Vintage Story Wiki
Game Mechanic: Prospecting
gamemechanicinfo-prospecting
· from game
Prospecting
Ready to move on from the copper age?
In order to advance you will have to find some rather rare resources to create bronze. The prospecting pick can help you find where not to search for them. Once you have either poured or smithed a prospecting pick, pack your bags and go for a journey!
Density Search Mode
Break 3 rock blocks in 'close' proximity to "sample" the area for ores. The sampled blocks must be located a minimum of 3 blocks apart and a maximum of 16 blocks apart. You can sample anywhere, as long as you break rock. For example, when you come across a cave, an outcropping of stone, or dig through the dirt to reach solid rock, break one block to start the sampling process. Move at least three blocks and break another block. Do this again to finish collecting your samples.
Once your samples are completed, the chat info log will show you a reading of all prospectable resources at this location. Results are shown as ore densities. A low density resource means you probably want to move on and keep prospecting until you find a medium to high density location, it might also mean you are near the edge of a deposit, so look around to see if you can find a stronger reading. Even a high density reading is no guaranteed certainty to actually find ore. If enabled, you can use the node search mode to locate the individual ore veins underground, if it detects any.
Example Reading
Ultra high Cassiterite (0.3‰)
Very poor Chromite (0.5‰)
Minuscule amounts of Bismuthinite
Interpretation:
Cassiterite is generally found only in small quantities - this area contains about 0.3 per mille, which means roughly 0.3 out of 1000 rock blocks contain this ore if the entire area were to be mined. The reading being ultra high means here you have the best chance in finding this ore. Chromite is found more commonly than tin here - 0.5 per mille, but the reading is very poor because areas can be found with much higher quantities. Minuscule amounts of other ores mean there is still a very low chance you could find this ore in this area.
Additional hints
In the density search mode, the sample results are valid for the entire height of the world, you won't get different readings from sampling above or below. It is generally sufficient to sample only every 30 to 100 blocks away from a previous reading.
Node Search Mode
If the server or game settings allow it, the prospecting pick can instead be set to 'Node Search' mode using thetoolmodeselect (tool mode) key with the Propick in hands. In this mode the prospecting pick will probe at a much smaller radius (2 - 8 blocks, configurable through a command), and if it finds something, there is guaranted to be an ore vein within the vicinity. In that case it is only a matter of finding the right direction to mine towards...
Ready to move on from the copper age?
In order to advance you will have to find some rather rare resources to create bronze. The prospecting pick can help you find where not to search for them. Once you have either poured or smithed a prospecting pick, pack your bags and go for a journey!
Density Search Mode
Break 3 rock blocks in 'close' proximity to "sample" the area for ores. The sampled blocks must be located a minimum of 3 blocks apart and a maximum of 16 blocks apart. You can sample anywhere, as long as you break rock. For example, when you come across a cave, an outcropping of stone, or dig through the dirt to reach solid rock, break one block to start the sampling process. Move at least three blocks and break another block. Do this again to finish collecting your samples.
Once your samples are completed, the chat info log will show you a reading of all prospectable resources at this location. Results are shown as ore densities. A low density resource means you probably want to move on and keep prospecting until you find a medium to high density location, it might also mean you are near the edge of a deposit, so look around to see if you can find a stronger reading. Even a high density reading is no guaranteed certainty to actually find ore. If enabled, you can use the node search mode to locate the individual ore veins underground, if it detects any.
Example Reading
Ultra high Cassiterite (0.3‰)
Very poor Chromite (0.5‰)
Minuscule amounts of Bismuthinite
Interpretation:
Cassiterite is generally found only in small quantities - this area contains about 0.3 per mille, which means roughly 0.3 out of 1000 rock blocks contain this ore if the entire area were to be mined. The reading being ultra high means here you have the best chance in finding this ore. Chromite is found more commonly than tin here - 0.5 per mille, but the reading is very poor because areas can be found with much higher quantities. Minuscule amounts of other ores mean there is still a very low chance you could find this ore in this area.
Additional hints
In the density search mode, the sample results are valid for the entire height of the world, you won't get different readings from sampling above or below. It is generally sufficient to sample only every 30 to 100 blocks away from a previous reading.
Node Search Mode
If the server or game settings allow it, the prospecting pick can instead be set to 'Node Search' mode using the