Does anyone use ROBO MINERS?

dumbluck · #1 May 7th, 2001, 05:49 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Marty Ward:

Also remember the robominer mine all planets in the space so the best robomining spot is a planet with 2 or 3 moons as you mine from all planets each turn.

It will not, however, mine _colonized_ planets or moons.

Nitram Draw · #2 May 8th, 2001, 01:14 AM

That's right, you can't mine from a colonized planet, but I think you can mine from any other un-colonized planets in the same location. Is this right?
When I robomine, I usually do it early in the game in the system where my home planet is located. I almost always play with "colonize home planet type" option on so I know I'm probably never going to use the other planets and they are in a pretty safe location.
Anyone ever see the AI robomine?

[This message has been edited by Nitram Draw (edited 07 May 2001).]

dumbluck · #3 May 8th, 2001, 12:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Nitram Draw:
That's right, you can't mine from a colonized planet, but I think you can mine from any other un-colonized planets in the same location. Is this right?
]

That is correct. As a matter of fact, I'm doing that in a current game: Space Station w/robominers over Colonized planet w/ _3_ moons, all over 140% Minerals (well, they USED to be over 140%

)

Master Belisarius · #4 May 8th, 2001, 02:51 PM

I never use the Robo. Usually, I can get enough resources colonizing planets.
Also, I dislike all the micromanagement, for a few more resources.

GruelThePurple · #5 May 8th, 2001, 07:52 PM

As is, the RoboMiners are not very worthwhile. Unless you have a high value planet/asteroids/etc. and use a base to mine with, your returns are poor at best, and even with good returns, after a few turns you will drain the mining target to a point where the maintenance outweighs your gains.

Also, no matter where you mine, only the first vehicle in place will mine. This counts for ships or satellites or bases. Only one vessel, regardless of type or makeup, will mine.

That being all said, I do use a couple of mods to make remote mining worthwhile. First off, I turn off the flag in the settings file to cause mining to decrease a resource's value. This gives a constant flow of materials. I justify this by simply looking at colonized planets; their resources do not decrease, and given time, you can actually increase those values.

The second mod helps a lot with using the standard ships. I give RoboMiners a Cargo ability, but they can not actually hold cargo (set to 0). This allows me to dump miners onto transports, and they count against the transport's cargo requirement. So, with a large transport, you can fit several types of miners on board and reap a variety of materials from a single ship. That way too, I do not have to use combat space frames to make miners, which are generally more expensive than the transport frames.

Of course, even with these mods, a base is still the best mining platform, as they are cheaper in maintenance, and can hold gobs more miners.

Just my 11.5 cents (inflation and all).

capnq · #6 May 8th, 2001, 08:33 PM

I've only once gotten into a situation where robomining was useful, to deny the resources of a planet you can't use to an enemy. I was having trouble with an AI putting a colony in my space really early in a game, when it would have taken me years to get that colonization tech. Even then, it was easier to glass the planet with Radiation Bombs to make it unihabitable.

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Cap'n Q

rdouglass · #7 May 8th, 2001, 09:26 PM

quote:
Originally posted by GruelThePurple:
That being all said, I do use a couple of mods to make remote mining worthwhile. First off, I turn off the flag in the settings file to cause mining to decrease a resource's value...

...The second mod helps a lot with using the standard ships. I give RoboMiners a Cargo ability, but they can not actually hold cargo (set to 0)....

That sounds like a cool mod. Could you possibly enlighten us who are 'mod challenged'??