TFCGyres-OreHints guide for All the Mods - Gravitas 2.0 to 3.3

TFCGyres-OreHints makes prospecting for TerraFirmaCraft minerals much friendlier. Metal ores already give you small nuggets on the surface as a clue, and this mod gives mineral veins the same treatment with hint rocks. You spot a rock that doesn't belong on the surface, and there's likely a mineral vein underneath.^[1][2]

Each mineral has its own hint rock. Bituminous coal and lignite are hinted by basalt, graphite by claystone, kaolinite by marble, and diamond by chalk. The in-game guide lists the full set, including cinnabar, cryolite, saltpeter, sulfur, sylvite, borax, lapis lazuli, gypsum and halite.^[2]

It changes the veins too

The mod also reworks the veins themselves, because some were too small and too rare. Sizes, rarities and some shapes changed. Coal veins are now much larger horizontal discs with fewer inclusions. Most other mineral veins are more common and have double the radius. Y-level restrictions stay the same.^[3]

Going deep pays off more now. There are extra veins below y-level 0 for all metamorphic and igneous intrusive ores (metal, mineral, and diamonds/emeralds), and these may be larger, denser and purer. Up in the mountains you can also find small, dense iron, copper and sulfur veins.^[3]

Who it's for

If you're playing the TerraFirmaCraft side of the pack and are tired of hunting blindly for coal, graphite, sulfur or diamonds, this mod is for you. The hint rock idea and the initial rock selections come from AnodeCathode of TechNodeFirmaCraft.^[1][2]

The pack's mod list shows this mod has been included since All the Mods - Gravitas 2.0 or earlier.^[4]

Unverified The sources don't show this mod on the ATM Star path or tied to any quests in the pack, so there's no confirmed place for it in the quest progression. The mod list also shows version 1.3 next to a file named 1.4, so check which version you actually have.

Good news: this mod doesn't ask you to craft anything before you start. Your first job is learning to read the surface. It adds hint rocks for TFC mineral veins, so you can find coal, graphite, sulfur and more without blind digging.^[1][2]

Step one: learn to spot hint rocks

Mineral veins now have hint rocks, the same way metal veins have small nuggets. They generate on the surface above a mineral vein. If you see a rock lying around where it doesn't belong, there's likely a mineral vein beneath it.^[1][2]

1. Explore the surface and watch for rocks that don't match the terrain around them.^[2]
2. Check the rock against the table below to see which mineral it points to.^[2]
3. Dig down from that spot. The vein is likely under the hint rock.^[2]

Which rock means which mineral

• Bituminous coal and lignite: basalt.^[2]
• Kaolinite: marble. Graphite: claystone.^[2]
• Cinnabar: gneiss. Cryolite: slate.^[2]
• Saltpeter: diorite. Sulfur: shale.^[2]
• Sylvite: dolomite. Borax: chert.^[2]
• Lapis lazuli: andesite. Gypsum: quartzite.^[2]
• Halite: phyllite. Diamond: chalk.^[2]

What to expect from the veins

The mod also reworks the mineral veins, because some were too small and too rare. Coal veins are now much larger horizontal discs with fewer inclusions. Most other mineral veins are more common and doubled in radius. Y-level restrictions are the same as before.^[3]

Exploring high and low can pay off. More veins now exist below y-level 0 for all metamorphic and igneous intrusive ores, covering metal, mineral, and diamonds and emeralds. These veins may be larger, denser and purer. In the mountains you can also find small, dense iron, copper and sulfur veins.^[3]

Unverified No recipes or quests in this pack involve this mod, and no tooltips for its items are available. That's why this section has no recipe blocks.

The sources here describe this mod only as a set of world generation changes: hint rocks that point to mineral veins, and reworked veins. They don't describe any machines, multiblocks, power, fluids or item automation for it.^[1][3]

How hint rocks work

Hint rocks generate in the world above mineral veins, just like small nuggets do for metal ores. If you spot a rock on the surface where it doesn't belong, there's likely a mineral vein beneath it.^[1][2]

Here is which hint rock points to which mineral:^[2]

• Bituminous Coal: Basalt^[2]
• Lignite: Basalt^[2]
• Kaolinite: Marble^[2]
• Graphite: Claystone^[2]
• Cinnabar: Gneiss^[2]
• Cryolite: Slate^[2]
• Saltpeter: Diorite^[2]
• Sulfur: Shale^[2]
• Sylvite: Dolomite^[2]
• Borax: Chert^[2]
• Lapis Lazuli: Andesite^[2]
• Gypsum: Quartzite^[2]
• Halite: Phyllite^[2]
• Diamond: Chalk^[2]

Vein changes

The mod also reworks the mineral veins, since some were too small and too rare. Sizes, rarities and some shapes changed. Coal veins are now much larger horizontal discs with fewer inclusions. Most other mineral veins are more common and doubled in radius. Y-level restrictions are unchanged.^[3]

Deep mining is also more rewarding. More veins now exist below y-level 0 for all metamorphic and igneous intrusive ores: metal, mineral, and diamonds/emeralds. These veins may be larger, denser and purer. In the mountains you can also find small, dense iron, copper and sulfur veins.^[3]

This mod doesn't have tiers of its own to climb. It's a helper that makes finding TFC mineral veins easier and makes the veins themselves more rewarding. So your progression with it is about where you look and what you look for as you go deeper into the world.^[1][3]

Unverified No pack quests involving this mod were found, and no recipes produce its items. This section therefore can't follow a quest path or a crafting chain.

Follow the hint rocks

Mineral veins now have hint rocks, just like metal veins have small nuggets. Hint rocks generate on the surface above a mineral vein. If you spot a rock that doesn't belong in the area, there's likely a mineral vein beneath it.^[1][2]

Here's which rock points to which mineral:^[2]

• Bituminous coal and lignite: basalt^[2]
• Kaolinite: marble^[2]
• Graphite: claystone^[2]
• Cinnabar: gneiss^[2]
• Cryolite: slate^[2]
• Saltpeter: diorite^[2]
• Sulfur: shale^[2]
• Sylvite: dolomite^[2]
• Borax: chert^[2]
• Lapis lazuli: andesite^[2]
• Gypsum: quartzite^[2]
• Halite: phyllite^[2]
• Diamond: chalk^[2]

Dig into better veins

The mod also changes the veins. Some were too small and too rare, so sizes, rarities and some shapes changed. Coal veins are now much larger horizontal discs with fewer inclusions. Most other mineral veins are more common and have double the radius. Y-level restrictions are the same as before.^[3]

Go below y-level 0 and up into the mountains

Exploring the depths and heights may be more rewarding. More veins now exist below y-level 0 for all metamorphic and igneous intrusive ores: metal, mineral, and diamonds and emeralds. These deep veins may be larger, denser and purer. The mod's guide says ore veins are better especially at the bottom of the world.^[1][3]

Up in the mountains, you can find small, dense iron, copper and sulfur veins.^[3]