Retro Mining Guide
Complete guide to RetroMiner mining on Justified DarkRP - pickaxe mining, automation, conveyors, and ore processing
Retro Mining
Retro Mining is a progression-based resource job. Mine ore manually with a pickaxe or set up automated processing lines with conveyors, crushers, and refiners.
Guide Accuracy
We strive to keep this guide up to date, but specific values may change with server updates. Always check in-game for current figures.
How It Works
Manual Pickaxe Mining
The basic approach — find ore around the map and mine it yourself.
Become a Retro Miner — Select the job from the F4 menu
Get your Pickaxe — Equip it from your inventory
Find ore nodes — Look around the map for ore deposits
Mine the ore — Left-click with your pickaxe
Deposit into crusher — Right-click on a Crusher to transfer ore from your pickaxe
Ore goes into your pickaxe's internal storage, not your inventory. Right-click on machines to transfer it out.
Ore Types & Levels
Different ores require different mining levels:
| Ore | Level Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 0 | Starter ore, used for melting |
| Iron | 5 | First metal ore |
| Bronze | 25 | Mid-tier ore |
| Silver | 75 | Higher value |
| Gold | 125 | Best ore, slowest to mine |
Higher tier ores mine slower but give more XP and sell for more. Master the lower tiers first.
The Processing Pipeline
All ore goes through this workflow:
Raw Ore → Crusher → Refiner → Melter → Metal Bar → Sell1. Crusher
Takes raw ore and breaks it down.
- Accepts ore from your pickaxe (right-click) or from conveyors
- Outputs to connected Refiner
2. Refiner
Separates the metal from the gravel.
- You need the right refiner for each ore type (Iron Refiner, Gold Refiner, etc.)
- Requires Refiner Crates to collect the output
- You lose some material here — not all ore becomes metal
3. Melter
Turns refined ore into sellable bars.
- Requires coal as fuel — always have coal ready
- Combined refined ore + coal = Metal Bars
- Move the filled refiner crate to the melter manually
4. Selling
Take your bars to the Metal Buyer NPC (or The Broker on Justified servers).
- Walk up and press E to sell
- Prices fluctuate — the buyer's rate changes over time
Wait for Good Rates
The buyer's rate varies. At peak rates you earn significantly more. Check before selling.
Setting Up Automation
Use the Builder Tool to construct your processing line:
Conveyor Belts
| Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Straight | Moves ore in a straight line |
| Curved | Turns left or right |
| Inserter | Picks up ore and places it on belts |
| Splitter | Divides ore to multiple outputs |
| Sorter | Routes specific ore types |
Building Tips
Machines need to be close together. Plan where each machine goes before buying.
Gravel Crates can carry large amounts of ore from the mine to your crusher.
Material transferred by inserters loses some ore. Direct connections are more efficient.
You need a Coal Refiner for coal, Iron Refiner for iron, etc. They aren't universal.
The melter needs coal to function. Set up a dedicated coal line or keep crates ready.
The Level System
Retro Mining has its own 1000-level progression system:
What Improves With Level
| Stat | Effect |
|---|---|
| Harvest Amount | More ore per hit |
| Harvest Speed | Faster mining |
| Ore Inventory | Carry more in your pickaxe |
| Fill Capacity | Transfer more at once |
Progression Milestones
| Level Range | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1-50 | Early game, learning basics |
| 50-150 | Mid game, unlocking better ores |
| 150-250 | End game, optimizing production |
| 250-1000 | Prestige levels, max efficiency |
Milestone levels (25, 50, 75, 100, etc.) give bonus stat improvements.
Tips for Success
Learn the system before investing in expensive automation.
You need coal to run the melter. Mine coal regularly or you can't make bars.
Prices fluctuate between 50% and 125%. Sell when rates are high.
Machines can be damaged. Bars can be stolen. Build in a secure location.
Gold requires level 125. Focus on progression to access the best materials.
Expensive but produces ore automatically. Great for passive income.
Common Problems
Cause: Your mining level is too low.
Solution: Check the level requirements. Mine lower-tier ores to level up.
Cause: Missing coal or refined ore.
Solution: Add both coal AND refined ore to the melter.
Cause: Need to move the crate to the melter.
Solution: Press E to detach the crate, then move it manually.
Cause: Inserters have a loss rate — some ore is lost during transfer.
Solution: This is intentional. Use direct placement when possible.
Cause: Too many ore chunks already on the ground.
Solution: Process or pick up the existing ore first.
Quick Reference
- Pickaxe — Left-click to mine, right-click to deposit into machines
- Ore levels — Coal (0), Iron (5), Bronze (25), Silver (75), Gold (125)
- Pipeline — Crusher → Refiner → Melter → Sell
- Coal is fuel — Required for the melter
- Buyer rates fluctuate — Check prices before selling
- Bars can be stolen — Keep your operation secure
- 85% hit success — Not every swing yields ore
Values May Vary
Processing times, yields, and prices may be adjusted. Pay attention to in-game UI for current values.