Some advice for emerging miners

[Bortas]

Is the abrasion blaster mandatory? I have 2 free medium hardpoints and currently think about installing 2 seismic charge launchers for more ammo.

Not mandatory... you could collect only the free floating chunks after the explosion but - techniques to generate multiple chunks per deposit aside - an abrasion blaster increases the yield per asteroid by roughly 75%, so I'd highly recommend it even if it means to return to a nearby station to rearm once every few hours.

The 72 rounds a launcher holds are sufficient to detonate 20-25 asteroids with some practice (see above). I can currently fill the entire hold of my mining python (192 tons) with half a launcher's capacity.

 

[babelfisch]

Not mandatory... you could collect only the free floating chunks after the explosion but - techniques to generate multiple chunks per deposit aside - an abrasion blaster increases the yield per asteroid by roughly 75%, so I'd highly recommend it even if it means to return to a nearby station to rearm once every few hours.

The 72 rounds a launcher holds are sufficient to detonate 20-25 asteroids with some practice (see above). I can currently fill the entire hold of my mining python (192 tons) with half a launcher's capacity.

Thanks, that's exactly the type of answer I was looking for. Also thanks to Bigmaec and Driver for saying the same but with less detail

 

[Mengy]

^This - Also check your synthesis, seismic charges only require basic materials. Am currently mining in a big ship, struggling to deplete a single seismic charge launcher.

Yeah, I'm carrying three seismic launchers in my Krait II but honestly I'm only really needing one launcher, I'll probably swap the other two out for pulse lasers instead.

 

[BL1P]

Im using THIS basically same as always for mining for me but with new toys !!

 

[Bigmaec]

I agree with the posters above that you mostly need only one seismic charge launcher.
I usually get bored after 7-10 asteroids and want to cash in, my launcher is half empty then

That's my current mining rig "Strippy McStripmine"

 

[MaksThrottle]

maybe this is too obvious, but possibly worth mentioning you need a DSS to find the hotspots.

 

[MaksThrottle]

No one loves the Beluga.

Except for me.

Riôt

i too love my beluga, but not for mining.
to big and unwieldly to move around the roids.
its perfect for exploring though.

 

[MrFailfactory]

i too love my beluga, but not for mining.
to big and unwieldly to move around the roids.
its perfect for exploring though.

She moves around them just fine. Especially if you don't take an Exploration-fit Beluga and just put the mining gear on it.

288Tish, good shooting lines, excellent view, and she's pretty nimble, too. There are better choices for big-haul core mining, but the Beluga strikes a really good balance between the quick hauls, and being in the ring forever. She's really photogenic, too.

Riôt

 

[IndigoWyrd]

Not mandatory... you could collect only the free floating chunks after the explosion but - techniques to generate multiple chunks per deposit aside - an abrasion blaster increases the yield per asteroid by roughly 75%, so I'd highly recommend it even if it means to return to a nearby station to rearm once every few hours.

The 72 rounds a launcher holds are sufficient to detonate 20-25 asteroids with some practice (see above). I can currently fill the entire hold of my mining python (192 tons) with half a launcher's capacity.

My Type-9 miner features a pair of mining lances, sub-surface missiles, seismic charges and abrasion blaster, and in beta I couldn’t put a dent in my capacity. I’ve not yet tried it live, went walkabout on release day and still going. But it sounds like yields have increased.

 

[Bortas]

Do the VO and LTDs only spawn in Icy rings?

AFAIK only in icy rings, yes.

 

[Hacker#451563]

So eventually the spots will be grazed empty? I dont think this is a good idea.

Why would you think that spreading the wealth of space around is a bad idea?

 

[Zoltah-Talion]

Thanks Bortas, great info here. Kaplah!

I did all my mining in my Cutter back in the day, but since the changes I refitted my old Python. (I can't imagine maneuvering a big ship around so easily in those blown-up asteroids, but I guess it can be done.) I have two seismic blasters on it, 2 abrasion blasters, and a plasma accelerator (for defence, lol.) I'm now thinking 2 seismic blasters are unnecessary. When I fire them both together, one of the charges usually skips off somewhere. I might replace one with a beam or pulse laser now.

As for pirates, usually there will be a few NPCs try it on when you first arrive in the hotspot. I got G5 Dirty Drives so just boost off and you soon outrun them. Once they're out of sight they won't bother you again. If you log off and come back later they will chase you again, especially if you're carrying any cargo. Just outrun them again.

I have been enjoying mining these valuable things, but can't believe these payouts can last. I wonder if there are indeed cash sinks just around the corner!? 07 CMDRs.

 

[HailVectron]

I've just tried the new mining for the first time, and am confused. I can normally get 100T of the 3 P's in about 60-90 minutes. With the new system I've just got 6T! What am I missing? There were no crackable roids, and the painite hotspot I scanned wasn't in the inner metallic ring, and didn't seem to yield any painite at all! (Everything is Pristine btw)

I'm guessing I've missed a memo, as I've been avoiding the forums until this new version, but where is this gold rush?

Do you only do the gold roids? I only get one or two surface chunks, one chunk from sub surface, and have yet to find a seismic target! With my old lasers, I used to get dozens of chunks, keeping my 11 collectors busy, now I only need 1 collector!

 

[MrFailfactory]

I've just tried the new mining for the first time, and am confused. I can normally get 100T of the 3 P's in about 60-90 minutes. With the new system I've just got 6T! What am I missing? There were no crackable roids, and the painite hotspot I scanned wasn't in the inner metallic ring, and didn't seem to yield any painite at all! (Everything is Pristine btw)

I'm guessing I've missed a memo, as I've been avoiding the forums until this new version, but where is this gold rush?

Do you only do the gold roids? I only get one or two surface chunks, one chunk from sub surface, and have yet to find a seismic target! With my old lasers, I used to get dozens of chunks, keeping my 11 collectors busy, now I only need 1 collector!

In this regard, avoiding the forums was perhaps a large error on your part. You are actually missing a number of memos, the first of which is that the big money (currently) is no longer just in the 3 P's.

The old way still works just fine, but you should take a gander at the new mechanics. If you use a ship with enough hard points, you can do both methods.

I have not seen yet for myself on the live servers (did in Beta, but things might have changed since then), but I get the feeling that the old way is for the 3 P's, and the new mechanics are primarily intended for other materials. What I mean, is that I haven't seen anyone posting about finding motherlodes of the 3 P's, or that mining for any standard ores using the new mechanics was profitable in any way. Quite the opposite, last I read.

Riôt

 

[Leadfoot]

Here’s one of the better bits of advise for you space gophers:

Do Not Log Out While In A Ring.

You will be mobbed by pirates when you log in again.

Great advice. Only problem is that with all the "disconnected from server" situations, that'll happen anyway.

BTW, still looking for my first void opal. Finally DID get to blow up an asteroid yesterday. Didn't move back far enough and it took a ring of shield down but .... yeah, blowed up real good. Had the speakers turned up and equalizer set for "powerful". Neighbor looked out his window to see what blowed up.

 

[Alec Turner]

Some great advice here - thanks!

 

[Leadfoot]

Great advice. Only problem is that with all the "disconnected from server" situations, that'll happen anyway.

..........and it did. Finally had 10 void opals in the cargo bay, disconnected. Reconnected. Way out in the middle of nowhere but yup, here come the pirates. Went silent, shut things off. Not fast enough, three of them. Boom!

Thanks for the "disconnect", FD.

Any suggestions as to how far away from the bubble is "far enough" or is there just no limit to the range of NPC priates?

 

[aardappelianen]

I read somewhere that 250 ly away from the nearest station is enough to keep those pesky pirates from spawning, i have a feeling thats about right

I wish i could pay the pilot federation to stop handing out my location data

 

[Leadfoot]

I read somewhere that 250 ly away from the nearest station is enough to keep those pesky pirates from spawning, i have a feeling thats about right

I wish i could pay the pilot federation to stop handing out my location data

I thought I was well over that distance (between Cubeo and the Witchhead Nebula). Will go further on the next attempt and let you know.

EDIT: Sorry, just logged back in and found I was only 186 ly out from Cubeo. Trying further....

 

[Bortas]

Any suggestions as to how far away from the bubble is "far enough" or is there just no limit to the range of NPC priates?

What ship have you been using? Travelling out of the bubble is a huge waste of time in my eyes... it's generally better to either make your minig ship fit for combat or fit to run. The Python build I have postet above is easily capable of both.

Making your ship fit to run is generally easier and requires less engineering, though. A grade drives, engineered to at least G3 dirty (you can do G3 at Felicity Farseer) /w drag drives special enable almost any ship to outrun NPCs easily. Just boost a few times after logging back and they won't even be able to finish their scan. I.e. my Python boosts to 490 m/s, my AspX to 540 and even my Dropship reaches 480. Even an NPC Cobra, which is the fastest non-engineered ship in the game cannot keep pace with that, and NPCs don't really even try very hard.