Mining: am i missing something?

[Huita]

Mining. Not only you can't process all the stuff you get from asteroids with just a basic refinery, you actually need to vent it every single time you pick up a dual-commodity rock. You can't even pick up more rocks until you "allocated" resources. This alone makes it extremely boring and slow. But then you also have the problem of scooping things. It's okay, i guess it's even fun, but once you realize that the vacuum is pretty liquid here, it stops being fun. I'd rather chase some constantly moving chunk into sun using my FA off to get speed higher than top speed (oh well, i can't do that anyway). And then there's rocks just disappearing over time - you can't shoot at asteroid to get 20 rocks out and then collect them because by the time you're done with half of them, another half disappears.

You also can't even target asteroids. I'd like the ability to set up beacons for myself so that i could mark all asteroids around and decide what exactly do i want to extract, but no, you can't even target one.

And, of course, you need to actually find a good belt cluster. How does one go about it? Flying around and checking system maps to see what kind of asteroid belts are there? I can understand the "low planning, low risk, low reward" idea of mining in the systems with refinery stations that buy your goods on the spot, but can i find a great mining spot some systems away from the nearest inhabited one, get a load of something precious, come back and get rich? Not with such a tiny cargohold i guess... (i fly hauler atm)

Still, i'm playing for just 5 days and hopefully there's something i'm missing which would make mining profitable and fun. Any advice on it?

 

[BBcokeley]

Mining. Not only you can't process all the stuff you get from asteroids with just a basic refinery, you actually need to vent it every single time you pick up a dual-commodity rock. You can't even pick up more rocks until you "allocated" resources. This alone makes it extremely boring and slow. But then you also have the problem of scooping things. It's okay, i guess it's even fun, but once you realize that the vacuum is pretty liquid here, it stops being fun. I'd rather chase some constantly moving chunk into sun using my FA off to get speed higher than top speed (oh well, i can't do that anyway). And then there's rocks just disappearing over time - you can't shoot at asteroid to get 20 rocks out and then collect them because by the time you're done with half of them, another half disappears.

You also can't even target asteroids. I'd like the ability to set up beacons for myself so that i could mark all asteroids around and decide what exactly do i want to extract, but no, you can't even target one.

And, of course, you need to actually find a good belt cluster. How does one go about it? Flying around and checking system maps to see what kind of asteroid belts are there? I can understand the "low planning, low risk, low reward" idea of mining in the systems with refinery stations that buy your goods on the spot, but can i find a great mining spot some systems away from the nearest inhabited one, get a load of something precious, come back and get rich? Not with such a tiny cargohold i guess... (i fly hauler atm)

Still, i'm playing for just 5 days and hopefully there's something i'm missing which would make mining profitable and fun. Any advice on it?

I can help you here.
.
Do some surveying of systems around you, look for rings or clusters that are metallic rich and have 'Major Reserves' or 'Pristine reserves' these are were the big bucks can be made.
.
Once you get enough cash to ditch the hauler get the new ship (hauler type the name escapes me), make your way up to a cobra.
.
Finally get a decent refinery, im using a 5 flotter, and am only throwing out the exsess of the 5th, the other 4 are:
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Palladium.
.
I can make about 250k ish credits in 1 cluster alone.
.
if you want to know the location is YAKAWAN star 'B' <<<<< this is important belt cluster 3 <<<<< hot cause its close too the sun (very close) risk/reward
.
after im done to a few million im gonna get an asp and explore a bit.
.
Good luck out there commander

 

[TehGM]

For the first one solution is get better refinery. With 5 slots it's not that pain anymore.
2nd one - they stop over time. I always just mine asteroid out and then scoop everything.
3rd - hope targetting will come.
3th - I just check on map wherever I decide to stay to check what's the most valuable there. For bigger cargo, again: get better ship and upgrade.

But I think it'll get better in future updates anyway.

 

[Huita]

I can help you here.
.
Do some surveying of systems around you, look for rings or clusters that are metallic rich and have 'Major Reserves' or 'Pristine reserves' these are were the big bucks can be made.
.
Once you get enough cash to ditch the hauler get the new ship (hauler type the name escapes me), make your way up to a cobra.
.
Finally get a decent refinery, im using a 5 flotter, and am only throwing out the exsess of the 5th, the other 4 are:
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Palladium.
.
I can make about 250k ish credits in 1 cluster alone.
.
if you want to know the location is YAKAWAN star 'B' <<<<< this is important belt cluster 3 <<<<< hot cause its close too the sun (very close) risk/reward
.
after im done to a few million im gonna get an asp and explore a bit.
.
Good luck out there commander

Well, the problem is, i can't get a better refinery using mining as the main source of profits. Looks like i have to trade first, get a cobra, get a better refinery, and only then get to mining again?

Thanks for the location, i'll check it out. So far, i didn't even find anything over common reserves. Is there a point in trying to explore uninhabited systems in search for better mining locations?

Also, are different parts of belt cluster any different? I usually see 10 or so clusters in the close proximity to the sun, but on the system map, it's all the same cluster with same reserves.

TehGM, i also tried mining asteroid dry and then scooping. But then their problem of disappearance starts.

And can you please elaborate about checking the map? How's to see whaqt's most valuable? You mean you just look out for what is imported?