Newcomer / Intro HOW do I find specific material to mine?

[Para Handy]

If you have reached any kind of rank in any of the three rankings, you simply won't be allowed to jump back. You don't even have to dock anywhere.

That is not correct - it is the act of docking outside the zone after having gained a promotion that revokes the permit.

 

[Psybernaut]

If you get more than 2km away from your ship, she's gonna take off and hide in orbit.
You can bind a button for recalling her, or recall her from your lap screen.

Phew, thank you... I was beginning to think she got blown up or something. There was no option on the lap screen, but finding and binding a button to the recall worked.

Also, don't leave your ship on the ground. It's safer to dismiss her right away.

I remember that for next time, thank for the tip

 

[GreySix]

I have just noticed that you cannot buy a prospector limpet controller in the noob-zone either.

I just experimented trying to mine 2t of Samarium in metal rich ring - lord it was boring with a 1D mining laser and nibbling asteroids to see composition of fragments - very poor percentage of Samarium - don't know if I was just unlucky but not impressed. This must really discourage newcomers - it is so much easier outside the noob zone.

... a short section:

Yeah, made the mistake of picking up that mission, and I don't leave things incomplete (generally)

... it was about as much fun as watching paint dry.

 

[Esteban]

That is essentially what I did last night and it does sort of work on a small scale. I nibbled rocks until one produced a fragment with Samarium in it. Then launched a prospect at it, released a collector, put all my power to weapons and mined like a demon possessed.... albeit slowly In not too much time I had the 2 units I needed for the mission and more.... and just as I was about to leave, it was stolen . So, armed with the knowledge that this worked, I decided to try a different belt. Unfortunately, I chose one in the wrong direction and ended up leaving the new player area, so after all that time, effort and hours of frustration.... the mission was rescinded because I can't get back there to hand it in, even if I did go and mine it again. So I refit for courier/data missions.

I remember when I "left" the starter zone. It wasn't clear to me that I was leaving so I couldn't even take one of the missions that bribe you to leave with a generous payout. Like any CMDR just starting out, I really could have used the credits! I was pretty unhappy about that for a little while. Then it didn't matter anymore.
Don't look back...