Discuss: Subsurface Mining could use a tad bit higher numbers

Each missile hitting a SSD should release like 6 fragments.
Currently getting 1-2 tops makes it a hassle, one that is not worthy to lose time with.
Especially when finding a rotating asteroid

The most effective method is to combine laser and SSD mining. You use your scanner to look for glowing rocks and preferentially shoot them, if they're available. If they then have SSDs, you simultaneously mine them AND laser mine the asteroid.
 
I never quite understood why there was such disparity between mining types and why we weren’t pushed towards a reward for utterly stripping each rock of everything it contained (should it contain all three types of deposit - not that I’m suggesting every rock should contain all three.)

In terms of gameplay Cores and SSD are entertaining enough for me, I’m not focussed on credits per hour, but the spread of options seems unnecessarily restricted. These restrictions apply also to Kenneth’s lack of small seismic charges - quite why we can’t fit out any craft for an activity and have the size and module set up of the ship be the restrictions we work under Ive no idea.

My other gripe with, Core, mining is why they made the decision to design a module that made one of the most beautiful places in the game look so damn ugly. If there’s a reason for me to focus on the rather dull laser mining it’s this, at least I get to enjoy the beauty of my surroundings rather than feel like I’m playing some 80s block graphics game.
 
I never quite understood why there was such disparity between mining types and why we weren’t pushed towards a reward for utterly stripping each rock of everything it contained (should it contain all three types of deposit - not that I’m suggesting every rock should contain all three.)

there are such rocks, but a such rock has a really low yield of laser fragments, a really low yield of SSD fragments (1 per rocked, only 3-4 rockets per SSD)


In terms of gameplay Cores and SSD are entertaining enough for me

The entertainment value is not quite the subject of this thread.

I regard SSD mining as heavier than Core mining, since you have to fire multiple rockets (between 3 and 8) at each SSD (between 1 and 4) most of the time at a spinning asteroid - with pathetic yields reported at time spend and ammo used.
While cracking a core requires 2-3 deep charges at most and the net result is usually around 12-16 tons.
Compare the effort?
And the ammo spent?
 
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there are such rocks, but a such rock has a really low yield of laser fragments, a really low yield of SSD fragments (1 per rocked, only 3-4 rockets per SSD)




The entertainment value is not quite the subject of this thread.

I regard SSD mining as heavier than Core mining, since you have to fire multiple rockets (between 3 and 8) at each SSD (between 1 and 4) most of the time at a spinning asteroid - with pathetic yields reported at time spend and ammo used.
While cracking a core requires 2-3 deep charges at most and the net result is usually around 12-16 tons.
Compare the effort?
And the ammo spent?
No, you’re right. It’s not quite the subject of the thread but when comparing effort between activities and reward then entertainment (though entirely subjective) plays a part. However, derailing wasn’t my intention. Sub surface mining is something I quite enjoy, despite the current poor returns, but the whole of the mining experience seems a little ‘off’ to me.

Possibly a point best left to another thread.
 
The most effective method is to combine laser and SSD mining. You use your scanner to look for glowing rocks and preferentially shoot them, if they're available. If they then have SSDs, you simultaneously mine them AND laser mine the asteroid.
I mostly mine bromellite to sell players on my carrier these days and I use this method. I'm pretty happy with SSDs, but wouldn't mind if they gave just a bit more. Also, small displacement missile launcher runs out of ammo way too fast. Alas, poor T7. Medium is fine.
 
I do enjoy ssd mining, but frankly - a minigame for each missile that in turns provide 1 mostly 2 fragments?
It gets tedious really fast

The problem i see is the fact that SSD are so much more common than Cores. And boosting SSD will render cores even more useless than they are now

I still remember the slow rotating EGG with 4 SSD - iirc i was using like 25+ rockets per instance, with around 75-80 tons yield (or was it more?) - that was the equivalent of 5 cores.

Hard to balance the two while still keeping laser mining in the loop
 
I mostly mine bromellite to sell players on my carrier these days and I use this method. I'm pretty happy with SSDs, but wouldn't mind if they gave just a bit more. Also, small displacement missile launcher runs out of ammo way too fast. Alas, poor T7. Medium is fine.
They could do with the small getting a full reload instead of half, Tungsten is not an easy raw to replace, surface or occasionally metallic rings are the only place I have found it:)
 
I do enjoy ssd mining, but frankly - a minigame for each missile that in turns provide 1 mostly 2 fragments?
It gets tedious really fast

The problem i see is the fact that SSD are so much more common than Cores. And boosting SSD will render cores even more useless than they are now

I still remember the slow rotating EGG with 4 SSD - iirc i was using like 25+ rockets per instance, with around 75-80 tons yield (or was it more?) - that was the equivalent of 5 cores.

Hard to balance the two while still keeping laser mining in the loop

The fragments released are 4x+ larger than fragments from lasers. A typical rock in an icy belt gives ~7.5 tons, a typical SSD deposit gives about 6 tons. Even if you don't bother finishing a deposit, that's a pretty substantial increase in tons per asteroid.
 
A typical rock in an icy belt gives ~7.5 tons, a typical SSD deposit gives about 6 tons.

Yes, but in what time they give that?
With 3 mining lasers and proper positioning you get those 7.5 really fast using lasers
A typical SSD might give 6t assuming you dont fumble a minigame - i usually dont... but only usually.

I did some tests during the bromellite CG.
Pure lasering won by far. Really far
 
Yes, but in what time they give that?
With 3 mining lasers and proper positioning you get those 7.5 really fast using lasers
A typical SSD might give 6t assuming you dont fumble a minigame - i usually dont... but only usually.

I did some tests during the bromellite CG.
Pure lasering won by far. Really far

In zero time. Because you do it at the same time as you laser mine.
 
That is just nonsense. Most 'roids have a spin so it takes time to target and extract ssd - laser mining ignores (or even exploits) the spin.

Not really. You can just sit still and shoot them as they go past. It's not that hard, and because they spit out ~10 fragments worth of ore in 1-2 chunks, the number of limpets needed to grab it is minimal compared to the rest of your mining effort.
 
Yes, but in what time they give that?
With 3 mining lasers and proper positioning you get those 7.5 really fast using lasers
A typical SSD might give 6t assuming you dont fumble a minigame - i usually dont... but only usually.

I did some tests during the bromellite CG.
Pure lasering won by far. Really far
Not really a good test, try in a Tritium hotspot where good laser rocks are a lot harder to find.

Bromellite is faster with just laser, Tritium is by far faster with SD's, SSD's and laser - just mining the glowing ones.
 
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