The Mining discussion thread.

[GreyJackal]

What are you mining?

edit - also, this is the first time mining has been available. We might just be testing the mechanics, not the yield.

 

[Chinwiskers]

With you on all points Rhaedas, I enjoy the mechanic but I think it needs another pass in terms of risk vs reward over time.

 

[Rhaedas]

Wondering if a mining tag team would work best. Have someone blasting off material, the other(s) scooping the results. Just have to watch the fragment lifetime, they do expire (about 3-5 mins it looks like).

 

[Moritasgus]

But mining any old rock shouldn't be profitable, that's why its important to find rocks with a high % of gold and other valuables.
Mining is closely linked with exploration and finding good spots not dropping at the nearest field and making millions.

 

[skyline385]

What are you mining?

edit - also, this is the first time mining has been available. We might just be testing the mechanics, not the yield.

Yes, i understand that this is the first time mining has been made available and hence i am providing my feedback from it and so will others. And the problem is the same with almost anything you mine. Maximum yield i have seen people report is 20% per scoop.

Another solution which just occurred to me would to give classes to Mining lasers which determine the % yield of the mineral extracted.

 

[DieScream]

That does sound ..well, not fun. I envisioned mining an asteroid in the future as maybe firing a unit at the roid which would mine it and you'd pick it up when full, for example. Just much simpler I guess.

Well, it's early, (day 1!) of B3 so we'll see how they tweak it with feedback.

 

[GreyJackal]

Sorry, I should have said "profitability" rather than "yield".

If you're mining Coltan, it's likely not going to be worth your time. Indium or Gold, however...

 

[Gamersince77]

But mining any old rock shouldn't be profitable, that's why its important to find rocks with a high % of gold and other valuables.
Mining is closely linked with exploration and finding good spots not dropping at the nearest field and making millions.

This guy has it right ^^

 

[DieScream]

This guy has it right ^^

Except not one person has suggested dropping into the nearest field and making millions. So, not really. Obviously, we should have to look for minerals.

 

[GreyJackal]

Oh nuts, I was going to go to bed....

 

[Rhaedas]

But mining any old rock shouldn't be profitable, that's why its important to find rocks with a high % of gold and other valuables.
Mining is closely linked with exploration and finding good spots not dropping at the nearest field and making millions.

That's a good point, although even high yield ore is going to be low percentages, otherwise it wouldn't be ore.

Mining looks to be a big ship activity maybe, as you'll really need a lot of different modules as well as a decent cargo hold. Perhaps larger mining lasers will break up bigger chucks, letting you process more per scoop?

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Oh nuts, I was going to go to bed....

I think there's a rule somewhere, no sleep for at least 12 hours after a major update drop.

Auto merge? What the heck is that?

 

[Moritasgus]

This guy has it right ^^

If you are mining in a populated system with stations then you are doing it all wrong...
The idea as far as i know is that you either explore or buy explore data on where to find really great spots, you either share it or keep it a secret while returning from deep space with a 40 tonnes of gold hoping to avoid pirates and too many questions.
Once 'others' find it then the gold rush starts, lawlessness, stations, eventually security arrive.
At some point as a player you decide when your 'nice little spot' is no longer profitable or safe enough and move on.
There should be no free handout, same as you get better trades and more money for exploring the further out you go the same applies with mining.
If this still proves to be true and you can't make money anywhere then we can say its bugged or imbalanced.

 

[Tremor]

Just spent half an hour mining. Best feature of Beta 3 so far is the sickening clang of a less than perfect asteroid scoop.

 

[yedoin]

Is there any scanner that can help us target the roid and get some info on what is inside? Right now i have to blindly shoot at it and look for what comes of it...don't get me started on finding the right roid again...

Has someone tested different scanners, like detailed surface or discovery scanners? It would help if you could actually "target" this rock somehow.

 

[LeiHarper]

Just spent half an hour mining. Best feature of Beta 3 so far is the sickening clang of a less than perfect asteroid scoop.

Several times I had a chunk of Bertrandite stuck to my canopy while I turned to try and get the thing into the cargo scoop. The whole while its making an awful screeching sound as I turn and drag this hunk of rock across the hull only to watch it spin away with me cursing and screaming the whole time.

I need whisky and cigarettes, mining is stressful.

But the scenery...Oh man, the scenery...

Spoiler

http://i.imgur.com/WHUsCpC.jpg

 

[Iskariot]

It seems mining currently is far too much hassle for what you get out of it.
I think it would be better to make the scanning for minerals the more involved part for the player and then use drones to actually do the time consuming mining.

 

[Akira Demonia]

Max number of chunks that come off roid is 10 from what i have seen 35mins mining got 8 ton on urinite. found smaller roids hold better ore but at low yeald

 

[Kessler Vitari]

Mining right now is, from my personal experience, 10% firing the lasers and 90% trying to get the minerals in the scoop. Seriously, I spent the past 10 minutes just trying to get that cursed Gallite son of a roid in my ship.
This shouldn't be the problem here. If we had something akin to a tractor beam that would at LEAST pull the minerals towards your scoop, it might not be half as bad.

But as it stands right now, mining is extremely tedious and downright boring for me.

 

[flint read]

Yeah this is why I just asked Dezgard. I've been sitting at an asteroid for 10 minutes. Hitting it with mining laser. I sold my basic scanner to put the refiner into a slot.
Got all my power to weapons, and sitting blasting the rock. Depleted my weapons power about 20 times already. Nothing happening at all. I can see the laser hitting the roid and shards coming off it. But after about 10 minutes I'm beginning to wonder if I've made a mistake selling the scanner. Maybe you HAVE to scan it first!?

you may be trying to mine an ice roid you can't mine them has to be rock or metalic then it works.

 

[GreyJackal]

Top tip - you still need cargo racks.

Don't replace the cargo with the refinery. Replace the scanner or shields.

*cough*

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I think there's a rule somewhere, no sleep for at least 12 hours after a major update drop.

Auto merge? What the heck is that?

Aye, I know - going to my pit now, though.

And automerge crops up on editing. Some quirk of this BBS software (he said, showing his age)