Evochron Mercenary Mining Question

PilotX · Post by **PilotX** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:56 pm

Hello all,

I'm fairly new to these boards so you'll have to forgive me if I didn't find anything on this topic, yet. I'm having quite a bit of trouble trying to obtain biological units from a planet. I haven't seen anything that says that this isn't possible (in fact, the contrary), but from my many hours of experience, I have, as of yet, to get any bio units on any mining trip.

Am I doing something wrong? I've failed at least one contract due to this, so I'd love some pointers. I've tried:

Mining in the green areas (grassy?)
Stationary mining (landing)
Moving the ship at the maximum height allowed for flight
Mining in areas that have trees
Mining Probes at various elevations

I'd love to know what I'm doing wrong, or if this just is no longer possible.

Busch · Post by **Busch** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:30 am

You'll need to "mine/harvest" the vegetation areas, the green stuff. Stay mobile with the M/T beam, while inside the veggy area. If you land, the M/T beam will automatically start mining the planetary/surface metals. Fly/maneuver just above the veggy stuff (IDS toggled on), deploy the M/T beam, maintain headway, and stay inside the green areas to keep the "hoppers" filling. You may have to "deal with" the low altitude warnings 'til yer done.

Mining/harvesting biologicals is not only allowed, but encouraged through contract offering/assignments. Cerulean Main/StarPort 27 is usually "up" with the biologicals, and the med kits derived therefrom. If'n yer sellin', further out might be indicated favorably.

If you're having a problem with the mining probe in trying to collect biologicals, there may be a bit of built-in cross purposes going. You can use the mining probe on a planet, as well as asteriods. However, it's been my experience that the mining probe only delivers the metalics, as opposed to the botanicals. But you may have proved my point.

I've never mined/harvested "trees", but I would imagine the same method would hold true for them as well, as they are "vegetation".

Hope this helps. Hope to see you out there! There'll be others along soon.

PilotX · Post by **PilotX** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:43 am

I've tried in the atmosphere above the grassy/green areas as well as letting the beam go vertical, but only seem to obtain metals. I'm about ready to give up on harvesting it as a commodity and avoiding contracts for it, since it's becoming such a pain and is quite elusive.

I feel like I'm missing something vital. Altitude? Planet specifics? I'm thoroughly frustrated.

Post by **Marvin** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:39 am

You ship doesn't land but it does hover. If your throttle isn't at idle (zero velocity), you aren't hovering. Do that in a place where it isn't raining, where the grassy-looking trees are all around you, then activate your "generic" tractor beam. Make sure your cargo bay is empty first ... it should then start loading up on biologicals.

PilotX · Post by **PilotX** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:09 am

I'll give it another shot and update this thread.

I've tried that once before with no success. I feel like I'm totally doing it wrong. I'll typically run around at 213 M/s, and let it "settle" at the hover height, and pan around in these sections. Both that are just green, and those that have the polygons for the veggies rendered (trees, I guess?).

For a completely off topic, but a positive note, I love the modding this game supports. I've already customized a lot of the UI and audio from various links found in other sections of the forums. Loads of fun.

Post by **Marvin** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:14 am

The default "trees" look more like really huge blades of grass ... or hair (if you were the size of a flea). Which is why I use a tree mod.

PilotX · Post by **PilotX** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:34 am

Okay, so I'm on Sapphire, at a veggie patch, and nothing but metals or water is dropping in the cargo hold (also oxygen when I exceed 5k altitude), but alas, no biological units.

I'm probably going to scrap trying to go for them. I'm either doing something wrong or I've successfully found a bug. :-(

[Edited on 8-3-2012 by PilotX]

Post by **Marvin** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 6:00 am

Could you post a screenshot of your ship as it's hovering and trying to tractor the biologicals?

PilotX · Post by **PilotX** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 6:51 am

Sure can. Here's a standstill and in flight screenshot

Post by **Marvin** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:32 pm

Well, you're in the right spot. And the Chat window shows that you can't pick up metal (because something else is being mined) ... so you're probably using a generic tractor beam (as opposed to one which only mines a single, specific mineral). And you are loading something into your cargo bay (btw, at the time you took the screenshots, what was being loaded into cargo?) ... sooooo. I don't know.

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:42 pm

When you get something in your bay you don't want, jettison it asap and keep doing this until you see what you want being loaded into your cargo bay. This method may take awhile but you will see how many different things you can mine even in one spot.

PilotX · Post by **PilotX** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:28 am

Yeah, I've swept an area several times, emptying the cargo bays as needed (currently have a 5-slot installed), and alas, no bio units. I'm at a complete loss. :-(

Post by **Marvin** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:10 am

Me too. When you're in the middle of those trees, your tractor beam should only pick up biologicals. Must be made in Vonarion.

PilotX · Post by **PilotX** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:49 pm

Yeah, I'm pretty confused on the whole affair. I'm tempted to try a reinstallation, though I couldn't imagine that would make a difference in literally one commodity suddenly being fixed by such an activity.

Post by **Marvin** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:51 pm

Did you try a different planet?

PilotX · Post by **PilotX** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:16 pm

Well, I broke down and did a reinstall. No dice. Biological units are basically unicorns on my installation.

PilotX · Post by **PilotX** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:17 pm

From post: 142602, Topic: tid=9684, author=Marvin wrote: Did you try a different planet?

I've tried a few, but will try again in other systems to see if that helps. I'll have to try later this evening, though, as I'm about to head out for a family outing.

PilotX · Post by **PilotX** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:34 am

So, without further information, I'm going to have to say this is a bug. I've tried different systems, planets, speeds, altitudes, the works. Why or how this is affecting me, I have no clue.

I could try a completely fresh game save, but I highly doubt that would have any effect.

Any further suggestions or routes to take that might alleviate this bizarre issue? I'm on a 64-bit system, win7 if that matters for diagnosis purposes.

Agent Zirdik · Post by **Agent Zirdik** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:53 am

I haven't tested recently, but I also had the same issue. Honestly there's really no use for bio units anyway

PilotX · Post by **PilotX** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:56 am

From post: 142676, Topic: tid=9684, author=Agent Zirdik wrote:I haven't tested recently, but I also had the same issue. Honestly there's really no use for bio units anyway

Totally agree, and am so very, very glad I'm not alone on this issue. I'll just avoid those contracts and any trading with them. There are clearly other, more viable, commodities. Thanks for the affirmation Zirdik!

Busch · Post by **Busch** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:33 am

Well, there is a market for biologicals/pharmacueticals, and for med kits. Thank the goodness for that, elsewise our boys and girls on the front lines wouldn't have squat for their combat triage needs! You'll probably keep seeing biologicals and med kits offered as items of ships' chandlery, where ever you fly. It's all part of the game. And like any other commodity, can be traded for profit, how ever you can do it.

Agent Zirdik · Post by **Agent Zirdik** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 2:57 am

Do you mean holding commodities to offer to pilots not out of actual economic demand but for the sake of role-play?

That's occurred to me, but I still think that it would be nice if the in-game economy gave me an excuse to carry things that aren't actually involved with any actual industry.

I mean food and meds aren't really very valuable, but I carry them because at least distress calls sometimes ask for them.

But for now, let's leave the plants alone.

EN4CER · Post by **EN4CER** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 3:51 am

Distress calls from pilots and stations too

Major Grubert · Post by **Major Grubert** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 10:39 am

prices should be more various from a quadrant to another / system to anoher /planet to another

biological items could be very cheap at x but really expensive at D, this would make them more interesting to trade exchange search and chase...

right now traders do not trade that much bio because it's cheap everywhere, what is not really logic in a so vast universe

same for water, water must be very expensive in some part of universe, more than weapons or tech items

just an idea

(just back from vacancy)

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 3:53 pm

From post: 142773, Topic: tid=9684, author=Major Grubert wrote:same for water, water must be very expensive in some part of universe, more than weapons or tech items

How many people thought of Dune when they read that?