Surface Prospecting just got easier (I think!)

woodbane

W
Hi all, forgive me if this is either stating the obvious or already been said but I’ve noticed since the latest update (which I’m liking so far - thanks FDev!) that surface prospecting now seems to follow a set of rules with material drops which is far less time consuming than the old RNG way.

That is to say, when you drop in to a geological surface signal (such as Silicate Vapour Fumaroles) and then start blasting all the different crystal clusters, they always drop the same materials: either a narrow range or a specific one.

This is my example from playing today:

I’m looking for Technitium for some engineering I’m doing. So I open up EDDB and look up the nearest planet with high percentage of that material and hop on over to it.

Before update - fly down to planet surface, drive around in SRV looking for the rock formations most likely to drop the rare mats (normally metallic asteroids and outcrops), blast them and pray that I’d get lucky every once in a while.

After update - Scan planet on arrival using DSS, map surface using probes. Now I have all the geological surface signals. Fly down to one and am greeted by Silicate Vapour Fumaroles (on this particular planet). Driving around I notice different crystal and rock formations attached to these fumaroles or on rocks in the immediate vicinity. Nice touch, more immersion than just having to blast random rocks.

Now the interesting bit - I notice after a little while blasting, that Technitium is always and only dropped by the ‘Needle Shard’ formations. The ‘Piceous Cobble’ formations always drop either Iron or Nickel. The ‘Crystalline Fragments’ always drop Chromium and the ‘Crystalline Cluster always drops Mercury, Arsenic or Cadmium.

I have tested this over multiple geological surface signals on the particular planet I’m on and the results are always the same.

Now, if this is “working as intended” then surface prospecting for rare mats just got a whole lot less tedious. Just look up a planet with the highest percentage of the particular material you are looking for. Map it to find geological surface signals, explore those with the SRV and take note of which rock formations drop the material you’re looking for and then you can just farm that type.

A nice QOL update if this all holds true. Just thought I’d share my experience so far.

Stay safe in the black CMDRS!
 
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Ashnak

Ashnak
It has always been thus - surface features, from Barnacles and Braintrees to Silicate Magma Whatsits, would show "growths" on their surface that could be harvested. Those growths would contain, in proportion to their rareness, the various materials that this planet had to offer.

The new thing is, though, that instead of eyeballing those sites or having to rely on CMDRs who found them and entered them in spreadsheets with their locations and surface coordinates, you can now simply FSS scan the system to find planets with surface features, then DSS those planets and see the POIs pop up as targetable sites. That's especially nice far from the Bubble, where it's somewhat unlikely to be able to rely on those spreadsheets to find FSD boost materials.
 

woodbane

W
You’ll never believe this but prior to this update, I’ve never visited Barnacles or Brain trees (still haven’t) so this was a new mechanic to me. I was used to driving around planet surfaces blasting rock types to gain mats.

Typically I’m late to the game - got to keep my track record up! :D
 

Tarman

Tarman
Relevant and useful information isn't a bad idea to post. Even if people "kinda" knew it, this is a clear post framing the topic. I haven't been dirtside for a good while (like, since long before the last beta even started), and it got me thinking about my next surface-based collection runs. Repped.
 

Hank

H
^^ this is me (to woodbane). I'm also a bit behind on many things in ED. I too just drove around watching the scanner and blast whatever I can target.

I'm getting ready to head out to Running Man and do some more prospecting using the new tools. woohoo - I'm excited. Gotta go now.

GL HF with prospecting
 
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DNA-Decay

DNA-Decay
There’s also folks who have burnt thousands of hours eyeballing planets, figuring out where Barnacles are possible or likely, collating them in public spreadsheets, working out their ripe and barren cycles.
So much work.

To me this cheapens their endeavours.

I wouldn’t want it to go back to the old way.
But I do prefer having to find one of these people, make a connection, to get access to the locations.
But then I’m a social creature, and I’m interested in you folks more than I am the META
 

pnellesen

pnellesen
woodbane said:
You’ll never believe this but prior to this update, I’ve never visited Barnacles or Brain trees (still haven’t) so this was a new mechanic to me. I was used to driving around planet surfaces blasting rock types to gain mats.

Typically I’m late to the game - got to keep my track record up! :D
Click to expand...

I've been playing near-daily for almost exactly one year. Up until the 3.3 Beta, I had never seen a Barnacle site, or ANY other non-Guardian surface POI, regardless of how much I tried finding them (I'm a bullheaded old fool who avoids using 3rd party information as much as I possibly can). Since 3.3 went live, I've lost count of the number of Geological sites I've found - I had my exploration account parked about 5KLY out and made my way back to Professor Palin after it launched. I'm still waiting to find a Biological site, though apparently their frequency is much less in Live than it was in the Beta.
 
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