rs-sdk/scripts/mining-trainer/lab_log.md

Lab Log: mining-trainer

Goal: Maximize Mining level in 5 minutes starting from a fresh character.

Strategy

• Spawn directly at SE Varrock mine (pathfinding from Lumbridge failed)
• Bronze pickaxe only, Mining level 1
• Mine tin/copper rocks continuously (1750 XP each - server has 100x rates)
• Drop ore when inventory full (28 slots)

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Run 001 - 2026-01-24 (v1/v2 - pathfinding failed)

Outcome: timeout (no mining occurred) Duration: 5 minutes

What Happened

• Spawned at Lumbridge with TUTORIAL_COMPLETE preset
• Tried to walk to SE Varrock mine (160 tiles) - pathfinder failed
• Tried Lumbridge Swamp mine (70 tiles) - also failed
• Bot stuck at (3244, 3270), never found any rocks

Root Cause

Pathfinder couldn't find paths to distant locations. Possible causes:

• Pathfinder search radius too limited (~100 tiles)
• Missing collision data in some areas
• Buildings/obstacles blocking direct paths

Fix

v3: Spawn directly at the mine using custom saveConfig instead of walking there.

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Run 002 - 2026-01-24 23:53 (v3 - success!)

Outcome: success (ran full 5 minutes) Duration: 5m 0s

Results

Metric	Start	End
Mining Level	1	44
Mining XP	0	57,750
Ores Mined	0	~33

What Worked

• Spawning at mine bypassed pathfinding issues
• Rock detection worked (found "Rocks" at distance 1)
• Mining action worked (sendInteractLoc with "Mine" option)
• Dialog dismissal worked (level-up popups closed)
• Inventory management worked (dropped 27 ores when full)
• XP-based success detection worked reliably

XP Rates

Server has 100x XP rates: 1750 XP per tin ore instead of 17.5

Mining Speed Analysis

• 33 ores in 300 seconds = ~9 seconds per ore
• This includes:
  • Mining animation (~4-5 seconds)
  • Rock respawn wait
  • Movement to next rock
  • Occasional level-up dialogs

Optimization Ideas

1. Mine iron ore at level 15+ - Higher XP per ore (3500 XP at 100x)
2. Power-mine closest rock - Reduce movement time
3. Better pickaxe - Faster mining speed (if available)
4. Prospect rocks - Identify highest-value rocks nearby

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Run 003 - 2026-01-25 00:00 (v4 - regression)

Outcome: partial success (wandered from mine) Duration: 5m 0s

Results

Metric	Start	End
Mining Level	1	36
Mining XP	0	26,250

What Happened

• Bot drifted to (3245, 3270) - 40 tiles from mine!
• Random wandering logic accumulated over time
• Got stuck in cow/duck area with no rocks nearby

Root Cause

The "wander to find rocks" logic when no rocks available sent the bot progressively further from the mine.

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Run 004 - 2026-01-25 00:06 (v5 - success!)

Outcome: success (ran full 5 minutes at mine) Duration: 5m 0s

Results

Metric	Start	End
Mining Level	1	44
Mining XP	0	57,750
Ores Mined	0	~33

What Worked

• Fixed drift by returning to mine center if >5 tiles away
• Waiting for rock respawn instead of wandering
• Bot stayed at (3284, 3365) throughout the run

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Script Evolution

Version	Change	Result
v1	Walk from Lumbridge to SE Varrock	Failed (path not found)
v2	Walk to Lumbridge Swamp mine	Failed (path not found)
v3	Spawn at SE Varrock mine	Success! Level 44
v4	Prioritize closest rock + clean up	Regression: Level 36 (drifted away)
v5	Fix drift with mine center reset	Success! Level 44

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Run 005 - 2026-01-25 03:49 (v8 - Al Kharid route)

Outcome: partial success (died to scorpions) Duration: 5m 0s (timeout)

What Happened

• Walked from Lumbridge → General Store → Toll Gate → Al Kharid mine
• Sold Bronze sword for 10gp toll
• Reached copper/tin area and started mining
• Died to scorpions (level 14 aggressive) - respawned in Lumbridge
• Spent rest of time walking back

Results

Metric	Start	End
Mining Level	1	21
Mining XP	0	5,250

Learning

• Al Kharid mine has aggressive scorpions (level 14)
• Low-level characters die quickly without combat gear/food
• Need safer mine for level 1 characters

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Run 006 - 2026-01-25 03:57 (v9 - SE Varrock, honest walk)

Outcome: success (full 5 minutes mining) Duration: 5m 0s

Strategy

• Walk from Lumbridge to SE Varrock mine using waypoints
• No teleporting/spawning at mine (honest approach)
• Mine tin/copper rocks continuously

Results

Metric	Start	End
Mining Level	1	37
Mining XP	0	28,000
Ores Mined	0	16+

What Worked

• Waypoint-based walking reached mine (~45s travel time)
• Prospecting identified rock types (tin, copper, etc.)
• Ore caching avoided re-prospecting same rock IDs
• No death (SE Varrock has no aggressive mobs)
• Inventory management (dropped 11 ores when full)

Comparison: Honest vs Spawn-at-Mine

Approach	Final Level	XP	Notes
Spawn at mine	44	57,750	"Cheating" - instant start
Honest walk	37	28,000	~45s travel time

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Script Evolution (Full)

Version	Change	Result
v1-v2	Walk from Lumbridge	Failed (path not found)
v3-v5	Spawn at SE Varrock mine	Success: Level 44
v6-v7	Waypoint navigation (south)	Failed (blocked paths)
v8	Al Kharid via toll gate	Died to scorpions: Level 21
v9	SE Varrock via waypoints	Success: Level 37 (honest!)

Final Summary

Best Honest Result: Mining Level 37 (28,000 XP) in 5 minutes Best Overall Result: Mining Level 44 (57,750 XP) when spawning at mine

Key Learnings

1. Server pathfinder has ~100 tile search radius - use waypoints for long distances
2. Some routes blocked (Lumbridge south) - needed to go north
3. Al Kharid mine has aggressive scorpions - dangerous for low levels
4. Prospecting identifies ore types - essential for finding copper/tin
5. Ore ID caching prevents re-prospecting same rock types