Is 3P mining dead?

[Alderius]

In the interest of improving mining for everybody I'll tell you all everything I know or believe to be true about it...

Known
A Prospectors Only: Yield more fragments per rock.
D2 Mining Lasers Only: They cut 3.5X as efficient at D1, Only require 2X the power of D1.
<snip>
Not all Pristine Metallic Rings are Equal!: Some Pristine Metallics have higher concentrations of metals than others.
Good ships to mine in order: Fed Corvette, T9, Anaconda, Python, Asp Explorer, T6 (Until you can get an ASP Explorer!), Cobra.
Dropping into a HAZ/HIGH RES, move away about 10-20KM from action, and mine usually no AI show up after the initial entry. If you mine the rings without a RES, AI show up when you first come in now to pester.

Proof:

<snip>


Believe to be True
All Rocks are the same inside a ring, in terms of fragments and % chance to find a particular metal in them.
Likely other types of rings all have varying levels of materials as well, not just Pristine Metallic.

+1 rep sir, that is an amazing amount of work and information, thanks for sharing! I did cash in last night, 192t of 3p + gold and a bit of Osmium (was hoping for some mission opportunities, but no luck). Cashed in a total of about $6M (did manage 2 mission specific opportunities for about $500k). It used to be I could count on the 3P + Osmium for some missions, but this seems to have changed with 2.1, with all of the new materials they ask for just about anything which pretty much nerfs that idea.[blah]
My Clipper works well in a non res metallic ring, but like you say, pirates show up EVERY SINGLE TIME. I just outrun them.
Thinking about doing some missions, haven't tried those in 2.1 yet as I've been traveling and just wrapping up this last mining trip. I'll PM you for a site recommendation, I've been going to the same mining spot for quite a while, might be good to mix it up a bit if it's not too far, thanks![yesnod]

 

[Deleted member 115407]

Sad to hear all these reports, mining had brought me back to the game in October 2015 but it seems in won't be able to do so this time around. I remember being able to find at least 2 or 3 asteroids with 40%+ Painite yield during one mining run (filling up a Type 9) but if that's not the case anymore, I don't see the point.

Oh, and there's a lot of pew-pewing going on during mining too, if you try mining in a RES the pew-pew is guaranteed.

Don't mine RES, just avoid them and get lost in the rings. As for painite, there is still plenty out there. For 50 limpets in a small miner I can find at least one 35%+, sometimes more. On a standard run I don't come back packed to the gills with painite, but gold and the other P's are more than satisfactory cargo, imho.

 

[goemon]

Good ships to mine in order: Fed Corvette, T9, Anaconda, Python, Asp Explorer, T6 (Until you can get an ASP Explorer!), Cobra.

thanks for sharing! i personally think, in 2.1. the clipper should be in that list of ships again - it is a fine miner which can outrun pirate wings.

 

[Luniticisi]

thanks for sharing! i personally think, in 2.1. the clipper should be in that list of ships again - it is a fine miner which can outrun pirate wings.

Fully agree with just 2 pulse lasers on the large hard-points it (obviously) deals the same damage as a Vulture and with two mining lasers on the other hard-points it cuts through the asteroids quickly, plus good cargo space and a good amount of utility mounts.

Best mining ship for me so far.

 

[[VR] Enexemander]

I'm loving my mining Python. I have 2 of the medium hardpoint devoted to mining lasers, and then I have a beam laser and 2 seeker missile racks. Even in a full mining fit I don't have much trouble fighting off pirates and other pests.

So far as yields, yeah they went down in the patch. Praseodyium and Sacr...whatever are both around Osmium prices so by virtue of statistics, the pool has been diluted. Overall though, I'm still finding mining highly rewarding and fun. The luck factor keeps me coming back in a way that mapping out trade routes just never does.

I do wish the Mission Board would get over its fascination with ice mining materials, though. They are junk, and diamonds are too rare to be worth going. Imagine if you went into a Pristine Metallic Ring and the ONLY material worth selling was Painite. It's pretty much that. Well worse, because there's also crap like water, which sells for less than 200 cr per ton.

 

[CMDR BOSLEY]

All the new metals and minerals have "diluted" the ring that coupled with the rng that sayd whats there.

 

[bkrownd]

I do wish the Mission Board would get over its fascination with ice mining materials, though. They are junk, and diamonds are too rare to be worth going. Imagine if you went into a Pristine Metallic Ring and the ONLY material worth selling was Painite. It's pretty much that. Well worse, because there's also crap like water, which sells for less than 200 cr per ton.

I just did mining for the first time this morning, in an ice ring. Got a couple of methanol somethinghydride missions, found a "major reserves" ice ring not too far away, and spent a couple hours wacking chunks off iceteroids until my limpets were used up. A couple hundred thousand profit and a nice peaceful activity. There were a couple of federal security ships when I dropped in, but I was alone after they peeled off.

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spent a couple hours wacking chunks off iceteroids until my limpets were used up.

Heh, maybe I should have proofread that...

 

[Deleted member 115407]

All the new metals and minerals have "diluted" the ring that coupled with the rng that sayd whats there.

But, in my opinion, the prices on the new metals is a good mid-grade compromise. Last night I was grinding for max credits, so was only going gold+, but on a standard day I'll take the other samarium and pras...praes... praesidyum... whatever that other one is.

I'm hit an ice ring in a pristine system a few days back and was hoping to see higher concentrations. I was focused on mission goals, so may not have noticed, but I'm going to head back soon with a clear transaction board and see what I can see.

 

[Long Star]

I share your experience... I could go through 50 prospector limpets and find at best 2 asteroids with +-10% painite.

I think it's quite lacking a measure of skill. There's no visual queues it's all 100% RNG. Severely missing a filter option on my refinery as to automatically vent ores that I'm not interested in. ( Figured making a UI for the refinery is much less cumbersome than doing so with collector limptes due to the significant amount of mats/commodities).
Limptes are slower ( probably related to their previous behavior of blowing themselves up too often ) but nonetheless, it slows the progress down.
I have yet to find any "High" content asteroid.
No more missions at all for the 3 P's.
My ring's 100LY from the highest selling point in the galaxy for painite, yet I just can't fill my hold enough to justify making the trip. At all. I'll have about 10 to 15 tons of Painite, after increasing my usual limpet stock out on trips ( to be pickier ), in a 200 slot cargo bay.

The new Ice mining thing is fine, it's all pretty and what not but I can't agree with the decision to replace every mission on the board to be in that regard. It should've been an addition, not replacing older missions.
Bulletin boards don't spawn enough missions anyway. People still resort to mode-switching simply because there is no reason not to..

Ice mining is terrible. LTD is rarer than Painite. Meanwhile you get nothing else of value while trying to find it. That is a bust for the time. Even with missions. NO NO NO.

If you are only hitting Painite 1/2 rocks per 50 then you are in a crap Pristine Metallic for that. Not all Pristine Metallic rings are created equal. Some have better painite some have better gold some have better platinum. The skill is knowing how to set your ship up to avoid the workflow bottlenecks. The knowledge is knowing which rings to mine for which material.

Also use EDDB to locate a place to sell your materials. No way is it profitable or safe to haul 200tons of pay 100 light years. Find something within 25 LY or 2-3 jumps.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

The new Ice mining thing is fine, it's all pretty and what not but I can't agree with the decision to replace every mission on the board to be in that regard. It should've been an addition, not replacing older missions.

I was under the impression, too, but I'm seeing metal and mineral missions again. One minute, everyone wants Methanol Monohydrate, the next minute, everyone wants Osmium.

I'm finding the tirck for me when fulfilling these missions is to not go hunting. I mine as standard until I have enough to fulfill the mission. If it takes me two trips, then the mission just got that much more lucrative.

 

[Yaffle]

I find the missions spawn whatever I don't have in my hold. So I keep some rubbish ice mining stuff there, and it will spawn a praseodymium mission as if by magic. A fourth P?

 

[Deleted member 115407]

A fourth P?

And, in my book, a worthwhile P to pick up.

 

[Alderius]

And, in my book, a worthwhile P to pick up.

But Praseo...whatever is only about $7k/t where I'm mining, so not terribly profitable although there is a fair bit of it. I guess there is a trade off, spend half the time mining for half the profit compared to palladium. Only 1 jump from my mining location to the station, so quick turnaround. I might have to spend a bit of time figuring out whether it's more profitable to do more than 3P + Gold for the quicker turn.
I don't know about you guys but in typical miner fashion, I always expect the "next" rock to be the 100% painite nugget !!

 

[bkrownd]

Ice mining is terrible. LTD is rarer than Painite. Meanwhile you get nothing else of value while trying to find it. That is a bust for the time. Even with missions. NO NO NO.

Eh? I made a 150000 with the methanol monohydrate missions in a couple hours in my first attempt, and what looks like 50000-80000 in other minerals to sell. Is good cash for some easy work. It would go a lot faster if I could run a few more collectors, but I'm patient.

No way is it profitable or safe to haul 200tons of pay 100 light years. Find something within 25 LY or 2-3 jumps.

Nah, you can rack up some good exploration data as a bonus in 100 light years if you plot economical and fiddle with the route to get systems you don't have data on.

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But Praseo...

praseodymium? All you gotta do is go to wikipedia and look at the periodic table for the "Pr".

 

[BillD]

Quick update, last few mining sessions were terrible, RNG or whatever was dismal, collection rate very slow, not much 3P. As we speak, seems every 2nd rock is 30%+ of a 3P, and one was a 48% Painite! Really big swings in RNG luck or some small change to the percentages? Either way, happy miner tonight but we'll see what happens in the long run! Thanks for all of your replies, hope this latest update helps!

Yeah I don't mind this. Finding the big Painite rock sort or makes the Eureka moments all the more exciting. But you have to be dedicated and put up with the droughts. I always go out with 100 drones (most of them used for prospectors). The first 3 nights I found next to nothing and thought mining was doomed. Then I found a big score the next night and returned with 37 painite and the Price in the stating was nearly 80K WOW...Sell Sell Sell. Then list night I only found 12 returned home and the price was only 20K at that same station.

The large price fluctuations will probably determine what I will do for the night, if it is low, I will go bounty hunting, if its Hi I will mine.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

But Praseo...whatever is only about $7k/t where I'm mining, so not terribly profitable although there is a fair bit of it. I guess there is a trade off, spend half the time mining for half the profit compared to palladium. Only 1 jump from my mining location to the station, so quick turnaround. I might have to spend a bit of time figuring out whether it's more profitable to do more than 3P + Gold for the quicker turn.
I don't know about you guys but in typical miner fashion, I always expect the "next" rock to be the 100% painite nugget !!

Always!

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Ice mining is terrible. LTD is rarer than Painite.

Before I do my salvage missions tonight, I'm going to head out to an ice ring in a pristine system and see if I notice any difference in the concentrations.

 

[Stiggy]

thanks for sharing! i personally think, in 2.1. the clipper should be in that list of ships again - it is a fine miner which can outrun pirate wings.

Fully agree with just 2 pulse lasers on the large hard-points it (obviously) deals the same damage as a Vulture and with two mining lasers on the other hard-points it cuts through the asteroids quickly, plus good cargo space and a good amount of utility mounts.

Best mining ship for me so far.

Logged on this morning, all was quiet, popped a few prospectors out and four Bips appeared on the scanner. I kept a weary eye on them, two turned green, "two Feds" I thought. Scanned them and yes two Feds and two wanted, "an interesting prospect" I thought. So I opened fire on the wanted wing, BOUNTY, all four turned red and opened fire, I escaped with 7% hull left on the python, so glad I fitted point defence on her.

Ive fetched my clipper, any recommendations on setting her up, and would she have been able to escape from that sort of situation any better? I've got an anaconda but it just seems to far from the business end when mining.

oh and the prospecting still didn't find anything good.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

Logged on this morning, all was quiet, popped a few prospectors out and four Bips appeared on the scanner. I kept a weary eye on them, two turned green, "two Feds" I thought. Scanned them and yes two Feds and two wanted, "an interesting prospect" I thought. So I opened fire on the wanted wing, BOUNTY, all four turned red and opened fire, I escaped with 7% hull left on the python, so glad I fitted point defence on her.

Ive fetched my clipper, any recommendations on setting her up, and would she have been able to escape from that sort of situation any better? I've got an anaconda but it just seems to far from the business end when mining.

oh and the prospecting still didn't find anything good.

Man, that's why after I drop in, I just boost into the field for a couple of minutes until my radar is clear. I have trouble telling who's who sometimes. It's also fun because I get to play asteroids for a couple of minutes.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

Always!
Before I do my salvage missions tonight, I'm going to head out to an ice ring in a pristine system and see if I notice any difference in the concentrations.

....and... BRICK. That was a wash.

I started standard... dropped in, not into RES, just into the ring. Picked up ships on my radar and boosted away. Usually I'm able to put enough distance between me and them, whoever they are, to never see them again. But one guy picked me up and wouldn't let go. So I said heck with it, scan me. He wasn't impressed with my limpets in the slightest, even throwing out a "Nothing for me here", and took off. I never saw him again.

So I got to mining...

Initially I thought the few LTDs I would find would offset the low sell price of the other commodities. Not so. I actually left before I ran out of limpets because concentrations were so low that it wasn't worth the time. I'll be heading back to my pristine metallic rings shortly... even picked up some nice Osmium and Samarium missions to boost the rewards and the interest.

Sorry, until I find a compelling reason to go back to ice rings, I'm going to be steering clear of them for a while.

P.S. Whenever I read Samarium, I think of Samara from The Ring. So I've decided that Samarium is a metal comprised of pure evil, and should be sold within Seven Days.