Better Quarry adds advanced, fuel-powered quarries designed to automate large-scale mining in a balanced and intuitive way.

Each quarry must be supplied with fuel and connected to a chest placed on top to store mined resources. Once powered on, the quarry will automatically build its frame, clear the mining volume, and then mine blocks within its defined area, following the direction indicated by the arrow on the back of the machine.

Quarries are tiered, offering increased mining speed and area size as you progress, making them suitable for both early-game automation and late-game resource production.

Server-side configuration (per quarry)

Better Quarry now includes a server config that lets you tune each quarry tier individually:

Mining speed per quarry (now faster by default: all base mining times have been reduced by 50%)
Mining area size per quarry
Performance controls like max operations per tick to reduce server load
Frame system (BuildCraft-style)

Before mining starts, the quarry creates a custom frame around the mining area:

The frame is auto-repaired if broken
The frame is fully removed if the quarry is no longer present
The quarry also performs a 6-block-high clearing pass inside the defined area before it begins mining downward

Cave ore discovery & duplication

Because Hytale ores are often found in caves rather than uniform underground layers, quarries have an optional “rare ore discovery” system:
Each mined block has a configurable chance (default 1%) to yield a cave ore
The ore type depends on the block/biome the quarry is placed in
(example: Adamantite can be discovered from Volcanic Rock / Basalt)
When an ore is discovered, the quarry mines it and can duplicate the drop, making quarries valuable even for rare materials (fully configurable)

Reliability & safety improvements

Fixed quarry orientation: placement now computes direction dynamically, preventing incorrect mining direction
Items placed into the quarry’s internal input/output slots are now automatically pushed into the chest above, preventing accidental blocking
When the quarry hits an issue (output full, bedrock found, unknown block, etc.), it now powers off automatically to avoid wasting fuel

You can use /betterquarry status to display live quarry activity in chat (run it again to stop it)

Quarry Tiers (defaults — configurable)

Iron Quarry

Mining Area: 16×16
Mining Speed: 1 block every 0.5 seconds
Description: Entry-level automation, ideal for early resource gathering. Reliable mining over a moderate area using basic fuel sources.

Thorium Quarry

Mining Area: 16×16
Mining Speed: 1 block every 0.25 seconds
Description: Same footprint as Iron, but significantly faster—perfect for players who want rapid extraction without expanding the mining footprint.

Cobalt Quarry

Mining Area: 32×32
Mining Speed: 1 block every 0.5 seconds
Description: Greatly expands mining coverage for large-scale excavation. Ideal for mid-to-late game setups where area matters most.

Adamantite Quarry

Mining Area: 32×32
Mining Speed: 1 block every 0.25 seconds
Description: The most advanced tier, combining maximum area coverage with high mining speed. Built for end-game automation and massive resource output when properly fueled and configured.