Stars Reach Blog Talks “Diggy Holes”… That’s Mining

A couple of weeks after Playable Worlds announced the upcoming Kickstarter for Stars Reach, the developer is highlighting the importance of mining in the MMORPG. A post published on the game’s site details the features of mining and what makes it different from those found in other games.

Some of these differences come down to the various types of materials that players will be dealing with as well as the impact of heat on those materials. Some materials will be difficult to dig through, while others might just crumble easily. When heat is applied, some will even melt into lava. Of course, that lava will eventually cool down and a whole new rock may be left in its place. Players can also expect water to erode rock over time as well.

Another interesting feature of this system is that players can mine everything until it’s gone, completely depleting a world of all its minerals. It’s not the ideal thing to do since it can make the world uninhabitable, but it is an option.

Each world will have different mineral statistics, meaning that those found in one world may be stronger or weaker than others. At the same time, similar minerals in different worlds can have different weights. All of this plays into how players will use the minerals to craft items. It’s a much more detailed system than what’s typically found in MMOs.

As for mining, players will use an item called a Terraformer to cut tunnels through the ground. The dig will be scanned and good materials will be placed into the player’s inventory. All the other materials are placed into a hopper that can be leveled up over time to hold more.

While digging, players will have to deal with danger. This comes in the form of tunnel collapse, something which has apparently killed a lot of testers. Solutions are pretty much what you’d expect. Players have to find ways to shore up the tunnels to keep them from coming down on their heads. Also, gases are a problem. That said, they’re also useful materials, provided players have the related mining subspeciality.

The post on Stars Reach mining is quite a bit more detailed than this. If you’re planning on playing, it’s worth the read. Otherwise, getting going might be a bit more difficult.

On a side note, another post is now available on the game’s site. This one is pure lore and is titled “Timurr Drawermol’s Comeback Novel”. If you’re interested in the game’s world, there's a little lore something for you.