Prospecting ties expansion to an actual resource need. It helps you find accessible deposits and distinguish ordinary ore targets from the drill points used by underground veins.
PC / Global, Early Access
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Where to farm
Use the ore scanner and map to locate colored deposits and hexagonal vein markers in the voxel terrain.
Choose a material your factory needs, use the scanner and map to find a candidate, and excavate toward it with a workable access route. Record what you uncover and at what level so a later miner can be placed deliberately rather than through blind tunneling.
Check your factory buffers and select the resource that is actually running short.
Scan nearby terrain and inspect map readings for a promising target.
Mark the target in your own notes or map view before starting excavation.
Plan a route that reaches the target level while preserving a safe return path.
Excavate toward the marker in a controlled corridor instead of opening a broad area at random.
Identify whether the exposed target is an ordinary deposit or a vein drill point.
Record the material and face location, then clear and test the appropriate miner placement if automating.
Farming tips
A hexagonal vein marker and a regular exposed deposit use different mining setups; identify which one you found.
Choose a target with enough room for access, power, and a conveyor route, not just a favorable scanner reading.
Repeat, collect and use
Repeat the survey whenever demand changes or a nearby source is depleted. Each new target requires its own route and placement check.
Common mistakes
Digging before selecting a needed resource can leave you with an inconvenient site; let a real stock shortage guide the survey.
Confusing a vein marker with an ordinary deposit leads to the wrong miner setup; check for a specific drill point.
Removing too much terrain at once can complicate access; excavate a controllable route and keep a return path.
When to stop or switch
Stop prospecting when you have found a reachable target that can meet the current shortage and you can route its output. Resume when stock or demand indicates another source is needed.
