Due to current yard constraints I can only build them with 28 mining modules bring them to approx 150k tonnes - I’m not sure if this sounds inadequate - is that enough?
also the mighty google ai bot says seasoned pros add a mass driver to the platform - is this a thing? I can’t see it in the components list
To add a massdriver, you had a storage bay big enough to house one, and pick it up from a planet, then drop it at the location you’re mining.
I tend to do my orbital miners in increments of 50. So, 50, 100, 150 is my normal sizes.
I imagine that 150 kt is the mass of the ship, is it?
A bit massive. But it depends on the tech level of the various components of the ship.
Have you installed engines on the miner? which is your level of CDE? of armour? etc.
The mass driver goes on the mined body.
The mined minerals are stored and remain on the body, so you can collect them using cargo ships, or send them to somewhere else using a mass driver.
The orbital mining platforms in my current game have 72 mining modules and are 386k tonnes. No particular reason. I tow them to an asteroid and leave them, then send a freighter from time to time to pick up the minerals.
Because they are classified as space stations I build them via my Industry tab.
There are no engines and I’ll tow them out - but I have put armour on them - if I remember from ye olden days do they have to be armourless to be built in the industry tab?
Of course - I’d forgotten about the space station classification
What are the prerequisites for that - is it no armour and no engines?
Tick the box, that automatically removes armour and makes them stations.
Also no military components.