Seems like some of the auto-dig upgrades are broken. I bought multiple "steam excavator" upgrades and my auto-dig rate is still .4 m/s
Viewing post in STRATA: Dig Through Time comments
This is a great diagnosis - thank you. You're exactly right: the v1.1 soil-hardness mechanic divides dig power by depth resistance, so at deeper strata each auto-dig tool only adds fractions of a meter and the purchases stop feeling meaningful (which is what w8gr was hitting). That's a side-effect of the rebalance I need to undo - hardness should still slow you down without making auto-dig upgrades feel inert. Reworking the curve so buying a tool gives a real, visible m/s increase at any depth. Really appreciate you pinpointing the actual mechanic - that saves me a lot of digging.
v1.2 is live, and it's a direct result of your diagnosis - thank you. You were exactly right that hardness divided everything by depth until the affordable tools added nothing. I kept the early-game hardness (so the v1.1 economy fix stays) but flattened it in the deepest strata, so late-game auto-dig now sits in a steady ~2.5-5 m/s band instead of collapsing toward zero. Upgrades visibly move the needle at any depth again. You're credited in the devlog. Would love your read on whether the deep game feels right now.
Thanks for flagging this - "bought multiple Steam Excavators and the rate is still 0.4 m/s" is exactly the kind of report I need. by_george341 nailed the cause right below you: the v1.1 soil-hardness change divides dig power by depth resistance, so each tool's contribution shrinks to fractions of a meter the deeper you are, and the upgrades stop feeling like they do anything. That's an unintended side-effect of the rebalance, not the design - auto-dig should give a visible bump at every depth. Fixing the curve now. One quick check: was the displayed rate flat-out not moving when you bought, or moving by a tiny amount? Patch coming shortly.
Shipped in v1.2 (just went live). You were right that the upgrades weren't doing anything you could see - by_george341 pinned the cause exactly, so I reshaped the soil-hardness curve in the deeper strata. Buying an auto-dig tool now gives a real, visible m/s jump at every depth instead of fractions of a meter that round away. If you grab a fresh run (or reload your save), the rate should actually climb as you buy now. Would genuinely love to know if it feels right this time - and thanks again for flagging it.