Resource probe

A Resource probe is a deployable scanner. Once placed in a sector, it samples mining yields within a 32 km × 32 km × 32 km cube around itself and reports per-ware yield ratings. Modders and the player use them to find profitable mining locations before committing miner fleets.

Inheritance: component → destructible → object → resourceprobe. The datatype adds two scan accessors; the rest is inherited from object.

Single vanilla variant: macro.eq_arg_resourceprobe_01_macro (no advanced variant in vanilla).

Properties

Resource-probe-specific

Property	Type	Description
.currentyield	wareamountlist	Total yield detected in the 32 km scan cube. Per-ware amount detected.
.bestyieldrating.{ware}	int 0..15	The best per-ware yield rating found in the cube

The 0..15 rating matches the sector-level .yieldrating.{ware} scale — useful for “is this probe finding a richer spot than the sector average?”.

Useful inherited

Property	Source	Description
.sector / .zone / .position	object	Probe location
.owner / .trueowner	object	Deploying faction
.macro	component	Always eq_arg_resourceprobe_01_macro in vanilla
.macro.ware.maxprice	macro property	Build cost — used by gm_find_resources.xml:938 for mission rewards
.hull / .hullpercentage	destructible	Damage state

Actions

Give the player a resource probe

<add_ammo
    object="player.ship"
    macro="macro.eq_arg_resourceprobe_01_macro"
    amount="1"/>

Same deployable pattern as Satellite / Nav beacon / Mine. Resource probes live in ammostorage.{macro}, not in cargo or inventory.

Direct-deploy at a position

<create_object
    name="$Probe"
    macro="macro.eq_arg_resourceprobe_01_macro"
    owner="$Faction"
    sector="$Sector">
    <position x="$x" y="$y" z="$z"/>
</create_object>

Find all resource probes in a sector

<find_object name="$Probes"
    space="$Sector"
    class="class.resourceprobe"
    multiple="true"/>

Read what a probe is finding

<do_for_each name="$ware"
    in="$Probe.currentyield.list">
    <set_value name="$amount"
        exact="$Probe.currentyield.{$ware}"/>
    <set_value name="$rating"
        exact="$Probe.bestyieldrating.{$ware}"/>
    <write_to_logbook
        text="$ware.name + ': ' + $amount
            + ' (rating ' + $rating + '/15)'"/>
</do_for_each>

Iterate .currentyield.list inline — wareamountlist degrades when stored. Same trap as everywhere else; see Ware Common gotchas.

Events

Event	When	Notes
event_resourceprobe_launched	A resource probe deployed in scope	Filter by space= or group=. Vanilla rml_deployinplace.xml:211, rml_deploy_in_sectors.xml:108
event_object_destroyed	Probe destroyed	Standard object event

Parallel to event_navbeacon_launched — vanilla has launch events for nav beacon, resource probe, and satellite-related actions, but NOT satellite-launched specifically.

Common gotchas

• ⚠ .currentyield is a wareamountlist — degrades when stored in a variable. Access .list inline every iteration. <set_value name="$y" exact="$Probe.currentyield"/> then $y.list returns null.
• ⚠ Probes scan a 32 km cube only. A probe at zone center sees a ~32 km radius effectively; placed at the sector edge it scans mostly empty space. For coverage, spread probes 32 km apart.
• ⚠ Vanilla has only ONE probe variant. No advanced version; no faction-specific variants. Always eq_arg_resourceprobe_01_macro.
• ⚠ add_ammo macro=, NOT add_inventory ware=. Same as Satellite / Mine / Nav beacon. Wrong action silently no-ops on deployable.
• ⚠ .bestyieldrating.{$ware} returns 0 for wares not present in the cube. Distinguish from “rating 0 (depleted)” by checking .currentyield.{$ware} separately — probes report 0 for both “no ware” and “no yield”.
• ⚠ Probes can be picked up and redeployed. Vanilla gm_find_resources.xml:938 notes “Player technically only needs to buy one probe. It can be deployed, deactivated and collected again.” Don’t assume each event_resourceprobe_launched represents a new probe purchase.
• ⚠ NPC miners use sector-level .yieldrating.{$ware}, not probe data. Probes are mostly a player UX tool. NPC mining behaviour reads Sector.bestyieldrating.{$ware} directly without needing a probe.

Examples

Example 1: Give the player one resource probe

<add_ammo
    object="player.ship"
    macro="macro.eq_arg_resourceprobe_01_macro"
    amount="1"/>

<write_to_logbook
    text="'Resource probe added to '
        + player.ship.knownname"/>

Example 2: Find the richest probe-detected silicon spot in player space

<find_object name="$Probes"
    space="player.galaxy"
    class="class.resourceprobe"
    multiple="true"/>

<set_value name="$bestProbe" exact="null"/>
<set_value name="$bestRating" exact="0"/>

<do_for_each name="$probe" in="$Probes">
    <do_if value="$probe.trueowner == faction.player
        and $probe.bestyieldrating.{ware.silicon} gt $bestRating">
        <set_value name="$bestProbe" exact="$probe"/>
        <set_value name="$bestRating"
            exact="$probe.bestyieldrating.{ware.silicon}"/>
    </do_if>
</do_for_each>

<do_if value="@$bestProbe">
    <write_to_logbook
        text="'Best silicon spot: '
            + $bestProbe.sector.knownname
            + ' at rating ' + $bestRating + '/15'"/>
</do_if>

Example 3: Auto-discover when player deploys a probe in Xenon space

<cue name="WatchPlayerProbeInXenon" instantiate="true">
    <conditions>
        <event_resourceprobe_launched space="player.galaxy"/>
        <check_value
            value="event.param2.{1}.isplayerowned
                and event.param2.{1}.sector.owner
                    == faction.xenon"/>
    </conditions>
    <actions>
        <write_to_logbook
            text="'Player probe in Xenon sector: '
                + event.param2.{1}.sector.knownname"/>
    </actions>
</cue>

Architectural context

• How “find resources” missions are generated: Architectural overview Resource discovery missions — gm_find_resources.xml calculates probe-required count and lays out cutscene placements.
• How NPC miners pick mining sites: Architectural overview Mining routing — NPC miners read sector-level .yieldrating directly, bypassing probes.

Related

• Satellite — sibling deployable, parallel add_ammo pattern.
• Nav beacon — sibling deployable, parallel event_X_launched event.
• Mine — sibling deployable.
• Asteroid — what probes find (specifically class.miningnode).
• Sector — .bestyieldrating.{ware} is the sector-level analog.
• Ware — mineable wares (ware.silicon, ware.ore, ware.methane, ware.hydrogen, …).
• Ship — owner / launcher.

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Pattern — deployable with scan-state

Resource probe is a deployable that accumulates state over time in .currentyield. Unlike satellites/beacons/mines (mostly passive), the probe’s output evolves as the engine scans its cube. Inline-iterate .currentyield.list every read.