A dev's log.

[Syrus]

Continuing work on the mining mod. Most of the Sirian side is now done in terms of assigning fields. Omega 15 gets new fields. Humboldt too - I reworked that system a bit as it had next to no NPCs - and both systems get a rather murderous NPC population, to prevent folks from getting in there with all-mining turret heges. Tau 23 yields will be significantly less then the Tau 37 ones for niobium. Tau 23 Beryllium will be higher then Cambridge. Hopefully this'll encourage GMS versus Outcasts activity.

Mh...NPCs are nice, yes. But don't spam them too hard, on low player counts there are already lots of low NPCs which can actually cause some serious damage to a well armed trader. Also, keep the mining fields free of NPCs, they really annoy when spawning continuosly when you're mining.

Players should rather learn from other players not to use full mining turret outfits. Like from being pirated.

I also hope Humboldt will be reworked regarding bases. Because there's only a Liberty Rogues base there and no lawful base in any near range. It shouldn't be too hard for the miners or too easy for the pirates, because the transport - bomber balance will still not be better with .86. I hope you'll think about Minnesota, Quebec, Alberta, Yukon, Ontario, New Hampshire, Bremen and all those other low-activity systems as well, regarding mineable fields.

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[AeternusDoleo]

No, it -will- be very hard and risky for the miners. The idea behind sites as Omega 15 and Humboldt is that powerminers who want to go at it alone with 10 mining turret hegemons, don't stand a chance of survival due to NPC pressure. However, you go and bring a transport (preferably one of the heavily gunned ones), some miner snubs and perhaps a gunboat for support, you'll have a fair time there. Gunboat will have enough unlawful NPCs to shoot to not get bored. Miners will have to stay on their toes - but even with the odd NPC interruption, the yield in those areas is set as such that it'll still be rather quick to fill up there. If people don't like that, or want to mine alone instead, then they can visit the standard yield fields (Tau 23, Omega 7, Dublin...)
Humboldt will not get new bases. Rogues have the nearest base. Nearest friendly port would be either Freeport 4, or Houston if you go through Puerto Rico (but I have my doubts wether the junkers are going to let miners waltz through their guard system unmolested).

The directives I've been given for the miningmod config:
- Get people out of Liberty, especially New York
- Grouping/cooperative play should be promoted

Setting NPC pressure high in borderworlds, edgeworlds or distant independent worlds meets both those directives. And if you're worried about the NPCs overwhelming people - they'll have no cruise disruptors, so a player can flee at will. But if you intend to shoot rocks, you'd better be able to hold your ground.

[Edit] Continuing work on the configuration. Not much new to report on it. I did add a small exclusion zone to the Helgoland scrapfield - small corridors that cover the lanes. Figure ALG would at least have the courtesy to keep the lanes clear of debris, and bumping that big scrap piece every time on entering the lane to Naha gets old.

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Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.

Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.

[Syrus]

No, it -will- be very hard and risky for the miners. The idea behind sites as Omega 15 and Humboldt is that powerminers who want to go at it alone with 10 mining turret hegemons, don't stand a chance of survival due to NPC pressure. However, you go and bring a transport (preferably one of the heavily gunned ones), some miner snubs and perhaps a gunboat for support, you'll have a fair time there. Gunboat will have enough unlawful NPCs to shoot to not get bored.

Just wanted to point at how "usefull" those transport turrets are. Especially with those almost defenseless transports, with so few turrets that they can barely shoot a single one in almost any direction ... (alright, alright, you told me not to whine :| ) - So, yeah, guess they'll rather have to rely on escorts than transport defenses. Except for those battle transports. As you said, now the escorts don't just sit around and do nothing (though we didn't do "nothing" before as well, we flew around and looked for contacts to warn early enough if there's a pirate on his way). Guess I'll get to see lots of unarmored mining-turret Heges going poof there. That'll teach them a lesson.

Humboldt will not get new bases. Rogues have the nearest base. Nearest friendly port would be either Freeport 4, or Houston if you go through Puerto Rico (but I have my doubts wether the junkers are going to let miners waltz through their guard system unmolested).

A bit risky, eh? More like suicide. But it's alright, when the yields are high enough and it's worth it. I hope this is a DSE "claimed" mining spot to give a little hint at how desperate Liberty is to find their own ressources. Puerto Rico might be opened with some contracts ... Guess the Junkers will have something to do around there then. I just used that Guard System to get me equipment if I needed it when setting up a new ship. Long way to run, guess we will have to see how that works out. Could also mean lots of LR transports stationed on Fortaleza which pirate the miners and then sell to the Junkers in Puerto Rico.

The directives I've been given for the miningmod config:
- Get people out of Liberty, especially New York
- Grouping/cooperative play should be promoted

Setting NPC pressure high in borderworlds, edgeworlds or distant independent worlds meets both those directives. And if you're worried about the NPCs overwhelming people - they'll have no cruise disruptors, so a player can flee at will. But if you intend to shoot rocks, you'd better be able to hold your ground.

No CD is a very - very nice thing. I'd also point at making tradelane disruptions by NPCs happen a bit less often. Otherwise I doubt NPCs should be so weak as they are now, but they also shouldn't slaughter you straight away, when you come out of a JH / JG for example. Maybe a 10 sec. docking protection would be nice here? Or even just 5 seconds would do...

[Edit] Continuing work on the configuration. Not much new to report on it. I did add a small exclusion zone to the Helgoland scrapfield - small corridors that cover the lanes. Figure ALG would at least have the courtesy to keep the lanes clear of debris, and bumping that big scrap piece every time on entering the lane to Naha gets old.

Finally...I thought about asking for that some time ago, but always felt like it was just a minor issue which might need to much work to be done...Thank you very much. That was probably the most annoying piece of scrap in all of Sirius.


Well, we'll have to see how that all turns out. Maybe the field will never be touched, maybe it'll be swarmed by pirates, maybe it'll be crowded by lawfuls. But overall I like the idea of some risky high-profit mining. In theory the T23 / T37 mining wasn't much different - you couldn't run to Java / Falkland most of the time. Difference now is: You can't even call for back up.

Btw, just out of curiosity, will the O41 JH in O15 be moved a bit?

EDIT: Right, I meant O41. Even checked on it, since I ALWAYS mistake those two systems, and still wrote the wrong one...thanks.

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[Sandman]

Btw, just out of curiosity, will the O11 JH in O15 be moved a bit?

Unless I've missed it there isn't a JH to O11 in O15.

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[AeternusDoleo]

Just wanted to point at how "usefull" those transport turrets are. Especially with those almost defenseless transports, with so few turrets that they can barely shoot a single one in almost any direction ... (alright, alright, you told me not to whine :| ) - So, yeah, guess they'll rather have to rely on escorts than transport defenses. Except for those battle transports. As you said, now the escorts don't just sit around and do nothing (though we didn't do "nothing" before as well, we flew around and looked for contacts to warn early enough if there's a pirate on his way). Guess I'll get to see lots of unarmored mining-turret Heges going poof there. That'll teach them a lesson.

Exactly as intended. It is to be fringeworld mining - good fields but insane dangers. Requires planning and will not always be succesful. However, the yield should be such that it'd be interesting enough for people to try again. As for the pirates - I expect those to hang around Texas/New York more then in Puerto Rico. Whichever way, it'll draw some civvy activity towards Colorado and Texas.

No CD is a very - very nice thing. I'd also point at making tradelane disruptions by NPCs happen a bit less often. Otherwise I doubt NPCs should be so weak as they are now, but they also shouldn't slaughter you straight away, when you come out of a JH / JG for example. Maybe a 10 sec. docking protection would be nice here? Or even just 5 seconds would do...

Those very powerful NPC snubs don't exist near the lanes. As for docking protection when popping through a hole... would mean another FLHook adjustment, not likely to happen. If people get roughed up while popping through they either A: need stronger shields or B: Blow a few shield batteries (to be reclaimed by blowing the NPCs up).

Btw, just out of curiosity, will the O41 JH in O15 be moved a bit?

No, why?

Continued work on the miningmod today. Scrap fields have been assigned. Your ordinary, low value scrap is available in liberal quantities in practically all the fields. There is also a "premium scrap" commodity now which consists of salvaged parts etc. that shipyards can reuse. The fields for this much higher value commodity are rare: 1 in Sigma 13, far north of the Yanagi depot. 1 low yield in Southampton's scrapfield, southern section. 3 in Texas, in the radiation zones. I intend for various borderworld and edgeworld shipyards to be wanting these parts. (Valetta, Tripoli, Aland, Sabah, Singapore... maybe Renzu, still waiting to hear back from the IND guys if that yard would use secondhand parts).

[Edit] Renzu called in, said no thanks to secondhand parts. So I guess this list will be it.

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Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.

Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.

[Syrus]

Exactly as intended. It is to be fringeworld mining - good fields but insane dangers. Requires planning and will not always be succesful. However, the yield should be such that it'd be interesting enough for people to try again. As for the pirates - I expect those to hang around Texas/New York more then in Puerto Rico. Whichever way, it'll draw some civvy activity towards Colorado and Texas.

All a question of balance, we'll have to see about that. Guess it'll be adjustable afterwards and probably be readjusted if it isn't good enough or too good.

Those very powerful NPC snubs don't exist near the lanes. As for docking protection when popping through a hole... would mean another FLHook adjustment, not likely to happen. If people get roughed up while popping through they either A: need stronger shields or B: Blow a few shield batteries (to be reclaimed by blowing the NPCs up).

Well, it's what I saw sometimes, mainly around Orkney for example:
You jump there from T23 and already there are 8 NPCs (OC) spawned, shooting at you (hostile to OC), and trust me, your shields and hull will suffer. Even if you have a full armored VHF. And if you don't react fast enough, they might even kill you.
Ye, ye ... I know: "You're judging before knowing the details!" - No, I'm not. That problem is already around now in some areas (Orkney, as I already said, for example), and when NPCs get buffed everywhere, it'll be around more often. Just wanted to warn about the possibility of that problem. It's frustrating going somewhere and being shot to pieces while you are not really to do anything against it. ;/

No, why?

Dunno, I just thought it's in a very bad position and, with the addition of a mining field in that system, might be moved. But heh, doesn't matter.

Looking forward to the scrap mining. Will there also be Toxic Waste mining, maybe "a bit more restricted to ALG"? :)

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[AeternusDoleo]

ToxWaste mining was pretty much restricted to ALG as is - there just isn't much profit in it. At a bonus of x6, they're the only party that can efficiently do it. But IRPly, according to lore, BMM has lobbied to keep ALG out of Bretonia, so there's not much waste to mine.

Log update: Still working on the miningmod config. It's taking considerably longer then I expected to determine the sell values for each commodity. But I believe I've been able to put in fair values. Basically, I've, for each commodity, done the following:
- Determine where the commodity would be sold in the houses. Minimal 1 sell point per house or region.
- Determine the travel time in minutes from the nearest standard or high yield field.
- Determine demand. Things like an embargo, or special industry requiring the commodity (think Niobium and Copper at Pueblo for superconductor production etc) drive up demand. Things like a commodity that the nation itself produces, lower demand. Demand becomes a multiplier.
- Price for the commodity at each site becomes (fixed value) * (traveltime) * (demand multiplier), with an aim for about 8000 to 11000 for the highest sell point.
- The more precious the commodity, the more credits-for-time you gain. Platinum and Gold lead, followed by Silver, Diamonds, Niobium, Beryllium, Copper, Cobalt, Helium3 and finally Aluminium.

I've also started to determine the bonuses for various corporations. In general:
x4 or x3 for house mining factions. 2 primary commodities which they get x4 in, 2 secondary commodities they get x3 in. If appliccable, a bonus for RP purposes to a lower value commodity such as Hydrocarbons or Alien Organisms can also be set
x3 or x2.5 for IMG and GMS - but with a wide selection of ores they get bonuses for.
x2 for unlawful factions that handle a specific ore type. IE diamonds for the hessians, and gold for the mollies.

Doing it this way means noone can cry about bias ('though someone's bound to. Or rather, already has) - something I'm a little worried about considering I lead a mining faction as well.

I've only the Gallic mining fields to set, and the Gallic sellpoints for ore types to determine. I also want to recheck each mining station (including gas miners) to ensure that each of those bases sells the mining turrets. Would make sense that mining bases have spare tools after all.

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Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.

Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.

[Markus_Janus]

All up that is lookingvery nice indeed.
I especially like the bonus to some goods for RP purposes as some of us would rather mine things we are supposed to as opposed to just the best profits.

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Samura Omotai Zaibatsu.

[Syrus]

ToxWaste mining was pretty much restricted to ALG as is - there just isn't much profit in it. At a bonus of x6, they're the only party that can efficiently do it. But IRPly, according to lore, BMM has lobbied to keep ALG out of Bretonia, so there's not much waste to mine.

So, will Toxic Waste be sold on some places for good money with .86?

The rest looks good. I hope for the 4 - 3 - 2 boni on mining. Like in 4 for specialised corps, 3 for IMG and GMS and 2 for the unlawfulls (and indi miners?).

Prices can be adjusted afterwards, if there are unbalanced ones.
I think the "credits per time" shouldn't be too far apart from each other though, even if the commodities are worth more. Otherwise people will only focus on Gold again or on Diamonds this time. Or Platinum.

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[Aingar]

I think the "credits per time" shouldn't be too far apart from each other though, even if the commodities are worth more. Otherwise people will only focus on Gold again or on Diamonds this time. Or Platinum.

And I say, if it will be the case: Pirate for cargo, not creds!

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