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Elite Exploration

JohnnyDioxin
Expert Trustee
Getting well  into my second month of exploration along this route:

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If you get fed up with bugs or mundane missions in the Bubble, it's well worth heading out into the black. Taking your time, doing a sesh whenever you feel like it, with no stress, no time constraints or targets - just cruise and do what you like. I'm out here with Commander Hazardous Matt and another companion, and so far my undiscovered system count is at 134. Yes, that's 134 systems that will have my commander name on them - and an awful lot top-up for the bank, and I'm nowhere near the end of the journey yet.

First, we met up at the "bottom" of the galaxy (or top, depends which way you look at it!) and then headed towards the Lagoon Colonia Highway stop. From there we headed out towards the NGC/War & Peace Nebula. There were quite a few undiscovered systems along the way - but not much that was spectacular or particularly noteworthy - just regular systems, 65 undiscovered in all. When we got to NGC, I found that all of the systems from 20LY out had been discovered.

Whilst we sat there, wondering what to do next, I came up with the route in the picture above, and Matt was keen - so off we set. Since leaving NGC, almost every system I have come across has been undiscovered and there has been lots of nice screenshot material. Planets of all kinds of colours, werid huge gas giants and silvery, mirror-like rings, not to mention very spectacular looking nebula clouds.

Here are some screens from along the way. I'm only at stage 2 - and there are another 11 to go yet! Seey sometime around Christmas.... maybe! 😉

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See these clouds on the galaxy map?:

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Well, they are there in the galaxy, too:

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Planets are often coloured based on the clouds around them - like this one:

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A typical system, ripe for scanning and imprinting with my name:

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...and in many cases, they are just a few light years from each other, all in a nice, tight cluster:

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You can see the nebulae we are heading for - it's almost like joining the dots:

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these are a couple of the nicer ringed bodies - the second one is actually a shining Brown (Tauri) star and was very spectacular in-game:

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This is where we are now - was a little reluctant to enter this aggressive looking cloud - but no worries, apart from cutting out some of the light and actually obscuring some of the neighbouring stars, it's quite harmless:

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All of this, not even half as far away as Colonia - so you don't have to go that far to find it, and find 'fame' in the form of your name spread across astronomical bodies in the galaxy.

And it's so much more relaxing... B)

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648 REPLIES 648

JohnnyDioxin
Expert Trustee
I finally got to have a go at modern mining today - though I left the game felling rather pissed off.

I got the best modules I could, using online info to find the best modules in the region - which equated to some mediocre equipment.

I also didn't know how to get a limpet for a particular purpose. I need then for prospecting and collecting, basically. At the original station, they didn't seem to have any, so I synthesised 4, just to see how I could use them, without throwing away materials. These were somehow allocated as collector limpets. Fine. So then I go to Jacques and find that it offers me prospector limpets - great! I buy 4 of those, too. But that left me not knowing how to fill up the remainder of limpets needed for collecting. I certainly wasn't going to synthesise them all, and I know I will lose both types of limpets as I go along.

Now I was under the impression that a limpet is a limpet and that's all - what it gets used for, depends on which controllers you have fitted. But it seems this isn't the case. Can't be - because I was sold limpets specifically for prospecting. Anyway, "what the hell?" I thinks, and buys a shitload of limpets, thinking I'll be able to use them for collecting.

I get to the PMR outside Jacques and fire off a prospector limpet at a non-rotating asteroid (some rotate, some don't). Hey! It's my lucky day - it's full of Praseodymium - not eactly platinum, but worth enough for me. So I fire off the mining laser and 2 chunks come off. For some reason, my limpets refuse to launch, so I use the cargo scoop to collect the chunks manually. I then do the same with the next 3 chunks. I then fire the laser again and after a second or two it stops. "Thermal Overload" it says. And that's the end of the mining, cos it won't cool down and I only have the one laser (was reluctant to leave myself defenceless and on my own). I did, however, finally get a collector limpet to launch and it fetched the last 2 chunks aboard for a total of 2t of Praseodymium . Yippe-dy-doo 😛

Went back to Jacques, sold the metal for 8,400cr and sold back the 64 limpets in my hold (great that you can actually sell them back).

So wtf is going on here?

Here is my set-up:

CORIOLIS

Bear in mind, this is the best I can get here in Colonia. A 2D mining laser is the top one here. A 4A refinery, with 10 bins and a 5A collector limpet controller (3 limpets), a 5D prospector limpet controller (4).

So I take it this means I can only have 3 collector limpets and 4 prospector limpets? So what to I do to get more? Have to go back to a station? If I synthesise limpets, what decides how they are used? Also - I had barely started using that mining laser and it overheated already? That seems nuts.

FFS give me the old method any day!

ps - when I got back to Jacques, I looked in replen and it wasn't offering any particular limpets at all (to replace the prospector and collector ones I'd lost), which was baffling.


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kojack
MVP
MVP
That's odd.

Limpets are blank. It depends on which limpet controller is bound to the fire group as to which program is written to them when launched. So you need prospecting and collection on different groups (or on the same group but bind one to primary fire and one to secondary).

Damn I wish there was more than 2 fire buttons.


I was just out tonight mining in my anaconda. Having a switch on my hotas bound to fire means I can just sit back and relax while the mining laser does it's thing and my three limpets scoop up the fragments as fast as they spawn (having your nose about 50m from the asteroid makes the limpets collect super fast, less flying time back and forth).

I went to an uninhabited system with a ringed gas giant. I dropped out of frameshift in one of the rings. Within a second or so there was a radar blip approaching. Damn it, why do pirates instantly know where I am?
I already had some mining cargo, so I knew things wouldn't go well.
The blip got closer, it was a single Eagle. He came up and scanned me. I deployed hardpoints.
A sensible pirate in a tiny Eagle seeing turrets and missile racks all over an anaconda pop out and target him might decide "no thanks, I'm out of here". But this guy demanded 5000 cr of cargo or he'd kill me.
About 1 second of me pulling the trigger and he didn't exist anymore.
Back to mining.


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Chazmeister
Rising Star

Brixmis said:


Here is my set-up:

CORIOLIS

Bear in mind, this is the best I can get here in Colonia. A 2D mining laser is the top one here. A 4A refinery, with 10 bins and a 5A collector limpet controller (3 limpets), a 5D prospector limpet controller (4).

So I take it this means I can only have 3 collector limpets and 4 prospector limpets? So what to I do to get more? Have to go back to a station? If I synthesise limpets, what decides how they are used? Also - I had barely started using that mining laser and it overheated already? That seems nuts.





If you can, try this instead: Improved Krait mining build

OK first things first. As Kojack has already said, all limpets are blanks until they have been assigned a task by one of the limpet controllers. So you need to bind your prospector limpet controller and collection limpet controller to your primary and secondary fire buttons. So create a new fire group for your limpet controllers and do just that. Set one controller to your primary button and the other to your secondary button. For instance I use my primary fire button to fire off prospector limpets and the secondary button to fire off collection limpets. Set your mining lasers on a different fire group and when your collector limpets expire, just flip back to pop out a couple more out.

Mining lasers overheating. It just means you need to put pips in to your weapons. All lasers and weapons when they run out of juice say they're "overheating". Which is it; are they out of power or overheating? Same difference whatever and I've never quite figured out whether pips to weapons is supposed to be for coolant or something like that rather than a straight supply of power. Anyway pips to weapons, you shouldn't need more than about 2-3 pips in weps anyway. 3 pips should fire 2 2D lasers almost continuously. Oh yes and on that note, 2D is the highest mining laser available.


I've made some changes to your setup you had there in Coriolis. I'm not sure how accurately this reflected your setup anyway as it seemed a bit amiss to me but I've tweaked it a bit for you anyhow.

Most changes are in your optional internals, so I'll start there at the top.

1. I've changed your shield gen to a 6C unit. Ideally you want a 6A gen powered by a 6A plant, but it's much better than the 6E unit you possibly were still using and you got the juice to run it so you may as well.
2. You do not need a 5A or whatever prospector controller. I've swapped that for a 3A instead. At the end of the day, all you are doing with that is firing off a limpet to find the content of asteroids, and you don't really need any more than one prospector limpet operational at a time and the 3A allows for 2 anyway. So I've swapped that for more cargo space, which is much more useful when mining.
3. I've given you a fighter hanger. Arrive on site and launch your wingman and recall when you're ready to leave. Should you get caught with your pants down, it's a ready bit of backup you can order to attack hostiles in an instant whilst you get your shit together.
4. A 4A Refinery in your slot 4 of course. Where else? And you really do want that 4A refinery with it's ten slots, otherwise you'll be constantly having to dump processed ore left right and centre.
5. 3A Collection and Prospector limpet controllers in your two level 3 slots.
6. I've shifted your ADS to the last slot as it doesn't need anything larger than that.
7. 2 x 2D mining lasers in your 2 medium hardpoint slots.
8. 2 x large gimbled pulses and 1 x large gimbled multi cannon in your large slots. Set the pulses on primary fire and the multi on secondary. Use pulses to take down shields and then add the multi to the mix on the hull once shields are down.
9. Added an 0A shield booster and a point defense to your utility slots.
10. Changed your life support, sensors and power distributor to D rated modules as these are the lightest in mass and are not so essential that you really need anything better, unless you're going A all the way of course, and even then the D's often make more sense. In pretty much every ship build you do, these 3 modules should be D rated, unless you're doing lots of combat and then you may want a better distributor. With the Q4 update, sensor ratings may make more of a difference, but for now D's will do you. As for life support, unless you are way way out in the sticks, you should be able to find a base within 7 mins and 30 secs should the worst happen. When was the last time your canopy popped anyway?

All new changes still fit within your deployed power requirements, so no need to have to switch stuff off and on etc. You'll note that I've removed your SRV bay and DSS, as you won't need these when mining anyway. Put them into storage for now and swap them back later.

So yeah a quick mining refresh:
- Arrive on site and launch SLF. Wait a minute or 2 and assess the area. Deal with any hostiles you find mooching around. If none about proceed down into the field.
- Deploy your hardpoints if not out already. Try and avoid doing this by firing your primary weapon if you have the prospector controllers group selected, as you'll needlessly fire off a limpet as you deploy them. Switch to your mining lasers or other hardpoint groups instead.
- Fire off prospector limpets at asteroids and look for a good haul. With that 3A controller you can only have 2 active at a time, so when you fire off a 3rd it'll cancel out the first one and expire it prematurely. Don't worry about that. As I've said you only really need one active at a time anyway, however the second is handy as a marker to show where you've been, as it's really easy to get flipped around and lose your bearings. I tend to try and keep the gas giant in view and keep flying inwards towards it as I prospect. Mine in a pristine metallic ring if you can. Mmmm lovely delicious painite!
- When you've found one you want to mine, then deploy 2 collection limpets and deploy your cargo scoop.
- Start lasering off chunks. On asteroids that spin, I've found it best to try and target the base of the roid as chunks tend to fly off downwards, this will keep them out of the way of the roid then. Also with a spinning one, if you get it right, you don't even need to move the lasers, you can just stay put and carve it up as it spins. The closer you can get, the quicker your collection limpets will be able to get stuff into your ship. Obviously keep a heads up, as some of the really slow spinning ones have caught me off guard a few times and I've looked up just in the nick of time to see a great big roid slowly bearing down on top of me. 
- Try not to carve off any more than a 3rd of the roid at a time, as the chunks have a limited life span and it'll give your limpets time to collect them before the chunks expire. Then when they collecting the last 2 bits, start the lasering again.
- Go for metals rather than minerals, as they're worth more, unless you have a mining mission for them.
- One you've run out of limpets, head back to base and cash in.

And that's it. Mining in a nutshell.


 

JohnnyDioxin
Expert Trustee
Thanks for the info.

First off - I already have the firegroups set up as you suggest. Yes, me being the old duffer that I am, I forgot the pips (I've been reading mining guides and it hit me straight away - d'oh!). I have a nasty habit of doing that at the start of fights, as well! Soon remember when the lasers fizzle out within seconds...

Unfortunately I can't find a fighter hangar here. I've been looking everywhere I've docked and not seen a single one.

Ah - just found out where I can get them - using this fabulous website:

https://cdb.sotl.org.uk/outfitting

Essential for anyone coming out here and planning to stay a while - don't know why I didn't think of looking at it before - it's what I used to find all the mining gear. Old Duffer syndrome again 🙂

It's the same story with the shield generator - haven't found one of any use above what I have as yet - but I'll see if I can find one using that site again.

Nope - best available atm is a 6D - so I'll go and find that.

I already have the 4A refinery - don't know why you mentioned that, but anyway...

All of the choices I've made regarding defence etc are based on what's available (along with what I prefer to fight with and what's available...) - I did consider the point defence turret, can't remember why I decided against it. Most of the weapons in the stations here are pretty crap - was really chuffed when I found those class 3 lasers. I've been completely unable to find a decent power plant - even using that help site. Same with distributor - 7D is the best I could find, though it will do, I suppose, for now.

Of course, I've been referring to info sites and posts on the Elite forums for what I already have. As usual many conflict each other, so in the end I always gave precedence to what's on the wiki - though I know they aren't always reliable.

I have plenty of very good modules back in the Bubble, and I don't mind waiting the 61 hours it takes them to get here - but the A/B rated stuff costs a silly amount, so I won't be doing that. It's criminal that the lower class stuff costs peanuts to ship, but the A/B class stuff costs over 21 million.


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Also, I had my 1A military grade armour sent out, only to find I can't fit the bugger.

Anyway - once again, thanks for the tips - I'm getting back to my ship now to go and find those modules 🙂

edit: Can't get a 3C multi-cannon - I'll try and shuffle things, though.

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JohnnyDioxin
Expert Trustee
OK - all sorted :smiley:

Not exactly the payload you recommended, Chaz, but based on some of it. Couldn't get hold of a couple of things on your list, anyway and as I then had the class 5 spare, I thought I might as well use it for the coollector controller (with 3 limpets) and I'm glad I did - everything went way better than I expected.

I even felt confident enough to take on a mining mission - my first ever - and I'm just 5t away from completing it, after just 2 rocks worth of materials 🙂

This is the way I'm set up now CORRY

The only thing that miffs me is giving 9% to my AI fighter pilot. I had no idea there so many types of fighter, but chose an all-round capable one and a competent pilot, so as not to lose too much of my profits. Launched him just as the first sniffers arrived and they soon departed and I got down to business. Wasn't bothered again, though some feds passed by several times.

Yup - I'm all set now, so really chuffed and a notional cold one in your direction, guys.

Oh - while gathering the required modules, I also managed to see and land in my first asteroid based starport.

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...and stopped by to check out this survey vessel - no idea if they are any use to us, though:

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Right - tomorrow I'll finish off collecting the 5t of Somarium, collect my 1.5 million (okay, 1.35 million after his nibbs has taken his share) and see what else I can find. Time to get myself a tin hat with a lamp! 😛

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Chazmeister
Rising Star
Cool, I still haven't seen an asteroid station yet.

I took my pilot in at harmless level and I'm steadily training him up. He's a novice right now and over 50% of the way to competent. He still does OK though.

I still recommend D rating you distro, sensors and life support if you can, as it'll gain you an extra 4ly jump range over your current build.

JohnnyDioxin
Expert Trustee
Hmm, well the reason I went with that particular power distributor was because players on the ED forum were saying the best available is needed (after a guy posted about having mining laser issues). That was the best I had come across - actually the only one I had come across above class 3, so it was what I used. I will keep an eye out, though.

Oh - still haven't come across any point defence turrets - I do want one of those, at least, but so far, nada.

*completed that job - it was actually 2.6million reward, so a nice surprise. There are two planets within the Colonia system that have pristine rings - one doesn't have any RES at all and the only other ships I've come across there are other miners and security and it has some very rich pickings!

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Chazmeister
Rising Star
I think some of these folks though, are running mining Anaconda's and the like and are almost completely fitted out with mining lasers top to bottom, and 6+ collection limpets etc. That's how some of them manage to make millions per hour mining, as they can just chew through roids at a rate of knots. Otherwise I can't really imagine why you'd need a high rated distro for a mining laser, as they're not particularly power intensive, certainly not compared to laser weapons.

JohnnyDioxin
Expert Trustee
It's probably that although the people enquiring were flying the Krait and smaller ships, the ones answering were probably in Anacondas. 😉

Anyway, for the moment I don't need those extra LY as the Colonia system offers very decent mining opportunities and plenty of mining missions, too. I've been really enjoying myself and doing very well with Palladium, Gold etc - all the decent stuff (though only a single ton of Painite). No sign of any undesirables, either.

With the local availability in mind, I've ditched the two scanners, though, and added another 12t of cargo space. It's amazing how quickly those cargo holds fill up!  I've also been quite happy to synthesise my own limpets. I take 10 along from the port and then just synthesise more on site as required. I have 5 assigned - 2x prospector and 3x collector - so the ship makes me 5 limpets at a cost of 10 nickel and 10 iron - and I started yesterday with 500 each of those, so it's no problem. Next time I go scouring a planet for materials, i will be able to pick up more of those instead of being frustrated cos my limit is met.

Of course, there is also plenty of iron and nickel to be found in the asteroids, too.

When I start thinking of heading 'home' I will look at streamlining for more jump distance. Until then, I'm happy as Larry! B)

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JohnnyDioxin
Expert Trustee
After these two days mining (not all the time of course - about 2 or 3 hours each day) I've made 5.1 million credits - so it's definitely worth doing - at least in pristine metallic rings.

I get some mining missions but I always make sure I have a weeks' time to do them in - then I don't have to reject asteroids or materials that I don't need, but are otherwise lucrative, like gold, painite and palladium - and Jacques pays out a lot for those - almost double the market average for painite.

At the same time, I'm using my wake scanner every time I come back to the station to offload what I've mined, so I have enough data for future engineering. I'm glad they put that in a utility slot, rather than a hardpoint or optional module.


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