: Resources are sold on the surface to fund upgrades for drill power, flight speed, and cargo capacity. Automation
While we aren’t yet seeing 50-foot-tall bipedal robots stomping around coal mines (mostly due to stability issues, which we will discuss later), the concept of "mechanized mining" is very real. In the industry, these are often referred to as or Continuous Miners, but they share the DNA of the sci-fi "mech." Mining Mechs
These walking, drilling, and sometimes autonomous marvels of engineering have transformed the mining industry from a brute-force operation into a high-tech strategic game. Whether in the real-world mines of the Australian Outback or the fictional, hazardous caverns of deep-space video games, the concept of the "Mining Mech" has captured the imagination of engineers and gamers alike. : Resources are sold on the surface to
The closest real-world equivalent to the classic Mining Mech is the . This machine is a behemoth that looks less like a vehicle and more like a mobile factory. It features a rotating drum studded with tungsten carbide teeth that gouge coal from the seam. While it runs on tracks, its complex articulation—hydraulic arms that push against the roof for stability and gathering arms that sweep up debris—mimics the functionality of a mech. It is an extension of the operator’s will, carving out tunnels at a rate that manual labor could never achieve. Whether in the real-world mines of the Australian
In fiction, Mining Mechs must serve a dual purpose. They are industrial tools, but they are also tanks. When a giant subterranean spider attacks, the
Automation Sim / Mech Management / Strategy Platform: PC (Reviewed) Score: 7.5/10 (Solid, with caveats)
This is the holy grail of mining: