General Suggestions for Improving Mining Outside the Bubble and the Reliability of Procedural Hotspots

[Skaduvarg]

Hello Frontier team,

I’d like to raise a concern and offer suggestions regarding mining gameplay, specifically outside the bubble in procedurally generated systems.

Currently, mining in non-handcrafted systems feels unreliable and unbalanced. Even when hotspots appear in the DSS scan, the actual yields are sparse at best and usually entirely absent. Compared to the curated systems in the bubble—which reliably provide good mining experiences—the procedural generation of mining elsewhere is disappointing and the results are often disconnected from the tags presented.

This discrepancy limits gameplay for explorers and fleet carrier operators who wish to mine "in the black". It incentivizes overcrowding in popular hotspots rather than embracing the expansive frontier of Elite’s universe.

My suggestions:

- Increase the probability of finding materials in procedural systems. I haven't found a good hot spot in the black since the changes a couple of years ago. That takes alot of the fun out of exploring. I've looked at hundreds of systems until I've finally given until something changes in the game, which is why I'm writing this. If I want to mine in meaningful quantities I have to go to a handmade system. I have found only one exception and I'm keeping that one a secret.

- Improve the accuracy of hotspot labeling. Currently, I find that I have as much luck from mining in a random spot as I do in a hotspot. This discourages me from even bothering to scan because the labeling just seems like superfluous visual noise that is distracting and not useful.

I believe these changes would reinvigorate mining and expand it as an exploratory mechanic and offer players more immersion through environmental consistency.

Thanks for continuing to improve Elite Dangerous!

CMDR Skaduvarg, the Quixotic Rockhound

 

[metatheurgist]

There are no hand-crafted mining spots.

 

[Helmut Grokenberger]

also, just in case you're not talking about laser mining exclusively: As far as I am aware, hot spots have no influence on the probability of encountering a core asteroid. IIRC hotspots raise the probability of core asteroids containing the "hotspot mineral", but hotspots don't have more cores than when you just drop into the ring.

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

I've always found mining to fine in terms of amount of yield and raw materials outside the bubble.

With one caveat: tritium.

 

[Jmanis]

There are no hand-crafted mining spots.

Wait... what? People think the "good" mining systems are handcrafted/by-design and not just a lucky roll of the BGS? I.... wow.... ok....

 

[Skaduvarg]

Okay, so maybe they aren't hand crafted, I never gave it much though since I don't mine in the bubble. My main point is that since mining was nerfed a couple of years back, I rarely find the material the hotspot is tagged for, and rarely in any significant quantity. Searching for good mining spots while exploring used to be fun, now it's just an exercise in futility.