[Tip] Updated: Discover if it's a vent, volcano or geyser without digging it

[mathmanican]

The devs finally made a change that prevents @SamLogan's old tip (archived, but I included a link below) from working. The ladder won't change color from white to red anymore as you hover over spots that are not buildable. However, the same tip works great if you just click. The ladder icon gets placed in all the squares except the ones where the geyser is. For example, the picture below is clearly a vent (any attempt to build a ladder in the remaining spots will be rejected).

Here's the old post. Thanks for that tip @SamLogan.

 

 

I just noticed that @FierceClaws and @Yunru made basically the same comment, but with tiles (not ladders) in the original tip.  The devs did make a change this last update though, that stopped the ladder icon from turning red when hovering over hidden things. 

[tzionut]

Now it doesn't work anymore. At least whit leaders. If you try whit doors you will see it's the same principle. 

Best regards  

Post Edit:

[crypticorb]

It's been a while since I unearthed a new vent, but can't you simply dig out a single tile of the base of the vent/volcano/geyser? It will uncover and discover it, but unless I'm mistaken, the geyser won't output with a single tile uncovered.

[blash365]

@crypticorb:

I always dig out one of the lower tiles. The geysers stay dormant then.

But i think they will start emitting their gases, when you dig out a tile at the top.

[mathmanican]

4 hours ago, crypticorb said:

It's been a while since I unearthed a new vent, but can't you simply dig out a single tile of the base of the vent/volcano/geyser? It will uncover and discover it, but unless I'm mistaken, the geyser won't output with a single tile uncovered.

I prefer to not open any tiles, as that forces me to build a pump to vacuum out the room. Instead, I always surround the thing with lots of tiles and then access it via a crude/petro waterlock, deconstructing tiles as I go. 

4 hours ago, blash365 said:

I always dig out one of the lower tiles. The geysers stay dormant then.

They won't start emitting anything until you remove the tile that is in the second row above the neutronium, second column over. All natural vent/geyser/volcanoes, emit their materials in a plus shaped region centered on this specific spot (similar to how pumps work). Leaving that single tile blocked will prevent anything from happening.

[beowulf2010]

Alternatively, you can just change the priority of the hidden geyser/vent/volcano. 

[avc15]

8 hours ago, crypticorb said:

It's been a while since I unearthed a new vent, but can't you simply dig out a single tile of the base of the vent/volcano/geyser? It will uncover and discover it, but unless I'm mistaken, the geyser won't output with a single tile uncovered.

the biggest benefit is you can get an idea what it is as soon as the FOV lifts. So you can decide whether to even bother digging over to it.

[beowulf2010]

2 minutes ago, avc15 said:

the biggest benefit is you can get an idea what it is as soon as the FOV lifts. So you can decide whether to even bother digging over to it.

Exactly. Early on I have no interest in volcanoes and minimal interest in the taller 2x4 shapes. If I see a 4x2, I'm checking it ASAP and hopefully it's not a leaky oil.