Miner Class Discussion Thread

[Purplenv]

Is it just me or the hints are wrong most of the times (at least in Gridania area)?

I was checking out new BTN 20 (I'm rank 23) leves in Tranquil and by following the "You sense X right/above/below where you are logging" never got the expected result.

I usually start logging one (for big trees) or two (for smaller ones) notches below the middle, mainly trying for log and branches and it works pretty good (around bloodshore and horizon): if I get branches on the first attempt there is a good chance of getting a log in one or two more tries at the same position. After I find whatever I'm looking for once, moving one notch below (or above if I'm above the middle) usually yelds the same result as the previous position.
Now, following "my" pattern I can usually go 3/3 or 3/4 for leves that ask you for straight oak log (or the like for tranquil/bloodshore), where follwing the hints always lead to junk.

Notches are very important now, and can amplify your desired results to a large degree.

Every item now has its own sweat spot. This is NOT on a per node basis, and IS only consistant for the specific item.

What you will want to resord, is the harvested item, or even the damaged item, your position on the notch scale, and wether it said the item was sensed higher or lower. If you are on the sweat spot, it says something about the item being exactly where you are targeting.

Few things,

You can not force an item to drop from a node that is not naturally on its loot list. (Pine trees only drop pine logs, and branches, you can not make the node give you yew materials)
The same type of tree can different additional item reqards, not all yew trees across all areas also have crow feathers on their loot list.
Targeting the sweat spot only increases the chance for the targeted item, you will still get other misc items from the nodes loot table.

Create a list, recognize your node type as quickly as possible, and target your best result from that node.

Few methods to record the notch scale,
Starting point is zero, and you have +5, or -5 positions from there.
Top of the scale is 1, and goes to 11.
Top of the scale is 0, and goes to 10.

I use the last one on that list.
To give a tidbit, I would state that my results show 6 (on my scale), as the sweat spot for Oak logs. This location is most easily found by keying down one notch from the default position, however you want to call it.
(Note, I am primary Botany, and this new feature is much easier to test using botany, because it is very easy to determine the type of tree you are harvesting early on. The theory and implimentation however, still works very well for mining, and has produce almost 2 stacks of gold ore for me, since the Nov 25 patch)

[Shadowrunner]

Welp, my motherboard died, so off to deal with the world of RMA with Gigabyte. I hear not pretty tales.

Best of luck to you all til then

[Sephiroth]

The message "you sense X above/below where you are mining" almost never gets me the material it tells me. Seems like a waste of time following it lol.

[Zettofaia]

After experiencing the new system, I have to say it's actually less random than before? I don't "dislike" it anymore, once you figure everything out it's all a breeze.

From my experience (even before the patch), it seemed that each zone had at least 3 different loot tables for each node level, these loot tables belonged to specific nodes in specific spawn points that are constant regardless of how many times they are "exhausted", so all you have to do is:

1) Figure out the sweet spot for your targets in that zone/grade level.
2) Mark the different node groups (table 1 node, table 2 node, etc...)

I can also confirm (at least until I test on a bigger sample) that the sweet spot for each item is constant for every zone/grade level, so I guess it's all about research and luck now (not like it was that different before, lol).

The message "you sense X above/below where you are mining" almost never gets me the material it tells me. Seems like a waste of time following it lol.

The message doesn't imply that your target is right above or under your current level, it could be 6 notches up or down, the message only gives you a general direction.

[miokomioko]

Also, when you're on the "sweet spot" for an item, the odds are muuuch higher that you'll get that item. However, two different items' sweet spots can be in the same spot. I was going after some Yu'gram Salmon in the Black Shroud and I found that their sweet spot is shared with Pipira's. Sucks if it works out that way and you only want one of the items.

If it says above, go one notch up. Find the item again, and if it says right there, great. If it says above, go one notch up again. Repeat.

[Sephiroth]

It just seems a bit random when I can get iron sand/ore from anywhere on the notch bar even when it tells me other items are above/below me. I guess they're just nodes that have iron in every notch.

Interestingly I managed to dig up gold sand today at 27. I couldn't at 26. I found it in a rank 30 leve in Humblearth. It seems gold sand and mythril no longer appear in 30s at Nophica. I haven't seen gold sand or mythril in any leves other than that single gold sand I dug up today. I don't know what changed, but it's nice doing leves at Nophica and not having half my attempts fail because I'm breaking shit I'm too low to dig up. It does mean less mythril/gold when I can dig it up however.

[Shadowrunner]

I don't know. There are some items I can agree with, like Tin Ore, which dispite being above the target notch by 2, i mined 7 in a row.

Then there are others, like Zinc Ore, which i'll hit maybe once or twice in 4 points, but when I move to the spot I can get 2 a single trip.

I also bet that HQ versions are more often when on the sweet spot.

[miokomioko]

I also bet that HQ versions are more often when on the sweet spot.

I was going to say this because I was getting lots of multiple yields of +2 and +3s in each catch. However, it was a grade-2 location and I'm rank-30, so it could have just been my level getting those results and not the sweet spot.

[Sephiroth]

Adding more leves has certainly changed DoL. You can rank up rather quickly just by doing leves now. You can get like 13k SP doing all 6 30 leves. Best of all, it doesn't feel like grinding.

Marks are so easy to come by now too, I have like 28k.

[goodr]

I like this as a gatherer. I facepalm a bit when I think about the economy.

[Sephiroth]

So is anyone 48? I'm curious about grade 6 lol. Like what items?

[Hellfury]

lots of information about notches

confirming (with my limited mining) your observations about iron ore at bloodshore

[Purplenv]

So is anyone 48? I'm curious about grade 6 lol. Like what items?

You don't need to be rank 48 to look for, or harvest grade 6 nodes.

There are none. (other then fishing water, which has more grade variations)

[Sephiroth]

You don't need to be rank 48 to look for, or harvest grade 6 nodes.

There are none. (other then fishing water, which has more grade variations)

Good point lol. It's just a pain trying to mine the tier above before you get the next scanning ability.

I just assumed grade 6 existed since fishing has higher grades. I guess that means you don't get lay of the land VI at 48.

[miokomioko]

What rank are the various (maybe only botany) nodes I've seen in Coerthas?

[Jamison]

What rank are the various (maybe only botany) nodes I've seen in Coerthas?

Camp Glory is grade 4, Dragonhead is grade 5.

[Manako]

What rank are the various (maybe only botany) nodes I've seen in Coerthas?

near camp glory they are grade 4, dragonhead is grade 5 I have hunted down some mining points there once, but want to find a reasonably priced iron sledgehammer before I return.

[miokomioko]

Any thoughts on Field Mastery/Sharp Vision/Veteran's Trade basically upping your chance of getting the items who's sweet spot you're aiming at? That's what it's looking like to me now. Since the sweet spot indicators have been made known, it's pretty easy to step up a grade and just catch easy crap for better skill and these skills are making it even easier to just knock out bone chips, crayfish, and arrowwood branches anywhere anytime.

Also, any luck on botanists finding any Kukuru Beans?

[Sephiroth]

Where can I get mythril ore since the patch? I've not seen any in 30 leves any more.

[Telliani]

I'm wondering in certain areas where they might *ADD* grade 6 - out by blue frog, or down in broken water, places like that, etc. I never see anything out that way and I've walked around plenty, but plenty of trees and grass and just seems like there ought to be more added to the more remote locations.