About the pulse wave scanner

[Valorin]

I've been mining quite a lot, also having no trouble finding my share of fissuroids and blowing them up efficiently, and of course, I'm using the pulse wave scanner to find good rocks.
The thing is... I know rocks which are supposed to have good stuff, glow quite brightly, and I know, the really bright ones often have fissures and can be blown up.
But that's not the only asteroids that glow, but there are actually a lot of them, and many don't even have much material... I probed glowing rocks with nothing but rubbish in it but high yield, then there were rubbish rocks with low yield, some with a few bits of good stuff in it and so on. Actually it was quite random, and poking a not-glowing rock often gave me the same results. So what I am doing, is looking for the really bright ones and blow them up...

All I know is, that it makes rocks glow that are supposed to be good choices for putting a prospector limpet in it.
So, Fdev, what exactly is the pulse wave scanner doing? Is it a densitometer? A chemical scanner detecting certain materials? Is it detecting irregularities within the rock's composition?
What does it do, and why is it so inaccurate giving us such a wide range of results?

 

[Linnunrata]

AFAIK the glowing ones that are not your standard identical core pop corns are 'roids with subsurface or surface deposits?

 

[Iron Golem]

The easiest way I identify cores is by looking not at the color, but for black artifact / anomalies on the second half of the pulse scan. Pulsating black areas or slightly flickering black squares let you know that the asteroid indeed contains a core. I will always prospect a core to double check. There's many different variances between colors and depending on video card and night vision etc appears dramatically different to different people. The flickering black cores / squares seem to be the common denominator. Using night vision to spot the cracks is another way to double check without having to waste a prospector.

These are some examples I took mining to show some pilots in my squadron how to identify cores. Most of the ones with green were void opals. I always pulsewave with night vision on, colors vary but the black anomalys / squares (Sometimes just outlines on the little squares not as much the whole square).

Plenty of rocks share similar colors cores and non cores, some fake you out and look good from afar but go mundane when your up close. I wouldn't worry about colors at all, I would worry about the black anomalies and just prospect em. Greenish tinge ones are opals, and then the ltd cores or a bright orange yellow magma type vivid color.

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Heres a LTD core (First part of the scan, note the rich orange yellow magma style color, this will differ depending on settings so not a exact science) (All my pics have night vision enabled when I took them).

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[Valorin]

AFAIK the glowing ones that are not your standard identical core pop corns are 'roids with subsurface or surface deposits?

That's not always the case, I think, but also not really the question.
I'd really love to know what the pulse wave scanner does, not in terms of gameplay mechanics, but the thing as a device. A laser is a focused beam of light, the frame shift drive shortens the distance in the space in front of my ship, the SRV scanner mainly scans for density it seems. What exactly is the pulse wave scanner doing?

 

[Linnunrata]

Using night vision to spot the cracks is another way to double check without having to waste a prospector.

The ring fragments with cores are also exactly identical in shape.

What exactly is the pulse wave scanner doing?

My theory is that it quantum harmonizes the feedback from the fragment in its photonic resonator chamber.

 

[Layne Vakarian]

The easiest way I identify cores is by looking not at the color, but for black artifact / anomalies on the second half of the pulse scan. Pulsating black areas or slightly flickering black squares let you know that asteroid indeed contains a core. I will always prospect a core to double check. There's many different variances between colors and depending on video card and night vision etc appears dramatically different to different people. The flickering black cores / squares seem to be the common denominator. Using night vision to spot the cracks is another way to double check without having to waste a prospector.

Absolutely this. Bright yellow with lots of black is favourite imo. Plus the cracks, if present are a dead giveaway for a core-rock.

 

[Valorin]

The ring fragments with cores are also exactly identical in shape.


My theory is that it quantum harmonizes the feedback from the fragment in its photonic resonator chamber.

I don't think it's photon-based. That would account for the surface and maybe partially the radiation, but it is supposed to read the insides. It also wouldn't need to pulse to provoke a reaction for that. The wave also moves quite slow, and not even close to light speed, so it's maybe based on a seismic pulse or something like that. Since we're in vacuum, I'm not sure how effective that would be anyway.

 

[Linnunrata]

I don't think it's photon-based. That would account for the surface and maybe partially the radiation, but it is supposed to read the insides.

I was just kidding, sorry.
I've never seen FDev actually reply to any of the lore questions here, so it is probably easier to make your own headcanon for this. I doubt there even is an actual explanation how it works, it's just a tool for the mining mechanic.

 

[Shiro Akai]

I'd call it another RNG layer to make mining take more time (I wouldn't call it entertaining). From the all astteroids out there you need to narrow your search, hence the scanner that mark potential candidates with yellow glow. Now the "fun" part begins - you are supposed to probe all candidates till you find core. Nothing more, nothing less.

Twist is, core happening is RNG based. And all the "fun" from deep core mining is probing long enough till RNG smiles and gives you core to pop. Since cores are spawned in specific asteroids (shapes and sizes) and have distinct features (fissures) it in the end produces certain visual effect upon scanning (those black lines/artifacts).

This way players can identify proper core containing asteroid while skipping half of the mechanic - probing till finding one. I believe it was the original idea, sift away those 100% NOT core ones and probe the glowing ones till you find core.

I tried mining twice, read all the info, watched caountless vids on how to spot core. Had mixed results, leaning more to dumb RNG luck. It was more frustrating since it has almost no reliance on skill. Had proper ship, proper outfit, been in proper ring type, with a hotspot, used proper scanner and probed proper looking asteroid (according to common consensus) only to be denied. My final experience was - no matter how good i am at it it's more RNG than skill based.

So it doesn't matter what scanner is - it's just a method to narrow your search field.

 

[Valorin]

I was just kidding, sorry.
I've never seen FDev actually reply to any of the lore questions here, so it is probably easier to make your own headcanon for this. I doubt there even is an actual explanation how it works, it's just a tool for the mining mechanic.

Yeah, I know... But the devices we use on our ships kinda need some explaining I think. Frontier has made it a habit to only introduce gameplay mechanics of new stuff, but stopped explaining their places in the lore. I would also love to know, how the FSS is actually working, for example. Also, what those probes are we shoot at planets. They are either making use of FSD technology, or are not substantial at all, since they move too fast to be objects.
I'd really, really (REALLY) like to have scientifically sound answers for these kinds of thing (without 3d printing and telepresence please) which fit into the game's lore.

PS: I know you were kidding, I just chose to not respond to the joke.

 

[CMDR Mr S]

I don't think it's photon-based. That would account for the surface and maybe partially the radiation, but it is supposed to read the insides. It also wouldn't need to pulse to provoke a reaction for that. The wave also moves quite slow, and not even close to light speed, so it's maybe based on a seismic pulse or something like that. Since we're in vacuum, I'm not sure how effective that would be anyway.

Whoosh

 

[Iron Golem]

Distance, single pulse vs chain pulses and angle all affect the scan colors. Sometimes a sharp angle will cut off the second half showing the cores and you will just get extended first half of the scan colors into the second half.

I think theres many variables, I dont think its random though. When I was still learning I would prospect everything I was curious about. It didnt help some of the initial walkthroughs and guides people made said to focus on bright colors. That being a big part of peoples frustrations.

To know the exact mechanics behind this would be very interesting.

 

[Valorin]

Distance, single pulse vs chain pulses and angle all affect the scan colors. Sometimes a sharp angle will cut off the second half showing the cores and you will just get extended first half of the scan colors into the second half.

I think theres many variables, I dont think its random though. When I was still learning I would prospect everything I was curious about. It didnt help some of the initial walkthroughs and guides people made said to focus on bright colors. That being a big part of peoples frustrations.

To know the exact mechanics behind this would be very interesting.

I would love to know what kind of tech it uses, and from there understand how it's used best and how to interpret the results.
I know that's too much to hope for, though I would simply love these things to be scientifically simulated, so I'm okay with an explanation of the tech itself.

 

[CMDR Mr S]

Whoosh

Whoosh

 

[Walter2]

But the devices we use on our ships kinda need some explaining I think. Frontier has made it a habit to only introduce gameplay mechanics of new stuff, but stopped explaining their places in the lore.

You just want to take all the magic out of the game.

 

[Iron Golem]

I would love to know what kind of tech it uses, and from there understand how it's used best and how to interpret the results.
I know that's too much to hope for, though I would simply love these things to be scientifically simulated, so I'm okay with an explanation of the tech itself.

I will get all the same colors I get on cores on non cores. Ill get the funky weird greens and orange magma's making me think this is it. But without the black its a dud.

The amount of depth Frontier put into it is actually pretty cool and I was fascinated with core mining for a long time out of interest. It didnt have to be as intricate as it was but they put some depth in it.

My only complaint is having the one medium popcorn asteroid model being the only core, having multiple models espically smaller snd larger asteroids would be really cool.

 

[Iron Golem]

So the pulse wave makes sounds also maybe it uses some kind of harmonic resonance to sense the core and a more surface analyizer to give the color, with the second phase of the scan revealing echo results showing whether its a core idk...

 

[Layne Vakarian]

So the pulse wave makes sounds also maybe it uses some kind of harmonic resonance to sense the core and a more surface analyizer to give the color, with the second phase of the scan revealing echo results showing whether its a core idk...

The sound obviously has to be a by-product of the scanner's operation that we happen to be able to hear on board and nothing whatsoever to do with any results. Because space. The scan though has to be some kind of energy pulse and/or electro-magnetic radiation I'd have thought. From a 'how is this technology working' standpoint, the colours are a bit misleading though. Unless the HUD actually extends across our entire field of view that is. After that, well I suppose if you happen to know the effect some quantity of joules radiated at a specific element has, say in terms of resonances or such maybe, well at that point reading back the results oughtn't to be that hard?

 

[CMDR X]

Wondered about this thing this myself.

I imagine the PWA to be a focused beam microwave device that sends out two different frequency beams, one right after the other. The two focal points are drawn outwards in a slow fashion to be able to excite the atoms inside the rocks. The two returning signals are then analyzed to detect differences in the wavelength which allows the core composition to be calculated. This would also explain the limited distance the PWA has since the beams dissipate. It has six dual transmitter antenna located around the ship and uses a combination of ship heat and power supply energy to form the beams. The return signals are picked up by the ship sensors and the result is projected on the HUD using augmented reality. Works probably similar to the HAARP system that heats up our Ionosphere. I don't know, it kinda makes sense to me. X.

 

[CoyoteXStarrk]

Here are three tricks I have learned while mining to make finding fissure roids easier.

Turn on Night Vision - The highlight that Night Vision applies to objects makes the fissures on rocks stand out like a sore thumb at a distance. Will save you many limpets.


Don't look for glowing rocks that are close by - Fissure-roids will glow bright even at a great distance. Less desirable rocks will only slightly glow and then get brighter. So if you pulse and then you see a rock WAAAAAAY in the distance then there is a very good chance that it is what you are looking for.


Point yourself towards the planet - Getting turned around in a ring system is absurdly easy to do when you are floating around rocks looking for cracks. Always readjust your bearings after you look at a rock or get done mining. It prevents you from accidentally going back the way you came and scanning the same rocks twice by accident. The easiest way to do this is to always keep the planet in front of you or always to your left or right.