Suggestion: digger

  • a machine that is like a tunnel boring machine. it digs a tunnel, horizontally or diagonal. it would eat and collect only minerals unless it had something else in it's "sampler". it would feed and lay out cable as it proceeds and when done either retract the cable or leave it for other equipment.


    the recipe could look like this:

    • Official Post

    I agree that this would be a nice alternative to the mining laser for horizontal clearing, but the only issue is, it's range. You can theoretically go on for ever with the digger (It would stop running upon hitting an unloaded chunk, or being unloaded itself).


    How would you suggest that we handle this balancing issue?

  • I agree that this would be a nice alternative to the mining laser for horizontal clearing, but the only issue is, it's range. You can theoretically go on for ever with the digger (It would stop running upon hitting an unloaded chunk, or being unloaded itself).


    How would you suggest that we handle this balancing issue?

    well... it would still need to be fed cable and power. also the sampler could have a slot with a charged crystal who acts like the CMOS in a computer e.g the battery that keeps it alive. the crystal depletes after a certain amount of blocks and would need to be replaced with a new one. also it could need new mining drills after a while but i'm not sure how that would influence the sprites and overall stability :wacko:

  • and how would you direct the digger?
    because the miner has only one, the digger has 4 sides, you need another block to direct him
    and it should mine in an area of 3*3 everything (including smoothstone) so you can easily make subway...

    Change the scheme, alter the mood. Electrify the boys and girls if you'd be so kind.


    [b][i][u][url=' [url='http://forum.industrial-craft.net/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=7745']HAYO CORP: Nuclear Power (FREE: Reactor Blueprints)

  • and how would you direct the digger?
    because the miner has only one, the digger has 4 sides, you need another block to direct him
    and it should mine in an area of 3*3 everything (including smoothstone) so you can easily make subway...

    tricky, I must say. that was a hard nut. the 3*3 area thing was actually what I had in mind too but for direction I think the direction of the cable could indicate starting direction but for the continuous movement maybe (pain for alblaka) you could use the EC manipulator to open up a small ui with 6 buttons, forward, upward, downward, turn right, turn left and stop. otherwise a "control box" who acts as a remote control. for turning and such it shouldn't go straight up or down or north or west but follow with first click to southwest and next to either of those directions. also it should never go in a steeper angle than 45* (one block forward one block down).

  • No buttons :O

    wow, i got alblakas attention yippie. 8) 8)


    then maybe the use of ctrl+movement keys while holding the EC manipulator (after a right-click with it) to change direction? like ctrl+down will make it go downwards while if you push up with ctrl make it go straight forward again and again for up. it could be that you changed the ec to the remote when rightclicking and you use it with ctrl or a key like that. otherwise you could use a targetblock for simple tunneling through an annoying mountain that's in the way for your tunnel. :S


    EDIT 1: i just saw that alblaka didn't like rc's so i could probably forget about it.
    EDIT 2: alblaka, do you have any suggestion on how to navigate it?

  • I agree that this would be a nice alternative to the mining laser for horizontal clearing, but the only issue is, it's range. You can theoretically go on for ever with the digger (It would stop running upon hitting an unloaded chunk, or being unloaded itself).


    How would you suggest that we handle this balancing issue?

    i didn't see the range thingy, srry. it could be like 200 blocks away from the closest hv block or something ...

  • i didn't see the range thingy, srry. it could be like 200 blocks away from the closest hv block or something ...


    How about simply putting a limit on the range, like 25-50 blocks then it stops?


    Re-reading mastercluffs thread (apologies for the misunderstanding btw mc), the basic requirement is to dig a tunnel for metros. Rather than try and include a lot of functionality for navigation, inclines, declines etc... Just have the machine dig in a striaght line for x number of blocks. It will dig in the direction you face it (tunneling horizontally only) until you either stop it with a wrench or it reaches it's limit or runs out of power.


    It's still going to do 80% of the work, leaving inclines to be dug manually.

    It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt


  • How about simply putting a limit on the range, like 25-50 blocks then it stops?


    Re-reading mastercluffs thread (apologies for the misunderstanding btw mc), the basic requirement is to dig a tunnel for metros. Rather than try and include a lot of functionality for navigation, inclines, declines etc... Just have the machine dig in a striaght line for x number of blocks. It will dig in the direction you face it (tunneling horizontally only) until you either stop it with a wrench or it reaches it's limit or runs out of power.


    It's still going to do 80% of the work, leaving inclines to be dug manually.

    THAT'S BRILLIANT!!! WHY didn't i think of that? 8)

  • just put cable/glass/reinforcedstone on the sides it should not dig

    how about the descending phase?
    could it like detect a "script" within a 4 block radius and don't dig spots that's covered already?