Ore Collecting for Dummies!

[Jakesnake5]

With 1.4 a new command was introduce (under Special) to allow freighters (with ore collectors) to pick up rocks you break up (non-gravatar) and store the ore they represent.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of items they forgot to mention.

1) It only works OOS, as while your IS, the freighter avoids collisions, and can't collect, where as when your OOS it has no problem.
2) The freighter has to SEE the rocks you want to collect.

Problem 1 is easy to deal with, just don't BE there during the process. A warning though, if you plan on returning to the sector, STOP this ship (give it a none command) or it's liable to slam into something when your presence returns normal flight characteristics to all ships present.

Problem 2, means you have to move the freighter near the brocken rocks, so that its radar can detect them. I suggest putting a Triplex radar on, as this will widen its 'visual' area nicely.

There has become an ODD problem, of rocks the ship wont collect. Even when their part of what you blew up.

Approach the offending rocks and shoot them, eventually you'll HEAR it explode, see little rocks form out, but the rock will appear to remain. This is a sign of 2 rocks occupying the same space. As such, the freighters cant touch either, so blowing both up is the only cure, then leaving and telling your ship to get the agitators.

Hope this helps.

[Geggo]

So basicly you need to make small rocks by PSGing 1 km^3 of space and then jump out and order an armada of transports to collect the spoils....

ok.....maybe I'll stick to using mines instead.

[Jakesnake5]

Actually, just blowing up the rock once is usually enough, with the exception of the 2 rocks interposing each other. First blast usually leaves at least ONE rock collectable (=Yes), and the collecting ship can pick the rest up.

If you watch its cargo while OOS, it can get from 1 to 4 (AFAIK) per pickup, depending on the degree the rock picked up needed to be broken up more.

Not sure WHY it works, just does.

Oh, and PSG's are good for initial hits, or for totally cleaning out the annoying buggers.

[Stu Austin]

I have not had any problems with in sector or OOS mining. Except once. Found out that he was getting destroyed by an asteroid as he was making a turn. To retify the problem, I flew my Nova close by and just stated blasting big rocks into little ones. I just do a small area at a time. I look for the roids on the outer fringes first (not the ones on the gravatar but the extra ones). To mark the spot, I'll drop an advance satellite, have my miner to move to that position then give him the command to pick up roids. Then I'll fly my Nova to another sector. I also notice now that the collectable ones are more golden color.

[ncc386]

Yes, the uncollectable rocks are a dull gray color whereas the collectable ore is also gray but has a slight golden shine to it.