The value of crafting in CSC should not be underestimated — every single item in the game can be crafted, and only the most astute commanders will experiment and discover what makes what.
Here, we’ll give a detailed look at crafting as well as briefly touching on modules, one of the most important types of items commanders can craft in CSC. (Please keep in mind that CSC is still under development, so this information, crafting recipes, resource amounts, and item names are subject to change.)
Mining (CSC vs MEA)
Mining in CSC will vary significantly from the mining experience in our mini-game, MEA. MEA was designed to give commanders an early edge by providing intelligence about some resources (only 12 out of the planned 22), and the resources themselves before the official MainNet launch. In addition to these benefits, MEA provided resources directly to commanders without the intermediary steps that will be added in the full CSC mining experience, which we’ll dive into next.
Mining in CSC will be a far more active experience than the MEA mini-game. See the steps outline below.
Mining Steps in CSC
Travel to a star system
Explore a solar system map to identify potential resource points (up to 100 resource points can exist in a system)
Prospect the resource points for RAW ore types (e.g. Raw Trilite Ore, Raw Iron Ore, etc.)
Target resource points (asteroids, gas clouds, etc.) and activate mining lasers
Wait and fill up your ship’s cargo hold
Transport raw ore back to a refinery
Process the raw ore into the usable ERC-20 resource tokens (refined ore)
While the steps are relatively simple, commanders must consider many ancillary elements in order to become an effective resource miner. Commanders will have to consider: defending against NPCs and players, logistics of raw ore transportation, and efficiently processing ore.
Let’s start with defense. While mining in Core Space will be relatively safe from PVP attacks, players must be on guard for any NPCs looking for easy pray. It’s recommended that the solo miner come packed with strong defenses and some offensive capabilities. Clans and ad hoc mining groups can also be formed to increase the overall effectiveness of a mining operation.
Logistics is one of the most crucial aspects of any successful mining operation. Collecting ore is great, but getting it to a proper facility to secure and process it is just as important. Plan ahead for your operations by expanding your cargo hold to reduce trips, or bring a friend along to haul your goods away while you focus on ore extraction.
Processing ore is one of the key differences between MEA’s and CSC’s mining experience. In MEA, all of your ore is processed upon return, giving a 1 to 1 ratio of collected raw ore to processed ore. This is one of the advantages given to early commanders but something that will not be translating to the final game. Ore mined in CSC will be in its raw form and will require processing/refining to bring it to a pure and tradable (ERC-20/ERC-721) state.
The quantity of raw tons to processed tons will vary between ore types, and the efficiency will also vary in relation to player skills and abilities. Since ore refining can vary greatly between trained and untrained players, the Galactic Federation will provide the ability to package raw ore into tradable items. These ore packages will use quantum folding technology to condense large quantities of raw ore into compact, tradable items that can be exchanged, sold, and refined from a player’s (or clan’s) blockchain inventory.
Crafting
Mastering the art of crafting is a key component to success in Crypto Space Commander. For those unfamiliar with the term, “crafting” is the ability to create a new item from refined resources found throughout the CSC universe. Since exploration and discovery are core tenets of the game, acquiring both common and rare resources will determine what commanders can create during expeditions.
As might be expected, common resources will be abundant in Core Space, but rarer resources will be harder to secure and often deep within dangerous regions of Fringe Space. Imagine you’ve just narrowly survived an epic battle with your Reaper Interceptor, but your FTL module is damaged and failing. If you don’t already have the right combination of resources to repair it, you might have to mine them from a destination within slipstream distance. Once you’ve located the resources, you can begin mining a quantity based on your player/ship’s ability and storage capacity. The total amount of time it takes to mine raw resources is based on your ship’s modules.
After you’ve mined the correct resources, you can store them at a station, process them into refined ore and craft them into components to repair or replace your FTL drive. Commanders will have the ability to craft everything from weapons and shields to complete starships. The crafting system will be uncapped, meaning items can be created with +N bonuses that are only limited by the time and effort a commander spends in developing the skills.
Commanders have several ways of acquiring new items. They can be purchased, traded or gifted from other commanders, obtained at station marketplace, crafted from mined resources (without the crafting knowledge), or built from Blueprints (an item that represents your crafting knowledge).
Crafting Essentials in CSC
Crafting requires skill development and can be mastered over time
Blueprints will have a quality factor that also affects the outcome of a crafted item. For instance, if a ship is crafted without Blueprints, it will not initially have the same attributes as an official ship purchased from the Galactic Federation or a ship made from Blueprints. Blueprints can also be purchased from other commanders or obtained by deconstructing an item to reveal its Blueprints. However, deconstructing an item for its Blueprints destroys the item in the process (recovering some of the resources), but the trade-off is having the knowledge in Blueprint form to craft the item forever
Refined Ore must be crafted into components before it can by used to create an item, and this can be done in a single crafting transaction. Crafting transactions can be stacked (with some limitations) to reduced blockchain gas costs and the number of transactions required
All in-game items will have set stats for +1 through +3 variances. +N variances can be created by crafting at higher skill levels and will be determined by a formula.
(Example of a Crafting +N Formula: +N = Module Stat of N-1 x 95% of N-1 Ability Modifier)
Crafting Example for G1 Mining Laser
G1 Mining Laser (1 ton per minute)
Components:
One of the most common metals in the universe and useful for crafting both basic and advanced items.
Quartz [Common]
Optimal Raw to Refined Ratio: 10 to 1
Common crystals that are usually used for jewelry but have found their usefulness in crafting due to their hardiness and versatility.
Nickel [Common]
Optimal Raw to Refined Ratio: 10 to 1
From steel to glass to batteries, nickel is found in a vast majority of manufactured goods. Because of its magnetic properties, nickel can be engineered to benefit starships in many different ways.
Cobalt [Uncommon]
Optimal Raw to Refined Ratio: 8 to 1
While frequently used as a coloring pigment, cobalt is often used for weapons-grade engineering. Its nuclear capabilities should not be underestimated.
Silver [Rare]
Optimal Raw to Refined Ratio: 3 to 1
Far more conductive than gold, silver is used in many electronic devices and can be found in most of a starship’s onboard equipment, even if in small traces.
Titanium [Rare]
Optimal Raw to Refined Ratio: 5 to 1
Incredibly durable and resistant to corrosion and high temperatures, titanium is often used for shielding and other defensive upgrades. Its light weight makes it the top choice for starship fortifications.
Lucinite [Rare]
Optimal Raw to Refined Ratio: 5 to 1
Sometimes called “God’s Amber,” lucinite is universally considered to be a good-luck charm. As a result, it’s become hard to come by and extremely valuable.
Gold [Rare]
Optimal Raw to Refined Ratio: 3 to 1
A valuable metal and a fantastic conductor, gold is one of the most versatile resources available. A decent commander should always have some backup gold in case of emergencies.
Cosmethyst [Ultra Rare]
Optimal Raw to Refined Ratio: 3 to 1
It’s said that at the core of every shard of cosmethyst lies another galaxy. Many believe that our entire existence takes place in the heart of a cosmethyst shard.
Allurum [Ultra Rare]
Optimal Raw to Refined Ratio: 3 to 1
Once highly abundant, this ore was nearly mined out of the entire galaxy due to its euphoric effects. Anyone holding even the tiniest shard of allurum will find themselves overtaken by joy.
Platinum [Ultra Rare]
Optimal Raw to Refined Ratio: 4 to 1
Considered as a status symbol due to its scarcity, platinum is a powerful catalyst in the production of everything from rubber to fuel cells.
Trilite [Exotic]
Optimal Raw to Refined Ratio: 2 to 1
It’s so precious and so rare that it’s existence has nearly fallen into myth. Its physical properties defy spacetime and may be key in Jump Drive development. Only those with the wisdom and courage to find it can unlock its true power.
Modules
There are many types of modules in the CSC EtherVerse. We’ll cover just a few today, but more will be discussed in a future post. Modules include weapons, shields, armor, cargo, power cores, cloaking, life support, and a myriad of others items a commander may want to equip a ship with. All ships come equipped with some basic modules. A commander can acquire new and upgraded modules from other commanders via a station’s marketplace.
Modules come in variety of sizes, and sizes are denoted by the number of slots a module takes up. The size of a module is an effective way of determining the ship class that SHOULD use it, but larger modules can still be fitted onto smaller ships as long as the ship has the space for it. Smaller Scout ships will have just a few module slots while Dreadnaughts may come equipped with several hundred. Modules can be damaged in combat or by out-of-spec usage (such as overclocking shields, engines, or weapons for an edge in battle). Damaged modules require repair or replacement which can only be performed while docked.
Here’s an example of what commanders can craft using the resources they’ve collected around the EtherVerse:
Crafting Modules
G1 Mining Laser
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