Deep Mining

[Galactic Fork]

OK, at the moment, mining consists of shooting the surface and chipping off bits of the asteroids, and sending limpets off to collect. This doesn't seem like mining... just combat with a stationary spinning target. So I'd like to suggest a more engaging form of mining.

Equipment: Landing clamps, drill, drill bit

Process:

1. You have to "land" on the asteroid by matching flight with the rotation. So faster rotating asteroids would be harder.
2. Deploy clamps to attach your ship to the asteroid. If you are not matching speed enough, the clamps will be damaged.
3. Once secure, you deploy the mining drill which extends from the cargo hatch. It drills into the asteroid
4. A display shows the give of the rock. You need to adjust pressure as you drill. If the rock is too hard, and you apply too much pressure, you'll snap the drill bit and will need to use a spare.
5. Once you've drilled into the core, you deploy a mining explosive into the hole.
6. Unclamp, detonate the charges.
7. Send limpets into the hole to collect the materials inside.

The reason I used the drill instead of the mining laser was because the effect the mining laser has is much more devastating. It just seems to create a large molten blot. So, a drill that digs a relatively small hole deep into the core seemed more reasonable. On the other hand, specialized laser made for making very focused holes would allow the hole to be very deep, which would be good for very large asteroids (if they ever make them) and mining planets.

I'd really prefer staying clamped while detonating so the limpets don't have to find the entrance, but I'm not sure keeping your ship over the hole when the charge goes off is a great idea.

 

[Yure]

OK, at the moment, mining consists of shooting the surface and chipping off bits of the asteroids, and sending limpets off to collect. This doesn't seem like mining... just combat with a stationary spinning target. So I'd like to suggest a more engaging form of mining.

Equipment: Landing clamps, drill, drill bit

Process:

1. You have to "land" on the asteroid by matching flight with the rotation. So faster rotating asteroids would be harder.
2. Deploy clamps to attach your ship to the asteroid. If you are not matching speed enough, the clamps will be damaged.
3. Once secure, you deploy the mining drill which extends from the cargo hatch. It drills into the asteroid
4. A display shows the give of the rock. You need to adjust pressure as you drill. If the rock is too hard, and you apply too much pressure, you'll snap the drill bit and will need to use a spare.
5. Once you've drilled into the core, you deploy a mining explosive into the hole.
6. Unclamp, detonate the charges.
7. Send limpets into the hole to collect the materials inside.

The reason I used the drill instead of the mining laser was because the effect the mining laser has is much more devastating. It just seems to create a large molten blot. So, a drill that digs a relatively small hole deep into the core seemed more reasonable. On the other hand, specialized laser made for making very focused holes would allow the hole to be very deep, which would be good for very large asteroids (if they ever make them) and mining planets.

I'd really prefer staying clamped while detonating so the limpets don't have to find the entrance, but I'm not sure keeping your ship over the hole when the charge goes off is a great idea.

My biggest gripe with mining is that there is a ton of pristine outside of the bubble... yet all my hauler miners have the range of a water gun. In other words you already spend enough time mining for mediocre earnings, going outside of the bubble makes it an even bigger waste of time.

 

[YinYin]

Then stay at the last pristine systems inside the bubble (e.g. Delkar) or move to Colonia.

 

[shreddog]

I like your idea OP.
Sounds allot more engaging than firing lasers on a surface.
I feel the SRV "prospecting" need a workover to. Currently the SRV mining consist of racing like a madman looking for random rocks, then the same old 'blast it with weapons till it explodes'.