When you're Too Scared to Mine

I have the paranoia of a rabbit and I never make it past level 10 without fleeing. Thus, life is hard and I can't get some decent iron. Any tips?

 

You’ll have to work your way down. Work your way to level 41 and just work that level over and over. Coal, gems, iron ore and copper ore appear there frequently and all you have to do is take the elevator to 40 and repeat.

The only alternative to the mines is unlocking the quarry, which is slow. The Hilltop Farm is even slower and what spawns there is dependent on your current mining skill.

There’s also buying ore from Clint if you’re holding a lot of cash.

 

I had that problem my first game. The monsters do get easier to anticipate with practice, though.

Make sure you always have a stack of food you can use to top up your health and energy in quiet moments. Small adjustments like berries give you more flexibility.

Levels 10-20 are trickier than most because the flies take a lot of hits with a rusty sword. Therefore you either need to race through these, avoiding monsters and breaking rocks like crazy, or alternatively get a better weapon. You might get one from a monster drop on levels 1-10, from fishing, or you could buy one from the Adventurers' Guild. If you can get to level 20 there is a better weapon waiting, which makes 20-40 relatively easy.

Remember, the worst that can happen is that you'll lose some money and items from your backpack and forget a few levels of the mine. You're only risking losing what you take down with you, so if you leave most stuff in a chest at the top and spend your money, the risk is very low. Go down with just your pick-axe, rusty sword and a stack of berries, with as low a bank balance as you can manage.

Good luck!

 

I never had the same problem myself, but here's what I'd suggest anyway.

If the enemies are what's giving you problems, then I'd continue going between levels 1-10 until you feel more confident when it comes to fighting them. Squigglyruth mentions flies that spawn, which yes, are very problematic early in the game. However, they're extremely easy to hear coming, as they make a loud, rather obnoxious buzzing sound when they spawn. Just keep an eye out when you hear it, and prepare to swing as soon as you see it. Honestly, I'd say that at the point you're at, those bugs will be the hardest things you'll face for a long, long while, so try and push past it and things will get easier. If one of the fog events happen (in which the screen will be covered with a green mist/fog), then just book it. Do not stick around, even if you have to start over, because those bugs will be coming after you in swarms, and it's too easy to lose all of your health when you've got so many of them after you at once. It happens on later floors, but in those cases, you'll be swarmed by bats instead, which are much easier to take out from my experience.

Something I forgot to mention, actually- somewhere, you will encounter groups of grub-looking things. Make sure to take those out as quickly as possible. If you don't manage to defeat them in time, they'll enter a cocoon they can't be damaged in. After a bit, they'll emerge as one of those flies. I think they only enter that cocoon state if you've already hit them, so try to focus on one at a time and have to only deal with that, rather than have a group of flies all coming after you.

Slimes might be a problem early on, but once you know how they work, they get much easier to defeat. If you want my advice, try and corner it. Do not let the slime get an opportunity to lunge forward- however, with knockback, it's easier said than done. If it's up against a wall, you can keep comboing it, and fortunately, hitting it interrupts its attack animation. If you can't pin it, then keep walking forward as you hit it. And if it's about to attack, try and move away. They pause for a bit before lunging, so you should be able to at least move aside.

Make sure you save your money as well and get a better weapon ASAP. I'm not sure what you have to do to unlock more weapons in the Adventurer's Guild (to the right of the mines, if you haven't found it quite yet- I expect you have, but just thought I'd mention it just in case), but when you do, get something better as soon as you can. Your Rusty Sword is honestly kind of terrible, so if you can get something even marginally better as quickly as you can possibly can, then it'll get easier. Alternatively, very rarely you can find a slime that might drop a weapon, marked by a star above its head, but I wouldn't try your luck there.

If you find yourself getting overwhelmed, there's no shame in leaving, even if you do have to start again from the last checkpoint. Get out if you have to. There aren't many consequences- Squigglyruth listed them all already- but early on in the game, it can be quite a big hit if you're not careful.

Once you have enough copper, I'd suggest upgrading your pickaxe. While it's somewhat inconsequential in these lower levels, you can at least take out the greyish-white rocks in one hit, I believe, which speeds things up a little bit if you're having to break them.

Hope this helped, and good luck in your adventuring!

 

sometimes you can get lucky with fishing treasures and find a really nice weapon for early and mid game, the Neptune's Glaive

 

The bugs have a chance to drop Ancient Seeds so they're worth the effort, at least I think so. I love going into the Mutant Bug Lair and taking them on there. That said, the mine can be overwhelming when you're fairly weak and not used to it. But just take it slowly and build yourself up, and you'll own it in no time. Then you get to try out its big brother, the Skull Cavern.

 

I'm not convinced spending money on weapons in the adventurers guild is worth it, they're pretty expensive. Then again, investing in weapons just mean you postpone investing in other stuff, which just mean that it'll take longer before you're capped out on things to buy. Long-term, you get money eventually.

On the other hand, you can use the same argument and say "If you don't enjoy the mines, just make money elsewhere and buy the ore you need from Clint".

Personally I've used the steel sword until I can pick up the pretty good sword on level 90. Although the last ten-fifteen levels or so is a bit of "enter from elevator, hope for sparse monster density, dig, hope for the best" along with occasionally some "screw this, I'm spending 99 stone on crafting some stairs right now!"

If you want to try and overcome your unease, I'd recommend you to aim for 5 levels each time you attempt it. Make it your goal to get to the next elevator stop. A concrete and manageable goal to focus on. It's okay if it takes a while until you're comfortable with it. If iron is your goal, you aim for unlocking level 45 and then you can just run 40-45 like nevyn21 said.

As a side note: I've actually never found the Skull Cavern to be worth it compared to the hassle of spelunking it. You can buy irridium sprinklers and eventually you can get a steady small income of irridium ore without you having to do anything, which adds up.

 

The first time I did the mines I was overwhelmed. I kept trying to get as far as I could and would end up dying or passing out because I forgot the time. But then I started doing just five levels at a time. Get that elevator so you can start tomorrow at the lower level. Winter is the best time for the mines as there is little else to do. Just make sure you have as much food as you can carry and plug away at it. Once you can get bombs it makes the going a little easier, rock clears quickly and stairs are easier to find. Just don't be like me and push your luck too far. Remember slow and steady wins the race. Another thing I did early on is place a chest beside the elevator so that if I had to dump off some stuff it was really easy. Leave things you don't need at the farm, like the scythe, water can and fishing rod. This is good when you have limited space in your small backpack. I also keep a supply of bombs in the chest for those spur of the moment mine runs. Good luck and have fun.

 

Just my two cents... For me it's much easier attacking upward. Pin slimes and grubs in a corner and just keep beating on them. If there's no corner close, get below them and keep knocking them toward the upper wall. When the screen goes foggy EAT(if you need it). When the flies start swarming face upward and just keep swinging. They might hit you once from behind, but the knockback from your weapon will push them upward and their next pass will come from above. By continually attacking the swarm in just one direction, that's the direction they keep coming back from.

EDITING: Don't be afraid to buy a weapon from the guild. People say it isn't necessary but I'm curious how many of them plunged straight to the bottom on their first playthrough. But the wooden sword offered in the guild is not as good as the one you get for free on level 20.

 

Just realize that dying in the mine is not really that bad. You'll lose a couple of items, some cash and a bit of level progress in the mine and that's it.
Bring a good sword, buy the best one you can from the guild. Practice is the easiest and best way to get over that fear and a good sword will help you practice. You'll learn how the monsters behave and how to deal with them. Best way to deal with any monster, except the flying ones, is to flee, don't fight them if you don't have to, just walk away from them and work your way down. You don't need to clean out every level

 

The guild selection is entirely based on your depth in the mine. Myself, if I haven't got something better than the sword from level 20 by level 30, I'll buy the Cutlass. I used to buy the Bone Sword at level 80, until I realized how much could be saved by just pushing down to the free Obsidian Edge on level 90. For a first playthrough, Bone Sword rocks and is a decent purchase.

 

Thanks for the info! I thought all this time that it would have been based on combat level. If I play through the game again, that'll be good to keep in mind.

I don't remember if I bought the Bone Sword or kept using the Cutlass (probably the latter, I love using the Cutlass), but looking at it now, I'd agree that's it's best to just stick with the Cutlass for those extra ten levels.

 

Take it slowly. Get a sense of the rhythms of the various monsters you encounter. Learn how fast/slow your character is. Stuff your inventory for useful foods, not just to heal, but for their effects. Enter a mine area, and watch for whatever moves before you go any further. Check the Wikipedia for info on the mine and everything you'll encounter there. Always keep in mind the time of day, so you'll never leave too late to make it back for a good sound sleep.

 

My advice... Don't click your mouse in a different direction than the monster is from your farmer!!! For example, if the monster is in front of you, don't have your mouse cursor behind the farmer and then click it... he'll TURN to face the stupid mouse and swing his weapon! I've died so many times in the mines because of that stupid 'feature'! Sure it's handy when you're hoeing or watering to turn to where you're clicking, but when your fishing or fighting a mob?!? Gahhhhh...
I've peeled so much paint off my walls cursing out my little guy because of that...

 

This is why playing on the PS4 is so much better you are always facing the right way to kill a monster. IF I had the game for my PC I would still want a controller, I don't like using a mouse and moving with the keyboard, a controller is so much easier. That said, in the dark levels before I have the glow ring it can be a little difficult to see where the monster is and even where a stair is. I wish the bombs killed the monsters but they don't, some are damaged a little but most aren't affected at all. The one exception is the mummies in skull cavern, you need to knock them down first and then set a bomb down to actually kill them. It is so satisfying to kill mummies! I hate mummies!

 

I used to hate this but then saw this on a youtube vid: carry a single torch with you (or get one from a level somewhere). When you can't see what's around you, select the torch. The farmer will hold it over his head and light the area around you. Handy!

 

When I get to level 30 I generally craft about a dozen torches, if I haven't collected any in the upper levels. Then like you say, carry one into the dark, and when I hear a monster or bat I just put down the torch to light the larger area. For convenience, unless I'm running low, I'll usually just leave them behind after putting them down. Which is probably why you see torches all over the place. Litterbugs like me.

 

You can also collect the torches you occasionally come across.

 

I agree with BentFX. Once you hit level 30, using the short sword you receive on level 20 just takes too much time to kill mobs. The cutlass, or Pirate sword if you are short of cash, will see you through to level 90.

A good supply of food is a must for a long mine run. I try to keep 1 or 2 Big heal food, in case I get back to back Flying insects swarms. I really try not to let my character below 1/2 health. Early on, Onions and Field Snacks are my food of choice. Later the Salmonberries do the trick as they aren't worth much and foraging 3 of the 4 days usually nets me in 150 or so range.

I don't know how it works on consuls but on the PC combat can be tricksy . Getting used to the mechanics of combat can be frustrating. Pinning a mob against wall and whack it and whack'em and whack'em and whack'em, is a solid tactic. I learned that maneuvering around and coming up from the bottom works much better than side to side or top to bottom. I always have problems with my character swinging around and facing the wrong way especially attacking side to side.

A torch is rather necessary early on, and especially on levels 30-39. As they are laying around, its easy to pick one up. if not, the chests and barrels do a good job of supplying sap and wood. Remember you can place it while you fight then whack it with your pick and pick it back up.

 

Or, just don't fight them at all.

Seriously.

Particularly if they cannot fly. If they can't, position yourself to keep rocks between you and them, and bash more rocks to find ladders. If they can fly then you might have to take a stand against a swarm, but not always an individual.

Take plenty of food, and you can easily accept a few hits from most monsters and replenish while you look for ladders

The only nasty ones are in levels 80 and deeper, but other than that you'll soon find them more of a nuisance than a genuine threat.

Until you reach the bottom, always focus on getting down the next five levels to save it to the elevator. As soon as there is a ladder, take it. If you get to a new floor, and there's already a ladder visible, head straight onndown. See that gem over there, the other side of the level from the ladder? Yeah, go for the ladder - leave the gem and just go down the ladder

Ignore the ore and other shiny things for now, you can easily come back later on the elevator and farm ore, or find gems.

Getting down really deep opens up access to much better weapons and boots, making you virtually invincible on the shallower levels.

Farming ore later is much, much faster than trying to get it on the way down. An average day of farming can turn up 250-300 ore, a really good day over 400

If you still want to get good at combat, you can then practise your technique with elite weapons against weak monsters, then progress to harder monsters, then practise again with the weaker weapons once you have improved your technique

To those saying it's OK to get knocked out in the mines, it really isn't. You could lose your weapon, and you will lose some of the floors you have already fought so hard to get. Mine smarter



Oh, last thing, did I mention that you should take the ladder?