Asteroids are a special kind of object that the player can mine using a mining laser to collect different types of resources.
Asteroid Field
Characteristics
There are 7 different types of asteroids, one for each resource available in the game. Every different type is dyed in the color of the material it contains.
Mining
Asteroids can be mined for resources using a drone or a ship equipped with at least 1 mining laser.
Occasionally you will come across large material asteroids. These asteroids can have a material content between 20000 to 250000 units.
Note that you can not mine an asteroid containing a resource 2 levels higher than your mining laser.
You may mine an asteroid containing any resource that is 1 level higher, the same level, or any number of levels below the level of your mining laser.
Claiming
A claimable asteroid
There are special, large asteroids that can be located either visually or with the aid of an object detector module. Claimable asteroids are almost always larger than regular ones and they are more irregular shaped or look like clumps of asteroids mushed together.
These asteroids can be interacted with at close distances and claimed, once claimed you have a choice of selling it to a local faction or to construct a mine of your choosing on it. To construct the mine you must have the necessary credits.
Currently there are 12 different types of mines that can be constructed:
- Ore Mine
- Copper Mine
- Silicium Mine
- Lead Mine
- Aluminium Mine
- Zinc Mine
- Ice Mine
- Noble Metal Mine - 5 Types, Silver/Gold/Platinum.
Distribution
Asteroids can appear in a sector in a small number of 3 or 4, or they can appear in the form of an asteroid field (as depicted in the image). The concept of the asteroid field was used to portray a more realistic image of space as it is in reality, there contributing to a more realistic feel of the game.
Trivia
Before version 0.5, there was an asteroid containing precious metal, which would result in money being dropped when mined.