Hidden ores

[Grimtongue]

Later in the game (advanced technologies would be needed for this), the player could start with underground mining, this would have 2 phases.

Searching for resources
Underground resources wouldn't be so easy to spot, the player would have to do special drills to scan the nearby underground, when he finds something there, specialised mining drills that mine underground could be used there.

Some of the resources could be found only in underground.

UNDERGROUND CAVERNS
The scanner can be used to find locations where the player can place a mine-shaft type structure. The player enters the underground through the structure just like entering a vehicle (press Enter).

Who knows what lives in the deep places of an alien world? Perhaps there are environmental hazards such as lava and acid pools? An adventurous player could risk everything for a great reward.

[Ohlmann]

My first thought with underground cavern is "easy to defend factory !".

Of course, you don't have solar panel underground. Also, how would work pollution ?

[ficolas]

My first thought with underground cavern is "easy to defend factory !".

Of course, you don't have solar panel underground. Also, how would work pollution ?

Who said the underground is safe?
Also pollution in the underground would drown the player.

However im not sure if this really fits in the game ↑↑

[Ohlmann]

By "safe" I mean that there is less entry point for a cavern than for an open air thing.

I do think the pollution don't bother the engineer given he have a life supporting suit anyway. It's more that it seem harder to modelize the fume going on twisting small passages than in open air.

(I suppose they would be subterranean biter too)

[ysor123]

You could do it like Entropia Universe

I actually don't like the game cause it is a "hidden" casino in a game and I don't gamble, but when I once tried it (before I knew how it works, since it is "free" to play) the mining/probe system was kind of interessting:

You have to build/buy equiment like scaners and computers and set probes which go underground and detonate. The computer analyse if there is something close by and if, how much and how far. Depending on equipment you scan in different depth max/min and better equipment increase precision. For oil you have to use other type of probes. If you find something, you can claim the spot and put in a rig to harvest the resources. You can even trade a claim to other players, which would be a maybe far feature for MP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa8DZGjgzj0

[ssilk]

The about same system is used in EVE-online, but in 3D (we only need 2D)

[ysor123]

Hm yeah. Did not play EVE for a while. Still have an account. There is a probe system too in space. Also a nice system, but different.

[ssilk]

Yes, after seeing, how it really works: Yeah much easier.

[The Colonist]

I like the idea, but when your underground put some sort of new enemy like giant man eating spiders .

[BadZen]

As I was playing the alpha (0.9.8) I was thinking to myself "Gee, the enemy attacks are pretty mild, and haven't really ramped up a lot since the start..." Was thinking there might be some sort of resource unique to this world the player can discover, possibly a new ore - at first they might discover it, then that it has cool new technology / usefulness (awesome!) then that the alien creeps seem to be clustered mainly around deposits (uh-oh). Couple this with some sort of mechanic that requires you to keep mining out the stuff, and/or ramp enemy attacks up as the total "concentration" of the base increases, etc....

Maybe there's a badass new creep type that you discover as you spread out further away from start area, who can easily obliterate your buildings, and this new "stuff" makes them/you resistant?

[-root]

1. Biters is the colloquial name most widely used for the aliens
2. They already are clustered around these resources. They are called alien artifacts and are required heavily in the late game.

[piggy2]

there should probably also be fossils that could be used for research or made into oil

[Mr. Thunder_Tw]

I'd love to see an "underground" realm, You can't easily get there, I see it as a late game thing.
Like suggested, the entrance isn't visible and should be located using some sub-terrain scanning devices.
Once a "Entrance" is found one can enter and leave the underground at wish, but my idea is that we're going miles down.
If you dont want to take a long time to get there one would like to build an elevator, and power it ofc.
Down there it's Hot, toxic, and a whole different range of creatures live there.
One cant survive there without a solid defence against the eviorment as well as the enemy. Buildings need to bee cooled if they dont want to melt under the workload of excavating gems.
Turrets will need to be cooled, if not they damage them selves by overheating.
Acidic lakes will block your path, cave-ins will make everything even more risky, you will need to use your flying robots to keep alive, ready for the fight.
Your activity underground however will lure THE MEGA WORM, after 30 minutes or so he will attempt to eat your (irritating vibration of your miners, shooting turrets etc) stuff.
This mega worm does LOADS of damage realy fast, like swimming through your undefended base, leaving destruction behind. He's well defended against the heat of laser turrets (yeah cuz he lives in the hot part) but is easily damaged by ice cold bullets...
Pollution of machines will trap heat, overheating your buildings even faster, and lure more enemy's. So you'd like to ventilate your pollution out to the "overworld".
One will need a special suit to survive some time down there. It'll need to cool you down, give you air, and light!. And as I said be4, things are toxic down there, acidic even. Exploring the area will damage the suit, drain your shields. So you'll need to recharge your suit regularly or it'll melt off.

You'll find special resources there that will help you tech up further.
- gems that are used for light-based-computers (instead of "slow" transistors), better lasers, laser Drilling mining. Plasma guns?
- Heavy ores made to strengthen/build tanks, Heavy pressure Buildings, gauss cannons?

xtra idea: These underground caves are not infinite however. Once found it's a limited area of interest.
Go in, get to the stuff, start mining. But however lose your base before mining things out entirely. One can face Hell but not expect to conquer it.

[TheSim]

What about M.A.X.- style resources?
So you just should use some device or a robot to see if exactly that point have some resources below.

Most resource deposits IRL found that way.

[Snowpig]

Later in the game (advanced technologies would be needed for this), the player could start with underground mining, this would have 2 phases.

Searching for resources
Underground resources wouldn't be so easy to spot, the player would have to do special drills to scan the nearby underground, when he finds something there, specialised mining drills that mine underground could be used there.

Some of the resources could be found only in underground.

Idea for a tool do to that: Mobile drill - looks like a car with a downwards-oriented drill mounted on its front/aft. To craft it, you would need:
1 car
2 burner mining drills

[TheLastRonin]

This is a cool idea.

[cptepicness]

Moved from suggestions -- ßilk

Reason for the idea: It seems like mining drills only scratch the surface of the ore deposit and I feel like there could be more underneath the surface.

Currently in the game:
>Resources disappear once exhausted
>Small water ponds are annoying to walk around/work around with (seriously)

Let's introduce a new scanner module. It will show on the map:
>Underground oil deposits
>Underground ore deposits
*Note, underground ore deposits will be covered if directly underneath an ore deposit on the surface.

Now let's introduce the Deep Drill.
Has two functions:
>Drill a hole to a oil deposit
Once it has reached the oil deposit the drill will stop.
When the player removes the drill a new oil field will appear(It's yield depending on how large the underground deposit was.
>Drill similarly like an electric mining drill, but animation should appear in an up and down fashion
When the deposit is exhausted a deep hole will be made.
*Holes will interact with the player similarly to deep water(not being able to walk through it)

Now to the introduction of fill dirt.
Fill dirt will be made by stone (Placing stone in the assembly machine)
Fill dirt can be used to fill drill holes or water ponds.


Summary: Scanner module, Deep Drill, Fill Dirt. Scanner to locate underground resources, Deep drills to drill underground resources, Fill Dirt to cover the holes up and make paths across water.

[Cougarific]

Now to the introduction of fill dirt.
Fill dirt will be made by stone (Placing stone in the assembly machine)
Fill dirt can be used to fill drill holes or water ponds.

This exists as a mod. Gimme a minute to find a linky.

Here: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... =14&t=4973

[Yarma92]

Expanding from this I would like to see a use for the lakes/seas. Deep water bodies often have concentrations of rare elements, like manganese which is essential in advanced electronics. To this end I would like to see a deep water mining platform. that requires its own infrastructure to support and reach. The manganese would be a hidden ore deposit like the subterranean ores suggested earlier in this thread and you would need some sort of probe to scan the water for it. Along with this you could incorporate deep water oil horizons. And finally be able to turn those annoying bodies of water into something useful.

[British_Petroleum]

I don't think the idea per say needs to introduce new ores to work.
It seems rather silly to find huge amounts of coal and iron on the surface as it is.

Maybe there should just be small amounts at ground level, and then the big clusters of ore were found other the ground some way?

So you could get by with iron above ground, but really need to get the underground ores to make anything impressive?

+1

Exactly what i was going to say.

Above ground ores should be scarce and just for getting started. I'm always in favour of adding new ores too (: