When should I start worrying about metal ores?

[Gus Smedstad]

I’ve uncovered the entire map, and mined most of the ore. Not all of it at this point by any means, but enough that I’m starting to get concerned that I’m going to run out of ore. I’ve got a single copper volcano which I’ve got under control, but many tasks require raw ore rather than refined metal, and higher temperature things require gold amalgam ore or steel.

I understand there’s metal available from space missions, but how much of a reserve do I need to get to it? I’ve got the top layer protected from meteors with bunker doors covering the entire width of the map, but I haven’t begun to set up a space scanner network or a way of clearing away all the regolith that’s accumulated on top of the doors.

I’m guessing that if I’m to run space missions, I’m to need a scanner network at least. I could control the doors manually, I suppose, and close them immediately afterward. But don’t I need space scanners to detect the returning rocket to open the doors? Lest the rocket destroy them on the way back? And how many do I need? I know the rule is 6 scanners set to detect meteors for the full 200 second warning for an incoming shower.

[MorsDux]

3 minutes ago, Gus Smedstad said:

I’ve uncovered the entire map, and mined most of the ore. Not all of it at this point by any means, but enough that I’m starting to get concerned that I’m going to run out of ore. I’ve got a single copper volcano which I’ve got under control, but many tasks require raw ore rather than refined metal, and higher temperature things require gold amalgam ore or steel.

I understand there’s metal available from space missions, but how much of a reserve do I need to get to it? I’ve got the top layer protected from meteors with bunker doors covering the entire width of the map, but I haven’t begun to set up a space scanner network or a way of clearing away all the regolith that’s accumulated on top of the doors.

I’m guessing that if I’m to run space missions, I’m to need a scanner network at least. I could control the doors manually, I suppose, and close them immediately afterward. But don’t I need space scanners to detect the returning rocket to open the doors? Lest the rocket destroy them on the way back? And how many do I need? I know the rule is 6 scanners set to detect meteors for the full 200 second warning for an incoming shower.

If you avoid refining your ores into refined metal at excessive amounts, you shouldnt have too much of a problem. Refined iron you get from meteors and refined copper from vulcano. Keep your ores unrefined. 

[Junksteel]

Hello,

your needs depend on what are your goals and how large is your base/dupe pop.

If you mined the entire map you have plenty of metal to do whatever you want. Specially if you consider the printing pod also spits raw metal from time to time since the last updated. You already mentioned space missions, another source of metal.

Let's imagine you built lots of stuff with all your raw metal. Even being hard to imagine you spent your last ore doing so, you can always debuild the things you don't need and give a better use for the materials you spent.

The only metal I'd be concerned a bit (and this is just paranoia, not a real threat) and would save a portion is wolframite.

About your other question, yes you would have 2 sets of networks to detect both things: meteor showers and returning rockets.

However, it's viable to build your rocket pit from steel and just let the regolith fall inside with no bunkers covering it. No damage will be caused to your rockets.

[Gamma17]

Steel, copper, iron, copper ore and iron ore are pretty easy to get from space in decent quantities.

Gold (without volcano) and wolframite/tungsten are limited.

Tungsten is useful because of its high melting temperature and to produce thermium later. It is really good idea not to use it unless necessary and to avoid refining too much of it, since some maps have relatively small quantities. Gold mostly for production of supercoolant and may be some oxylite, also - +50% decor for metal tiles and other things. There is usually a lot of gold on the map, and +overheat from gold amalgam stops being useful once you have steel, so nothing to worry about...

[SharraShimada]

At some point in the game, you gain access to infinite iron from space. At this point, if you really in trouble of running short of raw metals, you may replace wires with refined metal. That gives you plenty of raw metal back. And when you start to explore other planets/asteroids, there is plenty of raw metal to bring back home.

[Gus Smedstad]

I'm vaguely aware that there's infinite metal available from space. I was primarily concerned that I'd paint myself into a corner because I didn't have enough left to build a space program to get to the metal planets.

I think my ore shortage is largely because I've been automating some shipping tasks that were taking a lot of dupe time. Things like moving dirt around, for example. Conveyor rails are very metal ore hungry.

[lee1026]

On paper, you can replace raw metals with steel, so refining too much iron is in theory fine because you can turn the iron into steel and use it as iron ore. Lime is technically infinite with a sufficiently large Pacu farm or a lot of dupes devoted to ranching, and refined carbon is readily available from Hatches.

 

Besides, most space related stuff is built from steel, not raw metal.  Conveyor rails are the worst offender for ore as you found out, and you don't need them for going into space.

 

I think a sign of a colony running for too long is when the player start to use steel in place of ores because the player simply run out of ores.

 

 

[Mr.Trueba]

Maybe never, or when you have 50+ dupes, haha.