Mining drill balance issues

10 votes

Due to the significantly slow time the drill runs I’d have to wait around for hours upon hours for it to be useful. It’s just not at all practical. It needs a) 4 times the amount of slots b) to be 10 times faster and c) be activated automatically when the fuel is added so going on and off prospect doesn’t stop it running..

Under consideration Balance Suggested by: John (16 Apr, '22) • Upvoted: 08 Sep, '22 • Comments: 3

Comments: 3

25 Apr, '22
Star Centurion
I've been reading various forums/threads elsewhere to see what feedback other people have had in regards to the Biofuel Deep Mining Drill. Here's are some of the best points I saw made, I'll add my suggestion in after:

* Every time a new technology is produced, it makes the related task easier - but this isn't true of Mining Drills because they create more effort than they reward.
* The need to use Electronics in the Biofuel Drill prohibits it from being practical to use until after you already teched-up past needing to use it.
* Even in longer missions, which is what they're "intended" for, it takes several hours after creating one before its use becomes "profitable" which relates to the other points.
25 Apr, '22
Star Centurion
My compiled suggestion to balance Mining Drills is this - remove the Electronic cost from the Biofuel Drill. Increase its drill speed too (you can offset this somehow, weight, fuel cost, etc.). Add Platinum and Titanium deep-deposits. Require that the Electric Drill be used for Aluminum, Platinum, and Titanium (this patterns how the Pickaxes work) and make sure its drill speed is yet-still-higher than the Biofuel Drill so there's incentive to try using it for very fast results.

There is a huge advantage to making the Drills compete with cave mining, though, which I have not seen mentioned. Currently, the strategically best locations to put a base are right outside a cave or centered around 3 major caves - so that miners don't have to travel far. If Drills were competitively useful, then all the randomly spawned deep deposits could create new, randomly-generated strategic locations for bases. Players could base-build by caves, or seek out locations near deposits. +Replay value!
30 May, '22
Vladimir
At the current cost of the drill (the drill, plus the biofuel can, plus the composter) and the production rate, it would take about 3 hours just to make up for the metal ore that was spent. It's a bit disappointing spending time building the drill and then having it be so unfruitful.