Shaft Miner
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Shaft Miner | |
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"-And tell science, if they want their diamonds. To give us the damn tech for it!" | |
Information | |
Access | Mining Station, Mining Station EVA, Cargo Office, Mineral Storage |
Additional Access | Maintenance, Cargo Bay, MULEbot access, Quartermaster's Office |
Difficulty | Hard |
Supervisors | Quartermaster and Executive Officer |
Rank | Specialist (SPC) |
Duties | Mine ores and process them into useful materials. Go on an adventure in mysterious ruins. |
Guides | This is the guide, Guide to Fighters |
Welcome to the Frontier, Miner. Grab your Hardsuit, prepare the accelerators, we've got a busy day ahead.
Bare minimum requirements: Break rocks, collect ore and bring it back to the main ship for refining.
Workin' In The Plasma Mine
Being a miner can be somewhat tedious, but without your valiant efforts, the ship and it's crew will use up every scrap of materials they start with and descend into anarchy. You best know what you're doing before stepping out into the great unknown. Which is a great segway into the next point, where do you, the humble blue collar worker that you are, work? Well my friend you work on a big damn rock, and it's up to you to strip that hunk of stone for valuable materials! Unfortunately, the rocks aren't particularly welcoming because of the following:
- Space - Cold, Empty and really doesn't like you. Without a hardsuit and Oxygen supply, you wont make it very long out there.
- Gibtonie - Nature's homegrown bombs! While not a threat to those that are prepared, a close proximity blast can easily put you into crit or remove a limb.
- Lifeforms - Not all asteroids are barren of life and anything that can survive in the great void has got to be pretty strange. From glowing fairies to packs of ravenous space carp and in rare cases you may even find the elusive space clowns...
The risk of these hazards can be reduced by keeping a close eye on your surroundings and always having your accelerator on hand to help you out. As good as your accelerator is, having another miner to back you up is even better.
You can click on an adjacent rock or run directly into it to begin picking or drilling the rock, but the Kinetic Accelerator is much faster and more efficient. Keep in mind that if you do decide to pick or drill your way through rock, you can have multiple dig jobs running at the same time to mine faster.
Working With Your Boss
Who is your boss? You answer to the Executive Officer, much like the rest of Supply -- but usually, you'll just be talking to the Quartermaster or other Miners. It's best to make some friends, as you'll be seeing your fellow miners a lot.
The Objective
You're here to mine, so get digging! Once you're full to bursting with ores, drag your ore box back to the main ship and head to cargo where the Ore Redemption Machine sits. Drag the box next to the machine to automatically offload your ores and have them instantly processed into sheets. Then click "claim" to retrieve mining points as a reward for your hard work, these points will be placed on whatever ID is currently in the machine. Once you've deposited your ores. Check the Cargo Protolathe for those all important upgrades and then get back to work.
How to do the do
Gearing up
- Gear up! From the mining equipment locker, you will need Meson Scanner goggles, a mining scanner, your pickaxe (optional), a bluespace shelter capsule and your standard issue proto-kinetic accelerator. If you want, there is also an additional mining satchel, and a shovel for digging up ash (for glass).
- Attach your seclite and knife to your proto-kinetic accelerator to save space, and to let you bash things harder without having to take out your knife.
- Use your voucher on a mining vending machine to select your choice of advanced mining tools, listed below.
- Head to the ship mining prep room (if it has one!) to grab a hardsuit and breath mask, as well as a bottle of oxygen, always carry a spare as they can fit in your backpack.
- Before you go, you'll want an Ore Box, which can hold an infinite amount of minerals. Ore boxes are available on the mining station, the mining shuttle and rarely on the field. More can be built with wood planks.
- For extra safety, grab a GPS device, set it to your name and tell the QM and other miners about it. If you're lucky, they will drag your lifeless body back to cloning.
Piloting 101:
To learn how to pilot a sabre, refer to the Guide to Fighters as the controls for piloting a fighter and sabre are one and the same
FTL: Going REALLY fast
So you've mined, crashed into or blown up all the asteroids in your sector of space? Good news! Once the main vessel jumps, you can go mine fresh fruits of the next system without a worry.
However you've probably looked at the piloting menu on your sabre and wondered "What is this 'Return' button?" Well, your sabres have the unique ability to get abandoned by the main ship whenever it jumps away! Fortunately, as long as you have the battery power to charge your FTL drive, you're never too much at risk of being permanently abandoned.
Life beyond breaking rocks
- Print some better mining tools or upgrades for your existing ones and Mining Satchels of Holding at the cargo protolathe for even more efficient mining.
- Get your grubby hands on some upgrades for your Sabre such as improvements to it's DRADIS console, allowing it to see higher tiers of asteroids from afar, or just shove a bigger engine into the Sabre to watch it go faster.
Voucher equipment
You start the shift with a complimentary mining voucher, worth one free item out of a selection of four. These items, and their strengths, are:
- Survival Capsule and Explorer's Webbing: The webbing (you put on your belt slot) allows you to carry even more mining equipment - having a second shelter capsule is nice too. 900 pts value.
- Resonator Kit: Comes with a resonator, explorer's webbing, mini extinguisher and advanced scanner. While the resonator is underwhelming, the advanced scanner has almost twice the scanning range and updates much faster. 2100 pts.
- Mining Drone: A little companion that helps in storing ore and hunting wildlife. Only useful once you install the sentience upgrade module. Comes with an industrial welding tool, a welding mask and a KA modkit that allows shots to pass through the drone. ~800 pts.
- Extraction and Rescue Kit: Contains a fulton extraction pack and a beacon, which allows you to send back home minerals, items and dead miners without having to use the ferry. As a bonus, you get 30 marker beacons too. 1700 pts.
- Crusher Kit: Contains a proto-kinetic crusher, a chest webbing like the capsule kit, an advanced scanner and a mini fire extinguisher. The crusher is two-handed and hard to use without getting hit, but has a chance to make fauna drop powerful trophies. 2450 pts.
- Mining Conscription Kit: A duffle bag full of basic items for one conscript - Proto-kinetic accelerator, survival knife, seclite, explorer's suit, mesons, mining scanner and satchel, gas mask, a supply radio key and a special card that adds mining access to IDs. Good for when you want to recruit
metafriendsfresh conscripts. 1500 pts.
Default Gear
The following is a list of default mining equipment:
Essential Equipment
Item | Description |
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Mining Hardsuit |
The Standard issue hardsuit provided to all miners, providing full EVA protection, light armour and an inbuilt helmet. Which has the ability to activate lights on the helmet for some EXTRA light. Wearing the suit does provide some slowdown in regular areas. The suit allows an oxygen tank to be placed on your back. |
Explorer Gas Mask and Oxygen Tank |
So you can have oxygen when mining. Oxygen tanks are available from the tank storage unit, and can be worn on your suits storage slot. You can also use your emergency oxygen tank which can be placed on your suit. Running out of oxygen is unlikely with the full sized tank. |
Meson Scanners and Automatic Mining Scanner |
Activating the scanner will briefly flash any ore on screen - it works even inside a box. Can be used to stop gibtonite from exploding. |
Global Positioning System, GPS |
Having one of these on you will help others track down your body if you happen to develop a case of the dead. In addition it can be used to locate other miners (who bothered to take it). Be sure to set your name on the GPS. |
Proto-kinetic Accelerator |
A standard issue gun. The good part is that it packs a punch in a low pressure environment, is very good at digging and has infinite shots. The bad part is that it tickles in pressurized environments, has a cooldown after each shot, and has a range of three steps. Can be dual wielded at the price of lower accuracy and speed. KAs deal brute damage (40 standard/10 in pressurized rooms), but count as explosive versus armor. That way, suits like bomb suits and the RD hardsuit can negate 90% of the damage dealt. |
Survival Knife |
Use it for butchering the wildlife (hit while on harm intent). It's as strong against mobs as a pickaxe, but you can't mine with it. You can store it in your boots to save space, but remember to alt-click the boots to draw the knife back out. Alternatively, stick it on your KA. |
Survival Medipen |
A cocktail of powerful healing chemicals. Contains Salbutamol, Leporazine, Epinephrine, Mining Nanites and Omnizine. Heals all types of damage and stabilizes body temperature. |
Bluespace shelter capsule |
Activate this in your hand, and it'll near instantly produce a beautiful shelter. The shelter contains a cupboard which contains a guitar (or dice) and some donk pockets. It also has a stasis bed which requires another person to use. Never leave home without one. You're issued one for free in your the mining lockers on station. |
Ore Satchel |
For carrying ore without using a mining cart, holds 50 ore nuggets. Empty it into boxes by using the satchel on them. Newbie tip: Put it in one of your pocket slots, then start dragging an ore box. Any ore you walk over will be transferred to the box. |
Ore box |
Used for carrying huge amounts of ore. While a satchel can only hold 50 nuggets, this can hold an unlimited sum. You cannot carry it, but you can drag it with you. Use your satchel on the box to empty it into the box. Even better: Drag it behind you with an ore satchel in your pocket. |
Mining Voucher |
Found in your backpack, exchange this at the mining equipment locker for one of several selections which include various mining items. |
Seclite |
A beefed up flashlight. Put this on your KA to free up inventory space. |
Miscellaneous Equipment
Items that, while not critical to take, can be situationally useful.
Item | Description |
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Pickaxe |
Somewhat antiquated thanks to the prevalence of the proto-kinetic accelerator and resonator. Nevertheless it can be used to dig wide tunnels, robust things in melee combat and as a backup if you lose your resonator. It can also fit inside a belt chest webbing. |
Shovel |
Gathering sand. You can stick this in your backpack. A crappier version of a compact pickaxe |
Crowbar |
For removing KA mods, or just in case when there is a blackout. Spawns in your box. |
Advanced Gear
The following are more advanced items that need to be purchased from a mining equipment vendor, with credits:
Voucher/Reward Equipment
These items can either be acquired from a voucher, or can be bought with money/credits, usually earned from delivering ore to the Ore Redemption Machine on the station. Prices are included.
|
Item | Description | Price |
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1 Marker Beacon | A glowing prism stone that you can anchor to the ground. Useful if you tend to get lost. | 10 Credits |
10 Marker Beacon | Same as above, but 10 beacons. | 100 Credits |
30 Marker Beacon | Same as above, but 30 beacons. | 300 Credits |
Whiskey |
A bottle of alcohol, helps you forget you literally work in hell. | 100 Credits |
Absinthe |
A bottle of alcohol, helps you forget you literally work in hell. | 100 Credits |
Cigar |
A high-quality havana cigar. | 150 Credits |
Soap |
A bar of slippery soap. | 200 Credits |
Laser Pointer |
Just a laser pointer, don't shite it into people's eyes. Useful against rogue Cyborgs. | 300 Credits |
Toy Facehugger |
An extremely realistic-looking facehugger toy, to prank the crew with. Latches onto faces and tears off masks. | 300 Credits |
32px Stabilizing Serum |
Currently useless, but looks quite pretty. | 400 Credits |
Fulton Beacon |
Creates an anchored beacon when used in hand that fulton packs can target as a drop-off point. | 400 Credits |
Bluespace Shelter Capsule |
The Shelter Capsule is indispensable for long expeditions: it creates an ash-storm proof 3x3 room complete with breathable air, a sleeper and some warm donk-pockets. | 400 Credits |
GAR Mesons |
A pair of very sharp meson scanners. Can be thrown as a weapon, with a chance to embed. | 500 Credits |
Chest Webbing |
Can be worn on the belt slot, stores mining equipment. | 500 Credits |
Survival Medipen |
Contains several healing and heat-stabilizing chemicals. Using more than one in a short period will cause several overdoses. | 500 Credits |
Brute First-Aid Kit |
Contains bandages and brute-healing patches. | 600 Credits |
Tracking Implant Kit |
Contains three tracking implants and a locator; useful if you want others to find your corpse for up to 10 minutes after death. | 600 Credits |
Wormhole Jaunter |
One-use item that creates a wormhole to a random beacon on station. The portal is unstable and will make you dizzy after using it. | 750 Credits |
Proto-kinetic Crusher |
A powerful two-handed melee weapon. Shoots kinetic bolts that don't deal damage, but can mark large creatures making the hammer deal increased damage (20->50 Brute) when used on them. It will deal even greater damage (80) on backstab. What makes the Crusher special, is that enemies killed by it have a chance to drop trophies, powerful "modkits" that can be attached to the Crusher. |
750 Credits |
Proto-kinetic Accelerator |
The classic mining weapon. Buy it from here if you did not get one at roundstart. | 750 Credits |
Advanced Mining Scanner |
A upgrade over the default Mining Scanner. This tool has a much larger detection radius of seven tiles (the entire screen), and updates more frequently. | 800 Credits |
Resonator |
Another deadly tool. This will, when used on rock or an empty space, create a field on that spot that lasts for about five seconds before rupturing, causing serious damage (60 Brute) to anything standing on it. Just like the kinetic accelerator, it does reduced damage (20) in pressurized environments. You can activate it in your hand to switch the field to last between 3 and 5 seconds. Using it on an already-marked spot will instantly rupture the field. | 800 Credits |
Fulton Extraction Pack |
A balloon that can be used to extract equipment or personnel who are outside (not within the station or the mining base) to a Fulton Recovery Beacon. Anything not bolted down can be moved. Swap which beacon the pack is aiming at by using the pack in hand. It has a limited number of uses, examine the pack to check how many are left. | 1000 Credits |
Lazarus Injector | A miracle injection capable of reviving simple living beings from death, making them friendly to you and the crew. Useless on humans, monkeys, and other complex living beings. Resurrect Ian for all access from a thankful Executive Officer! Or make yourself a space carp. The Lazarus injector can be EMP'd to make revived mobs hostile to everyone but you. Also useful for bartering with the XO or any staff with a pet. | 1000 Credits |
Silver-plated Pickaxe |
Slightly better than the default pickaxe, but still a lot worse than your starting KA. | 1000 Credits |
Mining Conscription Kit |
Contains a proto-kinetic accelerator, survival knife, seclite, mesons, an ore scanner and satchel, an explorer suit and gas mask, a supply encryption key and a card which adds mining access to IDs. | a 1500 Credits |
Mining Hardsuit |
An extra hardsuit if you need to buy a new one for somebody, or you lost your old one. | 2000 Credits |
Diamond Pickaxe |
For when you want something shinier and better than your default pickaxe and the scientists are either too lazy or too dead to make drills or jackhammers. STILL worse than a basic KA. | 2000 Credits |
Super (Upgraded) Resonator |
Like the regular resonator, but able to have 6 fields active at a time - with no damage penalty for fields that are detonated early. | 2500 Credits |
Jump Boots |
A pair of boots that allow you to jump over three tiles, skipping chasms. Does not prevent lava damage, however. | 2500 Credits |
Luxury Shelter Capsule |
Tired of cramped shelter capsules? This is for you! Comes with a three-course meal, a deluxe companion and much more. | 3000 Credits |
Luxury Elite Bar Capsule |
A luxury bar in a capsule. Bartender required and not included. | 10000 Credits |
KA White Tracer Rounds Mod |
A modkit that makes your KA's projectile flight path visible, in a white color. | 100 Credits |
KA Adjustable Tracer Rounds Mod |
A modkit that makes your KA's projectile flight path visible. Use in hand to cycle between colors. | 150 Credits |
Super KA Chassis Mod |
A modkit that makes your KA look yellow, like one of the no longer existing Super-Kinetic Accelerators. | 250 Credits |
Hyper KA Chassis Mod |
A modkit that makes your KA look orange, like one of the no longer existing Hyper-Kinetic Accelerators. | 300 Credits |
KA Range Mod |
A modkit that increases your KA's range by 1. | 1000 Credits |
KA Damage Mod |
A modkit that increases your KA's damage by 10. | 1000 Credits |
KA Cooldown Mod |
A modkit that reduces your KA's cooldown by 0.25 seconds. | 1000 Credits |
KA AoE Damage Mod |
A modkit that makes your KA hit in a 3x3 AoE, dealing 20% of the original damage per modkit. | 2000 Credits |
RnD Gear
The following is a list of advance items that can be acquired only from RnD, using a combination of minerals and high tech research.
All of this gear is printed out at the supply department protolathe.
The Ores
These are what you should be looking out for, generally try and get a good mix of the more exotic ore types. Iron ore is ok but it sells for little and is highly abundant on the station already.
Name | Wall | Raw Ore | Money Reward Value | Processed Ore | Frequency | Uses |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iron | 1 | Very Common | For just about everything. | |||
Sand | 1 | Very Common | For making glass, which has a plethora of station applications. Activate sand in your hand to make sandstone bricks. These can be used to make dirt which can be used to grow plants. | |||
Plasma | 15 | Common | Ship sheets back to Centcom for bonus money to the cargo budget. | |||
Silver | 16 | Semi-Common | Making dosh, mechs, and researching Bluespace. | |||
Gold | 18 | Semi-Common | For making various electronics or pimping out Beepsky. | |||
Titanium | 30 | Uncommon | For high-tech mechs or R&D components. Also for building shuttle walls and floors. | |||
Uranium | 30 | Uncommon | For making you radioactive (notice: no joke, this shit is deadly as a wall or a door). Delicious cocktails. | |||
Diamond | 50 | Rare | For making mech parts, among other industrial uses. | |||
Bluespace Crystal | 50 | Rare | These crystals can be used in various ways. Give them to science to increase bluespace science, hold onto them to use as a risk free jaunter, or throw them at people to make them teleport randomly (often into space.) | |||
Bananium | 60 | HONK! | A rare and unusual mineral found exclusively in clown-controlled space. Used only for the H.O.N.K. mech and other clownlike items. Absolutely Cursed | |||
Gibtonite | N/A | Uncommon | For How to obtain Gibtonite: Hit ore, count to 8 flashes of the ore then hit it with your scanner. Gibtonite varies in the number of reactions it has, so you may get lower quality ore. Use 2 of the 0 reaction ores (the most potent) to blow open the AI core and make it cry at it's malf failure! |
Who Needs What
Miners don't have to deliver ores directly to departments -- they can if they want, or if those bastards are too lazy to leave their fortress of autism science -- but it never hurts to know what to aim for.
- Scientists at least a bit of every ore. In exchange, they may give you upgrades for your Kinetic Accelerator, a Plasma Cutter, a Mining Satchel of Holding, and, if you're lucky, Night Vision Meson Scanners or a Bag of Holding!
- Roboticists need diamond, uranium, silver and gold for building mech parts. Give them enough and you've indirectly helped out most of the departments on the station if the Roboticists are competent enough to build helpful stompy mechs for everybody! Too bad the lavaproof Firefighter is the only good mech for mining.
- The Quartermaster may want mineral sheets to trade them in for bonus supply credits. Plasma in particular is both common and valuable.
- Everybody could always use more iron, glass and plasteel, but especially Roboticists and Station Engineers.
- The Chemist and Xenobiologist will all appreciate having extra plasma.
- A competent Virologist can use several sheets of uranium to create incredibly powerful healing viruses that let you heal out of crit in two seconds.
- A Clown with Bananium is a grateful and dangerous ally.
- The Bartender can use a few sheets of uranium or iron to craft some of his rarest cocktails.
Tips
- Always go with at least two other people when mining. Not only can you mine faster together, the chance that they could both be 'lings/traitors is rather low. Pickaxe to the skull tends to put down most people.
- You can view the contents of a mining satchel as if it were a backpack.
- Middle mouse click swaps your hand, allowing you to shoot minerals and grat them with the satchel quickly.
- Minebots are great at distracting monsters. Just walk near and bash the distracted target with your drill. They can take quite a beating. Plus they collect all the crap gibtonite leaves when it detonates.
- The Proto-kinetic Accelerator can destroy electrified grilles without needing a pair of insulated gloves.
- The Proto-kinetic Accelerator will obliterate a space carp in one hit while in space.
- You can dual wield PKAs. Use harm intent to fire both at once.
- The Executive Officer may reward you with all access if you resurrect Ian. Also, sometimes the Research Director will reward you for a pet gold grub.
- If you're expecting trouble on the station, consider taking out a window on the mining shuttle before you return to make a quick getaway so you're not trapped like a rat in a cage.
- The mining drone can be repaired with a welding tool, but not in the middle of a fight.
- You could alternatively buy the drone, fully upgrade it, give it an AI Module, and tell it to go valid-hunt. A mining drone dragging a bar of soap is surprisingly robust against even changelings.
- Life improving things:
- Mining suit upgrade : The Mining jetpack upgrade can make your already fast work even faster by reducing the time you are moving between the ship and asteroid. Plus it's great to have when you need to make a speedy getaway.
- Augmentations : Augs are VERY useful for miners, as healing with a welder is ultimately easier. Plus they work differently than armor when it comes to protection, instead reducing all brute damage taken by an augmented body part by 5 (4 for burn). Downside : EMP vulnerability.
- Kinetic accelerators can be used as infinite tools to navigate space, since every time you fire, it'll throw you in the opposite direction.
- Sentient minebots can very easily be commanded to go help security if there is an imminent threat to the station. Their melee saw is very robust, and works just as well as on all ships. The proto-kinetic accelerator that they are equipped with is very robust when in space.
- If you dont have a mining satchel of holding, and no ore box, you can deconstruct tables in the library (the curator is probably too busy organizing a game of D&D to really care much) to obtain wooden planks. You can then use these wooden planks to fabricate an ore box.
- If science hasn't researched Advanced Mining Technology within 10 minutes of the start of the shift, please remind them. There is normally at least 1 single person in science competent enough to do so.
Dead Space
A traitorous miner has a lot of advantages. You have a space suit for free right away and a robust pickaxe. Certain minerals you'll find have more "specialized" uses -- uranium structures will irradiate people, plasma can start fires, gibtonite goes boom. You can also buy dangerous "mining" tools and possibly even revive those monsters you've been fighting. As long as you have some mineral wealth or an ore box with you, no one will suspect your presence around the station, even in highly restricted areas like robotics or toxins, and if you are smart enough, you could get a big stompy mech to drill people to death!
Tips for Traitoring
- If you're a miner and you have to kill another miner; there's a really easy way to block communications one way so he can't call for help.
- Grab a multitool, go to the mining communications room.
- Use the multi tool on the relay and make sure the relay isn't sending, meaning your headset won't go to people on the station.
- Kill your target with their shouts for help unheard.
- More than one uranium wall is hilariously deadly, as they give off a pulse of radiation every couple of seconds. This pulse makes other uranium walls in range pulse as well, and they all run on their own timer.
- Tiers 0-1-2-3 can gib bodies, remember mining suits take 50% of damage away from bombs, so strip miners you want to make disappear forever first.
- Ripley is a fairly robust murdering tool, if you can, convince robotics to put a gravity catapult on it. SLAM PEOPLE INTO WALLS. THE SUFFERING NEVER ENDS.
- Space is your best ally. Your weapons are more lethal in space, and anyone who wants to chase you will need access to a jetpack and EVA gear. Make people fight on your terms by blowing up the station with various Gibtonite charges, or bust in, stun and drag targets into space.
- You can make a chemical payload container using any shitty bit of gibtonite. This can be useful for making chemical bombs, but it relies on knowing how to obtain specific chemicals that can be robust and accessible to a Miner.