Hercules (TL) mining drill unuseable

[etchasketch]

since the mobile mining drill hardpoint has been moved to the main gun of the paranid hercules (originally it was on the left turret), mining with the Hercules (especially with large asteroids) has become very difficult.

example

edit - image re-sized to within forum limits and linked to off-site fullsize pic - Abyss

this is a picture of the hercules with the ecliptic grid on. the front nose (not the masts) of the hercules would touch the point marked "Hercules nose stops here" if it was strafed upwards. The grid has been aligned with the main gun, and the mining drill is being fired (its hard to see) along the blue line. The point marked "Mining drill stops here" is the point at which the mining shots expire.

because the main gun is fixed facing directly forwards, it is obvious that if the hercules was to park its nose right up to a straight vertical wall, the mining drill would fail to hit the wall by about 2 grid squares.

some of the really huge asteroids are like a vertical wall, and so they cant be safely mined by parking the hercules nose near it. instead, the top of the hercules must be manouvered close to the asteroid just to hit it with the drill, seriously reducing the drills effective range.

the original mount was on the left, and could safely be manouvered next to a surface, and directed by the turret.

i believe it was a mistake to move the hercules' mining hardpoint, and would either like it to be moved back in the next patch, or be provided with sufficient explanation of why it was moved. i understand the elephant was modified to include a front turret with mining capability, which may explain why the hercules was similarily changed.

[Donar]

Good grief. If this doesn't deserve a second look, I don't know what does.

Provided that you are correct (the presentation is pretty convincing), Ego needs to get on this post-haste.

[etchasketch]

bump

[The_Abyss]

I'm not sure why it has been changed, but it certainly has been noted. Byw, I moved your original post around a bit to re-size the picture.

[etchasketch]

fair enough. thanks.

i'm glad this issue is being looked at. good stuff.

[achillies]

As a miner with a Herc, I'd like to second this. Maybe just move the forward firing point closer to the nose ? At least a special slot for the sake of the mining laser.

[pjknibbs]

As a miner with a Herc, I'd like to second this. Maybe just move the forward firing point closer to the nose ? At least a special slot for the sake of the mining laser.

That must certainly be possible--after all, they moved the rear turret on the Split Elephant as part of the 1.3 patch, so moving the gun on the Hercules shouldn't be that hard.

[etchasketch]

i prefer it on the left. It makes it easier to strafe away from debris just after breaking an asteroid.

[etchasketch]

well, patch 1.4 has been released now, and no change to this mistake.

[apricotslice]

I find all mining of really big asteroids a problem. I dont usually bother with them to tell the truth.

The only problem I had on small to medium asteroids was that after they disintergrated, the sheilds of the herc started destroying the bits that touched them.

My suggestion is to carry a Demeter with you, and use that on the really big asteroids. Since I use this for collection of the bits anyway, its got a dual purpose.

[Greyhawk1]

Its now no longer possible to mine anything using a Herc. I think this can be classed and filed as "Oopsville" by Ego. That it hasnt been changed in v1.4 is "Oopsville part deux" and given the "slack award" 2004

I guess they either forgot or ran out of time.