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Badger
Stripey Forest Dweller
Joined: 18 Mar 2002
Posts: 924
Location: UK |
Well,
I finally have my "Demeter" kitted out with a Mining Laser, a Mineral Scanner and an Ore Collector and with my kitty having sunk so close to zero that the difference is barely worth mentioning, I set forth in search of Silicon.
I had in mind to kit Boris out with a second Ore Collector and have him sit over my shoulder and after the Demeter is full, hoover up the Silicon as I mined it. But as I have spent virtually all my money, that would have to wait until I have recouped some of my investment.
This was the picture in my mind... A cutting beam from the nose of the Demeter slices the asteroids into beautiful little money making chunks while a low powered tractor beam sucks the booty directly into my cargo bay neat as a shiny new pin.
Having quaffed down huge quantities of raw Silicon until it's mighty thirst is quenched, The Demeter is now ready for me to pilot it to the nearest station for vast jingling profits. Huzzah!
This is what actually happened....
Cutting beam spirals from the Demeters nose and after employing a little tenacity the asteroid explodes into manageble money making morsels... but where oh where is my gravity beam?
As I can find no special key to "activate" the ore collector, I must assume that it is automatic, so why hasn't it sprung into life and clawed the Silicon out of the sky like a ...erm... Miners pet Tiger! (sorry.)
I try opening the cargo bay doors in an attempt to coax the mechanics to life, but to no avail. Finally I decide that the "Special Command Software" which I assumed would only be needed to perform this action remotely, must actually be needed even when piloting the ship doing the mining! (Was that confusing? I just read it back..it seems confusing to me.)
So back to the Equipment Dock in the hope that what little cash is left will be enough to buy the required upgrade. Happily it is and before you can knock back a flask of "Space Fuel", I'm back outside in the void to try again.
The beam lashes out and sinks its teeth into the Silicon prey. The asteroid opens up like a shiny ore filled flower and I clumsily navigate to my "Special Command Software" and give orders to collect the wares in the sector. (Or something like that.)
Switching to the outside view to enjoy the fruits of my labour in the form of a dancing gravity beam, I am dismayed to find instead, that I appear to have ordered my ship to fly to the individual pieces of rock and ..... well... drive over them!!
I've just spent my entire fortune earned to date.. and all this staggering piece of technology can do is run over the Silicon one piece at a time??!!
Purleeeeeeeease tell me I'm doing something wrong, because if this is the way to do it, I'll be mining well past retirement age just to recoup the massive (to me at least) investment I've made so far. Not to mention all the effort I put in the make the Paranids like me in the first place!
I wait in hopes of good news from the assembled UberXmeisters.
Badger _________________ "Ducks are Dumb!" Badger-2005. Go ahead... quote me! |
Sat Jun 04, 2005 4:49 pm |
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EverythingXen
Arch-villain
Joined: 01 Feb 2002
Posts: 4342
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Hate to break it to you, Badger ... but that is the truth of matters. Once broken up an asteroid is nothing more to the game mechanics than any other space object (missiles from destroyed pirates, cargo from wrecked transports, ejected pilots if you have the life support system, etc).
Thus you fly around and collect one by one.
So... sit back, go to exterior view, use the commands to collect all wares, and hit J for the SETA device. You'll use that SETA a lot in X2... a whole lot.
Yes, a miner and a fleet of two or three collectors is best...
It is safe (ish) if you have a jump drive, some emergency energy cells, and quick fingers (pirates jump you ... fly away at max speed and hit control-j and select a gate in the next system. Then hope you can live to count to 10.) but so very, very slow. _________________ Estuans interius, Ira vehementi
"The old world dies and with it the old ways. We will rebuild it as it should be, MUST be... Immortal!"
=Member of the Nonflamers Guild=
=Worshipper of the Written Word= |
Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:07 pm |
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Badger
Stripey Forest Dweller
Joined: 18 Mar 2002
Posts: 924
Location: UK |
Thanks Xen. as ever I am not worthy.
badger _________________ "Ducks are Dumb!" Badger-2005. Go ahead... quote me! |
Sun Jun 05, 2005 10:16 pm |
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