I don't get what they were trying to do with this section of the game.
As you need the minerals to create weapons and armor but the weapons you can buy are way over powered than what you can actually create..
So there is no need for this whole section of the game. regardless, the mining zones are bugged as fu*cked as there are areas on all planets where you get a notice of Rich and while I drive around the whole area (including climbing hills) and there are no minerals to mine anywhere so I just have Rich all over the place but nothing to mine anymore.