Hotspot

The subject of this article is from the Crossplay update.
The information from this article is is up-to-date as of 16 July, 2020.

A Hotspot is a planet location.

Summary

A Hotspot is a location on a planet that is a prime location for Base building. You must install a Survey Device in your Analysis Visor and enable Surveying Mode to find hotspots on planets.

There are three types of Hotspots:

Mining (ores)
Gas (Compressed Atmospheric Gas)
Electromagnetic Power (power)

The harvestable amount depends on whether the spot is C, B, A or S class. The farther away from the hotspot, the less is harvested. Hotspots will not actually lose potential the more they are harvested.

Electromagnetic Power Hotspot

Electromagnetic Power Hotspot are valuable for anybody who builds a base.

Place an Electromagnetic Generator on this hotspot and provide almost limitless power.

Power hotspots can generate 150, 220, 250 and 300kP of power per Generator at C, B, A and S potential, respectively. Within a given power hotspot, you can place as many Electromagnetic Generators as you like, subject only to base complexity limits. Power levels are shown in the Survey Device as field strength, again with 15000, 22000, 25000, and 30000 being the field strengths for C, B, A, and S class potential. The farther away from the hotspot, the less power generated, although power hotspots tend to be more generous in terms of distance before the power levels drop off significantly, when compared to mining or gas hotspots.

Mining Hotspot

Mining hotspots are useful for those who want to make money selling ores or who need them for manufacturing valuable items.

Place a Mineral Extractor on a Deep-Level Mineral Deposit hotspot and power it to extract large amounts of ore of one type. Mineral Extractors do need 50kPs power each to operate, but their advantage is they only need power—you don't have to keep coming back to refuel it as is the case with the Autonomous Mining Unit.

Mining hotspots can produce 250, 500, 750, and 1000 units per cycle, per extractor, at C, B, A, and S potential, respectively. Within a mining hotspot, you can place as many Mineral Extractors as you like, subject only to base complexity limits. Mineral density as shown in the Survey Device will be 100, 200, 300, or 400, corresponding to classes C, B, A, and S potential. The further away from the hotspot, the fewer units per cycle can be collected.

Mineral Extractors have a capacity of 250 units, but they can be connected via supply pipes to storage silos which hold an additional 1000 units each.

Gas Hotspot

Concentrated Gas Cloud hotspots are useful for those who want to make money crafting high-tech materials that require Compressed Atmospheric Gas, or if an Oxygen hotspot is found, to collect it that way rather than using a dedicated Oxygen Harvester (which needs refueling, whereas industrial Gas Extractors only need power).

Place a Gas Extractor on a Concentrated Gas Cloud hotspot and power it to extract large amounts of gas of one type. Gas harvesters need 50kPs power each to operate, but their advantage is they only need power—you don't have to keep coming back to refuel it as the Atmosphere Harvester or Oxygen Harvester device requires.

Gas hotspots can produce 250, 500, 750, and 1000 units per cycle, per extractor at C, B, A, and S potential, respectively. Within a gas hotspot, you can place as many Gas Extractors as you like, subject only to base complecity limits. Gas density as shown in the Survey Device will be 100, 200, 300, or 400, corresponding to classes C, B, A, and S potential. The further away from the hotspot, the fewer units per cycle can be collected.

Gas Extractors have a capacity of 250 units, but they can be connected via supply pipes to storage silos which hold an additional 1000 units each.

Types of Minerals Available

File:Planetary Resources.png

The following types of minerals have been directly observed near hotspots:


SYSTEM COLOUR	RESOURCE	PLANET BIOME	RESOURCE	GAS	RANDOMLY GENERATED
Yellow	Copper	Lush	Paraffinium	Nitrogen	Cobalt
Y (Harsh Planet)	Activated Copper	Barren	Pyrite	Sulphurine	Gold
Red	Cadmium	Frozen	Dioxite	Radon	Silver
R (Harsh Planet)	Activated Cadmium	Toxic	Ammonia	Nitrogen	Salt
Green	Emeril	Scorched	Phosphorus	Sulphurine	Sodium
G (Harsh Planet)	Activated Emeril	Irradiated	Uranium	Radon	Pure Ferrite
Blue	Indium	Dead	Rusted Metal		Magnetised Ferrite
B (Harsh Planet)	Activated Indium

Notes:

Exotic / Weird Biomes don't have any from the planet biome column, so they pick two from the random column.
The three mineral hot-spot resources on the planet are the same as the three resources you can find & mine (or see in your visor / scanner, on the right side of the screen, if you are not pointing at anything in particular).
From any given spot, within 1050u there will be at least 16 hotspots; which will always include at least one of each: Power / Oxygen ./ Compressed Gas / System Specific Mineral / Biome Specific Mineral / Randomly Generated Mineral.

Video

Always 16+ hotspots in range

Hotspots, Industrial Mining & Extending Your Base

Extending Base Limits

Collection of Guides

Additional Info

Graphics & information provided with permission of Craig Mark of NMSResources

Hotspots seem to occur in groups of three, usually in a triangle formation about 400-500u apart from each other. One can build a Habitable Base at the center, so all hotspots are 200-250u away and within the base's maximum radius without having to use the "Base extension" technique. While having all three kinds of hotspots within reach is optimal, do note that not all can be in one group.

Gallery

Industrial Mining - Checklist.png

Industrial Mining - Checklist
Planetary Resources.png

Planetary Resources
Extend Base Limits.png

Extend Base Limits
Base Computer Multiples.png

Why you should extend, rather than use multiple base computers
An Industrial Mining Layout - Simple Guide.png

An Industrial Mining Layout - Simple Guide
An Industrial Mining Layout - Full Guide.png

An Industrial Mining Layout - Full Guide