I like such Idea, miners heaven. But I fly in Expanse from time to time, and I know that Derelicts are most often Solo-ed (cleaned by one player). So my few ideas
Let's say strange COMET appeared in system. It contains Valuable resources inside, but it is very, very dangerous (for example Radioactive). So one miner can make only 20 shots per day, or it will be sick and die (Alternatively, each Shot/Pick-up drains Health/Stamina from Player - similar effect, but no need for more CE store items
). Unfortunately, in short time it'll disintegrate (Hit planet/Hit Sun/simply Evaporate). Those two restraints prohibits from solo-ing.
How to encourage Teamwork? Two ideas.
1) Comet is like Onion. Outer layer is made from ore, while inside is full of Terovite Gas. but players have to remove outer layer to get treasures buried inside, like in Combat one have to remove Shield and Armour to hit Hull. This, with few days time limit,, will encourage cooperation.
2) Alternatively, precious stuff is distributed evenly inside a Comet. But star wind (aka solar wind
) remove valuable resources from surface (or destroy them). To get them, players have to work faster than Sun
). In game machanics, Comet has to know how many players mine it in last 24 hours. if only few, they can get only ore. If more than few, Comet core is visible, and precious stuff is available. If Comet is left for some time alone Valuables are removed from surface again
) Again, with time and Shots limit balancing could be easier
Settlement Events - Well, comet in system could increase chance for bad event, unless player has positive Pirate standing, where it would decrease chance for bad event
Learning by Doing: For beginners, outer layer is made from ore, and inner from steel. If player remove certain volume of outer minerals, one can get copper. Iron when one mine more, then alucite, then Valacite and so on. similar with Inner Core.
Onion: I wrote about two layers, but I'd like to have more, four or five, maybe more?
Naming Convention: I wrote about COMET, because it is shorter than "Special Random Asteroid Field", but, more important, I feel different activities should have dfferent names.
