Adventures of the Asteroid Wrangler!

[Ravenskysong]

Hello everyone! This is Ravi Skysong, a new pilot! I have only recently dared myself to travel amongst the stars, and seek my fortune!

I am going to be testing out various ways of mining, and building creative ships and stations and figured I'd share what I learned, as I learn it. Sort of noob to noob, blind leading the blind but that's alright!

As I was mining I found that no matter how wide my salvage lasers were grouped together, if they touched sides they became a single beam. I wanted something different, like a 6 x 6 beam. SO next I staggered the mining lasers, and sure enough I ended up with a checkerboard pattern. I ended up build two systems, wide checkerboard system and a more powerful single beam. I use the checkerboard one to quickly carve off the top layer of an asteroid, and the fine beam for precision work. I find that the checkerboard/staggered beam is quite fun for cutting asteroids into slices.

About then I learned that build blocks do not work on asteroids, despite the tool tip that suggests they do. I googled and it says it was exploited, but perhaps we can have a second type of build block that doesn't let you change your brush/selection size?

As I was fooling around I found, to my delight, that I could ram an asteroid and send it flying without any damage to my ship. I became determined to use this to my advantage.

My idea was to use my ship to move asteroids, bring them form the asteroid belts to a central mining facility, a station or a ship, to do the mining so I didn't have to put mining lasers on my exploration ship. I quickly parked next to the asteroid, and used blocks to link the ship to the asteroid.

Outcome: the asteroid moves much slower when you pull it than when you ram it.
assumption: physics are weird and adding more asteroids in a chain would probably slow me down to ridiculous levels

I just can't pass up on the mental image of a big old ship flying through space, asteroids in tow. A smaller ship that is just a circle would link each asteroid in the chain, letting them swish and float and show off their physics.

My current goal is to get the money for a space station, and make it look like a giant mining facility, with all sorts of chains and grappling hooks and tractor beams to play with asteroids.

I still have to test if linking to an asteroid, or another ship, without docking, and then warping, brings the other items with you.

If anyone has any tips on collecting asteroids and asteroid respawn rates it would help me out.
I am also trying to figure out the asteroid physics. Do they have a center point that controls the rotation? If I take all blocks but one, and then build off of it, will it keep its asteroid physics? Has anyone built a ship, then put asteroid stuff around it to hide it? Also can you make turrets that salvage?


Tips and Tricks as I learn them from helpful people on the forums:

shift+V mass connects blocks that are touching one another. (Crimson-Artist)

You can double tap right shift to free the camera up to mouse movement.... Then hold left shift and mouse wheel backwards to zoom out... (CyberTao)
^
this works best on capslock

Hold Left then right shift, continue holding right shift and move the camera to get free-rotation in a ship. (Masprotech)

using powerful lasers that cut slices of asteroids with 2 block gaps between them is a good way to spot ore, without having to take the whole asteroid.

pirates won't get too close to trader stations even if it has no weapons
pirates have bad aim? I had two pirates on my tail and didn't get hit once

no star systems have more pirates

//orbital_cam_speed value changes the speed of \ (thank you staff) :D

 

[Keptick]

Welcome to starmade! The universe can be harsh but also contains hours of fun :D

 

[CyberTao]

Salvage turrets? No, afraid not yet. But you can put salvage lasers on a turret and man it yourself, turn it into an optional attachment to your ship kinda thing.

I believe the center for rotation is the Navigation Icon. The exploit that made the dev remove build blocks from asteroids no longer exists btw, so I can see that function being added back in someday.

I have no idea how ftl works, but if it aint docked, it aint coming with ya. Ramming asteroids causes lag as well, so I wouldn't recommend that if you ever got to servers. Also, collision damage is in an early stage and is toggle-able in the server.cfg.

People have made asteroid ships, but the icon is a different colour, so doesn't entirely work... but you should be able to build onto asteroids just fine (they are like ships, but without a core really).

Lastly, asteroid respawning can be done through faction points now? I never really looked too much into that, but I heard there was a button to pay faction points to regenerate a system's asteroids (if you own that system).

Wheeeeee / o/ words.

 

[Ravenskysong]

I want to do something really over the top. like build two semispheres of salvage lasers that are ships, then dock them into a space station thats been special made, so that the half domes close around the asteroid I've toed into place. it'd need some sort of logic system to fire the guns. or just a cool looking system, a ring around an asteroid with a little clock that makes a weak mining laser fire for show every now and then. and if the asteroid is a ship then i guess the blocks wouldn't be salvaged but it could make it look like its all animated without eating up the asteroid over time.

I wish there was a way to control movement with logic or a flight computer. you could make a station with rotating pieces, like how stations rotate to make fake gravity. oh snap I need to learn logic so i can make blinky lights! Blinkkkyyyyyy lights make everything better. or they could make drones! like a small ship that will fly the shortest path between two logic blocks and has an ai modual so it will shoot at hostile stuff like a turrent does. like it'd be how docking blocks work, but it'd go dock at one, then lift off and go dock at the next one its linked too and it'd make patrol routes but I guess you can only link like 3 per space station so theres no super lag. I want moving pieces xD ooooo or chains connected to the station, and one end has a large enough dock for a turrent so it moves around for no... real reason...

I connected asteroids with chains made up of little ships xD and docked one of the last chains to my own ship. the physics were amaazzinnngg xD

 

[Snk]

Try using push/pull beams to move asteroids.

 

[Lecic]

Push/Pull/Stop beams are your best bet for moving things throughout space.

Also, you used to be able to collect ore with a build block, but this has been changed. I talked to Calbiri about getting buildblocks on asteroids re-added months ago, and he said it'd be a quick fix, so I guess it got lost in the queue or something.

 

[Ravenskysong]

I will certainly try out the push pull stop blocks instead of just ramming the asteroids with my face!
I keep accidently bumping into half made ships. then I have to go after them like GET BACK HERE YOU SCALLYWAG and try to headbutt it from the right direction to make it float back towards my claimed derelict space station.

 

[Ravenskysong]

A new day dawns in my adventure. Not satisfied with merely collecting asteroids I have decided to hollow them out before dragging them home and repairing them to look good. In future I may try to drag them home with a very, very powerful ship and have a super awesome salvage ship safely docked on my station. My poor noob ship currently groans when I try to rotate it, a huge salvage array hanging grotesquely from its stomach.

As I was testing out my new double layer checkerboard choice I realized that I did not need anything from the asteroid I had just murdered. Gazing forlornly at the few lone pieces of asteroid rolling slowly through space I decided that, in the very least, i could make its death meaningful. I make the slow turn towards the nearest shop, then remember I don't have to face the right direction if I way point it. I watch as my darling jump drive modules slowly fill up. I mutter and groan at the controls, hoping that shop has some power modules. Then I am off! Whisked between space and time in such a way that never gets old. On my way to the shop I take a quick detour to plunder one last juicy asteroid. I am lining up my sights when SUDDENLY a bright white streak of light flashes past me. I jump, my body going tense. I feel a rush of horror, have other pilots found me? I quickly bring up my scanner and navigation consoles. I breathe out in relief. Not a player, just a pirate. Another white beam flashes harmlessly in front of my face and I do a doubletake. OH SHIT PIRATE! After a moment or two spazzing at my ship's controls and wondering how I am not dead yet in my salvage cannon with a hut on top, I make my way frantically towards the shelter of the shop as I try to finish the charge on my other jump drive. I arrive at the safety of the shop, gasping for the recycled air in my cockpit as I cower in the station's shadow. I fully expect pursuit, but I have heard of the station's mighty defenses. I watch the little red blip on my navigation screen. The numbers fall down and down as it gets closer, occasionally beams of light coming close. Then, suddenly, the ship stops, and the numbers start to go up! I wait with baited breath... and some more baited breath... and more.. until I realize that the shop did not seem to give a damn. The little shop keeper putters about his office like nothing happened. I creep out of hiding, but am instantly greeted by lasers and flee back to safety. I conduct some hasty trade, then pause for thought. Have the pirates learned already what range they are safe at? That if they come any closer the station's hidden defenses will obliterate them? I look up at the station, which looks more like a discarded bit of pole than a shop. Then I stare, wide eyed. Neither were attacking each other... which could only mean- i gasp- they were in cahoots! Was it just this one station? or were all the traders and pirates deeply engaged in an unholy union? The more I thought, the more sense it made. The pirates needed ships to raid, but they also needed a place to sell their ill gotten gains! The shops needed a way to control prices, inflate them when needed, or even run insurance scams. I look up in dismay at the shop that I had been so thankful for. What if they learned I knew?! I gulp and carefully turn my ship away, and flee back to my derelict station home. The derelict base towers in space, black and red and bristling. I take comfort in the fact that one day it will be mine, or I will salvage it all. I take a moment to check on my collection of asteroids, like a bird turning it's eggs before settling back down. I take comfort in the resources left on their surfaces, just waiting for the embrace of my salvage beams. I decide I had better dock, only to find that after my most recent upgrades my ship doesn't fit through the door. I consider carefully carving out slits for my wings to pass through, but my stasis pod beckons and I need rest. I leave my ship there, its thruster cluttered rear poking out of the hangar door, hoping no one but doomed asteroids will witness.

When my stasis cycle ends I shall find a way to get more power modules, in the hope that I can get my salvage beams to last longer and dig deeper. I shall also experiment more with hollowing out asteroids and putting them back together. With any luck and a little patience I can gather asteroids from every corner of the sector, and possibly even recreate some scenes from star wars if I like. The galaxy I have chosen to explore is sadly lacking in cinematic quality asteroid belts.

 

[Ravenskysong]

Today I woke up, and decided to find a suitable place for my space station. No longer would I have to hide while I was in stasis, I would dock, like a proud eagle on it's perch. I stuck close to the edge of each sector, to avoid pirates. Suddenly something I have never seen before showed on my navigation controls! What is this Rammet? I check my datapad and my eyes go wide. A BLUE ASTEROID! I had always wanted to find one, but didn't realize just how close to the border they were. I squee joyfully and head towards it at full power. What I find is maybe a dozen blue blocks, a scavenged husk. I pout and fume but take the blocks anyways. I continue on my way. I travel the borders of sectors for 3 hours, and in that time the galaxy makes up for my bad luck. I proceed to find 7 more asteroids, the last of which I didn't mine, but made my docking station nearby so I can mine it after my stasis cycle. I made at least 50 million credits and proceeded to buy plenty of material for my lovely station :D

Does anyone know where to get the screenshots of the steam version on a mac?
answered: http://starmadedock.net/threads/how-to-get-steam-mac-screenshots.5784/

 

[Ravenskysong]

Today after creating a simple factory I decided to wrangle up some asteroids. I created a loop of plex doors, that let me fly close to an asteroid, mine a hole in the asteroid, then go into build mode and hit r on the invisible doors. This made a link, catching the asteroid. Feeling like the most bad ass tug boat captain ever. I flew away, yet eventually realized that I had somehow lost the asteroid. I go back, get it again, and put a camera to watch the asteroid. To my dismay the asteroid hated being towed, and eventually glitched its way free. I have not tested to see if this is because it is a plex door, or not.

Refusing to give up, I purchase 50 push effect blocks and set the computer up, linking it to a single cannon. I succeed in push the asteroid a tiny bit but it was way too slow. I mine the asteroid save for about 5 blocks. Now the push gun does wonders, but it goes flying off in an uncontrollable direction. I didn't like this, so i decide a tractor beam would do better. I swap out the push blocks for pull blocks. I find with joy that the push blocks work wonderfully, the asteroid comes flying to me like a well trained bir. And crashes into me, bouncing off at high speed. I look off at my space station where it glitters, and realize that I will have to fly backwards, towards the station, look at the asteroid and hold down on the pull cannon. It does work, but it is very slow. I eventually grow bored and give up, because it was taking so long.

Is it possible to make a turret that will target the asteroid and drag it behind me as I fly? preferably without breaking th elink with the asteroid if I fly too fast.

 

[Lecic]

Today after creating a simple factory I decided to wrangle up some asteroids. I created a loop of plex doors, that let me fly close to an asteroid, mine a hole in the asteroid, then go into build mode and hit r on the invisible doors. This made a link, catching the asteroid. Feeling like the most bad ass tug boat captain ever. I flew away, yet eventually realized that I had somehow lost the asteroid. I go back, get it again, and put a camera to watch the asteroid. To my dismay the asteroid hated being towed, and eventually glitched its way free. I have not tested to see if this is because it is a plex door, or not.

Refusing to give up, I purchase 50 push effect blocks and set the computer up, linking it to a single cannon. I succeed in push the asteroid a tiny bit but it was way too slow. I mine the asteroid save for about 5 blocks. Now the push gun does wonders, but it goes flying off in an uncontrollable direction. I didn't like this, so i decide a tractor beam would do better. I swap out the push blocks for pull blocks. I find with joy that the push blocks work wonderfully, the asteroid comes flying to me like a well trained bir. And crashes into me, bouncing off at high speed. I look off at my space station where it glitters, and realize that I will have to fly backwards, towards the station, look at the asteroid and hold down on the pull cannon. It does work, but it is very slow. I eventually grow bored and give up, because it was taking so long.

Is it possible to make a turret that will target the asteroid and drag it behind me as I fly? preferably without breaking th elink with the asteroid if I fly too fast.

If you make your turrets "target selected," they'll aim at asteroids you target and fire. Since it's pull beams, they'll drag it along. Just make sure the asteroid stays within the turret's aiming area and that you disable the AI in structure tab before targeting anything that isn't an asteroid.

 

[Ravenskysong]

If you make your turrets "target selected," they'll aim at asteroids you target and fire. Since it's pull beams, they'll drag it along. Just make sure the asteroid stays within the turret's aiming area and that you disable the AI in structure tab before targeting anything that isn't an asteroid.

ok I did that, but it doesn't fire for some reason

 

[QuantumAnomaly]

I've noticed in the current build, asteroids and the faction homebase are not valid targets for a turret set to "fire at selected". Not sure what else is currently set as a "not" a valid target for the turret AI.

Also, Hi Ravi!!!!

 

[Ravenskysong]

I've noticed in the current build, asteroids and the faction homebase are not valid targets for a turret set to "fire at selected". Not sure what else is currently set as a "not" a valid target for the turret AI.

Also, Hi Ravi!!!!

that explains it then xD wish I could just drop a block on it and have a tractor beam lock onto it.
If I can just get one asteroid near my base I can faction module it, then build off of it and make it bigger. like one giant asteroid with some small ones floating near it, all the same asteroid tho. Or I can go the fake asteroid make with a ship route. Just wanted to hang out in space with ALL of the asteroids XD I wonder how the game checks to see if asteroids need to be respawned. Like if moving asteroids away from their spawn point far enough would make new ones spawn, or if it counts to see how many asteroids there are in the sector, or if you have to totally mine an asteroid to death before there is a new chance of one spawning.

Also, Hai Quantum :D *waves frantically*

 

[QuantumAnomaly]

Asteroid spawn appears to be based off of where the asteroid currently is, but it only respawns if it was mined or destroyed completely. Also, if you get a buddy to fire the turret, one person can fly while one tows asteroids. I messed around with a logic-based towhook, but it was a huge pain to keep an asteroid following while I made turns to line up with my next waypoint. The only other option appears to be making warpgates and pushing them through.

 

[Ravenskysong]

Asteroid spawn appears to be based off of where the asteroid currently is, but it only respawns if it was mined or destroyed completely. Also, if you get a buddy to fire the turret, one person can fly while one tows asteroids. I messed around with a logic-based towhook, but it was a huge pain to keep an asteroid following while I made turns to line up with my next waypoint. The only other option appears to be making warpgates and pushing them through.

... WARP GATES :D perfect xD *scurries away*
also if you warp or jump with people on your ship does it work?

 

[Megacrafter127]

... WARP GATES :D perfect xD *scurries away*
also if you warp or jump with people on your ship does it work?

If they are in the gravity likely, if they are sitting definetly.

 

[Ravenskysong]

well my attempts to make a tractor beam accidently hit a trade guild ship and I got blown up.

so instead I went and made a realy, no nonesense turret. right now its cannon and missiles but I heard that doing damage beam and missiles is better because it makes the missiles auto hit or somesuch (?)

I didn't actually know HOW to make a turret, mind you. so i grabbed a blueprint for a turret on the giant black cathedral derelict space station, then ripped the paint off xD

 

[Ravenskysong]

found a strange bug today. I was hitting undo, all the way to the end of the saved history. The ship exploded, no visible damage but it spawned a huge amount blown bits of hull. then the game crashed. when I came on a bunch of the ship was unbuilt, but the explosions debris was gone. it was weird. pretty, but weird.

 

[Megacrafter127]

found a strange bug today. I was hitting undo, all the way to the end of the saved history. The ship exploded, no visible damage but it spawned a huge amount blown bits of hull. then the game crashed. when I came on a bunch of the ship was unbuilt, but the explosions debris was gone. it was weird. pretty, but weird.

In some times, when a block is removed, the game randomly interprets it as if the block was destroyed, causing the debris to spawn.