wbnc said:
Had a thought, but didnt see it...are there plans for mining modules. Such as for a Prospecting ship which sets down and extracts raw or? a rough idea of how much it can process in a given period would be useful as well.
And, as an add on to that..Processors. takes raw or and refines it into usable product. Instead of carrying around a lot of slag, instead of high grade product.
mu initial thoughts were something along the lines of a construction deck, only devoted to processing ore for the processors. (x) tons results in (x) tons of refined ore per day, and costs (x) Mcr per ton of processor.
Given that in any system there is a likely chance you can find any and all elements needed for production ( excluding organics/hydrocarbons) i would allow people to build fully operational factory ships that move into a mineral rich system and manufacture goods on site. A useful sort of ship to have around.
There is probably room here for some Cutter Modules as well.
The Mining Ship includes a single Modular Cutter, but
several Cutter Modules; one is a Planning Office Module that serves as the Foreman's Office and the barracks for the Cutter Pilots; some are mining rigs including mining equipment, processors, lifting arms, and also include a small barracks; and the rest are purely cargo containers. When a Mining Ship arrives on an asteroid (or other mineable space object), the Cutter deploys the modules full of miners out to their locations. The Mining Module binds itself to the location, and prepares for mining. While the Mining Modules are preparing for mining, the Cutter starts deploying the cargo containers. The Mining Modules fill the cargo containers, and when the Cutter arrives, it moves the Mining Module to a new location if necessary, and takes full cargo containers away. The Cutter stops at the Planning Office Module to rest when the comparative luxury of the ship is unavailable. The Mining Ship is free to leave and drop off full loads to starports, full-size Cargo Freighters, or another system, and return with more fuel for the Cutter. When the modules must be packed up, cargo containers are loaded first, while the Mining Modules prepare their equipment for evacuation. Some "old salts" may stay behind to "finish the job" under a less attractive contract, due to the extra transportation costs for their ore; this penalty may be lower or higher, depending on how many other mineable objects are nearby; support in times of trouble is also more limited under these conditions; but maybe an old coot and his crew has found something more valuable, if more limited to mine, to justify staying behind.
Mining Modules may be individually owned and operated, and may even be mining an exclusive claim under a "Consignment and Support" Contract. The mining company will offer a means to sell their ore or refined materials, and support services required to continue operating while the bills are paid. Mining companies
may include an unscrupulous clause requiring the company's own materials to be sold
before the materials from individually owned and operated Modules; this is not a problem when demand for the materials is unrelenting or reliable; but when the demand becomes
unreliable, or the mining company has ordered the Consignment Office to withhold their share, these contracts can become challenging. Mining Unions can help under these circumstances, but a better long-term solution may be to work for a Mining Cooperative.
Sometimes, claims will be exclusive to a particular ore or mineral, and conflicts may arise when the same region has
both valuable resources. Issues of local law, chronological precedence, or contractually obligated cooperation make these contracts complicated; but when the waste products of refinement can often be more valuable than the ore itself, such as finding gold or gems in a silver mine, contracts of this sort can put extra profit in the pockets of miners with a lucky strike... at least until the rights to more valuable materials has been sold off to another party,
and no one tells the miners...
