Screenshots of core rocks next to non-core rocks.

[Agony_Aunt]

I have been meaning to sit down and list out everything that is known/suspected about core rocks into one document, so here goes. This pertains only to icy fields as I've not gone to metallic since the update, but I imagine the same rules apply.

1. Only certain in-game asteroid models can spawn with core deposits. I don't know how many different models there are exactly but I think it's around three to four.

2. I suspect that each model has it's own unique texture when scanned. One will appear with massive green splotches and transition to a bright red-orange. Another will appear with large dark patches and a black "net" over it before transitioning to a very bright yellow. There's certainly other patterns I haven't seen though.

3. The asteroid's model and the coloration of the scan seems to have no bearing on the type of core within.

4. Fissures or cracks are visible before hitting the rock with a prospector, just like how surface deposits are visible. This is the one thing that is consistent across all core asteroids, regardless of shape, size, scan coloration, etc.

5. Asteroids are persistent. This has been confirmed by others through various means. You drop into the ring at the same point, you will find the same rocks every time. What exactly this means for core mining, I am still trying to figure out. I have seen a post on this forum from someone who was core mining with no other ships around, but saw two vapor clouds from cracked rocks appear nearby, but with no debris, fragments, or ships in evidence. Their theory was someone in the same ring, but a different instance, had blasted those rocks, so the game removed them from all instances. If that's correct, then the more people mining a certain ring, the less core rocks you will find.

6. Core rocks do not seem to be evenly distributed. I have found half a dozen Void Opal cores within visual range of each other in one section of a hotspot and I have flown for twenty minutes, scanning continuously, without seeing a single core rock in another section. Sometimes it pays to get back into SC and drop in somewhere different.

Anything I missed?

More or less matches what i've seen except for one thing. I've never seen a rock that wasn't very bright yellow that had a core nor have i seen a bright yellow rock that didn't have a core. Its the only consistent thing i've found so far, although maybe that's just how the RNG has worked for me.

Also people saying they are popcorn rocks, that hasn't been my experience. You mention there may be 3-4 different types, at least one of those types i wouldn't call popcorn. Stupidly didn't record or take screenshot though.

 

[Ozram]

More or less matches what i've seen except for one thing. I've never seen a rock that wasn't very bright yellow that had a core nor have i seen a bright yellow rock that didn't have a core. Its the only consistent thing i've found so far, although maybe that's just how the RNG has worked for me.

Also people saying they are popcorn rocks, that hasn't been my experience. You mention there may be 3-4 different types, at least one of those types i wouldn't call popcorn. Stupidly didn't record or take screenshot though.

Best start taking those screenshots, Agony!
Edit: Here’s my Cobra4 on it’s test run: [video=youtube_share;G4DzwGi84J4]https://youtu.be/G4DzwGi84J4[/video]
Pretty happy with it. I cracked two rocks though really it’s intended to crack just one, clean it out and sell the goods.
Moar Edit! 24 Void Opals in 24 minutes:

Spoiler

[video=youtube_share;NIKpavbTWeE]https://youtu.be/NIKpavbTWeE[/video]

 

[XpertDBA]

I have perhaps a newbie question when it comes to mining.

When I first scanned my home system planets, I noticed I had a really nice ringed planet with several low temperature diamonds and Void Opals hotspots. I made some good hauls out of those early on, but now can't seem to find any more. So am I to assume that all the rocks in a ringed system are persistent and can be 'mined' out over time? I notice the grey haze in those systems when I return to them, which seems to indicate it remembers which rocks were blown up.

If this is true, do other potential commanders coming into this system and mining even make this situation worse? What about in solo play?

Another question is....the hotspot is always shown as a Large Yellow spot, yet the hotspot is a very specific location where it wants you to drop in. I've tried dropping in a ways outside of that but still dropping in inside the yellow and don't seem to find too many (or actually none) Hotspot type rocks to explode.

I'm confused by all of these things, and wanted to know what to expect so I don't spend too much time inside my own system if these hotspot locations really do get mined out.

Thanks.

 

[Ozram]

I have perhaps a newbie question when it comes to mining.

When I first scanned my home system planets, I noticed I had a really nice ringed planet with several low temperature diamonds and Void Opals hotspots. I made some good hauls out of those early on, but now can't seem to find any more. So am I to assume that all the rocks in a ringed system are persistent and can be 'mined' out over time? I notice the grey haze in those systems when I return to them, which seems to indicate it remembers which rocks were blown up.

If this is true, do other potential commanders coming into this system and mining even make this situation worse? What about in solo play?

Another question is....the hotspot is always shown as a Large Yellow spot, yet the hotspot is a very specific location where it wants you to drop in. I've tried dropping in a ways outside of that but still dropping in inside the yellow and don't seem to find too many (or actually none) Hotspot type rocks to explode.

I'm confused by all of these things, and wanted to know what to expect so I don't spend too much time inside my own system if these hotspot locations really do get mined out.

Thanks.

I’ve heard say (rumour) that they’re semipersitent. In other words they’ll respawn over time. I’m not sure though. Anyway, here’s more to share on recognising which rocks have cores: [video=youtube_share;l8VnGHMGfeQ]https://youtu.be/l8VnGHMGfeQ[/video]

 

[Spacecat]

If I hired someone to design a scanner that could differentiate materials within rocks and that's what they came up with, they'd be fired.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

If I hired someone to design a scanner that could differentiate materials within rocks and that's what they came up with, they'd be fired.

Exactly.

 

[GunnerBill]

If I hired someone to design a scanner that could differentiate materials within rocks and that's what they came up with, they'd be fired.

Honestly I don't know what you were expecting? I have an entire career in the business of mineral exploration and since I started it in 1987 with mining exploration and now the oil industry the entire output of even the most cutting edge remote sensing tech is coloured blobs and or squiggly lines!

The coloured orange/black tracks below are a flattened wrap around of a oil well showing passive Gamma Ray response from the natural radioactivity in the surrounding rock*. The sensor is actually in the oil well while it is being drilled so literally only inches away from the rock.

Spoiler

This is seismic data**, it's more comparable to the PWS as the sensor and seismic source are towed behind a boat and the sound waves penetrate through the sea into the rock below the seabed 100's to 1000's of meters deep, reflect back to the sensors in the boat and are processed to produce this image.

Spoiler

OK so the year 3304 but still what we have isn't far fetched or abnormal.

So basically I'd give FD 10/10 for the plausibility and realistic implementation of the PWS.

* Rocks rich in clay minerals contain the naturally radioactive elements of Thorium and Potassium. Thus you can tell the difference between say a clay which has high natural gamma emissions and a clean sandstone which has virtually none.

** This is a 2D slice from a 3D seismic plot. 3D seismic can be displayed via 2D screens or in fully immersive 3D simulation where you can literally fly through the oil reservoir as if you were in it.

 

[Vandaahl]

Honestly I don't know what you were expecting? I have an entire career in the business of mineral exploration and since I started it in 1987 with mining exploration and now the oil industry the entire output of even the most cutting edge remote sensing tech is coloured blobs and or squiggly lines!

The coloured orange/black tracks below are a flattened wrap around of a oil well showing passive Gamma Ray response from the surrounding rock. The sensor is actually in the oil well so literally only inches away from the rock.



This is seismic data, it's more comparable to the PWS as the sensor and seismic source are towed behind a boat and the sound waves penetrate through the sea into the rock below the seabed 100's to 1000's of meters deep, reflect back to the sensors in the boat and are processed to produce this image.


OK so the year 3304 but still what we have isn't far fetched or abnormal.

So basically I'd give FD 10/10 for the plausibility and realistic implementation of the PWS.

+1 for some awesome info, thx [up]

 

[Brrokk]

Honestly I don't know what you were expecting? I have an entire career in the business of mineral exploration and since I started it in 1987 with mining exploration and now the oil industry the entire output of even the most cutting edge remote sensing tech is coloured blobs and or squiggly lines!

The coloured orange/black tracks below are a flattened wrap around of a oil well showing passive Gamma Ray response from the surrounding rock. The sensor is actually in the oil well so literally only inches away from the rock.



This is seismic data, it's more comparable to the PWS as the sensor and seismic source are towed behind a boat and the sound waves penetrate through the sea into the rock below the seabed 100's to 1000's of meters deep, reflect back to the sensors in the boat and are processed to produce this image.


OK so the year 3304 but still what we have isn't far fetched or abnormal.

So basically I'd give FD 10/10 for the plausibility and realistic implementation of the PWS.

I agree.

I also think an "improved" scanner which could reliably pinpoint a particular mineral for me in an asteroid field would be a horrible dumbing-down of the game. The scanner we now have actually needs skill and experience to interpret (and I suspect that's really the problem for some).

 

[babelfisch]

Honestly I don't know what you were expecting? I have an entire career in the business of mineral exploration and since I started it in 1987 with mining exploration and now the oil industry the entire output of even the most cutting edge remote sensing tech is coloured blobs and or squiggly lines!

The coloured orange/black tracks below are a flattened wrap around of a oil well showing passive Gamma Ray response from the surrounding rock. The sensor is actually in the oil well so literally only inches away from the rock.



This is seismic data, it's more comparable to the PWS as the sensor and seismic source are towed behind a boat and the sound waves penetrate through the sea into the rock below the seabed 100's to 1000's of meters deep, reflect back to the sensors in the boat and are processed to produce this image.


OK so the year 3304 but still what we have isn't far fetched or abnormal.

So basically I'd give FD 10/10 for the plausibility and realistic implementation of the PWS.

I'd say you won the argument and we all learned something. Well done.

That's the reason I love this forum, there are so many people with all kinds of expertise.