Mining is one of the three main professions in Entropia Universe. Some people make it a full time profession. For others it’s something that they only do on occasion. Naturally it’s something players of all levels will want to learn about. It can also be extremely complicated. Let’s take a look at the basics now and we can build on this information later.
What Is Mining In Entropia Universe
First let’s figure out exactly what we mean when we talk about Mining. In Entropia this is the activity of actively finding Ores, EnMatters and Treasure below ground. Followed by extracting those resources. This is different from finding items above ground.
While you are Hunting, mining or exploring you will occasionally find stones and fruit. These appear randomly as you walk or run. These finds are nice but are not included in the definition of mining.
In order to Mine you will need a Mining Finder, a Resource Extractor and Survey Probes. Finders drop probes attempting to find a mining claim. If you do find one you will then use the resource extractor in order to bring the resources to the surface. Once the resources are extracted they become loot. Let’s look at each in more detail.
Survey Probes
Survey Probes are the easiest part of mining. You have to have them before you can start. They can be purchased directly from the Trade Terminal for 0.05 PEC each. There is no mark up and you will never need to purchase them from other players. Simply buy from the TT and if you have some left over you can sell them back to the TT.
How many you purchase will depend on several factors. Number of probes your finder uses per attempt. How many attempts you intend to do during you run. Other factors may also need to be considered. When you are mining you are more likely to be in remote areas. Be absolutely sure you take plenty of probes so you don’t have to go back for more.
Mining Finder
The Mining Finder you decide to use will be a big decision. There are many different Finders in game. They are much more complicated than they first appear. Certain Finders are better suited for certain mining runs. This is an area you will want to become an expert in. We will look at this in depth in future articles. For now let’s look at the basics of a Mining Finder.
Each mining finder will have an Average Search Depth, Range and Uses Per Minute.
Average Search Depth
Each Finder will list an Average Search Depth. Different resources are found at different depths. Some Finders are capable of going far deeper than others. But what does “average” search depth mean?
In this case average means Plus or Minus 200. If a Finder has an Average Search Depth of 104.5 what this really means is it can find resources at depths between 0 and 304.5. When you start dealing with more advanced finders this becomes important. Experienced, profitable Miners know exactly what depth range the resource they want is in. They also know exactly what depth the Finder they want to use is best suited for.
For now a basic understanding of this feature will suffice. We can go into more detail on this subject in later articles.
Range
Each Mining Finder will also have a Range. This is EXTREMELY important. When you use a Finder and drop probes looking for a claim this is the area you are searching. If you have a finder with a range of 54 meters that is a 54 meter radius.
When you drop probes imagine you are standing in the center of a big circle. The Range of the Finder goes from you to the edges of a big circle around you. This is the area that the Finder is attempting to find resources in.
If you have a Finder with a 54 meter range you would want to move 108 meters before your next drop. This would insure that your search areas do not overlap. Overlapping search areas are a waste of resources and PED.
Another VERY important thing to remember is this is an outdoor mining range. If you are mining indoors at a location such as F.O.M.A. the range is 1/2 normal range. This is again important when calculating the distance between drops.
Uses Per Minute
Each finder has a number of uses per minute. If you are the type that likes to play casually maybe this isn’t a big deal. But if you are a hard core Miner this can be important. Some of the best Miners literally run while dropping probes. By having a Finder with high uses per minute you can make more drops. More drops should mean more claims. And more claims should mean more loot!
Ores, EnMatters and Treasure
When you look at a Mining Finder you will see three sections: Ores, EnMatters and Treasure. These are the three resource types you can find while mining. This is why each is listed in the Finders info page.
Ores are generally stone or stone like. When put into a Refiner they usually generate Metal Ingots. The Prospector Profession is the profession related to finding Ores. Generally you will need twice as many probes to look for Ores as you would EnMatters. For most Finders you will need 20 probes per attempt when looking for Ores. There are many exceptions we will explore later.
EnMatters are the only other real Mining resource you will encounter. At least early on. These are typically resources that are more energy related or non stone or metal type resources. Examples would be Crude Oil or Force Nexus. These resources will likely also need to be refined with a Refiner. It typically cost 10 probes to look for EnMatters which is usually half the probes needed when looking for Ores. The Surveyor Profession is used when searching for EnMatters.
Treasure is a more unique Mining Resource. You can only Mine for Treasure on Arkadia. It is also the most expensive of the three. You will usually need the same amount of probes just for Treasure mining as for Ores and EnMatters combined. On most Finders this is 30 probes. The Treasure Hunter Profession is used when searching for Treasure.
Going Mining
Once you have a Mining Finder and Survey Probes you can get started! You will chose the location you want to search and which resources you want to find. If you are unlucky you waste probes and find nothing. But if you get lucky you will get a Resource Deed!
When you find a Resource Claim you will loot a Resource Deed. You can open your inventory by hitting I and you will see it under the Money and Deeds tab. You can interact with the deed to find out the details of the claim.
The claim will also be marked in game with a Claim Marker which will hover over the resource claim. Now all you have to do is equip your extractor, point to the Claim Marker and use it to extract the resource!
Mining Extractor
The Mining Excavator is needed in order to mine. Otherwise you have no way to get resources out of the ground. Excavators have an efficiency rating which we will dive into at a later date. They also have a Uses Per Minute.
Generally you want an Excavator with a high amount of uses per minute. There are other factors you will need to look at but this one is very important. You want to be able to get your claim out of the ground quickly.
This is so you can get more drops per hour. You also want to be sure you don’t get killed by mobs while gathering your resources. If you are mining in PvP lootable areas this is even more important. We will look at Mining Extractors in more detail in the future.
Refiners
While not required you will likely also want a Refiner. A Refiner allows you to take the Ores and EnMatters you loot and turn them into a refined resource. Typically people want to buy the refined version. You will also need refined Ores and EnMatters for most Crafting in game.
You could chose to not use a refiner. It may save you a little money but it would likely make your loot harder to sell. We will look at this in future articles as well.
Other Mining Details
There is much more to Mining we will look at soon. Amping, enhancers and much more. It requires far more game knowledge than Hunting but mining can be extremely profitable. You will likely want to learn much more before getting started.
While you’re gearing up for your first Mining run be sure and check out our Offers and Videos! They are a great way for EarnPED members to earn PED they will need for those extended runs! Not yet a member? Joining us is FREE so be sure and Register today!
