hello
you will need to read around a bit.
edit : super short version : you need to get 1ls distance from rings and "shoot" them with scanner probes to get the hotspots marked, hotspot material type will show in contact list.
trying to sum this up for you :
-use the scan probes on rings to highlight "hotspots"
-prefer looking for pristine icy rings (use eddb.io)
-void opals are the thing to go right now
-you need the following :
1 pulse wave scanner on primary fire button
1 prospector limpet on secondary on that fire group
you re looking for very contrasted, bright, yellow and red asteroids, i mean, REALLY bright ones, not pale ones, with black cracks on it when you approach, use pulse scanner multiple times for that
once you found one, use the seismic charges on fissures :
level 3 on high fissures, level 2 on average, level 1 on low fissures. tweak the seismic charges to get in the "optimal blue detonation thing" that will appear on top right of the screen. if you go over it, disarm a charge (through contact menu, disarm charge on selecting a fissure)
once in the blue area, select "detonate now"
open cargo scoop, and launch all collector limpet (5 works good, that is a level 5 and a level 3 collector controller)
switch then to abrasion laser fire group, and shoot the remaining surface deposit. works better with 2 abrasion laser because that s not exactly a precise shoot. scratch all remaining deposit
a properly blown asteroid, with total cleanup with abrasion will give you 15 to 18 units of the material. in case of void opals, we re talking of 20-25M credits per asteroid.
when full (normally you get one asteroid per 15 minutes average, RNG and luck apply), use INARA to check the closest station with "best sell price" for the collected material. do not sell at galactic average, sell at high price
select a station that is close from star arrival. beware of over populated systems. avoid peak hour where everybody is playing (20-22pm comes to mind) to avoid being attacked.
get rich
repeat until rich enough to pay A graded new ships and then go have fun with the ships (or go grind for materials and engineer them)
once properly experienced (3 to 5 sessions to get how things work), you should run a smooth 100M/ hour
if you get attacked and robbed, dont get mad, pirates have families to feed, and you just lost one loadout and a rebuy ship, at 100M/hour, who cares.
remember to thank FD for this xmas present
my current build :
engineered type 10 with 6 weapons to defend myself, and seismic, 2x abrasion, pulse, etc. 128 tons cargo (enough) huge shield, limpet controllers
with inara, i found very quiet stations with almost no CMDR around, and unpopulated systems with Icy Pristine Rings with up to 3-4 Void Opals hotspots, and max 20ly distance between the ring and the selling station.
enjoy while it lasts, and then enjoy the game once money is not an issue anymore.
