Mining: Which is best Bang/Buck?

[gooddoc]

I'm out in the black & have set both my 'Conda & Cutter up as Explorminers. 'Conda has 128T capacity & my Cutter has either 256T (with a Guardian FSD attached) or 512T (without it).
These builds depend on how quickly I want to cover the LY's & how much time I want to spend Mining. Sometimes I'll find a spot, Mine in a Pt hotspot in my 'Conda, while jumping-in my Carrier, then swap to my Cutter & Mine another 512Tons.
I'm not into all this credit/hr tons/hr that are thrown around, I base my method on how many Tonnes of mined material Iv got from the set number of limpets Iv thrown at rocks.
Usually that's 70 limpets for my 'Conda & 150 or 300 for my Cutter.
Quite simply - If I run out of limpets & have to craft.....not good. If I have to disguard limpets 'cos Iv filled my hold....good.

I'm towing my Carrier around with me, & while understanding that a heavy Carrier uses more Tritium when jumping, frankly Iv billions, so I don't care - it starts off a trip packed out with Tritium anyway, it's my aim one day to return from a trip replacing all that Tritium with something like Platinum.
Best in my opinion, are Metallic Rings, I scan every one looking for Platinum hotspots. Every Pt hotspot then gets Mined. I'll take up Platinum & Osmium, simply because I'm Mining to fund my next trip, so I only want in my hold stuff that has a DECENT STABLE price when I return to the bubble & want to fund my next trip & reduce the 'average' cost of Tritium that's put in my hold.
I don't like Core Mining, I'm an Explorer first, I don't want to & spend days in Mining Rings hunting out motherlodes, period.
If I happen to stumble across a Core while in a Metallic Ring, I'll blow it for the lol's, if it contains decent goodies, & Mine out what I can.

Correct me if I'm wrong Susanna, but I get the impression that you have the similar mindset as me.
You want to be out in the black Exploring with your Carrier, but you are willing to do a bit of Mining to
a) do something different for a change for a couple of hours
b) get a material that you can store in your Carrier & sell on your return, to reduce the cost of Tritium for your next trip.

Others may or may not agree with my views here, but hey! I'm playing how I want to play AND I'm enjoying it

 

[Mr T]

I tried core mining, I did everything right, and I couldn't find a single core in a double Musgravite hotspot. Just flying around with the pulse-dopler held down looking for a needle in a haystack while making zero credits? Nah, no thanks. It would be one thing if the value of core materials were so very very high that it outweighed the tedium and RNG'ness so finding that core was super special and valuable. But since the mining nerf the sell prices for the stuff just doesn't make the investment in time worth it imo.

To the OP, I can reliably fill my Cutter to the light fixtures with Platinum. I can go to the ice and reliably fill it with Tritium and LTD's. But core mining? It's in a horrible state right now in my opinion and is a waste of time.

I hear you, those cores can be hard to find. Lately, I've been going to Platinum hotspots in metallic rings. Platinum seems to be the "new LTD", in that it can be laser mined, found in SSDs, SDs, and cores. I have all the tools equipped on the python so I can use whichever tool is required to do the job on the rock I find. It kind of takes the stress out of trying to find cores all the time and means I can also do some laser mining and some SSD drilling as well as blowing up cores. It probably doesn't pay as well as other cores but at least it's more enjoyable.

 

[K Olley]

I got fed up with switching modules so I have dedicated ship builds now... So my refinery stays put in my mining ships ... And never gets emptied by removal.

That is why I use 2 T9's, one for Icy, one for the others, I do not have to empty or flush bins when changing ring type

I was looking for the best mining approach while in the black with an FC and different mining ships available...
So far it all seems a waste of time mining in the black...

Check the cargo on my Carrier, link in sig, view all option on

Working my way back to the bubble, left Colonia on 4 Jan with only Jaques Still's on board, have only used my "laser T9's" both of which are capable of handling the odd core or two, not bothered with doing a dedicated Core or Tritium run, just mined what I have found

Metallic rings are a lot rarer than any other out in the black, that's why my Osmium and middling metals are higher tonnage than Platinum and Painite

Others may or may not agree with my views here, but hey! I'm playing how I want to play AND I'm enjoying it

That's the way to do it, those that have to grind to get the best or become the best, I feel sorry for them

Have Fun o7

 

[goemon]

as bang for buck phrase has some leeway for interpretation, i recommend mining in planetary nebulas. while this won't improve cr/h the slightest, it seriously bangs visually.

Spoiler

 

[Rat Catcher]

I'll add my 2p worth, even if it is worth much less...

Tritium mining, PWA, a couple of C2 Lasers, a couple of SSDM and an Abrasion Blaster (so no actual guns on my Python ) in a Tritium hotspot is very good for me and I'll fill the 192t capacity in around 45 mins, normally with at least 160t Tritium (I only block water) and whatever else might be found (LTD's, Methane Clathrate, Lithium Hydroxide etc.) - naturally the 'best' rocks are those with 3 or 4 SSD's and 33% Tritium although any SSD is worth the time (which is why I take 2 launchers, that and I 'miss' too often still!)

Icy rings do have plenty of 'stuff' worth picking up, if I had set up for cores too I'd probably fill up even quicker, although would sacrifice Tritium space in doing so

I do mine mainly in VR as it does make it more 'interesting' because of being acutely aware of the size of the rocks I'm throwing the Pyton around, flat screen is fine, but not at all as 'scary'

 

[Susanna]

That is why I use 2 T9's, one for Icy, one for the others, I do not have to empty or flush bins when changing ring type


Check the cargo on my Carrier, link in sig, view all option on

Working my way back to the bubble, left Colonia on 4 Jan with only Jaques Still's on board, have only used my "laser T9's" both of which are capable of handling the odd core or two, not bothered with doing a dedicated Core or Tritium run, just mined what I have found

Metallic rings are a lot rarer than any other out in the black, that's why my Osmium and middling metals are higher tonnage than Platinum and Painite


That's the way to do it, those that have to grind to get the best or become the best, I feel sorry for them

Have Fun o7

It looks from your FC cargo you are happy to do more mining than me...

INARA

The community site for Elite: Dangerous, Starfield, Kingdom Come: Deliverance with the game databases, information, gaming news and other handy content...

inara.cz

I'm heading to S171 37 now after poking about the far side of the Formidine Rift to look at this guy: https://eddb.io/body/1162

Gravity: 228.2G

Looks interesting!
Then on to the Bubble to sell my mined mats
Yeah - I'll be glad to dump them as they are only worth 3 or 4 hundred mil.

 

[K Olley]

It looks from your FC cargo you are happy to do more mining than me...

INARA

The community site for Elite: Dangerous, Starfield, Kingdom Come: Deliverance with the game databases, information, gaming news and other handy content...

inara.cz

Your link is not working as you might expect It just gives your banner.

If you wish to show your carrier details as I have, towards the top right of your carrier page in orange box "edit carrier" change "details visible to", it then makes all details available to everybody.

o7

 

[K Olley]

At the moment I am stuck where I am, A system with all 4 ring types and 2 of the rings have multiple double hotspots, a Metal Rich and an Icy, the Metallic does not look much but looks can be deceiving

 

[Susanna]

Your link is not working as you might expect It just gives your banner.

If you wish to show your carrier details as I have, towards the top right of your carrier page in orange box "edit carrier" change "details visible to", it then makes all details available to everybody.

o7

Thanks K,
I didn't realise that the FC had a separate visibility option from the other visibility commander options page and that this defaults to private. I wouldn't have found this if you hadn't mentioned it!
Try it now and let me know if it now works please!

INARA

The community site for Elite: Dangerous, Starfield, Kingdom Come: Deliverance with the game databases, information, gaming news and other handy content...

inara.cz

 

[Susanna]

At the moment I am stuck where I am, A system with all 4 ring types and 2 of the rings have multiple double hotspots, a Metal Rich and an Icy, the Metallic does not look much but looks can be deceiving

Which of these mat ring types and their associated materials do you prefer to mine (in the system you are in) then?

It sounds like you have found a sweet system!

 

[K Olley]

Thanks K,
I didn't realise that the FC had a separate visibility option from the other visibility commander options page and that this defaults to private. I wouldn't have found this if you hadn't mentioned it!
Try it now and let me know if it now works please!

INARA

The community site for Elite: Dangerous, Starfield, Kingdom Come: Deliverance with the game databases, information, gaming news and other handy content...

inara.cz

Almost there, you have now opened the visibility but have not got the right link, open INARA, go to "my fleet" click on the "fleet carrier" link and copy link from address bar
https://inara.cz/cmdr-fleetcarrier/244530/210601/
It took me a while to work it out first time.

Which of these mat ring types and their associated materials do you prefer to mine (in the system you are in) then?

It sounds like you have found a sweet system!

Mainly Metallic for profit, greater amount of laserable mats than metal rich or rocky, but good doubles in any ring are always worth a try, Icy obviously, I don't buy fuel unless I need a lot in a hurry ie: a rescue, when I usually mine for fuel I normally pick on a LTD hotspot, Its slower but you see the bonuses.

I do not worry too much about materials, the metallic rings I take silver and above price wise and in Icy I laser LTD's, Tritium and Bromellite and allow the limpets to collect MMC's and lithium, any SD's some SSD's (ammo restrictions) and Cores are mined when found.

Just found something new, Under the MISC tab (bottom bar) on my carrier I seem to have a lodger I was under the impression that the only way to see if you get visitors was to start to decommission the carrier.

HTH o7

 

[Susanna]

Almost there, you have now opened the visibility but have not got the right link, open INARA, go to "my fleet" click on the "fleet carrier" link and copy link from address bar
https://inara.cz/cmdr-fleetcarrier/244530/210601/
It took me a while to work it out first time.


Mainly Metallic for profit, greater amount of laserable mats than metal rich or rocky, but good doubles in any ring are always worth a try, Icy obviously, I don't buy fuel unless I need a lot in a hurry ie: a rescue, when I usually mine for fuel I normally pick on a LTD hotspot, Its slower but you see the bonuses.

I do not worry too much about materials, the metallic rings I take silver and above price wise and in Icy I laser LTD's, Tritium and Bromellite and allow the limpets to collect MMC's and lithium, any SD's some SSD's (ammo restrictions) and Cores are mined when found.

Just found something new, Under the MISC tab (bottom bar) on my carrier I seem to have a lodger I was under the impression that the only way to see if you get visitors was to start to decommission the carrier.

HTH o7

Got it! Thank you!

INARA

The community site for Elite: Dangerous, Starfield, Kingdom Come: Deliverance with the game databases, information, gaming news and other handy content...

inara.cz

This should now be the right link if I have followed your instructions correctly
The url looks the same anyhow!

As for mining materials thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience with this. It's helpful to see what other people are doing and what works for them.

I'm coming to the opinion that mining anything other than tritium when needed is kind of a wasted effort in the black...
It just doesn't make enough money now compared to other activities.
Just a single buy / sell cycle in the bubble, takes about 5 hrs to complete loading and unloading the FC, makes around 550mil. Granted that's dull, but it's easy and pain free, especially with a DC fitted to a unshielded T9. It take around 27 runs to load/unload the trade goods. This easily compares to several mining runs that take a couple of hours each. Even after about 5 mining runs, I've not mined enough mats to come close to enough to be worth 550mil.

Hence even trading is a lot more guaranteed than mining mats...

A pity that they have borked mining to the extent that they have!

Does anyone else feel that mining has been overly nerfed to the point that it just isn't a competitive activity now?

 

[Rat Catcher]

This should now be the right link if I have followed your instructions correctly

You certainly did

 

[K Olley]

I'm coming to the opinion that mining anything other than tritium when needed is kind of a wasted effort in the black...
It just doesn't make enough money now compared to other activities.

Rat Catcher is the expert for straight Tritium mining, I have got a Python set up very similar to his but my speed with it is a little bit slower.

Credits are not something that I worry about, or speed for that matter. I mainly play to relax and wind down after work or a long day.

My running costs are significantly lower because I am no hurry to get anything done or get anywhere fast, I am getting to that point in life where speed is not needed, looking forward to retirement in a couple of years. Because of that and the fact that I enjoy mining my running costs are a lot lower, a big circle really

Even with my mining I take my time, I am also very observant, I spot more Cores and SSD's by eye than PWA, (Too long on the road (truck driver by trade)). so my mining may be more profitable than some others because I am not in a hurry.

I see no mention of mission boards in your posts, there can be some good little earners for both mining and trading on them, it was a combination of them and doing supply runs to damaged stations that earned me almost enough to buy my carrier and rank up with Fed and Imp at the same time.

One other little trick that may be worth mentioning, if you want to buy or sell direct from your carrier set your prices at a level that will put your carrier towards the top of the commodities price list, sell slightly lower, buy slightly higher than most THEN on your carrier page "import frontier data" and it updates the commodities data as well as your own pages, It also helps others if you do this if you change, move or stop selling, otherwise the data does not get updated until the regular update or someone running INARA visits.

The fact that there is no endgame and things can be done in your own time is probably why this game is more popular with the more senior players

o7

 

[Susanna]

Rat Catcher is the expert for straight Tritium mining, I have got a Python set up very similar to his but my speed with it is a little bit slower.

Credits are not something that I worry about, or speed for that matter. I mainly play to relax and wind down after work or a long day.

My running costs are significantly lower because I am no hurry to get anything done or get anywhere fast, I am getting to that point in life where speed is not needed, looking forward to retirement in a couple of years. Because of that and the fact that I enjoy mining my running costs are a lot lower, a big circle really

Even with my mining I take my time, I am also very observant, I spot more Cores and SSD's by eye than PWA, (Too long on the road (truck driver by trade)). so my mining may be more profitable than some others because I am not in a hurry.

I see no mention of mission boards in your posts, there can be some good little earners for both mining and trading on them, it was a combination of them and doing supply runs to damaged stations that earned me almost enough to buy my carrier and rank up with Fed and Imp at the same time.

One other little trick that may be worth mentioning, if you want to buy or sell direct from your carrier set your prices at a level that will put your carrier towards the top of the commodities price list, sell slightly lower, buy slightly higher than most THEN on your carrier page "import frontier data" and it updates the commodities data as well as your own pages, It also helps others if you do this if you change, move or stop selling, otherwise the data does not get updated until the regular update or someone running INARA visits.

The fact that there is no endgame and things can be done in your own time is probably why this game is more popular with the more senior players

o7

Smile ... I'm of a very similar age (58) and not in any rush these days either
My days of doing 130 on the A2 leg home are long gone ... I'm a good law abiding citizen these days lol!

And like you, I really don't need the money. I just hate doing something inefficiently though, even if its just for fun, it goes against who I am I suspect, as it feels, wrong some how.

Stuff like stumbling around in the black though, there is no right or wrong as any star system could be a Real Gem or just a bunch of over sized snowballs...
Still, lately I have found a system with 4 water worlds all around the same star and another system with a water world that was just a smidge under 4G.

Does my updated Sig work for you?
Just seeing if I have been paying attention to your advice!

 

[Vandaahl]

Rat Catcher is the expert for straight Tritium mining

I wouldn't touch the tritium he gets with a 10 foot pole

@Rat Catcher ❤

 

[Starshot_Jigawatts]

I just wonder how people can legit claim to fill 500+ tons of Platinum in a Cutter in literally "just 30 minutes". Are people just bragging and throwing that number out there? I think I'm pretty efficient, but there's NO WAY I can fill my Cutter in just 30 minutes even in a double metallic hotspot. Maybe there's some leet technique I don't know about...

...buuuut I am going to try. Made some tweaks to my build, removed lasers from the pylons so everything is in the nose, that should keep the limpets happier? 4 lasers, 12 active limpets. Got a line that Col 285 Sector KM-V d2-106 had a sweet Platinum spot in the bubble, adventure and profits await!!!!!

If anyone cares my usual spot for Plat and stuff in the bubble is LHS 3388 because it's pretty chill. I can't remember ever getting scanned or harassed by a single pirate there.

 

[Susanna]

I just wonder how people can legit claim to fill 500+ tons of Platinum in a Cutter in literally "just 30 minutes". Are people just bragging and throwing that number out there? I think I'm pretty efficient, but there's NO WAY I can fill my Cutter in just 30 minutes even in a double metallic hotspot. Maybe there's some leet technique I don't know about...

...buuuut I am going to try. Made some tweaks to my build, removed lasers from the pylons so everything is in the nose, that should keep the limpets happier? 4 lasers, 12 active limpets. Got a line that Col 285 Sector KM-V d2-106 had a sweet Platinum spot in the bubble, adventure and profits await!!!!!

If anyone cares my usual spot for Plat and stuff in the bubble is LHS 3388 because it's pretty chill. I can't remember ever getting scanned or harassed by a single pirate there.

Only 12 limpets? This is my Cutter Laser Miner build... As you can see, this build uses 16 Limpets and 4 x 2D mining lasers ... it's a pretty fast laser miner!

 

[Rat Catcher]

I wouldn't touch the tritium he gets with a 10 foot pole

I hate it when my alleged 'friends' come along and burst the bubble of trustworthiness & harmony I'm trying to create..

Loathe you too @Vandaahl

 

[Susanna]

I hate it when my alleged 'friends' come along and burst the bubble of trustworthiness & harmony I'm trying to create..

Loathe you too @Vandaahl

Bless!

The Best of Male Bonding!