Laser Drill/Lore



Greetings, rookie.

Did you see Korolev’s new toy flying over your head? Yeah, I mean the Laser Drill. Or Drills, but they rarely send more than one at any given time. Yes, the thing that sits idly in the upper atmosphere until it finds the time to set down and ruin everyone’s day.

Well, let me tell you how to get some money out of that monumental show of hubris and inter-faction politicking that vaguely resembles a flying oil-rig.

The Process
When you go down to Fortuna III, your capsule usually scans the surface for easy to reach deposits of Lethium Gas and Veltecite. What you didn’t know is that Korolev’s orbital satellite network does heavy sub-surface scans at the same time...hope you weren’t planning on starting a family with THOSE levels of radiation.

Whenever they find something worthwhile they’ll send one of these metal behemoths down to the surface in an automated flight pattern to the points on the map with the most concentrated deposits of Lethium, Veltecite and all the other good stuff.

Those points will be marked on your map with a slightly see-through outline. As soon as the drill is spotted, you’ll get notified and the drill itself will be visible on the map in solid color, using the same icon as its landing spots. Try to catch the drill when it sets down at any one of them!

The Contract
And now your watch begins. In order to trigger the contract, you have to manually activate the drill by interacting with the console on the second floor of the platform. Why manually? Korolev had to cut costs somewhere, and you Prospectors are an abundant resource.

As soon as you activate the drill you’ll have to defend it. There will be a LOT of monsters, not to mention other meddling Prospectors that will surely be inbound to contest your claim on the drill. We really advise bringing some backup, even if you don’t trust them completely. Alone, you’ll quickly be overwhelmed. Worst case: someone blows up the reactor core and the drill resets (and most likely get foamed in the process).

The longer you keep the blasted thing alive while it tears through the surface, the more rewards you’ll get from the factions. Korolev pays for the unearthed materials, Osiris pays for sabotaging Korolev’s operation, and the ICA just plain spies on everyone by sending you there, but those details are none of your concern. Get in there, STAY in there, and get the money. Easy peasy!

Deep Dive
Since the richer deposits are further underground, the drill takes time to reach them. This means that the longer you keep it activated and under your control, the faster you’ll fill your contract.

A drill captured from a rival prospector might already be at the more lucrative depths, so kicking some other Prospectors’ butts off that thing could be a viable venture. Just remember that you not only have to shoo them away, but you also have to interact with the drill control console yourself to make it count towards YOUR contract.

Lastly, you can use the platform as a convenient means of transportation over long distances every time it finishes a drill-cycle and relocates to another resource point. A long-range weapon will help you annoy the hell out of the foot-slogging competition, believe me!

First in, last out, stay alive and bring your friends. And don’t let anything or anyone destroy the reactor core. That’s basically all you need to know about Korolev’s Laser Drill and how to succeed in this contract. Now go out there and do your faction’s bidding, minion!