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I want to go out exploring, then stop when I find a nice pristine ice ring and do some mining. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone as it were.
- Thread starter WinterKing2112
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Okay commanders, thank you for the awesome advice. I'm off into the vast depths of space.
Personally i'd A rate everything allowing you to defend yourself when you eventually get interdicted.
You don't need to do anything different. Take your best mining ship with 20LY jump range and go exploring. You might want to outfit an SRV bay. Otherwise, exploring and long jumping aren't the same things. I'd hate to lose a full load of VO's because my ship was too flimsy to withstand a few fender benders in the rocks.
I use my Exploraconda for deep-core mining, have it rigged and engineered for over 50LY jumps with a full 128T load. So far in two outings to a pristine icy ring system I found, one ring has yielded around 60 million in VOs and LTDs -- the DSS is essential for locating those hot spots. But be aware that even out in the deep black, hot spots seem to generate pirates and other miners, so only drop in once (as suggested above) with only limpets as cargo, and do your mining a ways out from the hotspot center. I was completely unmolested doing that. I carry both weapons (though not my strongest possible options -- too heavy) and a fighter bay for escort duty, but that's just 'cause I'm a bit paranoid even in Solo mode. I don't mind the income sharing, got plenty already.
Weapons loadout for mining includes the Seismic Charge Launcher, Abrasion Blaster, Subsurface Displacement Missiles, and Mining Laser, though the latter two can be skipped in planning only deep-core prospecting. Principal mining sensors are DSS and Pulse Wave Analyzer. Prospector and Collector Limpet Controllers are essential, get a Collector that can deploy at least two limpets simultaneously. When heading out, fill your hold near to top with limpets, as Prospectors are used up quickly looking for deep cores. Learn to read the Pulse Analyser results to reduce Prospector no-goes. My Refinery has ten bins as I sometimes go for Alexandrite and other higher-end minerals, whatever the DSS says is plentiful.
Long-range exploring and deep-core mining are not mutually exclusive, but the equipment and limpets restrict your ship's max FSD range. My current method while exploring the Guardian bubble out near the Zende outpost system is to log juicy planetary systems for later mining, after a thorough FSS scan of all unknown systems in the jump routes. So far I have three with many pristine icy rings to dig into.
RE: A Ratings: they tend to be heavy and will further limit your jump range. Most of mine are D or some other lighter-weight class, and all are engineered, mostly for weight reduction. I outfly interdictions regularly, so the additional A security seems superfluous to me.
Weapons loadout for mining includes the Seismic Charge Launcher, Abrasion Blaster, Subsurface Displacement Missiles, and Mining Laser, though the latter two can be skipped in planning only deep-core prospecting. Principal mining sensors are DSS and Pulse Wave Analyzer. Prospector and Collector Limpet Controllers are essential, get a Collector that can deploy at least two limpets simultaneously. When heading out, fill your hold near to top with limpets, as Prospectors are used up quickly looking for deep cores. Learn to read the Pulse Analyser results to reduce Prospector no-goes. My Refinery has ten bins as I sometimes go for Alexandrite and other higher-end minerals, whatever the DSS says is plentiful.
Long-range exploring and deep-core mining are not mutually exclusive, but the equipment and limpets restrict your ship's max FSD range. My current method while exploring the Guardian bubble out near the Zende outpost system is to log juicy planetary systems for later mining, after a thorough FSS scan of all unknown systems in the jump routes. So far I have three with many pristine icy rings to dig into.
RE: A Ratings: they tend to be heavy and will further limit your jump range. Most of mine are D or some other lighter-weight class, and all are engineered, mostly for weight reduction. I outfly interdictions regularly, so the additional A security seems superfluous to me.
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I got a 6A fuel scoop, fills up the gas tank very quickly, so fast in fact that I am wondering if it's a bit overkill! Thinking of maybe going down to a 5A next time.....
Heh heh, I only got 50 Lys into my exploration and found a lovely pristine ice ring! I thought I would need to go a lot further....
Also found bits of space ships floating around in the middle of nowhere, with assorted materials and personal nav beacons. Not sure what that's about. But yeah, it was very easy finding that pristine ice ring, sorta disappointingly so. I thought I would have to go much, much further.... ah well, should not complain about another couple of hundred million credits in the bank account.!Heh heh, I only got 50 Lys into my exploration and found a lovely pristine ice ring! I thought I would need to go a lot further....
I like to role play when playing ED, looking up a webpage that tells me where the pristine rings are totally ruins the immersion for me - I mean in real life if someone put up a webpage telling everyone where you can dig up gold every man and his dog would be there and it would be total chaos! This felt a lot more real: a group of helpful vets telling the noob how to explore, noob goes off exploring, finds the pristine ice ring, gets very rich!
The one jump exploration wonder?Heh heh, I only got 50 Lys into my exploration and found a lovely pristine ice ring! I thought I would need to go a lot further....
Nice.
Even as an old timer of sorts, not being a miner, I'm the same way in general with how I care to approach the game and get external knowledge or insight from other players instead of getting it from third-party site listings. The exception to that would be my approach to the Engineers, as I see it as mostly meta game-play progression anyway. It's not the sort of stuff my Commander would be doing in the game otherwise. I don't even have access to any of the rank ships, for example, but I see them as being less compulsory than use of the Engineers regarding my ship capabilities and keeping up with everyone else, even just for things like exploration expeditions.
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Yeah, cannot ignore all those opals! Will fill up my cargo hold, then sell it all for an obscene profit, then try to get a bit further next time!The one jump exploration wonder?
Nice.
I did get interdicted by an npc on the way back (with a hold full of VO's) but I had 4 pips on systems, npc did not even scratch my shields as I low waked outta there
It was actually quite a few jumps, I forgot to ditch the reinforced hull armour before I left, so Porkchop was bit on the weighty side! Currently trying to find a station that will buy the reinforced hull armour off me so I can replace it with lightweight hull armour, then I am going to try again. Will try to resist the urge to mine all those pristine ice rings too!The one jump exploration wonder?
Nice.
Once you are 500lys from the nearest inhabited system pirates will not show up in rings. also I think you can sell the armour at any station and it will be replaced by lightweight armour
No worries, just thought it was kind of funny, all things considered.
Cheers, and good luck on your future treks, Commander. o7
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Tried to sell it at multiple stations but when I go to outfitting it says "out of stock". No worries, I do know a place that sells all the types of armour, will go there tonite and then Porkchop will shed some weight! Then I will try and get a bit further out into the stars.....
Yeah, first sign of something valuable and it's bye bye exploration and hello lots and lots of credits! Maybe I should leave the mining gear behind next time.....
I think it should be harder to find the pristine rings, especially seeing as void opals etc are so valuable. I made 60 or 70 million in a couple of hours play, which is sorta ridiculous....
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