Should void opal and LTD mining be more dangerous?

[Rhaedas]

I'd like to swap the pirates that are always there when you drop into a ring with a random chance (based on population and security level) that cracking open a rock attracts pirates to it after a few minutes.

Even better if cracking open a rock generated a signal source visible to other CMDRs in supercruise, and/or if players could track down NPC-generated cracked rocks likewise and do some PvE piracy that way.

Totally this. Distribute the pirate chances out over the whole experience, not only ALWAYS when you drop in and almost always on the way to a station. Give some variety so it feels like sometimes you get lucky and no one is around, watching, or noticing you, but you're always glancing at your scanner, just in case. And while the idea of having your activity show up to other players seems like a bad thing, they'd have to be lurking around the area anyway to even notice, so why not? It removes some of the difference between NPC and PC behavior.

 

[BlackSpaceCowboy]

Totally this. Distribute the pirate chances out over the whole experience, not only ALWAYS when you drop in and almost always on the way to a station. Give some variety so it feels like sometimes you get lucky and no one is around, watching, or noticing you, but you're always glancing at your scanner, just in case. And while the idea of having your activity show up to other players seems like a bad thing, they'd have to be lurking around the area anyway to even notice, so why not? It removes some of the difference between NPC and PC behavior.

That would be great with NPC's but do people mine in open? I know I don't.

But having an explosion possibly attract a pirate would be cool.

 

[Termite Altair]

Would be nice if the occasional asteroid exploded with a corrosive cloud (like the thargoid death)

I recall a stream with the Loach a while back where corrosive clouds after blowing up an asteroid were mentioned as a possibility. I'm slightly disappointed that we didn't get something along those lines... I do enjoy the freezing effect though.

 

[Jmanis]

I recall a stream with the Loach a while back where corrosive clouds after blowing up an asteroid were mentioned as a possibility. I'm slightly disappointed that we didn't get something along those lines... I do enjoy the freezing effect though.

Yeah, that's really cool with Ice Asteroids.

 

[Bill Clement]

OP- Nope! Sorry BlackSpace, there are any number of ways to get combat jollies in this game, let's leave other activities just as they are!

I like the idea of unstable asteroids (toxic, or maybe a larger than expected explosion) but the level of piracy and interdiction is fine as it is. Mining is a relaxing activity, there's no need to turn it into yet another excuse for pew pew.

 

[Jmanis]

OP- Nope! Sorry BlackSpace, there are any number of ways to get combat jollies in this game, let's leave other activities just as they are!

I like the idea of unstable asteroids (toxic, or maybe a larger than expected explosion) but the level of piracy and interdiction is fine as it is. Mining is a relaxing activity, there's no need to turn it into yet another excuse for pew pew.

Can definitely agree with that. With a dedicated mining fit required which takes up most fitting slots in your average ship, there's no way to defend yourself. It's also a shame that (I hear) pirates spawn in belts even thousands of LY away.... maybe the alternative is to have pirates (but no environmental hazards) in the bubble, on the idea that they've been mitigated by established industry, but further out, no pirates, but numerous environmental hazards.

 

[BlackSpaceCowboy]

OP- Nope! Sorry BlackSpace, there are any number of ways to get combat jollies in this game, let's leave other activities just as they are!

I like the idea of unstable asteroids (toxic, or maybe a larger than expected explosion) but the level of piracy and interdiction is fine as it is. Mining is a relaxing activity, there's no need to turn it into yet another excuse for pew pew.

It doesn't have to be pew pew. It can involve hiding from pirates you detect. It can involve fleeing when needed.

And you can still have peaceful meditation mining just not in void opal or LTD hotspots.

People complain about balance and the problem is that there is no risk vs reward balance. You can make millions on passenger missions and mining without taking any risk.

 

[OBYOZ]

@OP. Just dont take sheilds or a fuel scoop.

 

[Feros-da-Grundig]

I think the market has already kicked in, at least I noticed it. I sold enough void opals and other high value minerals at one station to go from cordial to allied, the next day I went back in and the prices had dropped by more than half. This was one of those locations that had zero demand for anything. I found another system that was run by a pirate faction that was still offering high prices. There was even an icy ring right near the outpost. I don't know how long that will last but we will see.

As of today there are 39 stations buying at 1.6mil, 36 of which are within 300ly of shinrarta.

As a pirate, I'd love to see fewer buy stations, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I don't think they'll be any depletion, market control, etc. for quite a while yet. So CGs will remain the only realistic way to find traders in open, unless one wants to rob young seals in eravate.

Of course with the BGS in its current state no one can say with certainty. But FD stated prices were as intended and I see no reason to think it will change when the station list has pretty much grown steadily and/or held since chapter 4 launch.

 

[Jukelo]

What shouldn't be more dangerous in this game where danger is all too optional?

 

[Deleted member 182079]

How about ones which release a cloud have more materials released? Or maybe ones without release less? It's not like current core mining returns aren't already massive compared to any other activity.

I quite like this idea, as it forces you to 1) perform a risk/reward analysis and 2) outfit your ship accordingly.

Currently I can make dozens of millions with a shieldless Cobra Mk3 mining Opals - rather than reducing the payout of Opals (which sooner or later has got to happen as current prices are silly, especially for new players) such mechanic would create a logical reason why these goods are so valuable.

 

[NeilF]

Something awful happened to me. I mined about 75 mil in void opals and docked at a station preparing to refuel and go sell them. Then I decided to go back in the ice ring to scoop up some more before selling. I ended up getting killed by a pirate who wanted my haul. I didn't know there were any pirates in hot spots. I was sooooooo . That was my biggest haul ever.

But...I also enjoyed it a little. I finally encountered real danger. Now I had to consider outfitting my mining vessel with mines and have some plan for escaping pirates.

We all know that void opal mining is making everyone rich. Some say it's unbalanced. So, why not spice it up with more danger? Make pirate encounters more likely? Make mining for big payouts more dangerous.

What do you think about balancing out lucrative mining with danger?

I find the very gamey pirates waiting for you no matter which hotspot you choose to jump to pointless and daft.

I would rather they were done away with, and effort is simply put into fixing and balancing the mining mechanics that are rather broken and unbalanced at the moment.

Note: If pirates are suppose to be part of the mining gameplay loop, it would make more sense if the mining modules were streamlines so regular ships like say even a Python could be outfitted such they could at least defend themselves realistically.

 

[Bunkerkind Anni]

they should reduce mining hardpoint requirement to two (Laser/Blaster and Explosive launcher), offer them in ALL sizes, and add combat stats to the Blaster (including engineer mods).
player in normal space should generate USS for others to see in supercruise whenever they use high-energy equipment, like Weapons (Weapons fire signal source?) or blowing up an asteroid with micro-nukes.

ofc, npc spawn mechanic should switch to that logic too, and instead of having npcs always being present in a ring when you drop out,
there should be just chance that one shows up once you "create a signal" (depending on how close you are to populated space)

also, where are the promised dangers from blowing up an asteroid?
wasn't it supposed to be risky to stay nearby?
that puny little shockwave is predictable, short ranged and rather weak.
I would have expect fragments being shot out with high velocity, that do at least as much damage as those mineral fragments laden limpets when they "accidentally" ram your ship.

 

[Bob McBobblehead]

It's easy to lose your opals.
Crashing into an asteroid while perma boosting searching for those bright yellow ones.
Pirates find you with opals in your cargo bay while mining.
Getting interdicted while flying to a station to sell them.
Getting blown up along with asteroid.

I use a Python with 500m/s perma boost, no weapons and class 3 shields. I've not died or lost any hull yet.

 

[NeilF]

they should reduce mining hardpoint requirement to two (Laser/Blaster and Explosive launcher), offer them in ALL sizes, and add combat stats to the Blaster (including engineer mods).

I've suggested merging the Sub-Surface Missiles and Seismic Charge Launcher into a single module, which then appears as the two devices in fire groups. But I'd not thought of doing the same with a Mining Laser and Blaster. Nice!

So you buy a single "Surffice Mining" module, which then appears a "Mining Laser" and "Abbrasion Blaster" in firegroups (and modules?) as now! I like it!

 

[Pville_Piper]

Mines? Do they even work after the last nurf? Or have they been buffed?

It was more dangerous during the beta. NPC's would actually follow you. You'd give them the slip, use silent running and long range scanners... And still they would show up. Not fun when a group of 3 or 4 elite pirates show up and you're in a Keelie with 2 guns.

You want it more dangerous? How about we make it so we can defend ourselves properly. I really don't get the whole drop into a ring and suddenly, pirates appear. Funny, there were no contacts in supercruise... Do they have cloaking devices? And how did the follow me in the beta? They never fully resolved on my 8+ km scanner, I went into silent running and didn't even boost away or use a heat sink. Yet suddenly they appear out of nowhere for the second time.

Nope, if you're going to make it more dangerous, then you need to add a hell of a lot of gameplay that doesn't exist and stop all of the stupid magic acts.

 

[NeilF]

Nope, if you're going to make it more dangerous, then you need to add a hell of a lot of gameplay that doesn't exist and stop all of the stupid magic acts.

One of my long time requests was to bring in some form of CQC's line of sight scanner mechanics into the core game, so asteroids could block scanners. ie: Might not some depth of gameplay be offered in recon missions trying to get through an asteroid field undetected using both cold/silent running and physical blocks like asteroids? And might not hiding behind asteroids give some more interested/depth to mining too, where you could hide if necessary?

 

[Dash]

I think there needs to be a bit more variety. Without a doubt, I'll drop in a host spot somewhere, and something will spawn (instead be given a previous lifetime to make it look like it's been there a while). Usually a pirate wing in something pathetic. I wait for them to do their thing and dispatch them swiftly as I'm disproportionately overpowered for anything that ever seems to spawn. I then don't see anything until NPCs magically know I've got a hold full of stuff and start interdicting me on the way back to the station.

That's all I ever see.

My friend on the other hand had a few Cobra's spawn whilst he was mining. But they were in the mostly harmless region, so he just ignored them and carried on mining in his shielded Cutter (didn't even have normal weapons fitted).

Whatever, it has to be reasonable to the game mechanics. These rings are stupid big, the fact that there is always a pirate there when I drop in anywhere is silly. The fact that anybody can ever find me, is silly. In fact, ask anybody playing in my wing to find me without a wing beacon, it's not possible due to the expanse.

The game needs to introduce weak USS's for player ships (although have to be hard to find in themselves, say Xls instead of the 1000 for most things). And then have pirates spawn into these as any other player could - very rarely in quiet places, more frequently at the centre of a hot spot.

 

[Pville_Piper]

My friend on the other hand had a few Cobra's spawn whilst he was mining. But they were in the mostly harmless region, so he just ignored them and carried on mining in his shielded Cutter (didn't even have normal weapons fitted).

I do a lot of core mining in a Keelie and with my combat competent (tycoon in trade) commander I've had 4 elite ranked NPC pirates in a wing several times show up. I don't care what you do to a Keelie, you can't fight that with 2 weapons tied behind your back.

 

[Bunkerkind Anni]

I've suggested merging the Sub-Surface Missiles and Seismic Charge Launcher into a single module, which then appears as the two devices in fire groups. But I'd not thought of doing the same with a Mining Laser and Blaster. Nice!

So you buy a single "Surffice Mining" module, which then appears a "Mining Laser" and "Abbrasion Blaster" in firegroups (and modules?) as now! I like it!

erm, first, you are thinking too complicated.
limpets already have different modes that just depend on what you have targeted (or nothing locked at all).
the Sub-Surface missile and Seismic charge can be combined and just deploy depending on what you have selected:
1. sub surface deposit = drill mode
2. fraction = seismic charge mode
3. nothing or other ship = flak mode

and the mining laser - as in the 3 other topics, no i dont mean to have two modes on one hardpoint, but
both blaster and laser comming in sizes from C1 to C4,
both beeing able to chip off regular mining fragments (and materials),
and both are able to dislocate surface deposits. (with the difference that the blaster breaks them off as one chunk, and laser in multiple smaller)
the blaster comes just with the advantage of doing combat damage

if i have spare large slot, i should be able to fit a large mining laser / Blaster, and not having to rely on mounting that tiny c1 module.