# Digging for rocks

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [March 3, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035 "2015-03-03T17:35:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CosmicKobal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@CosmicKobal](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/CosmicKobal)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/1 "2015-03-03T17:35:51Z")

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I don’t now about the rest of you, but sometimes i have to travel up to 20 tiles away from my base just to find enough rocks for my early game projects(field tip arrows, pebbles, fireplace, stone knife/axe, etc.). even after that, i still need to travel far away or burn down a house(which might not be nearby either, since I prefer the wilderness option).

I like the idea of being able to use a digging stick or shovel to find rocks. I would assume that the same method could be used that fishing poles use to catch fish. maybe every now and then you could find other things as well? old arrowhead, bones, grubs, etc.

any thoughts?

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**Author:** ![Blaze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Blaze](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Blaze)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/2 "2015-03-03T17:45:35Z")

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I strike the earth with a pickaxe. Dig/Mine downwards (or go into a basement/mine) and use a pickaxe/jackhammer to break down the walls for rock.

Still, it’s not a bad idea.

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**Author:** ![Valpo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/valpo/32/341_2.png) [@Valpo](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Valpo)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/3 "2015-03-03T17:46:28Z")

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i used a jackhammer to dig underground and then proceeded to hammer out the rock which yields stuff… stone mostly.

of course you can not do that early game.

However zheres another thought:

Digging out rocks would probably take longer then finding the ones that are lieing arround randomly.  
Wheres the benefit for early game survivors then?

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**Author:** ![CosmicKobal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@CosmicKobal](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/CosmicKobal)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/4 "2015-03-03T17:49:10Z")

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the benefit is in not being at additional risk from mi-go/moose/bear/wolf, etc…

I try not to travel unless required until i’ve had a chance to get archery up to 2 or 3 and can actually defend myself.

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**Author:** ![Valpo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/valpo/32/341_2.png) [@Valpo](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Valpo)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/5 "2015-03-03T17:52:32Z")

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You see farther then all of those.  
So you can pull a 180 once you spot an unbeatable enemy and leg it.  
But i guess in the unlikely event of beeing boxed in it might yield some benefit.

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**Author:** ![CosmicKobal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@CosmicKobal](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/CosmicKobal)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/6 "2015-03-03T17:56:14Z")

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what about rocks being a by-product of tilling soil then? might be useful to be able to make a stone fence as well. be useful to keep critters away from veggies and solar panels

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**Author:** ![Blaze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Blaze](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Blaze)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/7 "2015-03-03T17:56:36Z")

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Perhaps add “potential” byproducts for digging a pit?

Dirt - Used to build mounds, transplant soil, fill in shallow pits, etc (Though carrying it around is another thing entirely).  
Rock/Pebbles - Naturally.  
Worms/Grubs - For bait. And possibly cooking but eh.  
Random trash item - Small chance

Anything else?

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**Author:** ![CosmicKobal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@CosmicKobal](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/CosmicKobal)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 6:23pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/8 "2015-03-03T18:23:28Z")

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[quote=“Blaze, post:7, topic:9035”]Perhaps add “potential” byproducts for digging a pit?

Dirt - Used to build mounds, transplant soil, fill in shallow pits, etc (Though carrying it around is another thing entirely).  
Rock/Pebbles - Naturally.  
Worms/Grubs - For bait. And possibly cooking but eh.  
Random trash item - Small chance

Anything else?[/quote]

Liking this one

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**Author:** ![Zireael](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/zireael/32/956_2.png) [@Zireael](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zireael)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/9 "2015-03-03T18:39:25Z")

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Like both original idea and Blaze’s.

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**Author:** ![Packbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Packbat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Packbat)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 2:51am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/10 "2015-03-04T02:51:43Z")

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I think rocky soil could be incorporated into the eventual z-levels update, too - dig a shallow pit, get a metric crapton of loose dirt and rocks to haul away; dig deeper, ditto.

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**Author:** ![Catfoodbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee59a6/32.png) [@Catfoodbob](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Catfoodbob)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 6:03am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/11 "2015-03-04T06:03:08Z")

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perhaphs mountain terrain, wherin the ground is stone and loud noises could cause avalanche,

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**Author:** ![Zireael](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/zireael/32/956_2.png) [@Zireael](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zireael)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/12 "2015-03-04T15:57:07Z")

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Z-levels are being worked on slowly, that doesn’t mean avalanches will be possible soon…

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**Author:** ![Coolthulhu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/coolthulhu/32/2446_2.png) [@Coolthulhu](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Coolthulhu)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/13 "2015-03-04T16:17:34Z")

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> [@Zireael](#):
>
> Z-levels are being worked on slowly, that doesn’t mean avalanches will be possible soon…

I’m working quite fast, it’s just that we have a feature freeze now. Once 0.C is out, I’ll be spamming PRs.

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**Author:** ![Packbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Packbat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Packbat)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/14 "2015-03-04T18:12:03Z")

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> [@Coolthulhu](#):
>
> [quote=“Zireael, post:12, topic:9035”]Z-levels are being worked on slowly, that doesn’t mean avalanches will be possible soon…

I’m working quite fast, it’s just that we have a feature freeze now. Once 0.C is out, I’ll be spamming PRs.[/quote]  
Is “w00t~!” an appropriate thing to say at this juncture? 😃

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CosmicKobal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@CosmicKobal](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/CosmicKobal)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/15 "2015-03-04T19:10:51Z")

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> [@Packbat](#):
>
> [quote=“Coolthulhu, post:13, topic:9035”][quote=“Zireael, post:12, topic:9035”]Z-levels are being worked on slowly, that doesn’t mean avalanches will be possible soon…

I’m working quite fast, it’s just that we have a feature freeze now. Once 0.C is out, I’ll be spamming PRs.[/quote]  
Is “w00t~!” an appropriate thing to say at this juncture? :D[/quote]

ditto ditto, 100 times ditto…

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**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 3:56am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/16 "2015-04-13T03:56:09Z")

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> [@CosmicKobal](#):
>
> what about rocks being a by-product of tilling soil then? might be useful to be able to make a stone fence as well. be useful to keep critters away from veggies and solar panels

That’s a really good point actually, New England is notoriously stony due to rocks that dropped out of glaciers.  
I’d like a way to exhaust it so you can’t just till one patch of soil for infinite stones, but that’s the only real caveat.

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**Author:** ![Chezzo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/chezzo/32/429_2.png) [@Chezzo](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Chezzo)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/17 "2015-04-13T18:56:55Z")

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I totally agree, Kevin. There should not be free fireplaces under every tile.

They grow should grow back, though! Even on the surface.

I spent a lot of summers picking rocks in farmer’s fields in New York. We would have a field completely cleared, and we’d come back the next year and there would be a whole 'nother crop of not at all small rocks. Like we hadn’t even done it the year before.

I figured there had to be some sort of annual meteor storm I was missing. [Turns out](http://www.quora.com/What-is-the-scientific-reason-for-the-perpetual-need-to-pick-rocks-from-a-farmers-field-i-e-how-do-they-continually-rise-to-the-surface), the crappy winters were freezing the water in a pillar of dirt underneath the rock before it froze everything else. Water expands as it’s frozen and the rocks are raised out of the soil like [Steven Tyler rises up out of the stage.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc7_TUkwf3M)

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**Author:** ![Blaze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Blaze](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Blaze)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 10:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/18 "2015-04-13T22:00:22Z")

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Perhaps a variant of regular dirt, that gives rocks/pebbles when dug/tilled/etc?

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**Author:** ![Miloch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/miloch/32/1339_2.png) [@Miloch](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Miloch)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/19 "2015-04-13T23:12:50Z")

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I’m from New Hampshire. It’s known as the granite state for a reason. You have rocks EVERYWHERE. They are extremely common. And not just the little crap you build campfires out of. I’m talking car sized rocks are quite common. Obvious in more developed areas they’ll have moved them out. A friend’s family built them a new house. About 300 feet away they piled all the major rocks that were on the property (and in the way of the foundation). The pile was taller then the house and quite large in diameter (guessing as it’s been years). These rocks ranged from about half a sedan to twice the size of a modern sedan. New England has lots and lots of rocks. 😛  
Let me see if I can find some photos of some of the areas in New England I’ve lived.

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**Author:** ![Coolthulhu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/coolthulhu/32/2446_2.png) [@Coolthulhu](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Coolthulhu)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/digging-for-rocks/9035/20 "2015-04-14T14:13:32Z")

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Boulders would be cool. 1 tile walls (possibly bigger) that you can smash into small rocks, provided you have a good smashing tool.

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