I decided to give mining a try for a bit of a passtime when I get bored bounty hunting. I got the prospector controller, collector, and plenty of drones, but every time I launch a prospector drone, it will just fly straight out of the asteroid field and explode. I ended up wasting 10 drones this way. Is there something I'm missing?
Question, how do you get prospector drones to work?
- Thread starter Thasarion
- Start date
Are you aiming at an asteroid? They aren't self guiding. Also, for me I slow down and get fairly close to the rock before I launch the prospector, and you can only use one at a time I think. One you get the info from it, you can launch another into a different rock and so forth.
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More or less what he said ^ You can use more than one at a time though; once I've lasered my current rock and the drone is zipping around collecting fragments, I shoot prospectors at nearby rocks - anything within 1.5km or so, whatever's close enough that I can be sure I'll hit it - to see which one has the best composition to mine next. Don't be tempted to go over and start shooting a second rock while the drone's still busy though, you'll end up leaving the drone behind / missing lots of fragments / just getting really confused with all the blips on the scanner (or, quite likely, all of the above).
Point your ship at an asteroid then fire off a prospector drone. Target it as it flies away from the ship and when it lands on the asteroid you will get the information as to what it contains. You can then decide whether to mine there or try another asteroid. Make sure you don't pick an asteroid too far away or you will lose contact with the drone as it flies out of range.
Hope this helps.
Fly safe.
Hope this helps.
Fly safe.
Couple of more things :
- the number of limpets and the range you will be able to shoot them at (they will explode after a certain distance), depends on the module. The more expensive the module, the better, look at the tooltip ;
- aim at the asteroid, shoot the limpet, and then wait for a bit, as the limpet takes some time to actually launch, after the fire command. If you move too quickly, you will lose your aim.
Well... i think that's basically it. Happy mining !
- the number of limpets and the range you will be able to shoot them at (they will explode after a certain distance), depends on the module. The more expensive the module, the better, look at the tooltip ;
- aim at the asteroid, shoot the limpet, and then wait for a bit, as the limpet takes some time to actually launch, after the fire command. If you move too quickly, you will lose your aim.
Well... i think that's basically it. Happy mining !
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Personally I found the prospectors to be a waste of time, I just shoot at the rock and see what comes off, if there's anything beginning with a P (Pt, Pd or Painite) I empty the rock, if not I move on to the next rock. I'll sometimes empty rocks with Os or Au if the rocks are mainly metal.
I find it far quicker than when I tried the prospectors and of course it means more cargo space as I don't carry a prospector controller.
The most important thing is to find a pristine metallic ring and steer clear of any RES, I tend to mine about 0.5 ls from a RES and have it targeted and mine moving in it's general direction, that way I avoid doubling back on myself and wasting time on rocks I've already worked and also avoid the pirates at the RES so I can mine for hours and never get attacked.
I find it far quicker than when I tried the prospectors and of course it means more cargo space as I don't carry a prospector controller.
The most important thing is to find a pristine metallic ring and steer clear of any RES, I tend to mine about 0.5 ls from a RES and have it targeted and mine moving in it's general direction, that way I avoid doubling back on myself and wasting time on rocks I've already worked and also avoid the pirates at the RES so I can mine for hours and never get attacked.
Scudmungus
Banned
Firein lotta dem at tings. Hopin dem stick.
Shoutin.
Cryin.
Pleadin.
Shoutin.
Cryin.
Pleadin.
Sadly, I agree with you there. They are fun and immersive, but the launching procedure is so slow (need to keep the nose at your target for so long after you "shoot" them), they become a bit annoying, over time.
I take it then that you're not aware that prospector drones increase yield from any asteroid.
.
Scudmungus
huh?:S
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A few points that are being missed.
1. You don't have to keep your nose pointed at drone. Point, fire, select the drone, and then go back to what you're doing.
2. One of the big advantages of a drone is that you don't have to fly to the asteroid and chip off a few fragments to figure out what's there. You can fire at a distance. So, forget about limiting the drone to asteroids that within 1.5km. The prospector drones I used were up to 7km. If you're not accurate enough to hit the middle of a huge asteroid from 7km, then forget about any combat with fixed weapons. It is actually quite easy. When you're mining in a big ship, this remote prospecting saves lots of time maneuvering a lumbering ship next to an asteroid.
1. You don't have to keep your nose pointed at drone. Point, fire, select the drone, and then go back to what you're doing.
2. One of the big advantages of a drone is that you don't have to fly to the asteroid and chip off a few fragments to figure out what's there. You can fire at a distance. So, forget about limiting the drone to asteroids that within 1.5km. The prospector drones I used were up to 7km. If you're not accurate enough to hit the middle of a huge asteroid from 7km, then forget about any combat with fixed weapons. It is actually quite easy. When you're mining in a big ship, this remote prospecting saves lots of time maneuvering a lumbering ship next to an asteroid.
You are really missing out.
Prospectors have a range of 7km (much further than a mining laser),
Show all 3 minerals (not just the 2 that a lasered fragment has),
And increase the yield of any asteroid by 300%
Not using them is tantamount to stupidity.
you guys are missing out that the post about the uselessness of prospectors was made before 1.4 patch.
great necro of a thread
great necro of a thread