I put this idea in another thread but is now buried. I'd like mining to change so that it doesn't drop unrealistic canisters from the asteroids.
I'd like to be able to scan an asteroid to know what elements are in it.
As you shoot the mining laser at the asteroidit ejects a jet/cloud of dust and vapour. You then manoeuvre your ship into the stream of particles and the ore gets scooped up. The visual effects already work like this.
As soon as the jet/cloud is coming out of the asteroid a scan would reveal the exact ore properties you're getting.
Once positioned in the stream you would be hovering up the ore. A message tells you how much you're gathering and how quickly. It would work much like fuel scooping does.
After a while the asteroid would pan out and the rate at which you're recovering ore drops off so you move to a new asteroid.
With practice you'd know how to position your ship to be in the line of the jet of ore particles before you fire the laser.
Better lasers might produce a more concentrated outflow of ore so scooping would be quicker.
Better mining lasers would be able to recover elements buried more deeply in the asteroid.
Better mining lasers would allow you to target the richer veins of ore.
To add interest occasionally some artifact that had got caught in the asteroid's gravity and buried would get revealed or released into space.
I'd like to be able to scan an asteroid to know what elements are in it.
As you shoot the mining laser at the asteroidit ejects a jet/cloud of dust and vapour. You then manoeuvre your ship into the stream of particles and the ore gets scooped up. The visual effects already work like this.
As soon as the jet/cloud is coming out of the asteroid a scan would reveal the exact ore properties you're getting.
Once positioned in the stream you would be hovering up the ore. A message tells you how much you're gathering and how quickly. It would work much like fuel scooping does.
After a while the asteroid would pan out and the rate at which you're recovering ore drops off so you move to a new asteroid.
With practice you'd know how to position your ship to be in the line of the jet of ore particles before you fire the laser.
Better lasers might produce a more concentrated outflow of ore so scooping would be quicker.
Better mining lasers would be able to recover elements buried more deeply in the asteroid.
Better mining lasers would allow you to target the richer veins of ore.
To add interest occasionally some artifact that had got caught in the asteroid's gravity and buried would get revealed or released into space.
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