{"data":{"id":17403,"title":"Q&A: ARGO MOLE","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/engineering\/17403-Q-A-ARGO-MOLE","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/17403","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/17403","channel":"Engineering","category":"Development","series":"Concept Ship Q&A","images":[{"id":23366,"name":"ARGO_Mole_MultiCrew_122019.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/nvm5q8k2inhg8r\/source\/ARGO_Mole_MultiCrew_122019.jpg","alt":"","size":4657510,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-12-19T11:35:23+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/23366","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/23366\/similar"},{"id":23368,"name":"ARGO_Mole_Space_122019.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/oyl9g7aqg17smr\/source\/ARGO_Mole_Space_122019.jpg","alt":"","size":4930833,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-12-19T11:49:22+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/23368","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/23368\/similar"},{"id":23369,"name":"ARGO_Mole_PowerMining_122019.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/5ksfbhaxp7unlr\/source\/ARGO_Mole_PowerMining_122019.jpg","alt":"","size":3551411,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-12-19T11:38:49+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/23369","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/23369\/similar"},{"id":25004,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/w0shv2sobeaiw\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":927693,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-05-09T20:01:24+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/25004","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/25004\/similar"},{"id":25507,"name":"ARGO_ASTRONAUTICS_WHITE.png","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/h3wrnep8l1gphr\/source\/ARGO_ASTRONAUTICS_WHITE.png","alt":"","size":195128,"mime_type":"image\/png","last_modified":"2019-02-26T11:51:27+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/25507","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/25507\/similar"},{"id":26482,"name":"Shipdetail-Concept-Bg_bw.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/c2ae7q1c7cg63r\/source\/Shipdetail-Concept-Bg_bw.jpg","alt":"","size":1111159,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2017-05-24T19:35:00+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26482","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26482\/similar"},{"id":38062,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/huwhfjtdvra4r\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":3377215,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2025-03-21T15:18:25+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/38062","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/38062\/similar"}],"images_count":23,"translations":{"en_EN":"Q&A: ARGO MOLE\n\nFollowing the launch of the ARGO Astronautics MOLE, we gathered questions about the new multi-crew miner. Here are the answers, straight from the designers themselves.\n\n\nWill the crew of a MOLE be able to split mining profits?\nWhile not part of the MOLE\u2019s feature set directly, you can split profits indirectly via service beacons for now. However, we plan to expand this, including mission reward functionality that supports split profits in a future patch.\n\n\nWhat makes the four-crew MOLE better than using three or four Prospectors?\nThe cost of running and maintaining several separate vehicles will be more than that of a single, larger vehicle. Plus, the MOLE itself has the capacity of three Prospectors, as well as the ability to utilize a mix of different mining heads in the future.\n\nOutside of the MOLE\u2019s greater laser range, the on-paper stats make it seem like a pretty even match in terms of raw mining capability (when comparing a single MOLE to several Prospectors). However, the real savings are on time, maintenance, and coordination, as managing a single crew is easier than managing several individual ships. Plus, the fact that everyone is on a larger vehicle with a larger storage capacity cuts down on the time spent traveling between the source and storage\/point-of-sale.\n\n\n\nHow will NPC multi-crew work for the MOLE? Will there be various levels of mining-specialized NPCs, or can anyone hop into the seat?\nAny NPC could be assigned to the job, but some will be better skilled than others. If you assign a non-mining-trained NPC to fracture a rock, they won\u2019t operate efficiently and may even occasionally blow the ship up\u2026\n\n\nHow will player crews work aboard the MOLE? Does someone have to stay in each seat to keep the lasers running, or can they start one and move to another?\nLasers will not function unless there is someone sitting in the mining seat, so players cannot start one and move to another.\n\n\n\nDoes the ARGO MOLE come with any refinery abilities?\nNo. Refining ore and materials is a separate function that the MOLE, and Prospector, do not have the capability for.\n\n\nCan we control each mining laser independently, or is it all three by default?\nEach mining laser is controlled independently and requires a player in the seat to work. There is no way for a single player to control all of them at the same time.\n\n\nCan we have different mining attachments on each mining arm?\nYes. We want to encourage players to think about which laser combinations work best for each job.\n\n\n\nDoes the cargo detach like the prospector?\nYes, though this isn\u2019t functioning in Alpha 3.8. The cargo pods are very similar to the Prospector\u2019s but have a higher capacity (12 SCU per pod). There are also two in reserve per stack.\n\n\n\nDoes it filter the ore as the Prospector does?\nThe Prospector doesn\u2019t currently filter ore, but the MOLE and Prospector reduce the number of inert materials stored onboard.\n\n\nCan we replace the mining attachments with tractor beams?\nRight now, you can only have different types of mining lasers, some of which have a better ore extractor beam. In the future, we plan to have a lot more laser variations, with some of them being heavily specialized in extractor beam operation. In regards to changing to dedicated tractor beams, this is not something we have planned. The MOLE\u2019s mounts are mining-specific, rather than generic utility mounts. In the future, when utility mounts and tractor beam items are implemented, we\u2019ll consider whether allowing mining ships to swap their lasers for tractor beams is beneficial, but currently that is not the plan.\n\n\nLet\u2019s assume you\u2019re flying solo \u2013 could you park the MOLE next to an asteroid and go to each of the mining laser seats to turn them on and activate the lasers?\nYes, but as soon as you leave a mining turret\u2019s seat, the laser will turn off. The MOLE is designed to be a multi-crew ship and though it can theoretically operate solo, it\u2019s not particularly effective.\n\n\n\nCan I control the mining lasers from the pilot\u2019s seat using a computer blade?\nNo, mining lasers can only be operated by someone in the mining seats.\n\n\nCan the mining turrets aim in all directions?\nThere are the same aiming arc limitations as any turret, which are mainly to prevent players from damaging the ship. However, the range of motion is generous and the turrets can converge at multiple locations.\n\n\n\nWhat is the intended operating range of a MOLE, and do you expect it to perform solo or as part of a party?\nFor Alpha 3.8, we expect it to be used mostly solo (in terms of the ship and its crew operating alone). For later patches, the ship will be able to operate in a party with refinery and logistic ships to process and transport ore.\n\n\n\nDo the crew facilities include beds\nYes. The rear of the ship features four bunk beds (which double as escape pods), integrated shower and toilet facilities, onboard clothing and suit storage lockers, and a shared rest area with food-making facilities.","de_DE":"FRAGEN UND ANTWORTEN: ARGO MOLE\n\nNach dem Start der ARGO Astronautics MOLE sammelten wir Fragen \u00fcber den neuen Multi-Crew-Miner. Hier sind die Antworten, direkt von den Designern selbst.\n\n\nWird die Besatzung eines MOLE in der Lage sein, die Minengewinne aufzuteilen?\nObwohl es nicht direkt zum Funktionsumfang des MOLE geh\u00f6rt, k\u00f6nnen Sie den Gewinn vorerst indirekt \u00fcber Service Beacons aufteilen. Wir planen jedoch, diese zu erweitern, einschlie\u00dflich einer Missionsbelohnungsfunktionalit\u00e4t, die in einem zuk\u00fcnftigen Patch geteilte Gewinne unterst\u00fctzt.\n\n\nWas macht die MOLE mit vier Crews besser als die Verwendung von drei oder vier Prospectors?\nDie Kosten f\u00fcr den Betrieb und die Wartung mehrerer getrennter Fahrzeuge werden h\u00f6her sein als die eines einzelnen, gr\u00f6\u00dferen Fahrzeugs. Au\u00dferdem verf\u00fcgt die MOLE selbst \u00fcber die Kapazit\u00e4t von drei Prospectors sowie die F\u00e4higkeit, in Zukunft eine Mischung aus verschiedenen Minenk\u00f6pfen zu nutzen.\n\nAu\u00dferhalb des gr\u00f6\u00dferen Laserbereichs des MOLE lassen die auf dem Papier angezeigten Werte den MOLE in Bezug auf die Rohmaterialabbauf\u00e4higkeit als ziemlich ausgeglichen erscheinen (wenn man einen einzelnen MOLE mit mehreren Prospectors vergleicht). Die wirklichen Einsparungen liegen jedoch in den Bereichen Zeit, Wartung und Koordination, da das Management einer einzelnen Crew einfacher ist als das Management mehrerer einzelner Schiffe. Au\u00dferdem reduziert die Tatsache, dass sich alle auf einem gr\u00f6\u00dferen Fahrzeug mit gr\u00f6\u00dferer Speicherkapazit\u00e4t befinden, die Zeit, die f\u00fcr die Fahrt zwischen Quelle und Lager\/Verkaufsstelle ben\u00f6tigt wird.\n\n\nWie wird die NPC-Multi-Crew f\u00fcr die MOLE funktionieren? Wird es verschiedene Stufen von auf Bergbau spezialisierten NPCs geben oder kann jeder in den Sitz h\u00fcpfen?\nJeder NPC k\u00f6nnte f\u00fcr diese Aufgabe eingesetzt werden, aber einige werden besser ausgebildet sein als andere. Wenn du einen nicht ausgebildeten NPC damit beauftragst, einen Felsen zu zerbrechen, werden sie nicht effizient arbeiten und k\u00f6nnen sogar gelegentlich das Schiff in die Luft sprengen...\n\n\n\n\nWie werden die Spieler-Crews an Bord der MOLE arbeiten? Muss jemand in jedem Sitz bleiben, um die Laser am Laufen zu halten, oder kann er einen starten und zum anderen wechseln?\nLaser funktionieren nur, wenn jemand auf dem Bergwerkssitz sitzt, daher k\u00f6nnen die Spieler keinen starten und sich zu einem anderen bewegen.\n\n\nVerf\u00fcgt die ARGO MOLE \u00fcber Raffinerief\u00e4higkeiten?\nNein. Die Veredelung von Erzen und Materialien ist eine separate Funktion, zu der die MOLE und der Prospector nicht in der Lage sind.\n\n\nK\u00f6nnen wir jeden Mining-Laser unabh\u00e4ngig voneinander steuern oder sind es standardm\u00e4\u00dfig alle drei?\nJeder Bergbau-Laser wird unabh\u00e4ngig gesteuert und erfordert einen Spieler im Sitz, um zu arbeiten. Es gibt keine M\u00f6glichkeit f\u00fcr einen einzelnen Spieler, alle gleichzeitig zu kontrollieren.\n\n\nK\u00f6nnen wir verschiedene Minenaufs\u00e4tze an jedem Minenarm haben?\nJa. Wir m\u00f6chten die Spieler dazu ermutigen, dar\u00fcber nachzudenken, welche Laserkombinationen f\u00fcr die jeweilige Aufgabe am besten geeignet sind.\n\n\nL\u00f6st sich die Ladung wie der Prospektor?\nJa, obwohl das in Alpha 3.8 nicht funktioniert. Die Frachtkapseln sind den Prospector's sehr \u00e4hnlich, haben aber eine h\u00f6here Kapazit\u00e4t (12 SCU pro Kapsel). Pro Stapel sind auch zwei in Reserve.\n\n\n\n\nFiltert es das Erz wie der Prospector?\nDer Prospector filtert derzeit kein Erz, aber MOLE und Prospector reduzieren die Anzahl der an Bord gelagerten inerten Materialien.\n\n\nK\u00f6nnen wir die Anbauger\u00e4te f\u00fcr den Bergbau durch Traktorbalken ersetzen?\nIm Moment kann man nur verschiedene Arten von Minenlasern haben, von denen einige einen besseren Erzabzugsstrahl haben. F\u00fcr die Zukunft sind noch viele weitere Laservarianten geplant, wobei einige davon stark auf den Extraktorstrahlbetrieb spezialisiert sind. Was die Umstellung auf dedizierte Traktorstrahlen betrifft, so haben wir dies nicht geplant. Die Halterungen des MOLE sind bergbauspezifische, nicht generische Hilfshalterungen. In Zukunft, wenn Halterungen und Traktorstrahl-Elemente implementiert werden, werden wir \u00fcberlegen, ob es vorteilhaft ist, dass Bergbauschiffe ihre Laser gegen Traktorstrahlen austauschen k\u00f6nnen, aber derzeit ist das nicht der Plan.\n\n\nNehmen wir an, du fliegst alleine - k\u00f6nntest du die MOLE neben einem Asteroiden parken und zu jedem der Bergbau-Lasersitze gehen, um sie einzuschalten und die Laser zu aktivieren?\nJa, aber sobald man den Sitz eines Minen-Turms verl\u00e4sst, schaltet der Laser ab. Die MOLE ist als Multi-Crew-Schiff konzipiert und obwohl sie theoretisch alleine operieren kann, ist sie nicht besonders effektiv.\n\n\nKann ich die Minenlaser vom Pilotensitz aus mit einem Computerblatt steuern?\nNein, Bergbau-Laser k\u00f6nnen nur von jemandem in den Bergbausitzen bedient werden.\n\n\n\n\nK\u00f6nnen die Mining-T\u00fcrme in alle Richtungen zielen?\nEs gibt die gleichen Zielbogenbegrenzungen wie bei jedem Turm, die haupts\u00e4chlich verhindern sollen, dass Spieler das Schiff besch\u00e4digen. Der Bewegungsspielraum ist jedoch gro\u00dfz\u00fcgig und die T\u00fcrme k\u00f6nnen an mehreren Stellen zusammenlaufen.\n\n\nWas ist der vorgesehene Einsatzbereich einer MOLE, und erwarten Sie, dass sie solo oder im Rahmen einer Party auftreten wird?\nF\u00fcr Alpha 3.8 erwarten wir, dass es haupts\u00e4chlich alleine (in Bezug auf das Schiff und seine Besatzung, die allein operiert) eingesetzt wird. F\u00fcr sp\u00e4tere Patches kann das Schiff in einer Partei mit Raffinerie- und Logistikschiffen zur Verarbeitung und zum Transport von Erz eingesetzt werden.\n\n\nBeinhaltet die Crew-Einrichtung Betten\nJa, im Heck des Schiffes befinden sich vier Etagenbetten (die gleichzeitig als Fluchtkapseln dienen), integrierte Dusch- und Toiletteneinrichtungen, Aufbewahrungsr\u00e4ume f\u00fcr Kleidung und Anz\u00fcge an Bord sowie ein gemeinsamer Ruhebereich mit Einrichtungen zur Zubereitung von Speisen.","zh_CN":"Q&A: ARGO MOLE\n\nFollowing the launch of the ARGO Astronautics MOLE, we gathered questions about the new multi-crew miner. Here are the answers, straight from the designers themselves.\n\n\nWill the crew of a MOLE be able to split mining profits?\nWhile not part of the MOLE\u2019s feature set directly, you can split profits indirectly via service beacons for now. However, we plan to expand this, including mission reward functionality that supports split profits in a future patch.\n\n\nWhat makes the four-crew MOLE better than using three or four Prospectors?\nThe cost of running and maintaining several separate vehicles will be more than that of a single, larger vehicle. Plus, the MOLE itself has the capacity of three Prospectors, as well as the ability to utilize a mix of different mining heads in the future.\n\nOutside of the MOLE\u2019s greater laser range, the on-paper stats make it seem like a pretty even match in terms of raw mining capability (when comparing a single MOLE to several Prospectors). However, the real savings are on time, maintenance, and coordination, as managing a single crew is easier than managing several individual ships. Plus, the fact that everyone is on a larger vehicle with a larger storage capacity cuts down on the time spent traveling between the source and storage\/point-of-sale.\n\n\n\nHow will NPC multi-crew work for the MOLE? Will there be various levels of mining-specialized NPCs, or can anyone hop into the seat?\nAny NPC could be assigned to the job, but some will be better skilled than others. If you assign a non-mining-trained NPC to fracture a rock, they won\u2019t operate efficiently and may even occasionally blow the ship up\u2026\n\n\nHow will player crews work aboard the MOLE? Does someone have to stay in each seat to keep the lasers running, or can they start one and move to another?\nLasers will not function unless there is someone sitting in the mining seat, so players cannot start one and move to another.\n\n\n\nDoes the ARGO MOLE come with any refinery abilities?\nNo. Refining ore and materials is a separate function that the MOLE, and Prospector, do not have the capability for.\n\n\nCan we control each mining laser independently, or is it all three by default?\nEach mining laser is controlled independently and requires a player in the seat to work. There is no way for a single player to control all of them at the same time.\n\n\nCan we have different mining attachments on each mining arm?\nYes. We want to encourage players to think about which laser combinations work best for each job.\n\n\n\nDoes the cargo detach like the prospector?\nYes, though this isn\u2019t functioning in Alpha 3.8. The cargo pods are very similar to the Prospector\u2019s but have a higher capacity (12 SCU per pod). There are also two in reserve per stack.\n\n\n\nDoes it filter the ore as the Prospector does?\nThe Prospector doesn\u2019t currently filter ore, but the MOLE and Prospector reduce the number of inert materials stored onboard.\n\n\nCan we replace the mining attachments with tractor beams?\nRight now, you can only have different types of mining lasers, some of which have a better ore extractor beam. In the future, we plan to have a lot more laser variations, with some of them being heavily specialized in extractor beam operation. In regards to changing to dedicated tractor beams, this is not something we have planned. The MOLE\u2019s mounts are mining-specific, rather than generic utility mounts. In the future, when utility mounts and tractor beam items are implemented, we\u2019ll consider whether allowing mining ships to swap their lasers for tractor beams is beneficial, but currently that is not the plan.\n\n\nLet\u2019s assume you\u2019re flying solo \u2013 could you park the MOLE next to an asteroid and go to each of the mining laser seats to turn them on and activate the lasers?\nYes, but as soon as you leave a mining turret\u2019s seat, the laser will turn off. The MOLE is designed to be a multi-crew ship and though it can theoretically operate solo, it\u2019s not particularly effective.\n\n\n\nCan I control the mining lasers from the pilot\u2019s seat using a computer blade?\nNo, mining lasers can only be operated by someone in the mining seats.\n\n\nCan the mining turrets aim in all directions?\nThere are the same aiming arc limitations as any turret, which are mainly to prevent players from damaging the ship. However, the range of motion is generous and the turrets can converge at multiple locations.\n\n\n\nWhat is the intended operating range of a MOLE, and do you expect it to perform solo or as part of a party?\nFor Alpha 3.8, we expect it to be used mostly solo (in terms of the ship and its crew operating alone). For later patches, the ship will be able to operate in a party with refinery and logistic ships to process and transport ore.\n\n\n\nDo the crew facilities include beds\nYes. The rear of the ship features four bunk beds (which double as escape pods), integrated shower and toilet facilities, onboard clothing and suit storage lockers, and a shared rest area with food-making facilities."},"links_count":1,"comment_count":81,"created_at":"2019-12-21T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"6 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 21:36:42","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":17401,"next_id":17405}}