Mining to Keep Mining
Part of what you dig goes right back into keeping the dig going.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- Design focus
- Economy · Risk · Optimization
No.056Deep Rock Galactic01The core loop
Action → feedback → next choice- 01Gather common supplies
- 02Convert to fuel or resupply
- 03Extend your operation
- 04Reach the real prize
↻Feedback changes the situation — the next round starts from there.
Walk through one round
A simplified design example. Situations and numbers illustrate the mechanic, not exact rules from a reference game.
- T1
Turn 1 · The situation
Ammo is at 30%; each resupply costs 80 red crystal and the team has 55.
- T2
Turn 2 · The player chooses
The player detours to a nearby wall to mine 25 more.
- T3
Turn 3 · The feedback
A supply pod drops and refills everyone, but main progress stalls for 40 seconds.
- T4
Turn 4 · The next decision
Fully stocked, the team can push into a more dangerous zone.
How it plays
Ammo, fuel or energy must be refilled with resources found on site. Players divert time to upkeep resources or they can't keep chasing the real goal. The distribution and conversion rate of upkeep resources set the pressure.
What the player weighs
- Resupply now vs. grab the target first
- Stockpile upkeep vs. convert everything to profit
02Start small
Scope is an editorial estimate for the minimum prototype, not the reference game or a production schedule.
03One mechanic, different implementations
Deep Rock Galactic
Nitra is scattered on cave walls; once the team pools enough, a resupply pod restores ammo and health, so someone often peels off to mine it.
No Man's Sky
Life support, hazard protection, launch thrusters and tools all recharge with gathered elements, so long trips depend on constant topping up.
The difference worth noticing
Deep Rock Galactic makes resupply a team milestone; No Man's Sky makes it continuous personal upkeep.
Case notes are Yoroll editorial summaries; rules may change between versions.
04What could you combine?
Add debt pressure: resupply on credit with interest over time, so players choose between repaying with ore or borrowing to expand.
Prototype this combo in Yoroll→Follow the next idea
Quotas and When to Quit
Hit the quota and you can leave; stay longer for more, at more risk.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Take a quota
- 02Gather toward it
- 03Decide to stay or go
- 04Settle rewards and risks
Break It Down for Parts
Strip furniture and wrecks for parts, at the cost of time, tools and the object itself.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Find something to break down
- 02Weigh yield and time
- 03Dismantle with a tool
- 04Keep the useful parts
Byproduct Recirculation
Leftover outputs that aren't dealt with will eventually choke the main line.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Make the main product
- 02Byproducts pile up
- 03Design a sink or loop
- 04Line runs stable again