So the Opal Hype is real and if I remember correctly FDev doesn't intent to touch it yet. And they better not do it in the future. Anyway, I just threw my T10 Miner with 4 Lasers and one of each new mining tool in Exchange for a Clipper, with just a Seismic Charge and an Abrasion Blaster just for Void Opal Core Mining. Which asks the question:
What to do with all the old and new materials we could also gather?
I mean money wise it doesn't make sense, which is sad for a number of reasons primary, that of now I miss out on the Dispersal Missile Mini-game. And with that I would like to give you a few ideas:
With that you have now a bunch of ideas, that don't require you to play with the Commodities Market values, that could actually feel rewarding for a player.
What to do with all the old and new materials we could also gather?
I mean money wise it doesn't make sense, which is sad for a number of reasons primary, that of now I miss out on the Dispersal Missile Mini-game. And with that I would like to give you a few ideas:
- Alliance, Federation and Empire all are enveloped into a subtle although constant struggle for dominance over new systems. BGS is underlying reflection of the power balance. But the worth of a system in terms of Industry Size, Special Production Capabilities, Military Installations of all sorts is kinda constant, if there isn't a specific community goal, which not always are for miners. Each superpower could have 1-3 permanent ongoing construction efforts, that miners could contribute towards. Whenever such a goal is completed a Installation, Outpost or other Structure is added to the game and a new goal is started in a different place. The reward for contributions would be Ranking up with the specific superpower.
- Powerplay could have a mechanic in a similar vain, to boost the value of low CC systems with a low risk of being stolen by the enemy. Mining Stuff could be provided to construct temporarily Multipliers for a Systems Population increasing the CC. Their locations would of course change and a Multiplier would only last for 1-3 Cycles during which, a system takeover would mean, that another Power could profit from it. As an reward Miners could get Merits.
- Seeing how the bubble is starting to burn again and so many stations falling under the threat of requiring extensive repair efforts, I could imagine, that the Superpowers would setup a permanent system to provide relief efforts. For this I would setup a Megaship, that would buy mining stuff, track it and giving out heavily reduced goods required to repair Megaships over time or to avoid exploits, giving out specific Transports Missions towards damaged starports, that would aid the repair efforts.
- As far as I know new ships are not made from void opals, but metal, electronic components and friendship. So why not give Miners the ability to earn a discount on a module or ship buy, by slowly turning in required mined usually low value materials. Of course they would still have to pay for labor, but I could imagine, that you could cut down up to 40% of the price. This way being a low value miner, you don't slow your ship progression, without having to increase the market value of such commodities. Bonus: If you could earn rebuy discounts this way.
- As someone who sometimes engineers, the collection of Manufactured Materials is always a pain for me. Not only that, but my beloved heat sinks also require manufactured Mats for Synthesis. And I know, that you could do missions to gather materials, that would require mining, but with the removal of Board Flipping and the super bad exchange rates, I would love to have a more elegant solution. Each Manufactured Material has a recipe of mixed mined commodities, which could be turned in at a new contact to gain those. Note I said Manufactured Materials only, not Data or Minerals
- And last but not least some speculation around Fleet Carriers, that have yet to be revealed. Construction and Upgrading could be done with mining materials or supplement a buy, such as with my ideas to build ships and modules above.
With that you have now a bunch of ideas, that don't require you to play with the Commodities Market values, that could actually feel rewarding for a player.
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