Why Is There No Platinum in My Terraria World?
The burning question many Terraria players face at the start of their adventure is, “Why can’t I find any platinum ore?” The answer, while seemingly frustrating, boils down to a core game mechanic: world generation. In Terraria, each world is generated with a specific set of resources, and when it comes to precious metals, you’re only ever going to see one of two options: gold ore or platinum ore. This means that if your world generated with gold ore, you will not find platinum ore naturally occurring within that same world. It’s an exclusive choice, a binary decision made at the moment of creation.
This might initially feel like a cruel twist of fate, leaving you yearning for that lustrous platinum look for your armor and tools. However, understanding why this choice exists and how to work around it is crucial to fully mastering Terraria’s gameplay. In this article, we’ll delve into the nuances of this mechanic, explore how to still get platinum ore even if your world spawned with gold, and address frequently asked questions about the two metals, their uses, and their rarity.
The Gold vs. Platinum Dichotomy
Why the Exclusive Choice?
The developers of Terraria chose to make gold ore and platinum ore mutually exclusive to add a layer of replayability and variation between worlds. Each world feels unique not just because of the layout, but because of the core resources available. This encourages exploration, trading with other players, and creativity in resource management. If every world had both gold and platinum, the value of these resources would diminish, and the early game progression would feel less distinctive.
What Does This Mean For My Gameplay?
If you’ve just started a new world and immediately spot gold ore in the underground or cavern layers, it confirms that platinum ore will not be present naturally. Conversely, if you find platinum ore, it signals the absence of natural gold ore. This choice is permanent for that specific world and will influence which armor, tools, and some other items you will be able to craft directly without additional steps.
How To Obtain Platinum Ore (Even With Gold Generation)
The exclusive nature of gold and platinum doesn’t lock you out of obtaining either metal. While you won’t find platinum ore naturally in a world that spawns with gold, there are ways to acquire it. The primary method involves using the Extractinator with silt and slush blocks.
The Extractinator
The Extractinator is a unique machine that allows players to process specific blocks to extract ores and other items. Silt and Slush blocks, often found near the surface of the world and within underground areas, can be fed into the Extractinator to potentially yield various ores, including platinum ore even when your world spawned with gold.
How To Get Silt And Slush
- Silt: Is commonly found near the surface of the world and in underground areas. It appears as a grey, rocky block and is fairly plentiful.
- Slush: Is found in the same areas as Silt but is more prevalent in the snow biome. It appears as a slightly blueish, icy block.
Efficiently Using The Extractinator
To farm platinum ore, the process involves:
- Gathering a large number of silt and slush blocks.
- Placing the Extractinator. This can be found in the caverns, in chests, or dropped by some enemies.
- Feeding the silt and slush into the Extractinator. The machine will randomly yield ores and other valuable items.
- Repeat steps 1-3 to accumulate the desired amount of platinum ore. This can take some time, as the success rate is not guaranteed.
Why Platinum is Worth the Effort
While the process of acquiring platinum ore in a gold-generated world may seem tedious, the resulting equipment is well worth the effort. Platinum gear boasts a slight edge over gold in terms of defensive capabilities and pickaxe power.
Platinum Armor vs. Gold Armor
A full set of Platinum Armor provides a total of 20 defense, whereas Gold Armor only provides 16, giving platinum a significant boost. While this difference is marginal, the added defense is beneficial in early-game situations.
Platinum Tools vs. Gold Tools
The Platinum Pickaxe has slightly more mining power than the Gold Pickaxe. This allows it to mine blocks faster, potentially shaving valuable time off your resource gathering and construction.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I find platinum and gold in the same world?
No. Due to the mechanics of world generation, platinum ore and gold ore cannot naturally occur in the same world. The world will generate with one or the other, but not both.
2. Is platinum rarer than gold in Terraria?
In terms of world generation, neither is rarer. However, if your world generated with gold ore, obtaining platinum ore will involve more effort as you’ll need to use the Extractinator. In real-world terms, as the article mentions, platinum is much rarer than gold, however, this does not reflect on its rarity in game.
3. What can I use platinum for?
Platinum ore is used to craft platinum bars, which are then used to create platinum tools, weapons, and armor. Many other items will use platinum bars as part of their crafting requirements throughout your Terraria journey.
4. How much platinum do I need for a full set of armor?
You’ll need 75 platinum bars on Desktop, Console and Mobile versions or 90 bars on Old-gen console and 3DS versions. This translates to 300/360 platinum ore respectively.
5. What is the best pickaxe to mine platinum?
Any pickaxe with sufficient power can mine platinum ore. However, the Platinum Pickaxe itself is sufficient if you’re mining it early game.
6. Why is platinum armor better than gold?
Platinum armor provides a higher defense value than gold armor, making it a slightly more robust choice. The set bonus also adds to the extra defense.
7. Can I convert gold into platinum or vice-versa?
No, not directly. You can’t magically convert gold ore into platinum ore, or gold bars into platinum bars.
8. What is the equivalent of platinum ore?
The equivalent of platinum ore is gold ore. They serve the same role but appear exclusively in different worlds.
9. Does platinum ore glow?
Like many other ores in Terraria, platinum ore does not emit any light.
10. How can I trade for platinum with other players?
The best way to trade for platinum is to find an active online Terraria community with members who have a surplus of either platinum ore or bars.
11. What happens when I get over 100 platinum coins in Terraria?
On the Console Version of Terraria, after obtaining more than 100 platinum coins, they will convert into a Fallen Star.
12. Is there a world that has both gold and platinum?
No, a world will always generate with one or the other, and you’ll have to find an alternative method of obtaining the other ore.
13. What is the rarest metal in Terraria?
The rarity of ores in Terraria depends on the world generation. However, once in hardmode, some ores such as chlorophyte will be hard to obtain compared to the gold and platinum you find at the start.
14. Which is more expensive, Platinum or Gold?
In terms of selling value, in game, both are the same price. The difference between them is only visual and in the defensive properties of the armor and pickaxe power in the early game.
15. What does Crimtane ore look like?
Crimtane Ore emits a faint red glow when placed, similar to Demonite Ore. This is not related to platinum ore in any way, as they do not generate together in a world.
Conclusion
While it can be disappointing to find out your Terraria world generated without platinum ore, it’s important to remember that this is a core element of the game’s unique world generation. By understanding how to use the Extractinator and exploring the various ways to obtain resources, you can overcome this initial limitation. Remember, the hunt for platinum in a gold world is part of the adventure, and the slight advantage it provides makes the effort well worthwhile. So, get mining, use that Extractinator, and enjoy the process of building up your Terraria character, no matter what ores your world provides!