Mining Skill Rework
By The Duck
Last Updated 4/24/26
Hello,
I put this together because mining feels like it has a lot of potential, but right now doesn’t feel as connected or rewarding as the other skills.
These are just ideas and concepts, not expectation, but I’m hoping they might help spark some inspiration or conversation around how mining could evolve into something more engaging and meaningful for players.
TL:DR
Mining feels repetitive (not in a good way) and disconnected from the rest of the game. This proposal improves it by:
Making mining resources useful across other skills and quests.
Adding structured variation and event floors
Introducing quests and NPC interaction
Creating meaningful progression and decision making
Current Problems
1.1 Repetitive Core Loop
Gameplay loop: click tiles in grid, collect useless items, repeat.
No meaningful variation between floors
Increasing grid size adds time and resource usage, not engagement.
1.2 Lack of Resource Value
Most items mined
Are not tied to masteries
Cannot be crafted into useful items
This results in a meaningless grind, where loot feels useless.
1.3 Isolation from Other Skills
Mining does not support any other skills,
Farming, Fishing, Exploration, Cooking
Mining feels like a game within a game, instead of connected to the whole system
Feels more like Sleep RPG than anything meaningful.
1.4 Weak Progression Identity
Progression is limited
Results in larger grid and bigger number
No evolution in gameplay or strategy
Design Goals
Making mining resources meaningful and useful
Connect mining to other skills and progression systems
Add variation without removing core mechanic
Introduce decision making and pacing
Make mining feel like part of the main game loop
Proposed Systems
3.1 Resource Integration
Goal:
Ensure all mining materials have meaningful uses outside mining. Overall/remove all items found while mining, adding masteries where necessary.
Examples:
Add farm building - Ore Crusher
Crushes various ores and stone into powder/dust,
Could be for hidden gems
Powder/dust can be crafted into various limited time skill boost items
Farming
Powder/Dust used as one time to increase crop growth
Could be used to increase crop yield/xp gain
Fishing
Sprinkle powder/dust to increase manual catch rate of Gold/rare fish
Exploration
Powder/Dust increases stamina yield when exploring
Slightly increases chance to find rare items
Specifics
Ore Crusher crushes an amount of raw material i.e (50x Briomine into 1x Briomine Dust, combined with Calcifite Dust [50x Calcifite] to create Crop Powder [increases crop yield by up to .5 extra per crop.)
Deeper floor materials yield better / different results. Resources pulled from Fenrir’s Den would be better than Spring Cave.
Result
Mining becomes a support skill designed to reduce time/increase value of the other skills.
Resources gain immediate value
Encourages active and consistent engagement.
3.2 Crafting & Processing System
Goal:
Turn otherwise useless material into usable items.
Features
Refining ores into powders (See 3.1 Specifics about Ore Crusher) or materials
Crafting consumables, (Buffs or boosts)
Example
Ore -> Refined Material -> Consumable/Useable Item
Optional
Introduce an NPC (Alchemist) for meaningful conversions
Alchemist can convert x amount of refined materials into specific one-time use buff potions.
I.e 10x Embershard Dust + 10x Magmastone Powder + amount of silver = 1x Hawk Eye Potion
For x minutes, exploring has an % increase to find rare items.
3.3 Event Floor System
Structure
Every 10 floors, introduce a “special event” floor or encountered randomly i.e ( 1/50 floors)
Purpose
Break repetition and add variety
Introduce decision making
Event Types
Decision Rooms
Choose between multiple options
Reward
Neutral
Risk
I.E You encounter three doors, you can only choose one.
Reward (50x Pickaxe [Floor Dependant])
Neutral (+5 attempts on the next floor)
Risk (Lose 25 Pickaxes [Floor Dependant])
Resource Floors
Bonus Materials
Temporary buffs
Encounter Floors
NPC interaction
Trades, quests or other assistance
Hazard Floors
Modify gameplay rules slightly
Offer optional hazard floors
Increase traps in exchange for increased rewards
Option to ‘skip’ floor for no penalty
3.4 NPC Interaction System
Purpose
Add life to mining
Create meaningful choices
Provide ways to use excess materials
Example NPCS
Merchant
Buys specific ores for silver
Rotating demand
Alchemist
Converts items into single-use buff potions
Quest NPC’s
Requests specific items
Lost Miner
Found while mining,
Requests ‘escort’ to specific floor
I.e (descend 5 floors)
Requests specific ‘flavor’ item in exchange for reward
Pickaxe, explosive, lantern, rope in exchange for x.
Treasure Cache
Found stash of useful materials
I.e - pickaxe stash
3.5 Rare Floor System
Concept
Occasional special floors with unique rewards
Examples
Rare merchant
High value loot room
Design Note
Consider adding ‘pity system’ or depth based chance increase
3.6 Help Request System Integration
Goal
Tie Mining into Help Request system, to give the skill purpose
Quest Types
Find x amount of material
Reach certain depth
Escort NPC to certain floors
Retrieve rare items
Design Note
This one’s pretty open ended, maybe adding a couple quest lines for each character?
Buddy wants to ‘sightsee’ and asks to be escorted across 50 floors
He might accidentally set off traps - reducing attempts
Lorn needs material for a spell
Cid questline?
3.7 Mining Character (Cid)
Purpose
Give Cid mining themed questlines
Maybe a mining themed shop?
System Philosophy
Mining needs to evolve from
-Repeat floors for meaningless resources in its own isolated loop
To
-Mine resources that actively support and enhance the rest of the game.
Key Principles
Keep the core grid mechanic
Focus on adding value outside mining loop
Introduce structured variation
Ensure every resource has a purpose & mastery (or remove the resource)
Integrate mining into the broader game economy
Implementation Priority
High Impact - Low Effort
Resource integration into other skills
Event floors
Medium Impact
NPC interactions
Help Request integration
High Effort
Rare floor systems with potential scaling logic
Closing Note
This proposal focuses on improving mining without replacing its core identity. The goal is simple,
Making mining meaningful and more engagement
Get it out of Beta.
Even partial implementation would significantly improve interaction with the mining skill and increase long term engagement.
Closing Statement
I’m not a game developer or programer. I am just a Duck who wants to see FarmRPG grow in a meaningful way. I enjoy the mining skill and have spent some time brainstorming ways it could become more engaging and better connected to the rest of the game.
I’m sharing these ideas in the hope that they help spark discussion or provide inspiration as you continue developing the mining skill into something you’re proud of and that enhances the overall experience.
Sincerely,
The Duck
