Shipwright Archive
Thread: Space Mining: Two Level 3 Mining Lasers or 1 Laser & 1 Tractor Beam?
I usually shoot out 3 large chunks and chase/shoot/tractor these .. I usually end up around 1500 meters out from the main astroid and it's just a quick zip back to the main astroid.
Another hint turn on the waypoint to the astroid. That way when you have to head back you just follow the arrow back instead of trying to look for the astroid.
Using a Krayt with MK 3 Mining laser, tractor beam and one regular gun for getting those pesky banidits if my epulse doesn't do them in first.
Bowoci wrote:
I use a basic X-wing for mining, Mk III Laser in slot 1, Tractor in slot 2 and Bandit Protection gun in Slot 3. I've found if I have the tractor beam on and try to fire my laser, the tractor beam shuts off... problem w/ weapon grouping or mapping? I toggle tractor w/ side button on my joystick.
I seems your tractor beam is grouped with your laser. Try removing the tractor beam from any of your gun groupings...This will prevent it from shutting off.
Message Edited by Slysix on 07-25-2005 03:32 AM
I am guessing the extra mining laser (if your using 2) only allows you a quicker destruction on the rock....and also more protection from incoming bandits.
What I am curious about, and will test out soon (been out of town all week) is if a 10% enhancement buff allows you to extract more minerals? It works for critters (hide, meat, bone) but I don't think it works for say sampling when surveying. Anyone try this in space and see if it impacts asteroid mineral collection??
Leata wrote:
yup 10-15 minutes for me as well.
I have a mark III ML and a Tractor beam. I /follow the asteroid chunk, wait til the crosshairs lineup, turn on the tractor beam THEN blast the largeasteroid chunk. I get most of the small chunks right then with no floaters (most of the time)
Waay faster then chasing every small chunk.
Leata has the right idea here. This isa great way to do it. I use the same method but with two tractor beams. I fly a Kryatt Gunship when I mine. I have a tractor beam in a center positionand one set out on my wings. I break off a piece, thenonce I am settled in and right behind the rock I toggle on both tractors and hit it with my ML.
With the two tractor beams running I hit the chunk and sweap most of the smaller pieces straight into my hold. If I don't get them all I just I use the /tar asteroid& /follow combo.I can fill my cargo bin in less than 10 minutes. This is my set up:
#1 (center):lvl III ML
#2 (turret) has a hard hitting disruptor for any friend that is bored and wants to tag along.
#3 (center) Tractor beam
#4 (wings) Tractor beam
You have to test out your tractor beams. Some will not work properly it seams in certain weapon positions. You can hear them but there is no graphi for them. Perhaps it is only crafted ones that this happens with? I don't know. I just kept switching them around until they both worked. Now I just need to find a way to make my Y-8 into a feasable mining ship...
Red-Dude wrote:
i no this is a stupid question but i dont hardly ever do space till reasonly so what is a tractor beam(i no what 1 is in the movies ect) but what dose it do in the game
The tractor beam basically helps bring the asteroid chunks closer to the ship and hopefully into your cargo hold. Many times when you explode a larger asteroid chunk the smaller pieces can fly in all directions...the tractor beam seems to minimize this which allows you to harvest faster with less missed opportunities for harvest. If you can pull the smaller chunks close enough to your ship they will also go into your cargo hold without having to blow them up...which saves time as well.
So if you get close and suck down the little ones in one gulp... not only is it faster but you get more than if you chased them with the laser.
Mining lasers extract Max damage/100 units per chunk...if you can make a MK III mining laser with more then 2000 max damage you'll be extracting more then the tractor beam. Also weapon overload does not increase extraction rate, however it does decrease the number of times you have to hit the astroid to either break up or extract stuff.
In my JSF I fill my 1550 hold in less than 10 mins, barring any interferance from bandits... and thats with 1 ML3 and a tractor... just shoot roid twice, toggel tractor and fly close to the "medium" piece preferably following it before blowing it up... if keeping a distance of 40-50m you can scoop up the small chunks instantly... well most of the time
In the end, the best way to mine, is probably the way that you are most comfortable with... This may or may not be the most efficient tho 
With a Max Damage Intensifier you can get as high as 1185.0 - 1667.6 (aprox). That is an average mining rate of 14.3. If a Tractor Beam has a mining rate of 20.0, then is destroying a small chunk 50% faster than sucking it with a Tractor Beam? I can shot chunks from 600m, but sucking them up takes more time and practice.
After reading this post I think I will go with 3 Mark III lasers in my X-wing (only 1 will break the chunk, but man will I destroy the asteroids fast with this) to get rid of the annoying beam effects and to be more effective against the ocasional rider.