Mining is one of the most exciting and rewarding systems in Star Citizen for all types of players, whether new players or experienced players. It is a profession that offers a system that explores the surface of the planetary moons, the asteroid fields and belts, and the caves. We will discuss the entire mining process in detail, the equipment required, preparation strategies, and mining locations.
Some players operate solo mining ships like the MISC Prospector, and some operate a multi-crew ship like the ARGO Mole, but one thing they have in common is that both types of players need to understand the mechanics introduced and refined in Star Citizen 4.6. The main reason for mining for a few players is to earn Star Citizen aUEC, which boosts progression and helps to upgrade gear, buy components, and vessels. In this guide, we will learn everything about mining in Star Citizen 4.6.
Preparing for Mining and Equipment Required
Preparing properly is the first step that comes before the mining process. The very first involves choosing the correct tools and equipment for mining.
The two main ships still used for Mining even after the 4.6 patch are the MISC Prospector and the ARGO Mole. The MISC Prospector is a ship with a single seat used by solo miners. It is agile, and the mining head of this ship is interchangeable, and the cargo hold can be detached for transportation. The ARGO Mole is a ship for a crew, with three different mining turrets, used to manage a large deposit at once. The cargo hold of this ship is large. And for ground operations, players can use the Greycat ROC to mine certain gemstones found on surface deposits. And for hand mining, we can use the Pyro RYT Multi-Tool. Apart from the ships’ other essentials are:
- Using powerful and stable mining Lasers and Heads like the Helix S1 and the Hofstede-S1.
- Some gadgets are physical devices used during mining, like Stampede, which is used to increase the extraction. Waveshift increases the energy window.
- Gear like Mining Ore Bags is required during hand mining.
- To get powerful bonuses for your laser’s surge or instability reduction, use Mining Consumables like Surge and Stampede.
Mining Locations, Materials to Mine, and Profit-making
Players must know what valuable resources they need to mine, where to mine them, and how to make a profit out of those mined materials.
Some materials take priority for mining. Quantanium is the most valuable mining material.
It is very volatile and can explode the ship if not processed on time. It is found in asteroid belts and has the highest price. Some other valuable materials include Taranite, Aphorite, and Bexalite, as well as gemstones such as Dolivine and Hadanite. They are highly valuable and profitable.
Some prominent locations for mining in Star Citizen include the Asteroid Belts. Star Citizen 4.6 introduces new asteroid bases, providing players with additional locations for mining. To mine Quantanium, the Aron Halo Belt is a large location. The 4.6 patch focuses on the planetoid Levski, as the asteroid belt around it has a large supply of resources. Some Planetary Moons, like Lyria and Aberdeen, are good for mining Quantanium and ROC gems, respectively. And, for hand-mining the minerals, Caves are a good location. The 4.6 path also introduces some missions for resource gathering; these missions help to gather and deliver ores after mining them.
Star Citizen 4.6 introduces the new Light Amplification System to overcome the problem of mining in dark locations. This system adds a visual enhancement layer to the cockpit of the ship, which helps to navigate through the rock formations while mining in low-light conditions.
After the mining is done, the main goal is to make a profit. The primary reason for mining is to buy Star Citizen Ships and other equipment without spending money, instead using the capital generated after successful mining. So, to achieve this goal, ensuring profitability is important. Considering the strict economy, in 4.6, players need to mine and trade their resources carefully to earn maximum profit. To get maximum profit, refining the ores is very important. Use the Refinery Console for refining the ores. Then transport the refined and boxed minerals to a TDD using a Hauling Ship. This process entirely depends on how miners buy Star Citizen aUEC effectively and get the ships and make progress in the game.
The Process of Mining in Star Citizen 4.6
We now know all the necessary details about the mining equipment, locations for mining, materials to mine, and profitability. Now, we must know the process of mining in Star Citizen 4.6.
- The very first step involves finding the minerals to mine by sending a pulse and identifying the minerals to mine in the form of signatures on the radar. Quantum-sensitive minerals like Quantanium have a distinct signature glow. Use planetary maps to find the entry for the caves.
- The next step is to identify the rock and analyse it. First, fracture the rock, then fill the charge to increase the yield, and make sure not to overcharge, or the rock will explode and damage the ship. Always scan a rock to know the percentage of minerals in the rock, and mine the rocks with a higher percentage of mineral ores.
- The main phase is extracting and fracturing. Use the mining laser to fill the charge bar. If the power of the laser is high, the charge bar will fill up fast, but it is hard to control. This also increases instability, so use an optimal level of power to stabilize the entire process.
- Once the extraction and fracturing are done, the rocks are now available in the form of fragments that we collect on the ship’s cargo hold, which is further transported for sale.
Conclusion
The most important part of Star Citizen is its Ships, around which the entire game revolves. So, players need to buy Star Citizen Ships, for which they require the aUEC. Players can get it using real money, but Star Citizen offers an entire profession called mining, using which players can get the aUEC and buy the Ships without spending real money. Mining is a very important part of the game, and players must understand all the necessary details before they begin mining to get maximum benefits and earn maximum profit from it.