[Windborne]

I just sent the following e-mail to MM, if we want it in the next patch, or perhaps even ever other people should probably send similiar notes supporting the idea, along with more suggestions:

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I've been talking in the shrapnel forums and an idea came up that could make for a much more interesting and diverting game, but nobody seems to know how to implement it . . .
The idea relates to the concept of remote mining. Durign the current game we get huge expensive remote mining components withe very level of resource extraction technology we research, and noboy uses them because they pollute the galaxy ruining planents and potential planets (astroids) we might want to colonize later on.
Howeverif you were to remove the remote mining components from each resource extraction technology and place them into a seperate field called "deep space mining" a lot more options open up.
The main option, and the one we are having a problem figuring out how to impliment goes like this:

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At first level of deep space mining you et access to the first set of huge, expensive, polluting remote miners. These miners give vast amounts of resources each turn but chew up the neighborhood like locusts.

At second level of deep space mining you get a new Version of each mining device that produces significantly less resources but is environmentally sound, leaving the planets/astroids intact.

At third level you get the next incarnation of the polluting component.

And at fourth you get a safer Version that produces much less in the way of goods each turn.

The field goes on like this for at least six levels.
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The advantages of the system are as follows:

(A) You can research remote mining
technologies to be more efficient then
your planet-bound facilities, letting
some rces specialize in remote mining.
Adding diversity to the game.

(B) Players get the bread and butter
decision of whe ther to rape the
universe for vast amounts of riches now
or get a tiny return continually over
time.

(B) Astroid systems would become more valuable early on. Someone with deep space mining level four and starbases could turn an astroid system into something awesome, while another player might want to turn those same astroids into planets. A potentially vast difference between different human players. Imagine the hotseat play! ::grins::

There was also talk of a specialized cheap hull called the prospector that wold need to be filled with 60% remote mining components.