Pilot Archive

Message Edited by M4dC4t on 11-02-2005 05:58 AM

After having my Y-8 packed up since shortly after ROTW release I thought I would try and craft some elite parts for it hoping it would help. Well, it went back in my backpack. I can mine faster in my Oppressor. Much faster. The top turret doesn't even turn and omg, what a dog. Too bad too cuz they were really nice parts I made.

In my Y-8, I have:

- Weapon 0: Crafted tractor beam
- Weapon 2: Y-8 Mining Laser
- Large Y-8 Cargo Hold (roughly 47k capacity)
- Elite engine, booster, shield, and armor.
- Some REd capacitor I had lying around and an REd L10 droid interface

I launch, run RO3, WO3, and EO3. Hop into the top turret and fire the tractor beam a couple times. I can't see it or move the turret as expected. I hop into the pilot seat and fly out to an asteroid.

As I approach the asteroid, I set the throttle to around 1/4ish. I toggle on the tractor beam and just leave it on. At 400m, I shoot the big asteroid several times to break off 2-3 big chunks. I slowly follow the big chunks. I center the green target reticle and get to around 200m. I toggle on the tractor beam and blow up the asteroid. Repeat with the other nearby big chunks. I then swing around the tractor beam and scoop up any nearby small chunks, but I do not waste a ton of time doing this. I turn back to the main asteroid and repeat before I get more than 1000-1500m away.

Last time, I got around 10k carbonaceous in an hour of flight time. I was definately bringing in more per minute near the end than the beginning as I got better at it. Be patient, at first you'll feel like you're not bringing in anything. With such a big hold, it takes forever to see it clicking from 1% to 2% and onwards. You'll see X-Wings and Kryats fly in, mine for a few minutes, fly out, then return a little while later. Just keep going, they're spending all their time flying to starport and back, you're mining the entire time.

With the current iteration of space mining, I think you're better off in a fighter. You'll be slowed by your cargo hold size (it'll probably take longer for runs back to the station to land, unload, and relaunch), but you'll still be mining faster than most Y-8s.

Though of course I /salute anyone who can make the Y-8 work as a mining ship.

Just wanted to add, by "flight time", I mean launching to landing. A starfighter definately can bring in more per minute while mining than a Y-8, but their cargo holds are so small they spend more time in transit than actually mining. So an hour in an X-Wing, with 4 trips, you're going to bring in 7k asteroid. Solo in the Y-8, you should be able to hit closer to 10k because you only make one trip.

I also completely ignore the asteroid bandits. Tier 1-3 barely scratch the Elite shields.

Of course, I can make six trips an hour in an X-wing. I'm really moving to try to do that, but I *have* managed it on more than one occassion--but that's usually when I'm mining something that's close to the launch point, like iron asteroid.

Well done, 6 trips per hour is impressive. So on asteroids close to a space station, you can match my Y-8 performance. OK, I'll admit it, 10.5k per hour is slightly better than what I pulled in last time, but it was my first attempt.

I'll have to do some more mining tonight to see how I do...

I might have to see if I can master the art of the Y-8, though--and that seems to be a far trickier beast than an X-wing.