Polymorphic Mineral

The subject of this article is from the ExoMech update.
The information from this article is is up-to-date as of 10 June, 2020.

Polymorphic Minerals are a type of glitched mineral.

Summary

Polymorphic minerals are of glitched minerals found having multiple forms on the same world which share the same variety name and listed characteristics. This is in contrast to monomorphic minerals, normal mineral varieties with only one form.

The pattern of Polymorphic Minerals is usually the same, a pair of varieties (rarely more) comprised of one large mineral and another small kind of mineral. Both mineral varieties will share the same scientific name and have identical properties. This phenomenon can be found on any world with a large variety of minerals and is not limited to any particular biome.

The name Polymorphic is taken from material sciences and mineralogy where it is used more specifically in reference to differing crystal structures of the same material. The name is chosen here to similarly describe glitched minerals as it visualizes them as a single variety with multiple differing morphologies or forms.

Polymorphic Mineral Subcategories

Polymorphic Minerals can be further categorized by the specific number of forms each can be found in.

Dimorphic Minerals

To date, all polymorphic minerals have been found having two forms making them Dimorphic Minerals. Theoretically, should a mineral be found with three forms it would be Trimorphic, four would be Tetramorphic.

Documenting Polymorphic Minerals

Despite the mineral varieties taking multiple separate lines in the Discoveries tab Minerals list, it is suggested they be envisioned as a single variety and documented as such on a single mineral page.

Players discovering a Polymorphic Mineral varieties may use the Polymorphicmineral macro to tag its documentation page. By adding a number as a parm, a specific number of forms may be assigned. Specimens documented as Polymorphic must include pictures clearly showing each of their forms' matching names and attributes.

  This is a Polymorphic Mineral.

For an example, please see Tasarkite.

Additional information

Despite the multiple forms having identical scientific names and listed characteristics, it is important to remember this phenomena is caused by a bug.

The glitch causing this issue appears identical to the one causing the phenomena of Polymorphic Flora.

Gallery

• 
  Tasarkite, the first documented Polymorphic Mineral.
• 
  Hiargenite, a Dimorphic Mineral from planet Hunag 30/A1.
• 
  Yokoviite, a Dimorphic Mineral from planet Hunag 30/A1.
• 
  Bueridite, the first polymorphic mineral discovered on a Dead world.