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Is there a thread about mining?

Dec 27, 2004 Kali the Destroyer link
Hi there! I was one of the Beta testers (well, still am) but do not post a lot. I'm spending my time mining - In 2 hours I got over 100,000 credits.

Do you mine? If so, where, and with what vessel? I use a centurian and stay around stations, looking for rare minerals. I've got upto 20xp per ton from some metals (sold at $499 each at a station). I use a Centuar for my cargo ship.

What is the best mining vessel?

thanks

Kali
Dec 27, 2004 Fnugget link
Centaur is the best mining ship. It has the largest hold and large ports available. However, for mining in more dangerous ares, a Ragnorak wil do, as it has 2 free small slots for other weapons, besides the scanner and 2 large beams. Large beams are most efficient, and will thus produce the most yield. However, if you are just doing it to level mining, fully beamed rag, stripping ores from just any asteroid, will be the fastest.
Often the ores at the station sell for much better elsewhere.
Dec 27, 2004 ananzi link
If you got 20xp, it was Heliocene, and if you transport it to another system, you can get 1500c/crate, or more. The ore diversity between systems means profit. The specialized beams, a new one with every mining license, make a lot of difference. If you see me online feel free to msg me and ask questions. Hope that helps.
Dec 27, 2004 roguelazer link
5-beam rags are fun for strip-mining.
Dec 28, 2004 Kali the Destroyer link
how do you stop bots attacking you?

Some of them are really hard to beat!
Dec 28, 2004 paedric link
You get a friend to fly cover for you or mine in bot free areas.
Dec 29, 2004 Kali the Destroyer link
If you mine in bot-free areas, don't you get less "valueable" roids?
Dec 29, 2004 ananzi link
Some wormhole (ie botless) sectors are full of Denic, which can easily get 1000c/crate in an adjacent system. Some unmarked botless asteroid fields have valuable stuff, especially Heliocene in Helios. But then you have to worry about pirates...

Perhaps it would be helpful if I describe some of the group mining tactics I have seen used. Let me know if the following counts as 'thread hijacking' and I can make a new thread.

1. Unarmed Miner, Transporter

In this setup, one person mined, while another person transported ore. The miner had beams/scanner, no weapons. The transport sometimes carried weapons, and maybe a scanner. At the end of the session, the group divided up the cargo or money. This happened in sectors without bots. Broma-ba Slick showed me this.

Ships seen: Centaur, Maurauder

2. Unarmed Miners / Bot-dragging Escorts

In this setup, some people mined, while the escorts got the bots pissed off at them, and dragged them deep into interstellar space, leaving the miners free to mine. The escorts were flying fast ships and were good at dodging fire from 10 bots at once while shooting new ones to make them mad and join the swarm. bsp invented this tactic afaik. This was necessary because the bots, Orne Guardians, were too difficult to kill fast enough to protect the miners.

Ships seen: Centaur, Centurion, ???

3. Unarmed Miners / Scout / Escorts

This setup involved a bunch of miners mining, while a scout scouted ahead for the next rare asteroid, and an escort stayed near the miners and killed attacking bots. Solra Bizna showed me this. This setup evolved because we weren't sure exactly where the rare ore was, or which sectors it was in, and because the bots were low level enough to kill as they came.

Ships seen: Centaur, Atlas, Vulture, Centurion

4. Unarmed miner / Armed scout-escort

This setup was basically the same as 3, but the scout-escort had a good idea of where the rare ore was in the first place, so a separate escort was not needed. The miner followed close behind the scout-escort during scouting, then once the asteroid was found, began mining ore. The scout-escort stayed close by and blasted low-level incoming bots. Then they both transported cargo back to the station.

Ships seen: Centaur, Maurauder

5. Armed miners

Similar to 3, but the miners were their own escort, as they carried mixes of guns and mining beams. Some people carried a scanner and mining beams, while others carried guns and mining beams, and a few carried a scanner, a mining beam, and a gun all at once. This was with low level bots that could be killed quickly. Some scouting was also involved.

Ships seen: Ragnarok, Centaur, Atlas