Mineral Cache Visibility

Sokari wrote: As for mineral fields i'm not too sure. I like the idea of there been a single resource node so that if i cap it i've the rights to sell it or keep it as i see fit. with other players not having access to it, if they want it, they'll have to come take it otherwise i've got an advantage. Though that said, if you changed it to resource fields somewhat like those in mankind it could make things interesting when scouting for a new planet. but you'd get people like me going and capping the whole area of any nice minerals and getting a huge income from it lol.

Mineral fields would provide the best of both worlds by opening up options. If you want to keep the entire field to yourself, you can arm your mine and/or put up other armed facilities and units to shoot competitors. However, when sharing is desirable, it allows for that as well. Also, if you like the Harvester idea, then a field is the way to go because with a single node, as we have now, you'd only be able to use a single Harvester at a time, and that would suck. Plus, your Harvester routes would break every time someone plopped a mining facility down on it.

With a field, you could even plop mining facilities over the entire field, but it wouldn't be as easy as building a single mining facility, which I think is good.

So, a mineral field allows for all three mining methods, allows for allied mining, and you can still monopolize a field if you want to. However, monopolizing a field isn't as simple as building a single mining facility. I think all of those things are good things.

On a separate note, down the road apiece if we get all three mining methods in then it'd be a simple matter to add random groups of asteroids in space that a space-capable Harvester unit could go mine. I know DSE wanted to add asteroid belts, but random asteroids would be the easiest way and a good place to start space mining, at least.

With Vimes' code-block idea (as per Sokari on Skype), player's could easily add a Harvester code block to any unit (have to set some size limits), or a Transporter block for units transporting resources to a refinery.

Desertfox wrote: Actually I like the current system of mining very much. With mineral nodes running out after a few days, there are no permanent mining operations, which adds a lot to player mobility. And player mobility will lead to more wars. What I would remove is the drop in concentration. If lots of players mine with noob mines you'll have soon a planet full of 1% concentration mineral nodes and that is just annoying.

I would also lower the size of the mineral nodes and lower mining speed.

Permanent mines will lead to a permanent mineral income for a one-time investment, while the in the current system you get a limited amount of minerals for your one-time investment. And permanent mineral income leads to mineral inflation.

Rarity of valuable resources leads to an increase in trade. Which is good.

I never said anything about permanent mines. The Mineral Field idea is not meant to be permanent. They would run out and respawn just like the nodes we have now.