Return to “Suggestions”

Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#256
I like the mining as it was in the dev video. Scanning and probing are rather slick.

Deploy-able Prospecting Scanner
It could be something you can do when you first enter a system to figure out if scanning and probing is worth the undertaking. Kinda like a 360 degree spectrum analysis but more broad and less focused then the one done on the ship.

The results could be visible from the command map and in a 3D overlay. You could sift through the different materials and get estimations based on the results. A list of detected materials, and estimation of how much, and a rough wedge shaped cone in the direction they lie from the sight of the scan.

Their could be variations of scanning devices with differing ranges, cycle times, and sensitivities that could be fixed or variable.
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#257
mos7wan7ed wrote:I like the mining as it was in the dev video. Scanning and probing are rather slick.
I do like mining as it was shown in the dev video, but I think this should only be representative of one scale of mining. At different scales, mining would be a lengthier and more involved process. Relevant thoughts here.
mos7wan7ed wrote:Deploy-able Prospecting Scanner
It could be something you can do when you first enter a system to figure out if scanning and probing is worth the undertaking. Kinda like a 360 degree spectrum analysis but more broad and less focused then the one done on the ship.

The results could be visible from the command map and in a 3D overlay. You could sift through the different materials and get estimations based on the results. A list of detected materials, and estimation of how much, and a rough wedge shaped cone in the direction they lie from the sight of the scan.

Their could be variations of scanning devices with differing ranges, cycle times, and sensitivities that could be fixed or variable.
I like this idea and proposed something similar to it myself. Somewhere - can't find it. Mcsven also proposed something similar here, though.
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#258
I hope that this idea has not been proposed already or that it is something that is not within the realm of possibilities. I was wondering if the asteroids and ice could vary in color due to their mineral composition. I love the current look of the asteroids and ice, but thought some color variations to the asteroids would make the view even better. As a miner, I could roam through the fields looking for a rare mineral asteroid based on its color. I could then use the probes to see if I can extract the mineral from that rare rock.

Just a thought.

Teo.
Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.
Henry Ford
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#259
Teonoma wrote:I hope that this idea has not been proposed already or that it is something that is not within the realm of possibilities. I was wondering if the asteroids and ice could vary in color due to their mineral composition. I love the current look of the asteroids and ice, but thought some color variations to the asteroids would make the view even better. As a miner, I could roam through the fields looking for a rare mineral asteroid based on its color. I could then use the probes to see if I can extract the mineral from that rare rock.

Just a thought.

Teo.
I strongly approve of differentiated asteroid textures as well... though I wouldn't necessarily want them to be color-coded. Maybe hidden patches here and there so you have to really look for it, instead of just visually scan a large swath of asteroids?
Have a question? Send me a PM! || I have a Patreon page up for REKT now! || People talking in IRC over the past two hours: Image
Image
Image
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#260
I strongly approve of differentiated asteroid textures as well... though I wouldn't necessarily want them to be color-coded. Maybe hidden patches here and there so you have to really look for it, instead of just visually scan a large swath of asteroids?
:thumbup:

I agree totally. Hunting for that rare ore should be a challenge.

Teo.
Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.
Henry Ford
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#261
I'm still hopeful that ores in LT will be defined as being composed of basic elements. (Even if they're made-up elements.)

Among other things, that could mean that asteroids could be colored a little differently based on general elemental components.

In the real world, for example, some asteroids are called "chondrites" due to the relative preponderance in them of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen: CHON. In a game, these might be colored a little differently from asteroids that are more stony or metallic. This would give players a useful hint, as well as giving asteroids a bit of pleasing visual variety, but still requires players to use the scanner (or possibly, in LT, mining drones) to get detailed information.
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#262
i'd also like a complete "periodic system" in LT.

all along with material science for building equipment.

and the material science coupled with generalised requirements for materials instead of fixed resource inputs.

that you for example can replace the structural material in your ship production with something stronger without conducting new research.
(eg switching steel for titan)

in the form of "you need some material with tensile strenght of 100MPa or greater to make your ships structure"

and materials which fulfill the specs can be used, or even provide modificators.

for example a titan frame could be lighter for the same hitpoints, or have the same mass for more hitpoints
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#263
I apologize, its 4am and I only got through the first few pages before needing to hit the sack. I just wanted to say that I loved mining in EVE. It may be boring, but its also time consuming. You can sit there and get a bunch of resources and have it take 10 min to get a full hold like EVE, or do as some of these suggestions say and use scanners/probes to find better points to set your lasers on to get the ore out of the 'roid faster. Depending on how resource intensive LT is, If I wanted to play another game I used to put EVE in a 2nd screen and let him sit there and mine, and let pirates be taken care of by defense drones and pretend my captain is reclining in a space easy chair watching the ore hold fill up. But then if I wanted to actually invest in the game itself, I could probe the asteroids for better mining points, scan the surrounding roids for other ores or higher mineral counts. Or instead of probing drones, you could just attach racks of mining drones to your ship and tell them to fly around/attach themselves to the roids and bring back what they get.

To put it simpler, I agree with what others have said, you can sit there and mine almost afk, but get less yield, or actually active mine and get higher yield/min. As for exploration, who doesn't love stumbling on an uncharted system with tons of asteroids with rare minerals/crystals in them?
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#264
I think looking at the video all the 'roids appear to be the same color and I was hoping that some variations would appear in the asteroid field. If the color is associated with a mineral composition for the asteroid that makes finding the ore easier and it could be considered color coding the asteroids. I don't really like that so much. I would prefer mining to be something better than EVE. I mined a lot in EVE and it did get boring. Finding the ore in EVE is to easy. I really like the way Josh has implemented mining as something that is quick and interactive. It seems to draw the player into being more active in the pursuit of ore.

Basically, I am hoping to see asteroid fields and ice fields with lots of variation. Something to explore and maybe just sit and enjoy the beauty of space.

Teo. :wave:
Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.
Henry Ford
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#265
i had an idea on how to combine the different levels from the Katorone Scale

using a form of my internal damage modeling suggestion.

ore veins could be included as objects internal to the asteroid to mine.

the veins and the asteroid itself would then have hardness values on their own which would define the depth to which mining equipment would penetrate.

transfer beams would have relatively low penetration values, but (beyond penetration limits and their free space range) unlimited drill depth and high throughput.
transfer beams would thus be most efficient for asteroids with soft rock and/or small size and would be very fast in draining them dry
but would be rather useless against roids with thick, hard shells because they cant reach the ores.


the other basic mining tool would be different sizes of drills.
Drills would have very high penetration values (maybe even practically infinite?), but would have a limited maximum drill depth and (compared to transfer beams) low throughput
they would also require considerable time to reach their maximum drill depth (depending on the hardness of the rock they'd have to penetrate?)
drills would thus be bad for small/soft roids because those could be mined much faster with a transfer beam but much better for larger/harder roids because their reach is independent from the hardness of the rock.

mining drones, mobile bases and permanent bases could thus use the same base mechanics without special cases


as an "additional" mining tool could "seismic charges" (or however we want to call them) serve.
they'd (temporarily?) reduce the hardness of the rock they hit, making mining generally easier, but would provide more benefit to mining beam operations as they could reach deeper deposits with them.

harder/softer strata "bubbles" could also be included in the composition of asteroids.
areas of rock which have different hardness to the "base material" of the roid but arent any useful ores.


thoughts? suggestions?
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#266
One quick suggestion: make drill bits and seismic charges consumables.

This actually is a nice intro to a design question I've been wanting to ask about mining. It's this:

What could lead a character to choose not to mine a particular rock? That is, how can you design mining to offer interesting choices?

If every rock you pull up to is worth mining, that's not very interesting. But if only a very few rocks are worth mining, that's boring and frustrating.

So how can rocks and mining be designed so that a character might pull up to a rock, check it out, and decide to keep looking?
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#267
Flatfingers wrote:One quick suggestion: make drill bits and seismic charges consumables.

This actually is a nice intro to a design question I've been wanting to ask about mining. It's this:

What could lead a character to choose not to mine a particular rock? That is, how can you design mining to offer interesting choices?

If every rock you pull up to is worth mining, that's not very interesting. But if only a very few rocks are worth mining, that's boring and frustrating.

So how can rocks and mining be designed so that a character might pull up to a rock, check it out, and decide to keep looking?

charges, yeah.

drills.... eeeh... i'd rather have them permanent equipment like anything else.
or maybe semi-consumable.

you can mine as long as you want with them, but you have to leave them in the rock you mine.
or just some part of them, like drill bits.
with price ranges somewhere near drones or probes.
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#268
You certainly dig deep with some of these suggestions, gentlemen. Matt, one of the Elder Council, was very keen on the mining aspects of the game so I'm sure he would be delighted to see any enhancements made to this part of LT. :)

I still wonder how much detail we will see in some of these "occupations" in LT. Any suggestion is going to have to pass the "Josh Fun Test" or be modded in later.

:think: I thoroughly enjoy whacking large veiny rocks with my pickaxe in Skyrim although I cant remember mining being a very prominent pastime for me in any space game I've played. :angel:
Post

Re: Mining Gameplay Ideas Refined

#269
An alternative to consumamble drills:

When a ship attaches to a roid and uses its drill equipment, the drill gets permanentely embedded in the rock and cant be recovered.

But:
The drill also remains as a usable, "dockable" location on the rock.

example:
You find a nice roid to mine, attach yourself, extend your drill and start mining.
A group of pirates gets in sensor range and you decide to run.
You detach your drill, fly to somewhere safe and wait out the pirates.
after the pirates are gone again, you fly back to your rock, re-attach your drill and continue mining from the same hole without having to expend another drill.

Mining drill drones could work the same way, drill in, fill up, detach, deliver ore, reattach, continue drilling.



Edit: as long as no approbiate drill ship is attached to the drill, it doesnt do anything.
It only works as long as a drill ship is attached

Online Now

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests

cron