Exploration Prospecting

shadragon · Jul 28, 2015

I couldn't find many pristine and metallic sources of minerals beyond asteroids in core space. High intensity RES were quite simply "a pain in the..." as I kept getting nailed by Pythons and wings of agile Eagles. As I was in a lumbering Asp outfitted for mining and loaded down with multi-tons of cargo while surrounded by rocks, that got old quick. I decided to look for another way.

I decided to try something I'll call: Exploration Prospecting. I took my mining Asp (Config below) out into fringe space to explore and find gas giants with pristine metallic ring systems. I made sure it was well shielded and reasonably armed in case of claim jumpers. This affected jump range, but 24 LY (22 fully loaded) was enough for getting around.

My first attempt (Episode 17 of my series) went badly as I tried exploring an area of non-scoopable stars in the Hyades Sector. I made a killing with exploration data, but came back with only 500K of minerals from random asteroid fields. I knew I could do better.

For this second attempt I focused on an area of G, M and K class stars and had much better luck. This time before heading out, I took as many mining missions as I could find (95K for 1T of Platinum, etc.) Just the missions alone were worth over a million credits.

The plan was to jump outwards to a system at least 300 LY away selected at random. This would be a day trip only; I'd be out and back in one game session. Along the way I'd scan anything of interest in the way of ringed worlds / gas giants and ignore everything else unless it could be scanned from the arrival point. Once at the destination system I'd search the surrounding area for anything minable.

I had 64T of cargo space and used half of it for limpets. I didn't take prospector limpets, only a collector controller, as I was tight on space. I needed a fuel scoop and the ADV-scanner \ detail surface scanner to find the composition of the rings.

Exploration Prospecting combines income from 1) Exploration 2) Mining Missions 3) Sale of metal commodities 4) Bounties from claim jumping pirates.

My Asp build:

http://edshipyard.com/#/L=70g,0_g0_g0_g01Q4wt4wt5Ap5ApH9WH9W,2-888c886Q6Q8S8I,0AA50y5Sc7Pm0aG2UI2jw

Here's what happened:

http://youtu.be/y2uWPf65XJk

Zmaj od Bosne · Jul 28, 2015

It's a nice video. Makes me want to try mining again. Your drone dies right away because you had a fragment selected. If you have a fragment selected it will pick up the selected item and deactivate. You have to clear your targets before releasing the collector drones.

jadefriendly · Jul 28, 2015

great video. +1 rep.

shadragon · Jul 28, 2015

Zmaj od Bosne said:
It's a nice video. Makes me want to try mining again. Your drone dies right away because you had a fragment selected. If you have a fragment selected it will pick up the selected item and deactivate. You have to clear your targets before releasing the collector drones.

Ahhh, that does make sense. I select the fragment to see what sort of mineral% is in there then don't do it again until the next rock. Great tip. Thanks. Rep for that.

shadragon · Jul 29, 2015

Last night was a great session. Made 3.2 million returning to the same ring system by a different route.

Exploration Prospectong works!

Zmaj od Bosne · Jul 30, 2015

That sounds cool. I actually decided to head back from my exploration trip and try out some mining.

Dommarraa · Jul 30, 2015

Try the Exploration forum. There is a thread listing Pristine Metalic both in and out of the bubble.

shadragon · Jul 30, 2015

Dommarraa said:
Try the Exploration forum. There is a thread listing Pristine Metalic both in and out of the bubble.

That is correct, but I wanted to discover my own sources rather than follow in someone else's footsteps. Beyond the adventure, you make a lot more credits if you are there first. Not to mention getting your name on the discovery itself.

By combining several aspects of the game together my approach makes a lot more credits than just mining. Besides, it's Exploration Prospecting, not follow the map tourism.

[HJ]-RedRaven · Jul 30, 2015

You can look at the contacts tab (left screen) to see whats in the fragments you've lasered off a rock. You can check how many collectors you still have working and the major and minor composition of fragments.

I keep the left panel on Contacts, and the right panel on Cargo, for refining operations.

Pristine Metallics are available in and near the bubble of populated space... find one near to a High Tech system for maximum effect. The credits in mining come from picking up the mining missions and selling your ores/metals for several times their value on the open market.

shadragon · Jul 30, 2015

@ [HJ]-RedRaven

They are available in core space along with lots of pirates. My method avoids the cumbersome (and some might say almost continuous) interceptions.

Mining is great, but my method takes mission + exploration + sale of leftover metal income together and that adds up quick.

There is the odd bounty as well when heading back in.

When you are 400 LY from core space you have a lot of uninterrupted time to collect your goodies. I like that serenity and not being rushed. To each his own.

Surly_Badger · Jul 31, 2015

I did a thread on mining and exploring. In it there are a few systems I found nearish the bubble -- all pristine metallics. Help yourselves!

I think that to really do mining/exploring right you need an anaconda. It's just a whole lotta jumping in a python or clipper. I tried in a T-9 and got whacked by an NPC 400ly out.

It's a great deal of fun mining out there where it's quiet.

curses · Jul 31, 2015

I too make elite videos so I'm keen to check out your video when I finish work.

I have a question tho, which is kind of off topic but here goes: does having 2 mining lasers increase speed of mining?

Cheers

shadragon · Jul 31, 2015

Having two lasers does help go faster, but it does drain your weapons bar quicker. A single laser can fire continuously, but I like the speed of two.