Oolite Bulletins

Hmmm, well, I only have experience with the ore processor while flying in a python. In that ship there's literally no reason whatsoever to bother with scanning. You have so many energy banks and cargo space that scanning is pointless. Just scoop them all and process them. However, in a miner transport, I would imagine that scanning could be quite useful. I'd rather gather up and process some gold, gemstones, or preferably platinum than minerals, especially since I only have 2 energy banks and just a few tonnes of cargo space. Unfortunately, splinters also fly away so quickly that you have to be quick about scanning. Even if asteroid mechanics were not changed, having a fully functional, completely accurate scanner would be nice.

Falcon777 wrote:

Hmmm, well, I only have experience with the ore processor while flying in a python.

With big ships and lots of energy banks, definitely the best way to mine with the Processor is to upgrade it to automatic and just process all splinters.

I have upgraded the Ore Processor to 2.2. Scanner is now an upgrade that costs 425 credits and is fail safe. To compensate, scanning takes more time resulting bigger energy use. Previously it was 5 blips, now its 10 blips. I tested a lot with different scan times and energy uses and also making the scan time random and this felt the best. Testing was done with a Mining Transporter. With bigger ships the scanner is probably useless anyway.

spara wrote:

I have upgraded the Ore Processor to 2.2. Scanner is now an upgrade that costs 425 credits and is fail safe. To compensate, scanning takes more time resulting bigger energy use. Previously it was 5 blips, now its 10 blips. I tested a lot with different scan times and energy uses and also making the scan time random and this felt the best. Testing was done with a Mining Transporter. With bigger ships the scanner is probably useless anyway.

Tasty! I've just given that a try out with a new start (Cobra 3, go to Zaonce, trade in for Cobra 1 + equipment) and there's a much higher enjoyment factor in the scan/accept_or_reject/process cycle now.

I was amused by the option to have your Ore Processor hardwired at the Rock Hermit with the health warning that "GalCop don't approve of this as you may run your energy banks dry". Even with a mighty Cobra 1 I think I'll give that a miss for now.

Putting some numbers on it, I'm finding that Zaonce is paying about 13 Cr for Minerals, but with an Ore Processor you can generally bring back at least Alloys and Gold which are both about 40 Cr. That makes the processor worth an extra 270 Cr per trip, so it pays for itself in 12 - 13 trips. The scanner's nice to have and makes things go quicker, but if you just scooped everything and threw out the Minerals and Radioactives you could achieve the same results.

The processor is inordinately excited about Gemstones - the big payoff comes when you find 3 or more kg of Platinum.

Trip for trip, a miner with a processor is making a similar profit to a milk-running trader, but of course there's no scope for any bigger-paying business, and at 400 Cr on a run-out with a Cobra I (480 Cr with a Mining Transport, but slowly...) it will take a long time to trade up. Sing ho for the life of a Belter.

Glad you're enjoying mining, Malacandra .

I took a deeper look at the miner start with the idea of moving the start to Zaonce. No problem in moving the start position part, but it seems to mess more than one oxp that expects the game to start from Zaonce, so I'm not going to change that. Too much tedious work to fix everything, sorry. Just follow the trader after the game start and you'll be at Zaonce in no time.

One more OXP tip to starting miners. [wiki]Tracker OXP[/wiki] or [wiki]Waypoint Here[/wiki] are very handy when you find a nice remote asteroid field somewhere and want to find it again or if you're staying at a hermit and want to visit the main station and find your way back. There's a promise in the air, that in a future version Waypoint Here would allow you to save waypoints over saves. From a miner's POV that would be really helpful now that the hermits stay longer in one place.