not tool ASD)
*

Direction: Shows you that there are a deep location, thus also a more surfaced location of a deposit near often within 200m.
*

Matrix: Very hard to use for triangulation. Cause of the ”bowl”-like clustering of locations at certain depths.

Prospecting

*

Output: Affects the output of midlevel ores and enmatters
*

Direction: Shows that you have a deposit very close
*

Location: Shows that there are more than one deposit nearby
*

Tool: Pushes up the ASD for your tool-usage to a maximum.
*

Matrix: You can use these in a triangulation to pinpoint the location

Calypso Ground Control

*

Output: No known usage. Could be an add-on to very rare ores, or mid-level ores.
*

Location: increases the chance of gettin numerous deposits nearby
*

Matrix: Can be used for triangulation to get a prospecting skill-gain
*

Direction: Shows that the deposit is within range (on Calypso however its <200m, CND its only 80m.)

Mineral Sense: N/A

Surveying: Same as prospecting

Using the method out in the field

To use the method properly you should carry both bombs and probes. Its more effecient and gives a proper usage of the skillbased method. Working out there you should look for skillgains, especially prospecting skillgains which are useful for deciding if the area is good or not. The figure down below shows how to do it but let me first tell you some practical advice.

* Always do the fields systematically , follow a straight main heading, dont leave this path too much.

*

Always try to keep at least 80m between the bombs until you get a skilllgain
*

Always switch after 40m, between bombs and probes, when you get a skillgain like prospecting, surveying, geology, cga.
*

Getting a Perception is good but dont go out and havoc-bomb the area, just follow the method.

Mining Method Y

This is a modell of a field, not real size.

*

The detonation is shown in red.
*

The circles are detection range.
*

The larger circle are Skillgain of locational function – prospecting, geology, surveying, cga.
*

The arrows are the direction you should go.

Its important to try to keep the main heading, and to hunt for additional skillgains, and of course hitting the deposits…

A virtual world living avatar within Entropia Universe created on 20th Dec 2002. Founded United People of Calypso with some of the best miners within the whole virtual universe of Entropia. Silver di Avlo is known for the sharing of information about mining and also producing some of the most useful theories on mining. He has also, as the only avatar ingame, had both the two top places on the All Time High back in 2003.

If you are interested in building a “Miners Diggest”, i.e. a portal for miners, you are most welcome to send me a note.