Miner Inconveniences

LockeZ · **Joined:** Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:04 pm **Posts:** 323

Petah, you missed an opportunity to launch a probe into her butt.

Rena · **Joined:** Mon Dec 03, 2012 2:48 pm **Posts:** 342

LockeZ wrote:

Petah, you missed an opportunity to launch a probe into her butt.

Or an Entei. You could launch an Entei.

D-vid · **Posted:** Mon May 12, 2014 1:15 pm

Otherwise wrote:

You forgot having to also worry about getting funding for the project, assuming you don't want to pay for it out of pocket, as well as designing the work site for minimal footprint while achieving an optimal retrieval/cost ratio. Plus, since Cerberus doesn't currently permit mining, you'll probably also have to submit some sort of plan for site reclamation since they likely won't want a terrible earth-scar left behind as well as plausible precautions for preventing uncontrolled runoff of whatever liquid chemicals you might be using for whatever reason. That'll also require a detailed climate analysis to determine average precipitation on top of things like anticipated impact on personnel and equipment, possible resource contamination, and personnel safety concerns.

Pray to whatever sci-fi gods there are that rabid environmentalists don't exist, particularly those who don't actually live on or associate with Cerberus but adamantly oppose all mining on principle or, worse, you specifically for your previous excavation projects.

Mine planning's a fun job, kids.

Coming soon: Mining Simulator DLC for Mass Effect 3

Otherwise · **Posted:** Mon May 12, 2014 2:07 pm

The good news is you could just sell the info. If the data is reliable and the deposit is rich enough there's probably companies around willing to jump through the bureaucratic and logistical hoops to get the project going, assuming you don't actually need an entire deposit's worth of platinum for shotguns. Maybe that's how ME cuts to the chase. Although even that much assumes quite a bit about the existence and status of other mining companies, the state of the market for platinum, whether or not anyone else has found this particular deposit before and decided that it was just too big of a hassle and whaddya mean you don't want realism in your video games?

JohnStephen · **Posted:** Mon May 12, 2014 4:23 pm

They're capable of intergalactic travel in relative comfort and everyone is questioning automated mining?

Lore_Police · **Posted:** Mon May 12, 2014 4:29 pm

Otherwise wrote:

The good news is you could just sell the info. If the data is reliable and the deposit is rich enough there's probably companies around willing to jump through the bureaucratic and logistical hoops to get the project going, assuming you don't actually need an entire deposit's worth of platinum for shotguns. Maybe that's how ME cuts to the chase. Although even that much assumes quite a bit about the existence and status of other mining companies, the state of the market for platinum, whether or not anyone else has found this particular deposit before and decided that it was just too big of a hassle and whaddya mean you don't want realism in your video games?

A chance to explain away plotholes in the Mass Effect universe (and certain selected other universes - limited time only!)? This looks like something to finally get me to unlurk.

I'm pretty sure the info of the quantity and location of the deposit was the only thing of value in the games, and since Cerberus rarely works within the bounds of the law, I'd imagine they immediately sell off such information to the highest bidder in the black market, perhaps directly managed by EDI (the artifical intelligence on board Shephard's ship). If that were the case, then the visual feedback provided during the 'mining' minigame (seen in the comic by the graph in the corner) could very easily reflect the quantity you found relative to the source's value on the black market. More importantly, it could (and probably would) reflect whether sources had already been reported through official channels, and thus are too risky to sell off if they've already been found. That is, you would get no blips and wouldn't appear to 'find' anything, even if there are metric kilotons of platinum, if EDI finds that such sources have already been found by others.

TL;DR - The fact that a highly advanced AI with immense connectivity and knowledge is acting as your visual awareness when mining can easily mean that said AI is only providing you with feedback for appropriately, and practically, profitable deposits.

Still doesn't explain why you can send probes to some planets, like Earth. I'm pretty sure there was some mention in Mass Effect lore about harvesting certain minerals prominent in Gas Giants though...

medoli900 · **Joined:** Mon May 05, 2014 7:38 pm **Posts:** 119

JohnStephen wrote:

They're capable of intergalactic travel in relative comfort and everyone is questioning automated mining?

Mass effect

Rui · **Joined:** Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:49 am **Posts:** 15

Now, if I were Katie, I'd probably be more concerned about my broken finger than a hunk of metal.

Argendauss · **Joined:** Mon May 12, 2014 10:50 pm **Posts:** 2

I'm an engineer/bureaucrat and I approve of this comic! :lol:

SirCannonFodder · **Joined:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 4:34 am **Posts:** 131

CommanderPepper wrote:

SirCannonFodder wrote:

Or, you know, Cerberus is giving you a certain amount of that resource in proportion to the amount you discovered, as a finder's fee? Unless you think it takes several planets' worth of platinum to upgrade a shotgun.

Then why doesn't Cerberus just give you the platinum to make the upgrades. In fact give all the raw materials needed to make upgrades, Shepard is saving the galaxy after all.

Because they probably don't have unlimited resources and need to use them for other stuff as well? And remember, at this stage there's no imminent threat, Shepard's not saving the galaxy, just investigating why the Collectors are attacking human colonies.

CommanderPepper · **Posted:** Mon May 12, 2014 11:02 pm

SirCannonFodder wrote:

CommanderPepper wrote:

SirCannonFodder wrote:

Or, you know, Cerberus is giving you a certain amount of that resource in proportion to the amount you discovered, as a finder's fee? Unless you think it takes several planets' worth of platinum to upgrade a shotgun.

Then why doesn't Cerberus just give you the platinum to make the upgrades. In fact give all the raw materials needed to make upgrades, Shepard is saving the galaxy after all.

Because they probably don't have unlimited resources and need to use them for other stuff as well? And remember, at this stage there's no imminent threat, Shepard's not saving the galaxy, just investigating why the Collectors are attacking human colonies.

Cerberus had the resources to revive Shepard and give him/her a new ship. If Shepard needed something why doesn't Cerberus provide him/her with it immediately. Shepard wants to upgrade his/her crew, Cerberus isn't supplying resources to upgrade an entire fleet.

AwkwardSkeleton · **Joined:** Fri May 24, 2013 6:49 pm **Posts:** 574

You are now aware of the fact that the mining probe looks like a mushroom.

As a side note, this comic should be called Probelem.

JAvatar80 · **Joined:** Mon May 12, 2014 11:53 pm **Posts:** 1

Now, I have a question. I know Miranda does have an overbite, but what's with the gap in the teeth? I won't lie, it makes me laugh, and I get it that Katie doesn't like her http://www.awkwardzombie.com/index.php? ... mic=111411 and http://www.awkwardzombie.com/index.php? ... mic=022012. But I never noticed a gap between her teeth, just buck-toothed and overbite.

Turbro · **Joined:** Fri Apr 29, 2011 9:11 am **Posts:** 5475

I think the "gap" is just a result of line thickness.

Rena · **Joined:** Mon Dec 03, 2012 2:48 pm **Posts:** 342

The lack of edits disturbs me.

AWKWARD ZOMBIE

Miner Inconveniences

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