MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
was more like 15-18 jumps when i looked at the ones with prices around the 1 million.
Fair do’s, I don’t think 18 jumps would be worth it for me either. What’s your jump range in the Python?
You are avoiding the ‘resource extraction site’ nav points aren’t you? It’s lots quieter if you aim for the hotspot convergence manually.
Ah - I hadn't, but I will, ta! 🙂
What are the REZ anyway? Are they particular spots where there are actually more minerals or richer asteroids? Or is it just a navigational aid? Can you discover your own REZs?
You can find your own hotspots with the surface scanner. Then just aim for the bright bit towards the middle. If you're in Borann then you aim for the spot where the three circles of the hotspots converge. Can't move for low temperature diamond asteroids at that point!
Matt
just set a new personal best, 100 diamonds in 40 min
How do we tap you up for a loan?
Matt
can you transfer credits to other players?
max jump range in my Python is 18 ly
I think credit transfers are banned, FDev want you to get the cash the right way!
Matt
Aaa, I think I'm not too far off the hot spot - but tried to keep out of the way of pirates and only found one diamond-bearing asteroid. Will try again tomorrow - cheers for the tips. 🙂
My python has 32ly but I'm not mining as quickly as everyone else is for some reason.
How is you Python outfitted.
Collector limpets are key to fast mining, you should have at least 2 x Size 5 Collecter limpet modules, Class D is fine as the shorter range means the limpets don't stray too far from the rock you are shooting at.
A size 3A prospector limpet module means you can have 2 active prospectors which speeds things up a bit. You want A rated ones as they discover more minerals
You only need a 2A refinery
Modules in my Python are set up like this:
6 Cargo Rack
6 Cargo Rack
6 Cargo Rack
5 5D Collector Limpets
5 5D Collector Limpets
4 4A Shield Generators
3 3A Prospector Limpets
3 3A Fuel Scoop
2 2A Refinery
1 Detailed Surface Scanner
Crikey - LTDs selling for 1.7 mill at Wong Sher, Lawrence Holding station, 'bout 130-odd Ly from Borann. 🙂
Ah, I'm still using surface/core set up. Not optimal I guess.
Everything is A class but I have a mighty refinery. Do have two sets of 2 collectors but only 1 prospector.
Going to rejig tonight and see.
Everything is A class but I have a mighty refinery. Do have two sets of 2 collectors but only 1 prospector.
Having more prospectors won't really speed things up. The slow bit in prospecting is aiming at a rock and then waiting for the prospector to fly there. Having more prospectors's won't really speed this up.
Having more collectors makes a big difference. Even with 6 collectors its take more time to collect the fragments than to strip them off the rock with lasers. I try and position the ship so i can fire off a couple of prospectors while the collectors are gathering stuff.
Big refineries are useful if you are just gathering lots of material, but if you are only after LTD or Painite then they aren't worth it. A 2A refinery has 6 bins which is plenty if you just target the really high value minerals
What's the deal will bulkheads? They are outrageously expensive, a similar cost to my ship. Do they really contribute much to your longevity?
I made about 10mCr last night in a few hours milking booms, however I realised later that one of the factions was Empire. I sold out my principles for credits until I took a massacre mission that looked good. Got to the system and discovered the targets were clean civilians. The Empire can GTF, murdering slave owning bastards.
I made about 10mCr last night in a few hours milking booms, however I realised later that one of the factions was Empire
🙂
Its really weird but I just feel dirty even docking at an Imperial station all the people in the stations have given themselves nonsense titles like "Overseer". Bunch of bastards.
Bulkheads are worth it if you are combat focussed. Military Grade Composites are something daft like +240% hull points.
Its still worth engineering standard bulkheads on every ship though once you have the Engineer unlocked. Engineering armour adds a mass mulitplier, but standard bulkheads are 0T so there is no mass penalty for upgrading it.
Its really weird but I just feel dirty even docking at an Imperial station all the people in the stations have given themselves nonsense titles like “Overseer”. Bunch of bastards.
I know some people take delight in being virtual bastards with piracy and smuggling and all, but I always 'do the right thing' in games*. I've pledged allegiance to Felicia Winters for this reason.
* Except in GTA IV where you beat the low grade gangster in the first part of the game then he ends up knelt in front of you blubbing and pleading for his life, and you have to decide whether or not to kill him. And I did. Bullet between the eyes as he looked right at me. That was quite a heavy gaming moment for me - but I acted from the Utilitarian perspective. He was absolutely irredeemable, and the world was better off without him.
Bulkheads are worth it if you are combat focussed. Military Grade Composites are something daft like +240% hull points.
But you have to trade off between thermal and kinetic resistance, which seems odd. For the ****ing price (24m for my ship!) you wouldn't expect to have to compromise.
Yeah its only worth it if you are tanking hull points.
Apparently the "meta" is to go reactive armour and then engineer for thermal resistance but that cost even more.
Oh and the virtual bastard thing. Its just never really appealed, maybe its because gameplay subtly always seems to reinforce good behaviour.
I did smash lots of drugs in Fallout 4 though! They were a really great way to boost your characters strengths.
Yeah its only worth it if you are tanking hull points.
But aren't I always taking hull points if I am losing a fight - which happens, of course. I'm lured into taking Elite or Tycoon missions by the money on offer, then if I get interdicted it's a little spicy for either my or my ship's abilities.
How do I know what kind of damage I am taking?
Getting the hang of the mining gig - two runs this afternoon and that's 114 mill in the bank. Time to go ship-shopping! Thanks for the tips and encouragement, I'd have given up long since otherwise. 🙂
Has anyone managed to make decent money trading?
If you had a near maxed Challenger and 20mCr in the bank, what mining setup would you go for?
AspX and as near to the set up as richmtb mentioned.
Head to borann and dss the rings on A2, hit the odd shaped ring of low temperature diamonds (it's three combined). Once the hold is full scoot to a place beginning with P about 9ly away and Patrick dock that is buying at 500k.
Just target the ltd and nothing else.
Should double your money in under 4 hours at my pathetic rate of mining.
Well I have an AspX. But with a mining loadout it's basically unarmed. Is this an issue? I might buy another one though to save swapping around between that and exploration.
I don't really want to be told where to go, I'd like to explore and find stuff myself. Part of the game innit.
None of my ships are armed.
pondo
Subscriber
Crikey – LTDs selling for 1.7 mill at Wong Sher, Lawrence Holding station, ’bout 130-odd Ly from Borann. 🙂
Now down to 1.5 million but still my biggest payday!
Cheers!
Great work Pondo, you've now got a route to any ship in the game! Ship building is one of my favourite things, choosing the best loadout, tweaking it round cos the station doesn't have what you need, repeat until happy!
I only have guns on my Vulture and Cobra, I don't even have shields on the explorer, which is why my planetary landing technique had to improve quickly. In reality until you're mining in a cutter you are not going to be fighting much. Better to have a strategy for avoiding trouble.
Matt
@Molgrips you can find your own hotspots on most planets with rings, just give them a ping with the DSS. This is what I have done so far, I am just looking for enough for my next ship and the rebuy, not an FC. They won't always be LTD but they will be minerals with 400K to 800k price per tonne.
It will be slower, but you will still end up with the thick end of 50-60 million per trip. Probably lower risk as well. I am based in Chumbawumba (Kuwembaa really) and there are a couple of OK sites in systems around there.
Matt
Cheers folks, glad to give a bit back after all the help I've had. 🙂 Python'd myself up so to speak, but the jump is so small it takes forever to get anywhere... Still, the scenery's nice. 🙂
I'm taking advantage of the triple diamond hotspot in Borann while it lasts to fill up my wallet. It will be gone with a coming update as introduction of new minable mineral will rejig things.
Something I think should happen all the time, have the asteroid respawn randomly after being depleted.
Are you saving for a fleet carrier?
I've got 1.5Bn Credits. I can probably make a biilion Cr a week mining, but do I want to?
What I really want is bloody "Modular Terminals" so I can carry on down the engineering path, but that just seems locked behind random mission grinds.
So I'm just mining beacuse adding 200 million to the credit balance seems like progress!
Maybe I'll fly out to Colonia and leave all my troubles behind.
I found a few hotspots for decent minerals that were 150k-250k/tonne, but when I got there I found naff all of value. Is this normal? How many prospector limpets do you need to burn before finding a decent roid?
I should read this thread from the very beginning as the game sounds really interesting.
Only its just my experience of these open word survival games is that its a steep learning curve, 95 buttons to remember, and everybody but everybody wants to kill you or steal your stuff, usually both at the same time.
I've characters on Altis Life and Day Z that when I log on i die a moment later, because I've run out of water and lost in the wilderness. Nobody told me that one, or have a cup to enable drink from a stream or well. So you never die of thirst. Yup missed that biggie lol.
Do you need a joystick for it ? or key/mouse ok ?.
everybody but everybody wants to kill you or steal your stuff, usually both at the same time.
I've hardly met any real life players - only two I think. One was looking for Thargoid barbs same as me, and the other was a grak who killed me twice in Deciat. I don't consider it a big problem so I'm still in open play with the rest of the PS4 world, however there's also a solo mode which is full of NPCs but no other players if you want. Game is identical afaik as the other players play no part if you don't want them to. I think Saccades plays in solo all the time. You can also switch between the two and keep all your stuff I think.
Figuring out the user interface and some of the processes is hard, but staying alive isn't. Figuring out the game mechanics, how to make money etc - that's part of the attraction to me.
You can merrily switch between solo and open, it doesn't have any effect on your game progress. I play in both depending on my mood. I've only ever has problems with "gankers" in Deciat and Sol
There is a proper tutorial and starter area now too, so picking it up isn't as daunting as it used to be. You also have the option of fitting things like docking computers to your ship to make getting in and out of space stations a lot easier (but less fun!)
Not really thought about the carrier, just handy to have a load of credits to blow on ships I like the look off.
Have 500million and plan to do some missions for rank and standing soon and get some engineers unlocked and nice to be able to zoom around without having to worry about credit if I get blown up.
i love Kill missions where the targets interdicts you,makes things nice and easy 🙂
I haven't played this for about 2-3 years, I think i got horizons tried to land the buttons for the SRV weren't clear so I gave up.
This thread prompted me to jump online and have another go, been doing ttrading runs out of a system called latugara the last few days. Saved up enough to buy a type 7, which I can hopefully take for a spin later.
You don't "need" a joystick, I played with a keyboard and mouse for a year or so. Might be more fun/easier for dogfighting or mining to have a joystick, but I don't do that so.
i dont use my stick either, currently fighting in my Mamba and it turns so badly that no point getting the stick plugged in for that lol
@Molgrips if you are core mining then the roids with cores are a bit rarer, but the pay-off is ~20 big chunks, around 0.5t per chunk. Each ring type has an asteroid type (out of around 4-5) which will contain a core. Once you've done it a while you can travel at 200 pinging (pulse wave scanner) and spot the ones most likely pretty easily.
For surface, get in the hotspot and prospect the rocks in a line, usually towards the planet or the hotspot location so you don't go round in circles. Surface uses more prospector limpits, than core. The remaining limpets are used for collection. You should fill your hold with limpets for surface and be around 40-50% full for deep core. You can always ditch any excess.
Matt
Once you’ve done it a while you can travel at 200 pinging (pulse wave scanner) and spot the ones most likely pretty easily.
As in, they are a different shape or with different surface features?
Thanks for the tips.
The icy ring ones are smaller and glow bright yellow straight away. As you get closer they continue to glow bright yellow, some other rocks will go fainter or red, or glow only from the centre. Closer they look lobed, like popcorn. When you get real close you can see the fissures like spiders.
Metal rich are like avocado shaped, again they glow really bright, they are mid-sized I think.
Using night vision can help spot the fissures if you are on the dark side of the planet.
Matt
Aaa, I was using the pulse scanner trying to do surface mining, thinking it highlighted good 'uns but it really didn't! 🙂
Yeah, I used up a load of limpets doing that. I think the you actually find fewer surfaceable asteroids doing that.
Matt
I think Saccades plays in solo all the time
I play in solo all of the time too as I’m too tight to pay for xbox live.
I have played in open once or twice, when there has been free access to live for a weekend. Didn’t meet any other commanders, so unless I winged up with someone, I don’t really think it would be worth me paying the extra for live anyway.
Same, I couldn't find a thing - I think that was the catalyst for my "giving up mining" whinge a couple of days ago. Glad I stuck with it - two days later and I'm a Python owner with 250 mill in the bank! 🙂
I'm in solo whist I build up cash, need to go back to decait to pin the blueprint.
Then 'do' Sol.
Then go back to playing in the sandpit once I'm away from the worst if the bullies.
I'm hoping to get back to the bubble this weekend, with around 100 systems scanned. It has taken me much longer this time, stopping to land every few systems where I find geological or biological signals. The last biological was some of the funky tree things.
I still haven't played in anything other than 'open', though I am sweating a bit about the return with all my data.
Matt
When people talk about "honking", is that just flying up to anything labelled Unexplored until the name resolves? Then good practice to use the DSS on anything interesting (earthlike, terraformable, etc)?
I'd say that describes my exploring pretty well.
Into the system, scan the arrival star, then check out the results on the FSS. This will get you discovery data.
Identify/resolve each of the signals on the FSS (rocks and ice mainly)
I then target and DSS anything of interest (you need to be within a couple of light seconds, depending on the size)
It seems worthwhile getting efficiency bonus, but I have not measured the difference.
The things I DSS are:
Ammonia worlds, Water worlds, Earthlikes (ha, ha, ha), Terraformables of any type (ha, ha), High metal content, Class 2 Gas giants. I may do Class 1 gas giants if it's a first discovery.
Even with first discovery etc, mapping (DSS) ice and rocks is not worth the fuel and cruise time, you might get 3-4 grand. I have the odd one, but only when I have been landing anyway for geological or biological signals.
Matt
Tidy, cheers. 🙂
Yeah the honking bit is the sound generated once you’ve performed a system scan within the FSS.
Before the FSS was introduced, on arrival at a system, you would honk (ie perform the scan) and then fly towards any unexplored planet. It took an age to completely log every planet, so although the FSS scan system is a bit dull, it’s a lot quicker.
The FSS scan also gives you the benefit of only flying towards something interesting for mapping should you wish, as noted above, instead of flying to every planet within the system
Aaa, gotcha - that makes sense. 🙂 I think my biggest frustration with the game is that it's very obtuse when it comes to working out what things do/how to do actions successfully. But this place has been massively helpful - I guess all the info's out there, but it's a ballache having to go looking for info!
I think my biggest frustration with the game is that it’s very obtuse when it comes to working out what things do/how to do actions successfully.
There is a published manual - have you read it?
(I haven't!)
I think the game would be impossible without the many youtube videos and forum threads. The frontier elite forum is particularly helpful.
I briefly flirted with the idea of reading the manual, but watching someone else do what you want to do on youtube is far more informative, I would say.
There is a published manual – have you read it?
Again, it's not very helpful, I didn't find - had to download it as it's not in the box, and the bits that I read haven't really expanded on any of the in-game text.
Always fancied Elite since the old days of BBCs. Whats the difference between Elite Dangerous and the Horizons add on? Is it worth getting Horizons from the get go?
Whats the difference between Elite Dangerous and the Horizons add on?
An extra 20 quid if you're on Xbox.
It adds in the ability to land on planets and drive around in a rover, multicrew, and other stuff that I cant remember. There's a new expansion on the horizon too (lol pun), if rumours are to be believed.
Have just spent all my cash on an Anaconda. 256t of cargo space so I’m hoping one mining trip to Borann will pay it off
It adds in the ability to land on planets and drive around in a rover, multicrew, and other stuff that I cant remember. There’s a new expansion on the horizon too (lol pun), if rumours are to be believed.
Sounds like I should save my cash until I get bored of the core game
I didn't realise that being in FSS wasn't un-interdictable 🙁
@Kato don't fly without rebuy! Leave an LTD or two for me, I'm back this weekend, o7
@JackHammer thanks for the heads up, I never knew that either.
Matt
Sounds like I should save my cash until I get bored of the core game
I wouldn't. Planetary missions are part of the core game as far as I'm concerned. There are lots of missions that involve landing on settlements even if not driving around. And I've no idea how you'd get meta-alloys, but aren't engineers also part of Horizons? I think playing without the update is playing half the game.
Yup, Engineers are definitely Horizons. You can collect meta alloys by buying them but you can't do anything with them as Farseer Inc. is a settlement you need to land at.
Anyway, got blown up for the first time today trying to do missions around Decyat or whatever its called. Twice. So now I've thrown a strop and currently flying 63 jumps anticlockwise so I can hopefully take a dogleg route to the Shitehawk nebula, avoiding the permit space in between.
Yeah Deciat is full of graks. Go there in solo mode.
It wasn't Deciat itself but the surrounding systems. Still, just got absolutely shredded before my FSD could even get started. Now the only thing I have to worry about are solar flares.
Wasn't even scanned, that's the worst of it!
I wouldn’t. Planetary missions are part of the core game as far as I’m concerned. There are lots of missions that involve landing on settlements even if not driving around. And I’ve no idea how you’d get meta-alloys, but aren’t engineers also part of Horizons? I think playing without the update is playing half the game.
Great - thanks.
+1 for Horizons - not sure but I think it upgraded my Sidewinder with supercruise assist, a docking computer and the planetary approach package, as well as an SRV.
What's a Grak?
Do you guys tend to have a "home" system/orbital you tend to return to with all your ships in it, or are you more nomadic and get ships transferred as and when you need/want them?
“don’t fly without rebuy! Leave an LTD or two for me, I’m back this weekend, o7”
Have 50m slush fund to cover the rebuy! I can see my having to spend another 150m A grading this
Do you guys tend to have a “home” system/orbital you tend to return to with all your ships in it, or are you more nomadic and get ships transferred as and when you need/want them?
Both. I find somewhere with multiple booms going on and I do missions for a particular faction to gain rep, at which point they start offering me silly money for missions. Then I make that my home for a while until the boom is all tapped out.
Do you guys tend to have a “home” system/orbital you tend to return to with all your ships in it, or are you more nomadic and get ships transferred as and when you need/want them?
I have a base at the minute, just as it's handy for what I'm doing and it's got a fair array of kit at a discount (so I'm led to believe!), so I keep everything there, but I've no compulsion about Fed-Exing it all elsewhere if I find somewhere better. I'll base out of Jameson Orbital one day... 🙂
Graks, griefers, gankers, call them what you will. Basically their idea of a good time is to sit in areas which are highly populated with human cmdrs or have a heavy traffic of them, interdict anything in sight and blow it to smithereens.
Deciat is a favourite because it is the base of Farseer Inc., the first engineer most new players unlock. Their ships are hugely engineered and you would not put a mark on them even if you managed to turn round to fire on them. The only guaranteed way get past is to run in solo, I have heard of players destroyed taking off from Farseer before they could get their gear up!
Matt
Seems last time I played I was trying to get into the transport business, I have a Type 7 Transporter that holds around 264t of loot. Think this was considered a basic transport ship when i played and even more basic now! Also have the standard Sidewinder and a Cobra MKIII which i think was kitted out for combat. Competant in combat rank, Merchant in trade and Scout in Exploring...think i@ll do some trading missions and gather the reps required for better ships
Still can't suss posting in squadron chat! Doing exploration and finding it surprisingly enjoyable, even if I've found nothing but ice balls and asteroids so far. 🙂
Rocks and ice, the staples of exploration.
So far I have taken a random approach and headed about 300 - 500Ly in one direction. Next time out I'm going to look for something cool to visit. One thing I want to try is to go as high out of the galactic plane as I can, and go to the 'end' of one of the 'arms' of the spiral.
Matt
That appeals to me too.
I managed to get the trophy for discovering a planet, is there anyway to see where it what it was? I was too busy doing other stuff to pay attention.
Just hit a billion too, going to get another 500mil to set me up and then I'm moving on playing.
Still can’t suss posting in squadron chat!
When you are on the chat window press L2/R2.
One thing I want to try is to go as high out of the galactic plane as I can, and go to the ‘end’ of one of the ‘arms’ of the spiral.
Might go for a lap if the Shitehawk nebula is a no go. Or perhaps not, I should really consider repair limpets before doing anything silly.