Ughhh Mining - why are collector limpets so stupid and/or fragile?

GunnerBill · Jan 19, 2019

I've just used 13 limpets to collect the ore from one deep core rock.

Sat there watching them fly into rocks and explode ad nauseum.

I'm used to a few catching themselves out but this is just plain daft.

Deadlock-3000 · Jan 19, 2019

We've been over this. Because it is literally part of game lore that machine learning and AI are banned in this society. Everything is deliberately stupid.

That's why we can't have nice things like multi-jump autopilot.

Even skimmers are actually telepresencing-multicrew-NPCs. Or something.

GunnerBill · Jan 19, 2019

Deadlock-3000 said:
We've been over this..

We did?

Never mind the brains then, I'd just settle for a limpet that wasn't made of eggshells.

Deadlock-3000 · Jan 19, 2019

GunnerBill said:
We did?

Never mind the brains then, I'd just settle for a limpet that wasn't made of eggshells.

I heard that after the 3.3 patch they were ramming miners to death with the force of an engineered cannon at point blank range. No clue if that's still the case.

Old Duck · Jan 19, 2019

GunnerBill said:
Sat there watching them fly into rocks and explode ad nauseum.

If it makes you feel any better, I've watched NPCs mining ships that didn't have limpets fly into rocks ad nauseum, though never to the point of exploding. [wacko]

BlackSpaceCowboy · Jan 19, 2019

My limpets would always expire. I didn't realize that if you target something then launch the limpet that it will automatically expire when it retrieves. If you don't target anything it keeps retrieving.

I'm probably the only one who didn't know this.

GunnerBill · Jan 19, 2019

BlackSpaceCowboy said:
My limpets would always expire. I didn't realize that if you target something then launch the limpet that it will automatically expire when it retrieves. If you don't target anything it keeps retrieving.

I'm probably the only one who didn't know this.

I think we've all been there with that one

Ouberos · Jan 19, 2019

While we are on the subject, what about making them capable of delivering cargo when I'm traveling faster than 20.

GunnerBill · Jan 19, 2019

Old Duck said:
If it makes you feel any better, I've watched NPCs mining ships that didn't have limpets fly into rocks ad nauseum, though never to the point of exploding. [wacko]

I've seen things you CMDR's wouldn't believe. I've watched NPCs mining ships that didn't have limpets, I've seen chaff glittering in the dark near the Hutton Orbital. All these things will be lost in time like salty tears on popcorn.

PhanttoM · Jan 19, 2019

In my observations, there are two cases where limpets will crash when gathering deep core chunks.

1.- The annoying wide arc U-turn that the limpets make when picking up a chunk that is too close to the asteroid surface.
2.- Bad pathing when attempting to return from around the other side of the asteroid.

#1 seems to be the most common case. I found that it helps to either wait for the chunk to bump into the asteroid, which MAY cause it get flung out and away from the surface.
Or bump it with your ship. Just don't deploy new limpets until it's clear of the surface.

#2 can be mitigated by keeping one's ship on the same side of the asteroid, so the limpets don't get stuck in bad pathing.

Cageman · Jan 19, 2019

Deadlock-3000 said:
I heard that after the 3.3 patch they were ramming miners to death with the force of an engineered cannon at point blank range. No clue if that's still the case.

Only miners without shields. I just wanted to point that out. You know....transparency and all that crap that people ask for when asking for information.

So yes... if you flew/fly a shieldless ship, you will get spanked. If you have shields, you can have the lowest rating on it..... no problems.

Leadfoot · Jan 19, 2019

Not to be snarky but what do you expect for a device that only costs 100 credits and can't be used more than once?

Deadlock-3000 · Jan 19, 2019

Cagman said:
Only miners without shields. I just wanted to point that out. You know....transparency and all that crap that people ask for when asking for information.

So yes... if you flew/fly a shieldless ship, you will get spanked. If you have shields, you can have the lowest rating on it..... no problems.

Yeah, makes total sense. I mean miners throughout history have always designed their tools to kill them unless they have their magic armour on.

Deadlock-3000 · Jan 19, 2019

Leadfoot said:
Not to be snarky but what do you expect for a device that only costs 100 credits and can't be used more than once?

Wouldn't exactly be inconceivable to make them cost 10,000 and be reusable, would it?

Kaocraft · Jan 20, 2019

The limpets sometimes aren't as dumb as the rest of the game. Elite has poor collision detection. That's part of it. Oftentimes the chunks clip partially into the asteroids and there's no way for a limpet (or anything else) to pick them up without smashing into the asteroid. Other times the chunks clip all the way inside of the asteroids and the limpet just orbits hopelessly looking for a way in:

https://imgur.com/a/nTgkdlf

IndigoWyrd · Jan 20, 2019

What's the price of a limpet these days?

Ever heard the expression "You get what you pay for."

Guessing whoever manufactures limpets has outsourced their labor and materials to some 4th world system.

RamirezKurita · Jan 20, 2019

IndigoWyrd said:
What's the price of a limpet these days?

Ever heard the expression "You get what you pay for."

Guessing whoever manufactures limpets has outsourced their labor and materials to some 4th world system.

Considering how we can make them with our bare hands out of nothing but some iron filings, powdered nickel and our own saliva, I'd say they are pretty good bits of kit. Even McGuyver wishes he could improvise like our pilots.

2plex · Jan 20, 2019

Kaocraft said:
The limpets sometimes aren't as dumb as the rest of the game. Elite has poor collision detection. That's part of it.
...

ED has poor anything and that's part of it.

IndigoWyrd · Jan 20, 2019

2plex said:
ED has poor anything and that's part of it.

Especially attitudes some days. But those can be some of the most fun - I dunno, I sometimes think there may be some subliminal messaging hidden around here that just makes people miserable some times. It's a weird cycle you can track through the forums over years. Long stretches of assorted chatter, a bit of a lull, then an acid-rain monsoon of vitriol and bile, then it tapers off. If anybody figures out what it is, let me know, but I'm convinced Forum PMS (P---ing, Moaning Syndrome) is a real thing.

GunnerBill · Jan 20, 2019

PhanttoM said:
In my observations, there are two cases where limpets will crash when gathering deep core chunks.

1.- The annoying wide arc U-turn that the limpets make when picking up a chunk that is too close to the asteroid surface.
2.- Bad pathing when attempting to return from around the other side of the asteroid.

#1 seems to be the most common case. I found that it helps to either wait for the chunk to bump into the asteroid, which MAY cause it get flung out and away from the surface.
Or bump it with your ship. Just don't deploy new limpets until it's clear of the surface.

#2 can be mitigated by keeping one's ship on the same side of the asteroid, so the limpets don't get stuck in bad pathing.

Yes this exactly. I wanted to add something like that to the OP but couldn't think of the words to make it concise enough.

#1. For the odd badly placed rock I'll nudge the chunk away from the asteroid with he nose of my Py. In the recent limpet massacre there was too much f this to make it worthwhile!
#2. Exactly although sometimes the limpets seem to avoid the closest and most conveniently placed chunk to go somewhere far away!

Incidently in choosing between a Python or a Krait II for minig duty I'll use the Python because it can bump chunks, the Krait looks like it can't do that well.