If your playing multiplayer, heres the reason.

Client tells to server it activates tractor beam. Client displays graphic of tractorbeam picking things up. Server adds the item to clients inventory. If clients inventory is full, nothing happens. So your client thinks that your ship stores more than the server thinks it stores. The result, and Endless tractor beam from your ship to the loot until you go out of range (but only you can see it).

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Genius
Writer
Freelancer Software Development Kit

Okay, that makes sense, but I'm the server and the client, therefore the same files should be being referenced. Any idea why the server would thing I'm full?

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Arrr...
Razage, Border system pirate.

I'm having a related problem: I modified the cargo hold of my ship to hold more than the standard amount, however when "mining", i can only pull in the default amount for that ship (i.e. 45), although it can hold significantly more when trading. I am the client and the server.

Any tips would be helpful

Hmm, my problem appears to have resolved itself. Only advice I have is to try restarting and see if that helps.

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Arrr...
Razage, Border system pirate.

Bump. Still having the problem, anyone figured out how to solve it?

Just to recap: I modified the ship cargo space for all ships: works fine for trading, but tractor beam only pulls in the original amount for that ship. For example with a dromedary, i can only mine 250 (default amount), after 250 that the beam is just "perma-on" with nothing coming in. I understand why the perma-on thing happens, just don't understand where the 250 barrier with mining is still coming from. I am the client and the server.

Also, in constants.ini, What are these values?
[AsteroidConsts
MAX_ASTEROID_LOOT_DAMAGE = 20000.000000
MAX_LOOT_PER_ASTEROID = 300