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Long-Range Ore Detectors

Update 2021-03-07: I have started playing SE again, and have updated this mod. Hopefully this should fix some of the issues noted by others. Also note that I have deprecated the 8x detector in favor of a more conservative 6x detector - but note the 8x is still in-game and is entirely functional - it just has scary words in it's name/description. The workshop screenshots are out of date at this point.

Notice: I haven't played SE in years, and this mod is most definitly out of date. However, it was just some data changes, no code - so if anyone would like to take a stab at their own version, feel free. The code is on github, the link further down in the description. Do what you will with it :)

Longer range Ore Detectors for both Large and Small grids are added, at 2x, 4x and 8x 6x powers.

The only changed items are the range and build component counts, all artwork etc is unchanged.

Ore detectors have stupidly short range. This is annoying. This mod adds some higher power alternatives. Costs are "linear" in that, for 2x the detection range, 2x the detector components are required. Power consumption can't be modded (at least not without code mods) - at least from what I found in the source.[github.com]

Code is on github.[github.com] While I haven't tagged a license, you're free to do whatever you like with this. You don't need to ask, you don't need to tell me.

CAUTION: CPU load goes up by the cube of the multiplier. The in-terminal maximum range has no effect on this. The 8x detector causes 512 times more "ore detector queries" than the 1x detector, because every voxel in the maximum allowable range is checked. The in-game terminal range setting is consulted after this scan. Planets make this even more obvious.

If you run into performance problems, turn the block off (or shut the grid down) and wait. It can take a long time for the backlog to clear, so watch your sim speed. Alternatively, save and exit to the menu (this clears the detector queries queue). Since the block is unpowered when you come back, it shouldn't scan again. I recommend removing the detector and replacing it with a smaller multiplier in this case.

The more space CPU cycles you have the further you can push things before it becomes a problem. The trouble is it isn't a linear change like, say, increasing shadow details. You're fine until you cross a threshold (where the detector query processing can't keep up with the incoming queries) and which point it tanks hard.

I don't believe there's anything I can do about this, but you're welcome to have a look. I believe this is the location of interest.[github.com]