Analyse

Analyse is an action granted by the prospecting skill. When used on recently mined rock shards, or even ores, it allows you to determine if any ore veins are nearby the tile the shard was mined from, as well as their approximate distance from that tile. The action is first unlocked at prospecting skill level 20. To Analyse, activate a pickaxe, right-click a rock shards, and select "Analyse."

Event messages

• "You are unable to work out how to analyse the shard." - You are below prospecting skill level 20.
• "It looks like someone has tampered with the rock shards and therefore you decide not to analyse it." - The shard has already been analysed and is unable to be analysed again. Also appears if part of the shards have been used to make something or used in improving.
• "The rock shards looks too old for a decent analysis and therefore you decide not to analyse it." - Appears if you try to analyse a shard from a bulk storage bin. (Also may be given if the shard really is too old?)

How to use

When analysing a shard, several messages will appear in the event window over several seconds.

Depending on your prospecting skill, you will receive different amounts of information from the shard. Nearby ores will appear as traces every few lines. The strength of the traces shows the distance from the tile the shard originated from, to the tile with the ore vein. The level of your prospecting skill will determine the strength of the traces you can detect.

The four different strengths:

• "Traces" - Shows for ore that is 1 tile away. Unlocked with Analyse at prospecting level 20.
• "Slight traces" - Shows for ore that is 2 tiles away. Unlocked with Analyse at prospecting level 20.
• "Faint traces" - Shows for ore that is 3 tiles away. Unlocked at prospecting level 30. (Needs confirmation)
• "Minuscule traces" - Shows for ore that is 4 tiles away. Unlocked at prospecting level 40. (Needs confirmation)
• "Vague traces" - Shows for ore that is 5 tiles away. Unlocked at prospecting level 70. (Needs confirmation)

The distance away from the analysed rock shard/tile is a square of radius equivalent to the distance.

Additionally, at prospecting level 80, you can see the quality of the ore veins you find. Rather than a specific quality, it lists a range of quality. This is the same vein quality system used in prospecting.

The ranges are:

• Poor: 20-29 QL
• Acceptable: 30-39 QL
• Normal: 40-59 QL
• Good: 60-79 QL
• Very good: 80-94 QL
• Utmost: 95-99 QL

Example

This is a possible analyse readout at prospecting level 20-29:

• You start to analyse the shard.
• Lots of different sized rock shards.
• You notice a trace of silver ore.
• You take a closer look.
• You notice a slight trace of iron ore.
• You finish analysing the shard.

This indicates that the silver ore is within one tile of the analysed rock shard/tile. So it could be one tile North, South, East, West, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, or Northeast of the analysed tile. It is the square of tiles immediately surrounding the analysed one. Each increment of distance beyond this is the square of tiles immediately surrounding the previous one. In this example the second square, of distance two, holds the iron ore.

Notes

Certain knowledge

• Rare pickaxe will not add another line of information.
• At least the first two lines can show the QL range of the vein.
• There's some randomness to the information you get, so it's worth analyzing several rocks in the same spot.
• Once a rock shard has been analysed it cannot be analysed again.
• Ores may also be analysed.
• There is a skill tick chance for each trace strength analysis. (ex. If you can go up to "faint traces" you get 3 skill tick chances.)
• You get more prospecting skill gain when you have lower stamina.
• It is possible to detect two veins in the same distance zone. Both can have its quality range listed, each on separate lines.

Reasonably certain knowledge

• Prospecting skill influences the quality of information.
• Higher rock quality influence the quality of information.

Speculation

• Flint and salt detection may be possible (if not now, in the future.)

See also

• Prospecting