Mining Seems Terrible Again, What Can Be Done?

[PretzleMe]

I have never liked mining.  Okay, that is a lie.  Every game, I liked mining for the first 3 or 4 times I did it.  Then I hated it and that hate would build and build to the point where I basically stopped doing it at all.

I found this to be more true with this game... or sooner true.  You see, I looked at what I wanted to research and limited it to only a few things so as soon as possible I could not have to worry about mining.

But I hate mining so much that even though I would be willing to do another fresh playthrough, I'd rather stick to new game plus solely to avoid needing to mine (not that there aren't other benefits).

The idea of driving around, struggling to get up a mountain and falling all the way to the bottom of the same mountain trying to find the exact spot a mineral peaks is not fun to me.  In fact, I don't understand what a drone does if I have to do all the work.

Anyway, I do feel like mining has to be a part of this game.  It's tempting to say get rid of it, but I don't feel that would make sense.  So what are someways mining could be improved? 

It doesn't necessarily need to be fun, but perhaps it could just be less tedious.

[pyrion]

A couple of improvements?

Whoever placed the hotspots manually (and they have to be manually, because they're in the exact same spots in each playthrough) could at very least ensure that the damn things are placed inside the playable area of the map and don't overlap with other zones (there's a pair of zones in Kadara that are a huge pain because they overlap), because otherwise you end up with the mining gauge interface giving inconsistent readings.

Another improvement I'd appreciate is an overlay on the ground surface while the mining interface is active that delineates the extents of the mineable area, so I'm not spontaneously driving outside it and then having to deal with SAM telling me the area can be mined five seconds later when I drive back in.

There could even be an upgrade for the Mako that paints highlights on the ground surface while the mining interface is active showing where concentrations are, as you detect them, so that you can be far more efficient about choosing where to mine.

Another idea, more of a bugfix than anything: allow strategic mining, and what I mean by that is if you detect a concentration of one mineral and a concentration of another close by, and put yourself halfway between and mine there, since you're excluding a pretty sizable chunk of the map to be mined, you should get the full benefit of both concentrations, instead of whatever the concentrations are directly under the Nomad. Especially since if you detect a concentration focused mostly outside the area that gets mined, drop down a probe on another concentration close by and then drive back, it no longer shows up, if you were rewarded even just a bit for a sliver of it from the previous probe.

Yet another idea (because I keep thinking of these after I hit Submit): Since mining is presumably still going on with the probe still active long after you've gotten the minerals, why not tie the mining rewards to the AVP system and have periodic rewards of those amounts awarded so that you don't absolutely have to do the mining more than a few times for each mineral type.

[verkhon]

Mining is fun the first 4-5 times ... then it becomes a pain, I stopped mining all together, by that I mean I passed a zone and brought up the mining UI and just placed a drone if there was anything. I didn´t bother to go left or right searching for better spots.

[VladVonCastein]

After EOS I dont even bother about mining, resources obtained are insignificant and in most cases I never get the good stuff.  Too much effort too little rewards.  I am also not someone that needs to develop every weapon in the game, just my primary secondary, armor n melee, so I always end up with a ton of resources.  Planet scanning's worst.  So much effort with little reward.  At least in ME2 I get surprised sometimes when there's some poor pirate minding his own business and a bored human spectre came along.

[PretzleMe]

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@pyrion wrote:

A couple of improvements?

Whoever placed the hotspots manually (and they have to be manually, because they're in the exact same spots in each playthrough) could at very least ensure that the damn things are placed inside the playable area of the map and don't overlap with other zones (there's a pair of zones in Kadara that are a huge pain because they overlap), because otherwise you end up with the mining gauge interface giving inconsistent readings.

Another improvement I'd appreciate is an overlay on the ground surface while the mining interface is active that delineates the extents of the mineable area, so I'm not spontaneously driving outside it and then having to deal with SAM telling me the area can be mined five seconds later when I drive back in.

There could even be an upgrade for the Mako that paints highlights on the ground surface while the mining interface is active showing where concentrations are, as you detect them, so that you can be far more efficient about choosing where to mine.

Another idea, more of a bugfix than anything: allow strategic mining, and what I mean by that is if you detect a concentration of one mineral and a concentration of another close by, and put yourself halfway between and mine there, since you're excluding a pretty sizable chunk of the map to be mined, you should get the full benefit of both concentrations, instead of whatever the concentrations are directly under the Nomad. Especially since if you detect a concentration focused mostly outside the area that gets mined, drop down a probe on another concentration close by and then drive back, it no longer shows up, if you were rewarded even just a bit for a sliver of it from the previous probe.

Yet another idea (because I keep thinking of these after I hit Submit): Since mining is presumably still going on with the probe still active long after you've gotten the minerals, why not tie the mining rewards to the AVP system and have periodic rewards of those amounts awarded so that you don't absolutely have to do the mining more than a few times for each mineral type.

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Those were some great suggestions and insights.  Thank you.

I'd even take some of these suggestions in the form of needing to research and upgrade the nomad, its mining scanner, and or the drones deployed.

When is the next patch?  Lol

[PandaTar]

I agree with your main point.

My preliminary suggestion upon their own mechanics would be: we would trace these hotspots with a bit of exploration, finding the best area, and then your outpost would take care of mining it. You would get your share depending on how precise your charting was. The fact that you must do everything, feels like you're an all-job-husband and no one can do their job alone.

On my side, I rarely got out of my way to mine stuff. 

[Jundt]

 I partly agree but saw other issues with the mining.  Simply for me, I have played quite a few games that have some income methods and resource gathering methods, and they all seem to have almost no challenge involved.

 To put it more simply, you never need to mine.  Mining just makes it exceptionally easy to be able to develop any item you want much sooner then usual.  If you don't mine, you will still eventually be thoroughly overwhelmed with resources for development.  Same thing with the credits, soon enough and you don't need any more credits.

 If anyone had the time I would suggest trying multiple runs involving comparisons between constant mining, no mining, and no resource purchases and then list which missions were completed and what level had been reached before it became unnecessary to consider looking for any more resources.

[Kaddris]

There's no need to do any mining.  You get more minerals with 2 scans on foot than you do having a probe sent down that instantly depletes the area.  There was one place on H-047C I got some decent minerals from a probe, but other than that, over 90% of minerals have been acquired on foot, 5% from vendors (since there is so much money and not much worth buying), and the rest from probes.

If actively mining a planet gave us Andromeda points or even just some dialogue on the Nexus about how all the resources are helping, it might be better and seem more immersive.  I'm not sure why a Pathfinder would need to manually collect so many raw materials anyway.  Scouting locations so others can do that (cryo beds?!?) makes much more sense.  Of course, having to 'purchase' equipment on my own spaceship, like in the other ME's, is a little irritating.  Research I can understand.  I remember some dialogue from ME3 where Shepard actually asks about buying things on his own ship....

Right now though, it's just a mechanic in Andromeda without much point.

[PretzleMe]

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@Kaddris wrote:

There's no need to do any mining.  You get more minerals with 2 scans on foot than you do having a probe sent down that instantly depletes the area.  There was one place on H-047C I got some decent minerals from a probe, but other than that, over 90% of minerals have been acquired on foot, 5% from vendors (since there is so much money and not much worth buying), and the rest from probes.

If actively mining a planet gave us Andromeda points or even just some dialogue on the Nexus about how all the resources are helping, it might be better and seem more immersive.  I'm not sure why a Pathfinder would need to manually collect so many raw materials anyway.  Scouting locations so others can do that (cryo beds?!?) makes much more sense.  Of course, having to 'purchase' equipment on my own spaceship, like in the other ME's, is a little irritating.  Research I can understand.  I remember some dialogue from ME3 where Shepard actually asks about buying things on his own ship....

Right now though, it's just a mechanic in Andromeda without much point.

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My experience was very different than yours regarding on foot verses mining probes.  Especially with things like element zero and platinum.  But it's been awhile since I've done any mining so I'll give it another go but generally, it seemed like I got significantly less elements on foot.

The other things you state I completely agree.  This thing where I am responsible for everything is not only inefficient but annoying.  I am find with finding a path to resources for others to collect and I am given a percentage of it while the rest is allocated to the Nexus, Arks, and Outposts but this me needing to do it all.

BUT, if I have to do it all, I feel like that needs to be improved and some of the suggestions here would do that for me.

[soulguard03]

Sorry if this has already been posted:

I agree that the mining is a bit ... ugh.. at times. What I have noticed is that you can unlock RESOURCE pods as the game progress. One of those pods is a resource gathering pod. They give you a hefty amount of return every hour or so. This is one way you can avoid mining. And it is unlockable very early.

Hope this helps.