Timber Operations
- The Dev Team
This is another great starter operation for a young Entreprenaut wanting to get their feet wet. In general, timber plots are less time and resource intensive to get operational, and will tend to be easier for someone who is just getting into resource acquisition.
Timber plots have two possible ‘Types’ of equipment that are needed currently. What determines which type you need is based on the “Terrain Feature”. Each “Site” in the Entreprenauts world has a “Terrain Feature” and a “Terrain Modifier”. These two items may affect many things at a site. Timber is the first to see these become active.
Branch A (Mountains or Swamp)
Branch B (No Mountains or Swamp)
If you have the “Mountains” or “Swamp” Feature, Follow Branch A. If you do not have the “Mountains” or “Swamp” Feature, Follow Branch B.
Pro Tip: Branch B will require less startup equipment, however both branches process timber at about the same rate. You will see more output to your warehouse with B though, due to fewer steps. So if given the option between a site A and a site B, choose B!
Branch A Equipment Requirements
1x Log Harvester or Feller Buncher
1x Delimber
1x Yarder
1x Log Loader (2 Recommended)
1x Stump Grinder
1x Mulcher
Branch A Lines
Line 1 Brush
Line 2 To Be Delimbed
Line 3 To Be Yarded
Line 4 Logs Harvested
Line 5 Stumps To Be Grinded
Line 6 Ready To Ship Pile
Branch B Equipment Requirements
1x Log Harvester or Feller Buncher
1x Log Loader (2 Recommended)
1x Stump Grinder
1x Mulcher
Branch B Lines
Line 1 Brush
Line 2 Logs Harvested
Line 3 Stumps To Be Grinded
Line 4 Ready To Ship Pile
Despite the differences, these sites will both be set up using the same step methodology as a Pit Mine.
Step 1
Prospect the site. Visit our article on Prospecting to learn more.
Step 2
Once the site is prospected and you have deemed it a fit for a timber site, you will need to acquire the above mentioned list of equipment based on the branches we have defined for you. Below is a SS of equipment for a Branch B Site.
A timber set up will run you from around 1m to 3m. This can be much less than the cost to open a pit mine, and makes it potentially a great starter operation in resource acquisition.
There is a limit of 1 “Type” of equipment per 10 acres, the limit is 2 per 10 acres for Log Loaders. This means on a 20 acre site, you could operate 2 of everything, and 4 log loaders.
Step 3
Load equipment onto Low Boys. This will require drivers who have a Heavy Haul certification, a semi, and a Low Boy trailer. Each low boy can haul one piece of equipment at a time, meaning if you are limited on certified drivers or trailers, you will need to make multiple trips. Equipment is loaded after the trailer is attached, and can be done on the semis details page, located at Interactions > Logistics > Semi Of Choice
The video clip below shows attaching a trailer, and then how to load equipment in that city.
And after it is loaded, you will see this under your trailer info area, showing what is loaded and the ability to unload it if you choose.
Step 4
Bringing equipment to site. You will need to navigate to your Timber site.
This is done by
Interactions > Land > Country & City > Resource > Details (On the plot you are planning on mining.)
Once here, you will see the mining interface. It can be overwhelming at first, so we will only worry about the things that apply to our first mine. Click the ‘Logistics’ tab. This is the tab where you will see anything relating to logistics. From there, click ‘Semi Operations’. This will open a window.
Once you have opened that link, you will see a list of any semis in your local city that are idle with a trailer attached. Find the one(s) with the equipment you need and click “Sent To Mine”. This will dispatch the semi to your mine.
Step 5
Once your semi has arrived on site, you will have the option to “Unload Cargo”. Doing so will start the process of removing the equipment from your semi, and prepping it to be used on site. This is pictured in the above image. Most logging equipment is unloaded within an hour or two.
Step 6
Once you have the necessary equipment on site, you will go to the main overview of the site, and click the “Operations” tab. The only area we are interested in for a Timber site is the “Surface Operations” tab. Here you can see each pile and the current amount of material in them, as well as a link to view your equipment and give them orders. The lines are above in the branches, but we’ve added them below for reference as well.
Branch A Lines
Line 1 Brush
Line 2 To Be Delimbed
Line 3 To Be Yarded
Line 4 Logs Harvested
Line 5 Stumps To Be Grinded
Line 6 Ready To Ship Pile
Branch B Lines
Line 1 Brush
Line 2 Logs Harvested
Line 3 Stumps To Be Grinded
Line 4 Ready To Ship Pile
Important Note: Timber operations update once per hour, so you won’t see a change every minute. But each hour each piece of equipment will be doing the assigned job, and you’ll be able to see it’s progress every hour, so just check throughout the day and you’ll be able to see patterns of where you may need more or less equipment to help with a bottle neck. Secondly, there are foreman vouchers available that can help you manage your mine a little more efficiently!
Step 7
Now it’s time to assign orders to the equipment on site. This is done by clicking the “Surface Equipment” link in the above image. Once here, you will see all equipment and be able to assign it to a task. Each equipment can only do certain tasks, so it’s hard to mess up! Below is a picture of a timber site working.
Step 8
At this point, it’s time to put the final piece in your beginner mining puzzle. Navigate back to the main site overview, and click the logistics tab, and go back to your semi overview. At the top of the screen, you will see a Hire & Fire trucks form, shown below.
Hauling trucks are hired simply by entering the number you wish to hire (Up to 10 at a time), and hitting the “Add Site Trucks” button. You will be charged $25,000 per truck as a startup fee, and then will pay daily $200 per truck that operates at the mine. You are not responsible for fuel for these trucks. If you ever wish to decrease the number of trucks, simply use the right side of the form and hit “Remove Site Trucks”.
We recommend hiring a couple trucks at a time until you get to the point where most of your ready to ship pile is being loaded. If you have a lot of trucks and you still have a pile there, it may mean you do not have enough wheel loaders loading for shipment. Resource acquisition is about balancing the workload of each piece of equipment, and takes time to Master!
Step 9
At this point, it is time to monitor and manage! Congratulations, you have set up your first pit mine, and soon the fruits of your hard labor will begin to arrive in your warehouse in the city of the mine. Do remember that while equipment is running you will be burning fuel! Fuel is charged daily at the end of each day along with any labor charges, and will be found in your ledger.
Once you have these basics down, you have a foundation for becoming a successful lumberjack. As you continue your journey we encourage you to look into our articles covering other forms of resource acquisition, as well as more advanced methods of operating including delivering your own fuel, utilizing foreman, and maximizing your distribution from your warehouse.
Good luck out there lumberjack!