Ryzom

Is there any benefit to prospecting for two sites when you are digging solo? I've been told it helps conserve focus but it seems that would only be the case if you are getting mats from both sites. I get mats from only one site, as the 2nd site disappears as I am finishing the 1st.

Also, does prospecting 2 sites use up the source faster? I seem to be getting about the same number of mats (but I am not sure of this) as when I prospect only a single site.

And lastly, is there anywhere a list of tips for digging at various levels. I'm currently lvl 93 forest and digging 5 mats (barely ) per time using forest specialization on the dig. I don't know whether that is good or bad, or if I could fiddle my stanzas or train some more skills to get it higher.

thanks for any insights

Hi Quickblade,

I'm far from the best to answer such questions, but I can tell you that as you gain harvesting levels the nodes you prospect will stay up longer, until at last you can get to the second one before it disappears.

Many will tell you never to use foraging time bonuses in your prospection action. I tend to see just how much extra time I can use and still get to that next node, but that may not be the optimum solution. Right now I can use time bonus 4 and still get a second node, but not if I use time bonus 5.

"They" tell me that eventually you can get to more than two nodes, even without killing the source early, but I haven't gotten to that point yet, myself. Not even with all time bonuses removed.

Hopefully some of the many people who know far more than I do will reply more fully, and correct any errors I've made as well.

prospecting for just two. well yes as you noticed you will only be able to extract one, however even at this stage their are advangatages for doing it

depending on your prospecting action they maybe of different materials or quality grades so if you dont like the look of first can dig the second, similarly one might have a really low number of mats available - although this probably wont be an issue until level 150 or so.

however when you can learn prospect for 3 sources you should be able to dig from 2 of them if you are fast (* actually this was a while ago for me so maybe its prospect 4 dig 2?)

more general thoughts:
* other people can dig your sources, you will both get xp
* time bonus is a useful thing during the first half of your havesting career, it becomes less useful and eventually a really bad thing.. but if you have the spare SP can be good to train up.
* there are some rites that give bonuses specific to harvesting, ask around in guild/uni/here.. there is one that 'they' will tell you not to get, i have it, it hasnt ruined my life but i cant compare to what it would be like without so maybe do some research before persuing it.
* whats really, really, really useful is the terrain spec's you get at lv50 (lv150 PR) save some sp for them, and specific to you make sure you use the spec in prospect action as well
* care planning (cp) is awesome for many reasons but not really needed until after lv100, better option is to cancel your action if the source is about to blow
* keep up with speed upgrades for prospecting. not only will it improve your xp rate and lessen deadtime, at some point it becomes practical to prospect mid-dig which apart from the obvious benefit opens up a few more tricks for the cunning digger
* oh and digging is great

If you need any focus light armor gimme a shout, although i am not playing much atm. new job and wipeout HD eating up free time

Thanks to both of you for the good information.

I could have got prospect 3 sources a while ago but did not see the need. I'll try it and also adding a time bonus. And I guess it wouldn't hurt to do some team digging either, especially if i'm prospecting 3 sources

best,

I seem to remember way back when. (when i was leveling my first Harvest) That at the point when I got 3 nodes with max time I was able to get to the 2nd node if I was quick. Wasnt until prospecting for 4 nodes that i could get the second every time. Of course as I said That was ages ago.



(does jedi mind trick... "I was never here")

mikeinspain wrote:Thanks to both of you for the good information.

I could have got prospect 3 sources a while ago but did not see the need. I'll try it and also adding a time bonus. And I guess it wouldn't hurt to do some team digging either, especially if i'm prospecting 3 sources

best,

Just be aware that the time bonus affects how long you can keep extracting from a node once you begin extraction, not how long it stays up after prospection. Extracting for less time from each of two nodes is preferable to extracting longer from just one node, both in terms of mats acquired and especially in terms of XP gained.

Sasi -- Yes, I see now that a time bonus does not have a role in being able to harvest a 2nd source.

And I've confirmed that prospecting 3 sources enables me to harvest 2 of them.

The mats are starting to gush into my inventory

thanks all

Here's a related question regarding the quality of all those multiple sources: When a prospect brings up, for example, choice or fine mats, can a higher quality such as excellent also be present? If higher quality mats can be present, is the only way to find out to prospect for that quality only? (for example, prospect for excellent only).

I've run into excellent mats a few times and they seemed to be mixed with choice. Later I've gone back and only been able to find choice, though I'm not certain I'm prospecting in the exact spots. (Keep losing map markers, I assume due to system crashes).

I understand that the mats quality varies with the season (and possibly other factors?) so I don't expect the excellent shell I found in a spot to be there every time. I just don't want to be missing the higher quality stuff when it is there.

mikeinspain wrote:Here's a related question regarding the quality of all those multiple sources: When a prospect brings up, for example, choice or fine mats, can a higher quality such as excellent also be present? If higher quality mats can be present, is the only way to find out to prospect for that quality only? (for example, prospect for excellent only).

I've run into excellent mats a few times and they seemed to be mixed with choice. Later I've gone back and only been able to find choice, though I'm not certain I'm prospecting in the exact spots. (Keep losing map markers, I assume due to system crashes).

I understand that the mats quality varies with the season (and possibly other factors?) so I don't expect the excellent shell I found in a spot to be there every time. I just don't want to be missing the higher quality stuff when it is there.

Yes, nodes of different quality may be present together at times, and yes, Excellent and Supreme are generally seasonal or otherwise periodic. There are two ways I can think of to know which is which.

The first is to use a sufficient level of Knowledge in your prospecting action, which will tell you "Excellent Forest Beng Amber" or some such. You may not yet have that Knowledge stanza, depending on your foraging level.

The second is to prospect for Excellent Only or Supreme Only, which will filter out any lower nodes.

As for losing your map markers, that is a known and annoying bug, with some workarounds. The first is to back up the "save" folder in your Ryzom folder and restore it if you lose data in a crash. The second is to use an automated script or program to handle that for you. I've personally used "Rystore" since it was announced on the forum here, and have had very good success with it.

mikeinspain wrote:Here's a related question regarding the quality of all those multiple sources: When a prospect brings up, for example, choice or fine mats, can a higher quality such as excellent also be present? If higher quality mats can be present, is the only way to find out to prospect for that quality only? (for example, prospect for excellent only).

I've run into excellent mats a few times and they seemed to be mixed with choice. Later I've gone back and only been able to find choice, though I'm not certain I'm prospecting in the exact spots. (Keep losing map markers, I assume due to system crashes).

I understand that the mats quality varies with the season (and possibly other factors?) so I don't expect the excellent shell I found in a spot to be there every time. I just don't want to be missing the higher quality stuff when it is there.

This will take a wee bit of explainin so bear with me here...and my applolgies for spelling errors...mind elsewhere...

These are the rules I found for Surface Excels...

With just one exception, all places where you can find Excelent Grade (craftable) mats you will find Choice mats of the same kind. Not every place with Basic/Fine (craftable) mats has any Excel mats of any sort.

All Excel spots but that one are Seasonal, weather, and sometimes time dependant. Which is why those spots you went back to you could not find Excel mats again. From what I found ages past, the spots where you find the Excel mats, the Choice mats of the same type (eg Beckers Bark) are also seasonal and weather dependant, sometimes time as well.

Oh and on the Surface, all the excel (craftable) mats spots, are only availible in 2 seasons. (again there is the one exception)


For the PR and Nexus, similar rules are found.

In PR and Nexus, you will not find Basic or Fine grade mats. Essentially they would be redundant (at least in PR, as PR mats are usuable in all race craft plans). All the Grades are Seasonal, weather dependant, with some being time dependant as well (Sup Hash amber in Nexus is one that comes to mind).

As far as your question reguarding wether or not to use Choice/excel only... That is dependant on your harvesting style. As I recal I had set up an action for each Prospect for "grade" only. And when I went around looking for new places or looking for a specific mat type (bark/oil/resin ect), I would use the Upto "grade" so that if there is something that happens to be up and seasonal I would pick it up, as well as almost guarenteeing that I will pick something up if None of the Seasonal stuff was up in my range. Once I learned where mats were and what/when they were avalible I would only use the "grade" only prospections.

I personally only used knowlege 2 and knowlege 3 when im looking for new mat spots. If i already knew where the mats where I would just stick with Knowlege 1, and material specific prospecting (on the surface) (PR with some exceptions dont need the mat specific once you know what is there)