After excavating in a few threat level 1-6 worlds, I've found a single piece of gold ore. I have no way of knowing just how far down I've been digging but It feels like quite a ways down, in fact most of my deaths underground are falling down long unlit tunnels.
So far all of my gold+ ores have been found in random dungeon(?) chests. Though dungeons are quite hard to come by and if I die in one it takes way too long to run back to them.
Do I just need to keep digging? Does the threat level have anything to do with ore quality? Can higher tier ores be found on every planet if you dig deep enough?
Best Answer
Higher threat levels generally mean more abundant ores, and ores of higher rarity. However, especially rare ores like gold or diamond can still be hard to come by, generally occurring only at the deepest levels of the planet. Personally, I'm mining level 19 planets for gold and maybe producing 4 ores by the time I reach the planet's core. I found two gems (8 ores) worth of diamond in the 1-9 planets, and haven't seen any since.
That said, planet type may have something to do with it. I've noticed that moons contain a more ores than I'm used to, in addition to being a bit easier to dig through. Desert and arid planets are super easy sources of iron, copper and coal since you can just dig into the sand to dislodge everything.
Some advice: hoard your iron. You'll want it for Sector Beta.