Ship Mining for raw mats (not SRV) - yields and results

[jacozilla]

Thought I'd post this as there are others like me that hate SRV with a passion. Despise the SRV and wish we could opt never to use it and still get reasonable raw mats - in old days even if yields were low, we COULD get missions sometimes giving raw mats but since that got changed you essentially have to use SRV for mining, anaconda site, or Dav's Hope, etc.

Yes - concede it is possible in theory to just ship mine and convert G1/G2 raws to G3/4 but the amounts needed are so huge (hundreds to one, and if you need to cross categories then thousands to one) so in practical terms the only choice is ship mine for G3 raws and trade for G4.

These are the yields I got which I feel is about the high end someone can expect given I used one of the best mining ships available (Anaconda) and mining has been one of my top3 elite professions - don't claim to be the best but not much more room to min/max faster mining yields here.

Setup - pure raw mats config, no refinery

Anaconda: 208 ton w/ 11 collectors (one school of thought says don't need as many for raw mats vs normal mining but to have zero down time and just literally cruise along at speed while blasting away and collecting all at same time, then fire off prospector while turning to new asteroid and still getting all chunks from old asteroid without slowing down, you need ~9-11 collectors)

All this extra collector config sacrifices is how many limpets I can bring with me and therefore how long I can stay out before coming back for resupply. This setup lasts ~90-120 minutes depending on RNG of low vs med/high asteroids (use prospector and mine only the med/high mat yield asteroids for best results and less time waste)

2M + 2S mining lasers - zero drain w/ G5 charge enhanced perma firing

After ~2 hours I got this many and this type of G1-G3 raws (note - i don't know why but it seems certain raw mats are tied to certain system locations - I went to my usual place near Diaguandri, pristime metallic ring although doesn't need to be pristine for raws, and always get mostly these raw types - so I think either RNG of asteroid instance just got me same raws over and over, or certain raw types are tied to certain systems)

G1:
244 sulphur
209 carbon
157 iron
139 nickel
57 phosporus
15 lead

G2:
60 Germanium
53 zinc
34 manganese

G3:
19 molybdenum
10 niobium
9 mercury
5 tin

While the above looks like a good haul, the only real raws that matter are the G3. Takes so many to convert G2 to G4, especially crossing categories, it is impractical to count on them as even minor source.

6:1 for same category G3 -> G4
36:1 for cross category G3 -> G4

Not totally accurate but just swag, adding up all my G3 is 43 harvested over ~2 hours. That turns into at best ~7 G4 raws if converted on same category. But typically will need to cross category which translates to ~1 G4 raw if all crossed and ~2-3 G4 raws if just one crossed and rest converted same category.

For arguments sake say I can find systems that get me G3s matching each category, so I farm different places for different categories and never cross trade. So ~7 G4 raws = 2 hours ship mining using top tier ship / config.

Last time I was forced to farm Selenium in SRV, believe I got ~40 in around same ~2 hours.

So not hard numbers or anything, but as rough swag the delta between SRV vs ship mining for raws at G4 comparison (for me - I am NOT saying this should hold true for all commanders, just my SRV skill vs ship mining skill - that's all)

--SRV = ~20 G4 raws per hour
--Ship = ~3.5 G4 raws per hour

About a 6x difference, in favor of SRV, between the only 2 methods in game (currently) to obtain G4 raws for engineering.

This is just too low, in my opinion. If FD wants to favor SRV mining, fine - but don't have it so nerfed for ship based mining the delta is ~6x. Personally even with lower yields, I'd far prefer ship based mining if it were more like 2x with SRV (and therefore half as fast with ship but still reasonably feasible)

I didn't try beta at all so not sure what yields will be with the new mining meta in 3.3. Really, really hope I can come back to this post and update it with more favorable raw mats results via ship mining in 3.3.

 

[Vasious]

I know it will still be using an SRV but I think Volcanics will be the way to mat farm coming with 3.3 which will out yield either method you describe

 

[jacozilla]

I know it will still be using an SRV but I think Volcanics will be the way to mat farm coming with 3.3 which will out yield either method you describe

Then I'll hate SRV even more...I even get why at one time FD may have wanted to tie certain incentives to upgrade to Horizons (e.g. SRV) - but if ppl haven't upgraded by now at 5-10 dollar sales, just makes no sense to continue to tie raw mats meta to one form of prospecting. For all other mat types, I have an option.

Getting manufactured and data mats via missions is a viable alternative if you prefer it over the faster but less preferable way - like farming CZ for certain ship based manufactured mats vs getting those via missions. Farming CZ is faster but missions still pretty viable source. Not so with raw mats and if volcanics are the new meta, which still ties SRV to it, I'll just ditch ED (again) for awhile and hope it changes (again) down the line in another Beyond - Beyond update once FD realizes lots of ppl don't like blaze your own trail long as you follow the FD way restriction.

 

[Bunkerkind Anni]

i haven't checked that out
but does the new exploration tool give you material data for planetary rings now?

because i still trying to find which Ring in Sol gave me all those arsenic drops - by looking at the map, not by hours of mining

 

[Kaltern]

What is actually wrong with using the SRV?

And.. yes, this is Frontier's Game, and therefore we do play it the way they've designed it. Not really sure why people keep bringing that up as if WE have some direct say over things...

 

[jacozilla]

What is actually wrong with using the SRV?

And.. yes, this is Frontier's Game, and therefore we do play it the way they've designed it. Not really sure why people keep bringing that up as if WE have some direct say over things...

Because they made such a point of 'blaze your own trail', that's why. And to be fair, for some parts of the game, this is still true. But for some parts of the game, there really is no realistic option other than FD's tunnel.

Going with your own words though, if we're supposed to play the way FD designed it --> then read my post above. FD designed the game, at first, where multiple methods existed to give reasonable yields for variety of pursuits. There's always going to be and don't object to min/max but when the 'next best' option is nearly worthless, it's fair (I think) to voice opinion why FD would say one thing, design it that way first, then change it.

And there is no 'wrong' or 'right' about SRV per se, because much of it is subjective opinion. However what is NOT subjective are the disparity in yields between SRV vs other methods. Which is why I stuck to facts, not subjective opinion. Sure, I hate the SRV, but it doesn't change the math re: yields.

I could say the driving mechanics suck, that in certain areas it causes motion sickness, but those are all personal subjective impacts. But regardless how I feel, nothing changes the fact that for 1 of the 3 material types we need (raw, manufactured, and data), the only reasonably decent yields come from SRV.

When Horizon was just launched, and that's when they changed the missions so that you could no longer get raw mats from mission rewards, I've stated it made sense (again, my subjective feelings don't matter - from logical POV I entirely see why FD or any profit based company would want to tie certain game incentives towards upgrading to new game DLC. Do I like this? No. As an honest person do I admit it makes total business sense? Yes.

What doesn't make sense though is continuing to tie raw mats to a meta that no longer needs incentivizing. If ppl haven't upgraded by now, they just won't. Fair enough, not a dig on those ppl -but given 2 of the 3 eng mat types are multi-sourced with very viable yields in 2-3-4+ different methods of getting them, I'm not sure what your opposition is to opening up raw mats to same treatment?

*Edit - also re: just play the game FD designed vs voice opinion, it was because of voiced opinions that FD changed -
1. zero module storage

2. unrealistically low limits on mats storage vs how many needed to upgrade (prior Eng 1.0 system numbers given number of RNG rolls needed)

3. no ship transfer

etc, etc. The game evolves, sometimes with player voiced opinion, sometimes without, but if the logic is 'just play what the dev designed' then even that statement makes no sense as game design has significantly changed.

 

[Flin]

There are options, just not efficient ones without using SRVs.

With new mining system coming out, it should be made possible to get G4 raw mats from asteriods.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

I also hate using the SUV. I get pretty much all may raw materials via mining.

You can also get Selenium, which is a g4 material, via mining. It all depends on which ring you mine in. Fortunately, we are finally going to see the ring material composition in 3.3, so we can target the rings with the highest concentrations of the materials we want.

 

[jacozilla]

I also hate using the SUV. I get pretty much all may raw materials via mining.

You can also get Selenium, which is a g4 material, via mining. It all depends on which ring you mine in. Fortunately, we are finally going to see the ring material composition in 3.3, so we can target the rings with the highest concentrations of the materials we want.

That sounds like exactly what I want then. Hopefully the yields will be reasonable, but just the targeting of composition will help.

So far I've done lots fo ship mining but no G4 raws yet, just always a mix of (2) G3 raws at any particular ring.

 

[BlackSpaceCowboy]

I don't hate the SRV but I hate gathering materials using the SRV.

I find it immersion breaking. I can't imagine a future where people are shooting rocks in an SRV. And I don't want to spend 30 minutes or hours just shooting rocks.

The OP is completely right about this violating the "play your own way" ideal. Whatever path you take, trader, miner, bounty hunter, or pirate you should be able to accumulate everything you need to upgrade components just through that activity.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

That sounds like exactly what I want then. Hopefully the yields will be reasonable, but just the targeting of composition will help.

So far I've done lots fo ship mining but no G4 raws yet, just always a mix of (2) G3 raws at any particular ring.

I was collecting a list of rings and percentage yields of the materials, but I stopped maintaining it when FD changed the percentages and removed some of the mats.

The list is in a spoiler in the OP of testing of mining for materials. But it's no longer 100% accurate. But I found it handy for targetting a ring with decent tungsten or selenium, etc.

 

[Chaparral]

Thank you OP and LL for posting your research. The one unicorn I have yet to find mining is Rhenium. Always end up used the material trader for that female dog.

 

[Stealthie]

I know it will still be using an SRV but I think Volcanics will be the way to mat farm coming with 3.3 which will out yield either method you describe

Maybe I'm missing something but I've never really bought into that.

You find a surface POI (which will, admittedly, be a lot easier in 3.3) but then you have to de-orbit, land and deploy your SRV, then you get a cluster of 3 or 4 things that yield 2 or 3 mat's, you collect them and then you have to load up your SRV, fly back up into space and do it all over again.

I guess it does give you a decent little pile of mat's in a short time but I've always found it more productive, overall, to just land on a planet with the stuff you're looking for and then just drive about for an hour (I actually enjoy driving the SRV so that's not an issue) and you get the mat's you're looking for and a big pile of other stuff too.

I dunno.

As I've said, I find that the most "painless" way to gather general mat's is to deliberately land 30km out from a surface installation (one that you intended to visit anyway) and then drive there in your SRV, collecting mat's as you go.
It makes for a nice little personal challenge and you can collect huge piles of mat's on the way.

 

[varonica]

Maybe I'm missing something but I've never really bought into that.

You find a surface POI (which will, admittedly, be a lot easier in 3.3) but then you have to de-orbit, land and deploy your SRV, then you get a cluster of 3 or 4 things that yield 2 or 3 mat's, you collect them and then you have to load up your SRV, fly back up into space and do it all over again.

A Brain Tree site will give you several hundred mats, often in the 300 region, volcanic sites typically between 100-150, concentrated in the high grade mats, so a typical body with 1% Polonium will give you around 10 Polonium per hundred other mats. So you fill up on high grades and trade them down for lesser grades at mat trader. I have had full high grade mat inventory for I can't recall how long with almost no effort.

I tend to agree with the shooting bit, sounds a bit silly, maybe a drill or grabber arm to pick up stuff but it would essentially serve the same function as shooting, just a method to gather material, and since FDEV already had the gun in place they just used that for now. I think the current SRV was always aimed at mission running and has been adapted to material gathering because they couldn't or didn't have the time to introduce a proper explorer SRV with mining and collecting gear when Horizons dropped. I look forward to taking out a proper exploration SRV with drills and other good stuff one day, oh and no guns.

 

[Stealthie]

A Brain Tree site will give you several hundred mats, often in the 300 region, volcanic sites typically between 100-150, concentrated in the high grade mats, so a typical body with 1% Polonium will give you around 10 Polonium per hundred other mats. So you fill up on high grades and trade them down for lesser grades at mat trader. I have had full high grade mat inventory for I can't recall how long with almost no effort.

Really? :O

The sites I've visited have had, say, a couple of dozen "things" and only 3 or 4 of them will drop mat's.
I haven't made a point of finding these places because, as I say, the ones I have visited haven't really been worth the effort.

Will have to give that more of a go once 3.3 goes live and I can find the sites more easily using in-game tools. [up]

 

[moorison]

Really? :O

The sites I've visited have had, say, a couple of dozen "things" and only 3 or 4 of them will drop mat's.
I haven't made a point of finding these places because, as I say, the ones I have visited haven't really been worth the effort.

Will have to give that more of a go once 3.3 goes live and I can find the sites more easily using in-game tools. [up]

This is anecdotal evidence, but the sites I found in Beta and even before were not just a geyser and a few crystals around, they were large fields. Haven't looked for braintrees myself and there were obviously not just g4/g5 materials, but it certainly didn't feel not worth the landing.

 

[Stealthie]

This is anecdotal evidence, but the sites I found in Beta and even before were not just a geyser and a few crystals around, they were large fields. Haven't looked for braintrees myself and there were obviously not just g4/g5 materials, but it certainly didn't feel not worth the landing.

Fair enough.

I wasn't disputing the assertion, just saying that I've never found it to be worthwhile.

I guess I've just had bad luck with them (which has led me not to bother) so, as I said, I've give them another look in 3.3, when I can find them more easily.

 

[Ozram]

What is actually wrong with using the SRV?

And.. yes, this is Frontier's Game, and therefore we do play it the way they've designed it. Not really sure why people keep bringing that up as if WE have some direct say over things...

For me it’s that there is no real srv gameplay other than look at scanner and drive for rock. Shoot rock and collect mats. Or drive to thing scan thing and shoot. There’s no Srv trading, no combined arms assault, no discovery (unless we’re talking about predetermined sites) no real gameplay to immerse ones self and justify the use of the Srv aside from convoluted base scans and assaults. When going down to collect mats, all you do is collect the mats with a bunch of RNG involved once you found the rock that has the likelihood of dropping what you’re looking for. It’s similar to hunting for high grade USS. It’s just thankless grind. Who knows though, maybe it will get a revamp at some point similar to mining or exploration. I’d love to sneak a diplomat into a makeshift camp, or pick up two units of battle plans to deliver to a minor faction in order to influence a war etc. in short, it needs more life. Going down to collect mats so you can mod items for uses entirely unrelated to anything srv in the srv is lame.

 

[Stealthie]

For me it’s that there is no real srv gameplay other than look at scanner and drive for rock. Shoot rock and collect mats. Or drive to thing scan thing and shoot. There’s no Srv trading, no combined arms assault, no discovery (unless we’re talking about predetermined sites) no real gameplay to immerse ones self and justify the use of the Srv aside from convoluted base scans and assaults.

I've always wondered why we can't use the SRV to deliver stuff.

We've already got a mechanic that allows us to "unload" stuff from the SRV (as seen at Guardian sites and Thargoid bases) so why not incorporate that into missions too?

You land at a surface outpost and you get a mission which says that a ship malfunctioned on take-off and it's dropped, say, 8 cargo containers a couple of km due east of the outpost and you need to collect 'em up.
Alternatively, you get a mission at a station that requires you to go down to a planetary installation and collect a bunch of containers from nearby and deliver them to the installation while a timer counts down.

Seems like, with a bit of thought, it'd be fairly easy to come up with a variety of short-distance "fetch & deliver" missions suited to the SRV.

 

[moorison]

For me it’s that there is no real srv gameplay other than look at scanner and drive for rock. Shoot rock and collect mats. Or drive to thing scan thing and shoot. There’s no Srv trading, no combined arms assault, no discovery (unless we’re talking about predetermined sites) no real gameplay to immerse ones self and justify the use of the Srv aside from convoluted base scans and assaults. When going down to collect mats, all you do is collect the mats with a bunch of RNG involved once you found the rock that has the likelihood of dropping what you’re looking for. It’s similar to hunting for high grade USS. It’s just thankless grind. Who knows though, maybe it will get a revamp at some point similar to mining or exploration. I’d love to sneak a diplomat into a makeshift camp, or pick up two units of battle plans to deliver to a minor faction in order to influence a war etc. in short, it needs more life. Going down to collect mats so you can mod items for uses entirely unrelated to anything srv in the srv is lame.

Smuggling something inside a base while there are patrols looking for you.. I would not be opposed to this idea. I think the main problem is that those interactions only support a limited number of players and NPCs, although I think the installations could be a bit more sprawling to hide in corners etc. The largest structures are the circular surface cities, should be enough space for further gameplay. Although smuggling something inside thereyou already have full access to your ship inventory since it will already wait for you docked inside. But surface structures like trading posts you can only access by SRV? In areas where it is hard to land the ship nearby and there is a huge bonus on select trade goods (because the SRV can only take 2t)? Or even a more common place for material traders, with maybe the distinction that they only have access to materials found on the planet.