Large Ore Deposits

Overview

Large Ore Deposits (internally known as "adlods") transforms the mining experience by scattering supermassive ore veins throughout your world. These aren't your typical 8-block Iron veins. A single deposit can contain anywhere from 300 to 1,800 ore blocks depending on the type, making each discovery a game-changing event. The tradeoff is rarity: you might explore thousands of chunks before stumbling across one.

The mod ships with 29 preconfigured ore deposits organized into three tiers: common metals like Iron and Copper near the surface, precious metals like Gold and Platinum deeper underground, and gems like Diamond and Emerald at the lowest depths. Every deposit is fully configurable through simple config files, and you can add support for any modded ore without writing a single line of code. The mod also lets you control vanilla ore generation, disabling or restricting default ores by biome. You can browse all items the mod interacts with using the tabs on this page.

How Deposits Generate

Each time a chunk generates, the mod rolls a chance for each active deposit based on its rarity value. Rarity is measured in chunks: a rarity of 1,000 means approximately 1 deposit per 1,000 chunks, or a 0.1% chance per chunk. If the roll succeeds, the mod picks a random position within the chunk at the deposit's altitude range and begins growing the vein.

The deposit generation uses a "vein" algorithm by default: starting from the chosen position, it expands outward in all six directions, preferring to grow back toward the center. It replaces only blocks in the deposit's replaceable blocks list (Stone by default for Overworld deposits). The vein continues growing until it reaches the randomly chosen size within the deposit's min/max range, or until it runs out of valid blocks to replace. A second "vanilla" pattern is also available, which uses Minecraft's standard elongated ellipsoid ore shape but scaled up massively.

Deposits can also be configured as mixed veins containing multiple ore types in specified proportions. For example, you could create a deposit that's 5 parts Iron and 1 part Gold, producing a mixed vein where roughly 83% of the blocks are Iron Ore and 17% are Gold Ore.

Default Deposit Tiers

The mod organizes its 29 preconfigured deposits into three distinct tiers based on real-world geological value. Each tier has its own size range, altitude band, and base rarity. Within each tier, individual ores have a price factor that scales their rarity relative to the tier's baseline: higher price factors mean rarer deposits.

Tier 1: Common Metals

These are the largest and most frequently encountered deposits. They generate between Y16 and Y64 with sizes ranging from 700 to 1,400 blocks. A base rarity range of 1,000 to 3,000 chunks is scaled by each ore's price factor. Iron deposits are the most common (factor 1.0), followed by Aluminum (6.6), Lead (7.0), Zinc (10.3), Copper (22.6), Nickel (44.6), Tin (74.8), and Cobalt (104.7) as the rarest common metal.

Tier 2: Precious Metals

These deposits are smaller (500 to 1,000 blocks) and generate deeper, between Y8 and Y32. Their base rarity range is 1,200 to 3,600 chunks. Silver is the most common precious metal (factor 1.0), followed by Ruthenium (17.45), Platinum (58.89), Gold (85.67), Palladium (90.97), Iridium (97.8), Uranium (100.0), and Rhodium (211.94) as the rarest deposit in the game.

Tier 3: Gems and Valuable Ores

The deepest and smallest deposits, generating between Y4 and Y16 with sizes of 300 to 600 blocks. Their base rarity is 1,400 to 4,200 chunks. Redstone deposits are the most common gem tier (factor 60.0), followed by Amethyst (70.0), Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire (both 80.0), Ruby (90.0), Diamond and Topaz (both 100.0), and Emerald (110.0) as the rarest.

Coal: The Outlier

Coal gets its own configuration outside the tier system. Coal deposits are the largest in the game at 900 to 1,800 blocks, generate at the shallowest altitude range of Y32 to Y80, and have a fixed rarity of 800 chunks, making them the most commonly encountered deposit overall.

Modded Ore Compatibility

Large Ore Deposits works with modded ores out of the box through Forge's ore tag system. The default deposits use tags like #forge:ores/iron, #forge:ores/copper, and so on. This means if another mod registers its ores under the standard Forge tags, they'll automatically be included in the appropriate deposit type without any configuration needed.

For mods that use non-standard ore IDs, you can add support using the /lods add command or by manually creating a config file in the Deposits folder. The ore ID format supports both specific block IDs (like minecraft:diamond_ore) and Forge tags (like #forge:ores/copper). You can also specify multiple ores with weights to create mixed deposits.

Vanilla Ore Control

Beyond adding large deposits, the mod gives you control over vanilla Minecraft ore generation. Config files in the .minecraft/config/adlods/VanillaOres folder let you enable or disable the default generation of each vanilla ore type and restrict them to specific biomes.

The controllable vanilla ores include: Coal Ore, Iron Ore, Gold Ore, Redstone Ore, Diamond Ore, Emerald Ore, Lapis Ore, and Nether Quartz Ore. You can also control non-ore blocks that generate underground: Dirt, Gravel, Granite, Diorite, Andesite, Magma Block, and Infested Stone. This is particularly useful for modpack creators who want to funnel all ore acquisition through the large deposit system, creating a more exploration-driven mining experience.

Commands Reference

All commands require operator permissions (level 4, the highest). The base command is /lods followed by a subcommand. These are essential tools for server admins, modpack creators testing configurations, and creative-mode players exploring the system.

Deposit Management

Use /lods list deposits to see all active deposit definitions. /lods list generated writes every generated deposit's coordinates to the latest.log file, which is invaluable for finding deposits in an existing world. To create a new deposit type, use /lods add <name> <rarity> <minSize_maxSize> <minAlt_maxAlt> and to remove one, use /lods remove <name>.

Testing and Spawning

Use /lods gen <deposit> to generate a deposit in your current chunk using all config parameters. For quick visual testing without digging underground, /lods test <deposit> <amount> spawns a deposit at your position that also replaces Air blocks, so you can see the full shape above ground.

Strip and Dress (X-Ray Mode)

The strip/dress system temporarily removes all non-ore blocks, giving you a clear view of every ore vein in the area. Use /lods strip chunk for your current chunk or /lods strip around for surrounding chunks. When you're done looking, restore everything with /lods dress chunk, /lods dress around, or /lods dress all.

Configuration Deep Dive

Every deposit has its own config file in .minecraft/config/adlods/Deposits/. The first time the mod loads, it creates default configs for all 29 ores. Each config file controls the following parameters:

Size sets the minimum and maximum block count (range 1 to 8,000). The actual size is randomly chosen within this range each time a deposit spawns. Altitude defines the Y-coordinate range where the deposit's center can spawn. Rarity is measured in chunks (range 1 to 256,000); higher values mean rarer spawns.

The ores array defines which blocks make up the deposit. Each entry follows the format "oreId, weight". For example, "minecraft:gold_ore, 1" and "minecraft:iron_ore, 5" creates a mixed deposit that's 5 parts Iron to 1 part Gold. Ore IDs support both specific block IDs and Forge tags (prefixed with #).

The replaceableBlocks array controls which blocks can be replaced by ore. By default this is set to Stone for Overworld deposits. The dimensions and biomes settings use black/white lists to restrict where deposits can generate. Leave them empty to allow generation everywhere. The indicator section defines the surface marker block placed above the deposit; set the ID to a block, a tag, or even a structure name to make deposits generate under specific structures.

After editing any config file, use /lods reload in-game to apply changes without restarting. The enabled flag at the top of each config lets you disable specific deposits without deleting the file.

Creating Custom Deposits

You can add deposits for any ore in the game, including ores from other mods. The quickest method is the /lods add command: /lods add vibranium 2000 300_600 4_16 creates a new deposit called "vibranium" with a rarity of 2,000 chunks, sizes between 300 and 600 blocks, and an altitude range of Y4 to Y16. The mod creates a config file automatically, which you can then edit to specify the exact ore block ID, surface indicator, biome restrictions, and other settings.

For more control, create the config file manually in the Deposits folder. You'll need to specify the ore ID in modId:blockName format (for example, oresabovediamonds:amethyst_ore). You can also use Forge ore tags to automatically match any mod's version of that ore. The weight system lets you build complex mixed deposits: a custom "mixed_precious" deposit with Gold (weight 5), Silver (weight 3), and Platinum (weight 1) would generate veins that are roughly 56% Gold, 33% Silver, and 11% Platinum.