Some feedback on Multi-Limpet Controllers

[avow555]

All they needed was a galnet story to say the entire limpet control equipment was being upgraded and you could swap modules of all sizes like for like, mass penalty should have never been brought into it.
At present totally useless.

Why the devs have such a dislike for the players and their own game mystify me!

 

[Northpin]

I'm specifically interested in the range for collectors from the 3C Mining unit

MLC have the stats of the same grade, one size lower single controllers.
3C Mining MLC has the equivalent of 1C prospectors and 1C collectors - you can check their stats in the normal tools

The only "bug" is in the 3B Xeno MLC, see my post #185 one page behind.

 

[Neilski]

A class 3C multi limpet controller is not brand new... Fdev just cloned other stats to them from the lower class 1 C normal item...
The distance of the Class 3 multi collector is just taken from the Class 1 C collector controller... and is 1KM...
The operations Class 3 multli limpet controller has every stat from the 1B normal limpet collector controller as it a 3B multi limpet controller...
So if you want to know the Distance and stats of the combined units you just look an original class 1 items stats as they were just cloned to the class 3 multi limpet controllers...

MLC have the stats of the same grade, one size lower single controllers.
3C Mining MLC has the equivalent of 1C prospectors and 1C collectors - you can check their stats in the normal tools

Thanks for the info folks!
Having just bought the Mining unit, I'm now realising that a smarter* buy might have been the Operations multi controller - which comes in both 3C and 3B flavours.
Based on the info above, I'm guessing that the table in the pic below has the info I'm after - matching the 3B/C/E multis to the 1B/C/E collectors. An extra 5 tons of controller on the 3B Ops buys me 1.4 km range instead of 1 km for the 3C Ops/Mining, but actually shortens the life... I can't recall if 1 km is enough for normal mining duties but I guess it's probably just about OK. (Also I've just pinged a comment into the EDSY thread about it not preventing you from using more than one MLC and then discovering your build is impossible )

[*hmm, not that I can really see myself using the hatch breakers much on my mining ship, LOL!!]

 

[Brrokk]

Thanks for the info folks!
Having just bought the Mining unit, I'm now realising that a smarter* buy might have been the Operations multi controller - which comes in both 3C and 3B flavours.
Based on the info above, I'm guessing that the table in the pic below has the info I'm after - matching the 3B/C/E multis to the 1B/C/E collectors. An extra 5 tons of controller on the 3B Ops buys me 1.4 km range instead of 1 km for the 3C Ops/Mining, but actually shortens the life... I can't recall if 1 km is enough for normal mining duties but I guess it's probably just about OK. (Also I've just pinged a comment into the EDSY thread about it not preventing you from using more than one MLC and then discovering your build is impossible )

[*hmm, not that I can really see myself using the hatch breakers much on my mining ship, LOL!!]
View attachment 300656

The nice thing about the size 3 mining controller is that it gives twice as many collectors as a size 3 collector. It's worthwhile just for that.

 

[Riverside]

Thanks for the info folks!
Having just bought the Mining unit, I'm now realising that a smarter* buy might have been the Operations multi controller - which comes in both 3C and 3B flavours.
Based on the info above, I'm guessing that the table in the pic below has the info I'm after - matching the 3B/C/E multis to the 1B/C/E collectors. An extra 5 tons of controller on the 3B Ops buys me 1.4 km range instead of 1 km for the 3C Ops/Mining, but actually shortens the life... I can't recall if 1 km is enough for normal mining duties but I guess it's probably just about OK. (Also I've just pinged a comment into the EDSY thread about it not preventing you from using more than one MLC and then discovering your build is impossible )

[*hmm, not that I can really see myself using the hatch breakers much on my mining ship, LOL!!]
View attachment 300656

I have an operations controller on my mining Python, as you say the range is short but it gets more collectors in use

 

[CMDRQuainMarln]

Thanks for the info folks!
Having just bought the Mining unit, I'm now realising that a smarter* buy might have been the Operations multi controller - which comes in both 3C and 3B flavours.
Based on the info above, I'm guessing that the table in the pic below has the info I'm after - matching the 3B/C/E multis to the 1B/C/E collectors. An extra 5 tons of controller on the 3B Ops buys me 1.4 km range instead of 1 km for the 3C Ops/Mining, but actually shortens the life... I can't recall if 1 km is enough for normal mining duties but I guess it's probably just about OK. (Also I've just pinged a comment into the EDSY thread about it not preventing you from using more than one MLC and then discovering your build is impossible )

[*hmm, not that I can really see myself using the hatch breakers much on my mining ship, LOL!!]
View attachment 300656

What you don't want to do when laser mining is use the C rated prospector limpet from the 3c Mining Limpet controller. Fit a 1A or 3A prospector limpet controller to your ship and use the 3C Mining Multi Limpet controller just for collectors. A rated prospectors result in more fragments mined for greater profit per hour. If laser mining fit an additional 3B or 5B Collector Limpet controller so some of your limpets have greater range to fetch the fragments that drift further away before you can collect them.
If core mining, you can get away with a C rated prospector and more limited range collectors because you get close to surface deposits to hit them with the abrasion blaster anyway and there are fewer fragments that don't get the chance to float further away before getting collected. The 1km range is enough, but fit a 3B collector limpet control too if you have space.

Operations Limpet controller is valuable for running missions for influence or reputation and winning elections for a faction. Hatch breakers are useful for recovering stolen diplomatic bags and political prisoners (both of which are in cargo canisters!) from the opponents ships.

 

[Northpin]

My mining ships are using 3C MLC.
When laser mining range is not as important as duration. You should mine with the nose stuck to the asteroid anyway.

The only time i'm using B rated collectors is when i really need the range - that is in targeted mode while doing liberate missions (in conjunction with Hatch breakers - preferably A-rated hatch breakers)

 

[Neilski]

What you don't want to do when laser mining is use the C rated prospector limpet from the 3c Mining Limpet controller.

Hell no, and actually that's one good reason to use the Ops MLC cos you can't get confused and use the wrong prospector (I use my current miner for everything - laser, subsurface, surface, cores - and so I need an A-rated prospector.)

stolen diplomatic bags and political prisoners (both of which are in cargo canisters!)

Ah wow, hadn't noticed that! (Then again I shouldn't be surprised, cos so are slaves...)

When laser mining range is not as important as duration. You should mine with the nose stuck to the asteroid anyway.

Yeah, I read this advice last year (may even have been in one of your posts ) and when I get it just right it makes a really incredible difference to the collection rate.
And of course I now realise I needn't worry about the range, since (because one MLC per ship ) I will still have a 5A collector controller anyway. 7 limpets is better than 6, but not nearly enough for the mental energy I have put into it, having started out thinking I could have multiple MLCs... LOL.

 

[CMDRQuainMarln]

Hell no, and actually that's one good reason to use the Ops MLC cos you can't get confused and use the wrong prospector (I use my current miner for everything - laser, subsurface, surface, cores - and so I need an A-rated prospector.)

The way to not get confused with the wrong prospector is to not set the 3C Mining MLC Prospector in Fire Groups so it's impossible to fire one. And set the 1A/3A prospector in a Fire Group button of course. Only set the Mining MLC collector limpets in Fire Groups , ideally on the same fire button as the mining laser and/or abrasion blaster so you always get new limpets deployed when needed.

 

[Neilski]

The way to not get confused with the wrong prospector is to not set the 3C Mining MLC Prospector in Fire Groups so it's impossible to fire one. And set the 1A/3A prospector in a Fire Group button of course. Only set the Mining MLC collector limpets in Fire Groups , ideally on the same fire button as the mining laser and/or abrasion blaster so you always get new limpets deployed when needed.

Yup, if I don't ditch the mining MLC for an ops, I will be taking care with my fire groups
However, I've never yet taken the step of adding my collectors to the same button as laser/blaster, mainly because I sometimes feel the need to conserve the little beggars. (And it's deeply deeply annoying when a bunch of them die one after the other cos they are chasing a glitched fragment.)

 

[CMDRQuainMarln]

Yup, if I don't ditch the mining MLC for an ops, I will be taking care with my fire groups
However, I've never yet taken the step of adding my collectors to the same button as laser/blaster, mainly because I sometimes feel the need to conserve the little beggars. (And it's deeply deeply annoying when a bunch of them die one after the other cos they are chasing a glitched fragment.)

For laser mining I fill the cargo bay 2/3rds with limpets and normally end up jetisoning 20 to 30 of them. This is on a Python with 224t cargo space. I don't like staying in the field long enough to fill a Cutter and where I am in Colonia right now the best price by 25% is at an Outpost. And of course the Cutter is back in the Bubble anyway.