Beginners Guide: Advanced Digging Techniques | Oxygen Not Included

the video I needed, thanks.

using the serpentine method is the perfect method for setting up to do the 3 tile layer digging.

Burn that intro pls

Before I start my real response... It's best to have all "diggers" wake before "suppliers", who wake before "builders", who are followed by the late-crew "cleaners"... Theory being... You need to empty space before you can fill it with things. But it's good to have the "pre-gathered supplies", or large piles on the ground, "delivered" before you build the things. Then, when that is all done, whatever is left-over, and unused for building, should be "stored-away", into larger reserves, if needed. (Preferably not far from where the items were originally mined. Centralized storage is just dumb. Why ALWAYS go back and forth, across the map, for everything... When you can just keep materials where you found them, and only go THERE when they are needed. Which should be almost NEVER, as you should be building with local items anyways, where possible. It kills me to see someone building "sandstone ladders", late-game, and that only material is all the way back at the core of the base. Running past all the other material, like granite, igneous-rock and others, which is RIGHT ON THE GROUND, at the builders feet!) {Rant over}

It's best to start with three +7 diggers, over any other skill. Digging is going to be 95% of all dupes actions, in the beginning. 75% mid-game, and about 50% late game... and 25% near the end. (Deconstruction is digging too. The "item made" is essentially the same "block" of material. But it is invisible. Fun in debug mode... replace all materials with "void", and air and water passes right through them. But you don't. I think that's why ladders and air-flow tiles still struggle to allow air to "flow" through them, well. There is still a physical "block", which thwarts part of the code. Unlike air-space, which is a "void".)

Science: Useless... Even the slowest scientist can research all that is needed, in time, before any of it is actually needed. You can, literally, research everything before you will have the need, and ability to use it. (Within reason. Sure, we could all use bigger smart batteries and automation, but it's not needed in the beginning, at all.)

Cuisine: (Cooking) Pointless... Why would you need a professional, fast dirt-mush cooker? That would be an ideal second-dupe to have, so you get the first skill-point, to unlock the "grill"... But honestly, there is not going to be much to grill.

Building: You would think that this is important, but it's not, in the beginning. You run on dirt floors, only build a few "easy" things, and you have plenty of time to build, if your digging is all done. (Most early game builds will be gutted later anyways.)

Strength: (Tidy/Hauling) Also not critical, at all, in the beginning. The things you build, and use, don't require massive quantities of material. You should NOT be "cleaning-up" anything in the beginning. Though, this does make a GREAT use for your first skill-point, for every dupe. Since, when they enter late-game, people are all ready assigned to "skilled work", and late-entry should be focusing on "cleaning-up" and "hauling" and "operating things", until they get more skill-points.

Farming/Husbandry: (Nested skills, so annoying) Without any research into the early-tree "planters", or "grooming station"... As well as not having anything that requires the skill to cook what you farmed... There is no need for either skill, in the beginning.

Athletics: (Machinery) Possibly a decent contender for a starting skill. Simply because the first thing you will make, in order to do research, is a hamster-wheel generator. If your skill is +7, you MAY finish charging the battery fast enough, with some time to slowly mine-away some material. This will also be a "key task", until coal generators are made. However, for a starting dupe, a faster digger would have plenty of time to sacrifice a half day of "running on the wheel", until the battery is charged. Remember, if they are not "slowly" researching, due to an uncharged battery... They are digging out the resources where all the "researched technology" will soon be built. (As opposed to having all the technology researched, and no material, need or space to build it yet.)

Now, there is the argument that having +7 Science, which makes you learn faster, is best to "pre-select" as your three initial starting dupes. They will learn faster, the research tree will be virtually "moot", as it will be completed WAAAY before anything is ever needed... And you can just skill-up those three starting dupes to max-levels, above everyone-else.

That may sound good, on paper... But... With only ONE "love skill", you will ultimately run out of "morale", and not be able to use half the skill-points on the dupes, unless the entire base is decked-out in "the best of the best", decorations. There is no need for three "fast researchers", who will ultimately have all, "mediocre other skills", with a pool of unused skill-points. It will take you forever to dig-out, build, operate, clean and cook, no matter how smart you are. You don't get the same bonuses as a "free +7 skill-boost, without a morale penalty", which others have.

On that same respect... After the starting 3, it is GREAT to select a dupe with only a +1, +1, +1 bonus set. That is at-least three "loved" skills that they will get bonuses from, (less morale needed), to spend skill-points on. Less of a need for "fancy things", around the base. (Though, don't under-estimate the power of a few well placed flower-pots, in an area where you are going to be working. They can boost the "average morale", by quite a bit! As well as an extra forced "down-time slot", in a schedule. Your fastest dupes, with only one love-skill, deserve a longer break. Its a few minutes for 200%+ more labor, from the same amount of oxygen, same amount of pee/poo, same amount of CO2 generation and the same amount of calories. Throw a dog a bone! Give them two extra slots!)

For cleaning out an area, one can set a ladder every other spot across to save on half the ladders. They can hop.

The serpentine is digging is actually clever! Thanks for sharing this.

Simplicity is the hallmark of genius. Thank you for sharing this.

I saw this on reddit and find your channel <3 thx for the info it’s very useful for new players

i tested it, various biomes make it hard to use

I sometimes dig every second staircase tile instead of building a staircase on it. It's faster than full staircase, but still worse than serpentine digging.

4 tile up and 3 tiles down..... that is a smart solution.... I will be employing it....

Good video!
You should have included how to make easy ladder from serpentine digging