Topic

Reverse engineering the mining algorithm

Here is what I think is the mining algorithm:

Rocks can be standard or "huge" (except metal rocks that are only standard).

A standard rock has a basic capacity of 50 chucks. A "huge" rock has a basic capacity of 150.

Each time you use your pick, you get between 3 or 10 chunks. Before the reset, I believe it was between 4 and 10. It does not seem that the number of chunks depends on your mood.

When there is less chunks still available in the rock, you still get between 3 and 10 rocks. This is the reason why, from a full standard rock, you get between 50 and 59 chunks, and from a huge rock between 150 and 159.

Posted 7 months ago by Ygasuasu Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • Also, I believe the average number of chunks per pick varies between rock types with the notionally higher value rocks (e.g. sparkly) having lower average yields but with higher values. My suspicion was that this was to make a miner roughly the same off financially mining sparkly or dullite, but who knows. iirc, sparkly yields the smallest average chunks per pick (and never reaches nine or ten per pick) while dullite and metal have higher minimums and maximums with correspondingly higher averages. At one point I tracked this (yes, I'm a geek) over many hundreds of picks.  I should see if I can find that data......

    *wanders off, distracted by a butterfly....*
    Posted 7 months ago by Koftun Subscriber! | Permalink
  • You know, this has been bugging me. I couldn't figure out why I was sometimes getting more that 50 chunks from a rock. Now it makes sense! That last time I mine, before the rock disappears, the game assigns me a random number between 3 and 10, regardless of how many chunks are left from the original 50 in the rock. Thank you for explaining this. 

    Edited to add:

    Also, I think we all just proved that we are complete dorks who are way too interested in game-mechanic details. 

    *tries to look like a normal person*
    Posted 7 months ago by Sirentist Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Here you go
    Posted 7 months ago by MarbhDamhsa Subscriber! | Permalink