Give Mining a "Treasure Hunt" Feel

[Valiant70]

It's always the same. Shoot an astroid, get the same old boring stuff in roughly the same numbers across the board. Hand mining is not very different as locating materials isn't particularly exciting. What we need is to change up the quantities of things that spawn and the quantities of things needed for crafting. There should be common, uncommon, and rare resources, perhaps linked to the basic, standard, and advanced factory tiers. A lot of this could be done with only config and generation changes.

What would this do? I've noted a small amount of excitement every time I come across something other than cobblestone or coal in minecraft, or come across a water asteroid in Battlestar Galactica Online. It's these little moments of "all right! I found something good!" that make mining more fun. If you have one or two resources that are rare but fairly desirable (though hopefully not frustratingly so), players will be able to enjoy that "found a treasure" moment.

 

[Lukwan]

I like this suggestion a lot. It is not even necessary to make the treasure all that great. I will get a little warm glow when I get a steam-achievement and I don't give a S**t about steam achievements. So here is an easy way to add 'interest'. So long as the player is informed when these events occur the net bonus can be trivial.

One of my favorite elements on the dice-roll in D&D is the possibility of a critical hit on a roll of natural 20 (or a critical miss on a roll of one).
Much drama ensues when things go spectacularly right (or wrong) adding to memorable moments. Some systems even had a random effect chart for these 'criticals' that would go beyond the double damage of a 20.

SM could give a little extra materials or randomly select a tiny loot-pocket of salvage (presumably from a crashed explorer). No need to render the bonus loot, just add it to the inventory when the 'lucky-strike' occurs.

 

[jayman38]

I have to disagree. We essentially had this with asteroids containing resources to make shields, and players hated it. It was so hard to find the asteroids you needed to make shields, and so, so rewarding when you found more than one. However, the overall feeling towards this "treasure" asteroid struck me as a net negative.

While we had these asteroids in the outermost orbits, so that they only appeared in the farthest corners of the solar systems, and even then, rarely, players were constantly complaining about not finding the resource and forever asking for tips to find the treasure.

Sure, you can make the rare treasure less valuable or less necessary, but then it becomes nothing more than finding a rare bobblehead figurine.

Could we do this more successfully with a per-asteroid-type rarity setting, where it once again becomes difficult to find a certain type of asteroid, but not quite as difficult as the outer-orbit fiasco?

 

[Kingofanime]

I wouldn't mind it if asteroids had 1 in 5000 block chance of containing something, such as rare gems. But I would NEVER want them used in any crafting recipes. They would be decorative or sell-for-money only.

And what if you could only mine them by hand? What if, instead of gems, they were mini models of official starmade ships?

Maybe you could find random creature eggs in asteroids. What will it be when it hatches? Will it eat you, or be friendly? Maybe when you use a salvage beam on the egg block, a creature is instantly let loose on your ship, because he entered through the salvage beam storage.

 

[Valiant70]

I have to disagree. We essentially had this with asteroids containing resources to make shields, and players hated it. It was so hard to find the asteroids you needed to make shields, and so, so rewarding when you found more than one. However, the overall feeling towards this "treasure" asteroid struck me as a net negative.

While we had these asteroids in the outermost orbits, so that they only appeared in the farthest corners of the solar systems, and even then, rarely, players were constantly complaining about not finding the resource and forever asking for tips to find the treasure.

Sure, you can make the rare treasure less valuable or less necessary, but then it becomes nothing more than finding a rare bobblehead figurine.

Could we do this more successfully with a per-asteroid-type rarity setting, where it once again becomes difficult to find a certain type of asteroid, but not quite as difficult as the outer-orbit fiasco?

This is an example of "frustratingly rare." This was a problem because large amounts of rare materials were needed. If the rare materials were necessary in small quantities for specialized things, they could be very rare indeed without being frustrating.

 

[NeonSturm]

Imagine:

1. Salvage resources (abundant, common, rare, special)
   • but special only retains it's value when hand-mined.
   • else it becomes a rare one.
2. Refine resources (all)
   
3. Manufacture components
   1. Some components can be made from all resources, but have a low value.
   2. Less valuable components can be made from common resources.
      
   3. More valuable components need the correct common resource.
   4. The most valuable components can only be made from the correct rare resource.
   5. Special can either make anything (one special resource type)
      • or gives a level-upped resource of one of many special types (such as charged circuit instead of circuit)

Now you can either use components for blocks like now.

Or place cannon-blocks freely and make them usable by slaving a storage to a computer which holds the required components.
The components in storage now (work like slaves and) define the efficiency/properties of the master-array (cannon, missiles, etc) - the level of it.

 

[Madman198237]

I think the idea of adding random pockets of randomized ship-based loot would be useful and interesting. Very interesting. And yes, the chance that you'll stumble in a diamond or emerald in Minecraft, or find yourself a dungeon, or perhaps walk into a pocket of Mithril in Minecraft Lord of the Rings Mod, all give that "YES" feeling. A lone diamond isn't really that awesome....but it's something to keep you entertained.

 

[Sven_The_Slayer]

As long as the rare element that you find isn't some barrier for building ships. Maybe once we get a gear crafting system you could get some component of that but adding additional grind to resource acquisition isn't great.

 

[NeonSturm]

As long as the rare element that you find isn't some barrier for building ships.

I'd like common elements to yield Tier-1 blocks (like now) and rare elements to yield Tier-2 upgrades. How you apply these upgrades is a different story but putting them into a storage linked to the ship core would be the easiest way. Content-Mass / Ship-Mass = upgrade effect ratio.

This would not limit ship building and allow high-tech shuttles to be as strong as a 2x2x2 sized ship if the server-config-owner wants that - or just 2x1x1 as strong for 3x the resource cost.​

 

[Lukwan]

I really think the value of this lottery mechanic is that breaks the monotony of of an otherwise uneventful mining expedition. The loot itself is irrelevant IMHO. I strongly agree that whatever form the loot takes it should be trivial and not a barrier component. I would favor a rare-decorative or unique critter/egg. Maybe a chance to disturb an hibernating mob that attacks the ship. Anything rather than nothing.

 

[Napther]

Or even a slight chance for a 2-5 minute "buff" on the ship. For example, an extremely rare chance per block of ore gained (...theres lots of ore, so its balanced...) that the game will respond with "This ore seems to resonate with our shields" +15% ion hardening (Non stacking, caps at 60)
or "This ore seems to have boosted our Thrusters for a while" +10% Overdrive passive (Non stacking, capped at 50).

Even a random chance that an ore mined is a "Dense Ore" and gets multiplied, while hand mining will get a boost too on its "Lucky!" bonus. Maybe hand mining in general is slightly more powerful to help noobs start, but what do I know.

Otherwise, some "commodity" resource like Ice Crystal was like back in the day would be good, depending on (INSERT MATH HERE) Maybe they are worth 10,000 per unit, can be placed, but otherwise only bought by the NPC factions because the rich (Population of that faction) will be rich and buy anything thats even remotely costly, just because.

It would definitely do absolutely nothing, and would be a thematic way to "give" money to people if the bars system on a server isnt enabled. Because a noob will look at computers (Standard high value shop thing) and say "Tha fook I do with this?" and promtply try and make a ship out of computers...

 

[jayman38]

Again, this all seems pointless. Most everyone agrees that the "find" should not be critical ship parts or critical to the ship's function, but then it's only a minor improvement to the mining mechanic itself and doesn't really add anything to the rest of the game. Ship buffs would be nearly useless, unless you happen to be attacked by pirates at that time, or if you call on a friend, saying "Let's fight right now". With such limited Dev resources, it would be more useful to suggest automated/NPC-based mining, so you can be free to do something that you find truly enjoyable.

(There may be times that you just want to do something mindless, and find mining enjoyable, during which time, rare-premium finds will only add a tiny bit to your enjoyment factor.)

The devs might add this anyway, just for fun, but I think it would be more efficient to make suggestions that fall in line with known upcoming mechanics. (Flora, Fauna, NPCs, improved AI, improved fleets, etc.)

I would even be in favor of improved Biome generation, so that you can "tell" when you are reaching something valuable by the surrounding elements. For example, maybe biomes could be more like onions, where, as you dig closer and closer to the center of the "onion", things get more valuable. The thrill of the "find" would be finding a cave system that reaches deep into the "onion", so you can get straight to the good stuff.

 

[NeonSturm]

I want Flagships to be more valuable. It's ok if they can fend of 1.5 similar non-Flagship ships, maybe even stand a chance against 3 times mass.

If this can be archived by not automatic mining, it's ok as long as it does not affect a over-proportional warship or mass-produced medium warships by the amount you can get.
I would prefer an immortal fighter to a station-assault titan benefiting from this boni.

If this is aesthetic, you may fill a blueprint with blocks which are hard to gain.
This is why I do not prefer anything hard-coded into blueprints such as with place-able blocks which require this resource.

 

[jontyfreack]

you know what would be a nice thing to find while mining, meta items that you can collect/give to the trade guild to possibly get a filled blueprint or something.
this way no ship would benefit, but the player might, and it would give a reason to explore. "find 5 of these and we will give you a frigate, or find 20 and we will give you a station" or similarly "find 10 of these and you get a little trophy/award of some credits or something configurable by the server"

so that would make mining rewarding at the least if you find some of those meta items, and would have a point for exploration then instead of "you see one planet, you have seen them all" because "you see that planet, but another one might get you a frigate"

 

[NeonSturm]

so that would make mining rewarding at the least if you find some of those meta items, and would have a point for exploration then instead of "you see one planet, you have seen them all" because "you see that planet, but another one might get you a frigate"

go on, destroy the beauty to get your frigate. And then fear the revenge of this planet's god :p

 

[Lecic]

I am completely opposed to any sort of tiered minerals bullshit in crafting.

I like the idea of occasionally finding bits of wrecked ships embedded in asteroids.

Personally, though, I think mining should only be an early game activity, quickly replaced by sending automated mining fleets to do that shit for you in unloaded sectors.

 

[NeonSturm]

Personally, though, I think mining should only be an early game activity, quickly replaced by sending automated mining fleets to do that shit for you in unloaded sectors.

Yeah, just give everyone creative inventory when he discovers exponential growth

Perhaps I'd like if Bobby-AI blocks (the minerals for them) could only be hand-mined and one Bobby should support 1000 Mass.

This gives mining a place in the late game as well as mining-fleets.​

 

[Lecic]

Yeah, just give everyone creative inventory when he discovers exponential growth

Perhaps I'd like if Bobby-AI blocks (the minerals for them) could only be hand-mined and one Bobby should support 1000 Mass.

This gives mining a place in the late game as well as mining-fleets.​

That's why you have limitations like faction point costs and such. Haven't we already had this discussion in another thread?

 

[NeonSturm]

That's why you have limitations like faction point costs and such. Haven't we already had this discussion in another thread?

You get 4x as much from faction territory, but that only delays exponential growth. Or is it so you can only automate mining in your territory?

 

[Lecic]

You get 4x as much from faction territory, but that only delays exponential growth. Or is it so you can only automate mining in your territory?

What? No, I'm saying have a faction point cost for mining fleets to prevent massive exponential mining fleets from growing.