Advanced Upgrades (Heads, Modules, and Mining Gadgets)
To deal with particularly resistant or unstable deposits, the operator has three levels of enhancement available: laser-mounted mining heads (which alter stability, resistance, and the number of locations), modules inserted into the head (permanent passive modules or high-impact consumables), and mining gadgets. The latter, placed directly on the rock by the operator, significantly alter the vein’s properties but involve taking risks in the field. All of this equipment can be purchased at the refining platforms in L1 stations.
Module content
When dealing with particularly massive or unstable ore bodies, standard mining lasers sometimes reach their limits. To successfully fracture these complex rocks, the operator can adjust and enhance their equipment using three categories of upgrade kits.
Mining Heads
Miner heads are hardware components mounted directly on your ship's or vehicle's arm or laser turret.
- Effects on Performance: A new mining head alters the laser's behavior by increasing the stability of the ore body, reducing rock resistance, or improving the responsiveness of the power control system.
- Expandability: Replacing the standard head also provides additional slots for installing add-on modules.
Mining Modules
Modules are subcomponents that are inserted directly into the mining head slots of your ship or vehicle. They alter the laser's attributes to address specific situations (increasing raw power, widening the optimal charge window, etc.).
- Passive modules: These subcomponents provide permanent and continuous improvement with no limit on usage.
- Active modules / consumables: These components offer significantly greater performance gains, but can only be used a limited number of times before they are completely destroyed.
Mining Gadgets
Gadgets are standalone electronic devices designed to drastically alter the physical structure of a stubborn ore body.
- Manual installation: Unlike the heads and modules controlled from the control station, the mining device must be carried and secured by hand directly onto the rock surface.
- Installing a device radically alters the properties of the vein (a massive reduction in resistance or significant stabilization). However, the operation involves physical risk for the operator, who must exit their vehicle or spacecraft in the middle of an asteroid field or on the surface of a celestial body.
Procurement
All of this upgrade equipment (heads, passive modules/consumables, and gadgets) is sold in specialty shops on the refining decks of L1-type space stations.
Validation exam
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