How does prospecting works?

[Pilcrow]

I have been in several planets (with varied planetologies) which had not any deposits of rare metals, oil or metal (except the initial one) no matter how many BP I shovel into prospecting. My adviser tells me that they expect no deposits will be found, no matter how much territory I incorporate. This feels wrong.

I understand that the game has an scarcity and post apocalyptic theme, but I have had to restart planets because I'm stranded in a endless expanse with no strategic objectives whatsoever. The only thing valuable are the random scavenging of villages and those are an one off. It seems like there is nothing to conquer but pebbles, I extend my roads and my supply lines for nothing except and endless supply of water, I build armies to push against an strategic void that goes on and on freckled with some raider or village, I conquer cities that are empty of resources and are nothing more that a danger level nightmare (my best play was the one with no conquest, building cities to expand my supply lines and feel busy, no danger or unrest problems, tough).

I can't escape the feeling that there's something that I'm doing wrong, and I hope that I'm right and I can find what it is because is a continuous nagging in an otherwise incredibly good game.

[Falke]

Prospecting just gives a better chance of finding a resource. What resource is available depends on the planet.
You then have to manage techs/assets around any shortages

[t1it]

Play Siwa, small, ~0.5g, ~2-3 billion old, 15°C, not "very arid/lifeless",
~500mm rain, 10% mountains, 10% ocean, ~10-15 m/s windspeed,
perfect atmosphere,
~100+ million colonization population, preferably >5% mining/agriculture

It's impossible to fail with that kind of planet.

[zgrssd]

ORIGINAL: Pilcrow

I have been in several planets (with varied planetologies) which had not any deposits of rare metals, oil or metal (except the initial one) no matter how many BP I shovel into prospecting. My adviser tells me that they expect no deposits will be found, no matter how much territory I incorporate. This feels wrong.

I understand that the game has an scarcity and post apocalyptic theme, but I have had to restart planets because I'm stranded in a endless expanse with no strategic objectives whatsoever. The only thing valuable are the random scavenging of villages and those are an one off. It seems like there is nothing to conquer but pebbles, I extend my roads and my supply lines for nothing except and endless supply of water, I build armies to push against an strategic void that goes on and on freckled with some raider or village, I conquer cities that are empty of resources and are nothing more that a danger level nightmare (my best play was the one with no conquest, building cities to expand my supply lines and feel busy, no danger or unrest problems, tough).

I can't escape the feeling that there's something that I'm doing wrong, and I hope that I'm right and I can find what it is because is a continuous nagging in an otherwise incredibly good game.

Oil is the product of a Carbon/Oxygen Lifecycle.
Fuel however may include methane deposits. The lack of methane in a reasonably dense Atmosphere may indicate it is underground.

For Metals, Rare Metals and Uranium look at the "heavie elements" percentage. I got a moon with 265%
Generally rollng till you get a higher gravity inicates there is mor heavy elements in the planet.

However, for all 3 resources you got the Scanvenging option. The more population there used to be, the more ruins there are.
Note that Scavenging point are listed in the general Hex properties, not in the underground resources.

[Pilcrow]

I have tried mainly limos class, medium size, partial FOW and whatever the generator gives me (favouring mountains, just not to be in a sea of dust) For some reason all scavenging points have appeared really far from my cities, but I assume that it's the sadorandomizer at work. I understand that oil can be created in biofuel refineries, and I have only needed a bit of rare metals for solar panels. It's not the lack of resources the thing that bothers me. It's the emptiness. I cover a good third of the map and I have not a good reason for it. I feel like it would be more interesting to have smaller deposits scattered that served as flashpoints of conflict. I would prefer to find the very much needed resources scattered on the map and having to fight for every bit of fuel, water, etc. May be bad luck, but in my games there either are plentiful deposits where I am or not. Nothing dissuades me from sitting idle on them or to mind my own business trying to cope with alternative sources since there is nothing of value to conquer.
In my experience the game It's not about surviving in the wasteland so much as to seeing how far my army columns can range in the middle of nothing. I would like to feel like I need to conquer to survive, to fight for needed resourcesn not to gobble up cities that offer nothing in return just to keep busy.

[Jdane]

sadorandomizer

[:D]

The point you're making seems quite valid to me though. You can indeed end up with large swaths of terrain deprived of any resource or hex perk to give it value, or have it all at your front door.
I guess it shows the limits of procedural generation.

Although with time and a better understanding of the rules governing planet generation, and if some system of exchange of interesting planet saves is put together, it might become easier to guarantee one will be playing on some of the most interesting planets Shadow Empire can create. I sure hope it will.