Star Citizen’s mining has become more intricate and finding the optimal mining location now involves considering travel time and refining options. Upgrading to the larger and more efficient mole ship is recommended for increased profitability and access to better refineries.
In update 3.19 of Star Citizen, mining has become significantly more complicated. Finding a good spot to mine is no longer as straightforward as before, with several options available. Surface sites on moons, such as Daymar, are preferred due to the higher chance of finding large clusters of rocks compared to space locations. However, scanning individual rocks is now necessary as they can contain different materials even within the same cluster.
Refining the mined materials has also changed, with high-end refining methods now only giving 85% output instead of the previous 95%. Additionally, the bonuses and disadvantages of different refineries vary greatly. The closest refinery to Daymar, Curl One, has the worst refining location in the game, with a negative six to some of the highest value materials. Argyl II is a better option, but it is farther away, requiring travel time and potential refueling stops.
Considering travel time and refinery options, using Argyl II as the base operation would result in a round trip time of 41 minutes, bringing in 1.46 fully loaded Prospectors per hour. Using Curl One, despite its poor refining capabilities, would reduce travel time significantly, resulting in a round trip time of 28 minutes and 2.14 fully loaded Prospectors per hour, after compensating for refining losses.
To optimize mining profitability, it is recommended to save up for a Mole, a larger ship with better lasers and more cargo capacity. The Mole’s XL1 drive allows for faster travel, reducing overall trip time. Upgrading to a Mole also grants access to better refineries, making it an excellent solo mining ship.
In conclusion, mining in Star Citizen has become more complex and finding the best mining spot requires careful consideration of travel time and refining options. Upgrading to a larger ship like the Mole can greatly improve profitability by allowing more efficient mining and access to better refineries. More mining videos will be available in the future for those interested in making money through mining in the game.