Note: This idea is not complete, I'm currently at 'work' so I have to add bits between customers. Lol
OK, currently, we can mine asteroids, or gather materials on the surface. No real link between the two. But hey ho, Horizons is new, more will come!
Anyhoo, my idea is to have a small(ish) deployable Mobile Mining and Refinery Platform (MMRP). Once deployed, it wil Mine and refine metals and ores, and also gather materials based on the make up of the planet or moon it is on.
The MMRP, is rather large, requires a class 6 (or higher) hanger, and takes up all 4 vehicle slots. It also has a single vehicle slot of its own, for an SRV (or similar small vehicle).
It comes in 2 versions, Solar Powered, and Hydrogen Powered. Both VERY expensive.
Solar Powered:
+Lighter
+Cheaper
+More Cargo Space
+Larger Refinery
-Slower speed, to move, mine, refine and gather
-Requires Direct Sunlight
-No Shields
-Weak Defences (Single SRV style Turret)
Hydrogen Powered:
+Faster Speed, Moving, Mining, Refining and gathering
+Works anywhere
+Shielded
+Outfitable weapons (4x Class 1 Turrets)
+Dual Point Defence
-Heavier (Due to powerplant)
-More Expensive
-Less Cargo Space (power plant takes up space)
-Smaller Refinery (power plant takes up space)
To use the MMRP, you need to select a suitable planet, or moon (and in the solar powered MMRPs case, ideally a tidally locked, star facing area).
You land as normal, and deploy the MMRP, transfer to driving that, same as the current SRV, and slowly (very slowly for the Solar Version), find a suitable location for it.
Once there, go to your Mode panel, and select Deploy and begin Mining/Gathering.
If you failed to place an SRV in the MMRPs hangar, it will alert you, and offer to call your ship for direct transfer back to your cockpit.
Once deployed, you can switch to your SRV and return to your ship.
Then you can leave it do do its business.
It will roam slowly in the immediate area (250m), stopping to mine, or gather materials or cargo. It will scan the area for scoopable and materials, and also perform deep scans of the ground below, and mine for ores to refine.
It will do this indiscriminately, no prioties over anything.
This includes auto scooping illegal cargo!
It will alert you to the following issues:
Cargo Hold Full
Low Power (Solar - Sunset, Eclipse etc), or
Low Fuel (Hydrogen)
Under Attack
Repelled Attack (won)
Taking Damage (Shields down, will show both hull and shield %)
Critical (below 25% hull and still taking damage)
No More Materials, Cargo or Ores in area.
Once Full, you can return in your ship, and either hover over the cargo transfer hatch, and exchange all cargo and materials, or remotely undploy the MMRP and collect it, and then transfer all cargo.
If you have an SRV taking up one of its bays, you must land, launch in your SRV, and dock the SRV to the MMRP, and then manually return to your ship.
If it runs out of power or fuel, it will entirely power down, leaving just enough juice for a beacon, and to power up and return to your ship. If left too long, the back up battery will fail, and you will no longer know where your MMRP ended up, and thus lose it.
(May then randomly spawn at a lootable POI for other people!)
All of the details such as price, cargo space, mining speed etc all need careful balancing to stop it being a cash cow, or just totally useless.
That's pretty much it, though I may still add more, or adjust details later.
Thoughts?
OK, currently, we can mine asteroids, or gather materials on the surface. No real link between the two. But hey ho, Horizons is new, more will come!
Anyhoo, my idea is to have a small(ish) deployable Mobile Mining and Refinery Platform (MMRP). Once deployed, it wil Mine and refine metals and ores, and also gather materials based on the make up of the planet or moon it is on.
The MMRP, is rather large, requires a class 6 (or higher) hanger, and takes up all 4 vehicle slots. It also has a single vehicle slot of its own, for an SRV (or similar small vehicle).
It comes in 2 versions, Solar Powered, and Hydrogen Powered. Both VERY expensive.
Solar Powered:
+Lighter
+Cheaper
+More Cargo Space
+Larger Refinery
-Slower speed, to move, mine, refine and gather
-Requires Direct Sunlight
-No Shields
-Weak Defences (Single SRV style Turret)
Hydrogen Powered:
+Faster Speed, Moving, Mining, Refining and gathering
+Works anywhere
+Shielded
+Outfitable weapons (4x Class 1 Turrets)
+Dual Point Defence
-Heavier (Due to powerplant)
-More Expensive
-Less Cargo Space (power plant takes up space)
-Smaller Refinery (power plant takes up space)
To use the MMRP, you need to select a suitable planet, or moon (and in the solar powered MMRPs case, ideally a tidally locked, star facing area).
You land as normal, and deploy the MMRP, transfer to driving that, same as the current SRV, and slowly (very slowly for the Solar Version), find a suitable location for it.
Once there, go to your Mode panel, and select Deploy and begin Mining/Gathering.
If you failed to place an SRV in the MMRPs hangar, it will alert you, and offer to call your ship for direct transfer back to your cockpit.
Once deployed, you can switch to your SRV and return to your ship.
Then you can leave it do do its business.
It will roam slowly in the immediate area (250m), stopping to mine, or gather materials or cargo. It will scan the area for scoopable and materials, and also perform deep scans of the ground below, and mine for ores to refine.
It will do this indiscriminately, no prioties over anything.
This includes auto scooping illegal cargo!
It will alert you to the following issues:
Cargo Hold Full
Low Power (Solar - Sunset, Eclipse etc), or
Low Fuel (Hydrogen)
Under Attack
Repelled Attack (won)
Taking Damage (Shields down, will show both hull and shield %)
Critical (below 25% hull and still taking damage)
No More Materials, Cargo or Ores in area.
Once Full, you can return in your ship, and either hover over the cargo transfer hatch, and exchange all cargo and materials, or remotely undploy the MMRP and collect it, and then transfer all cargo.
If you have an SRV taking up one of its bays, you must land, launch in your SRV, and dock the SRV to the MMRP, and then manually return to your ship.
If it runs out of power or fuel, it will entirely power down, leaving just enough juice for a beacon, and to power up and return to your ship. If left too long, the back up battery will fail, and you will no longer know where your MMRP ended up, and thus lose it.
(May then randomly spawn at a lootable POI for other people!)
All of the details such as price, cargo space, mining speed etc all need careful balancing to stop it being a cash cow, or just totally useless.
That's pretty much it, though I may still add more, or adjust details later.
Thoughts?
