In Mass Effect 2 there was a lot of resource gathering to power weapon upgrades (for example). Does the same mechanic come into play in Mass Effect 3 to any degree beyond the initial save file import?
(Motivation: While searching for more information to help answer this question I tripped over an FAQ of questionable usefulness that was talking about using the scanner's sound effect to tell the type of minerals available)
No, there's no mineral resources to mine in ME3. The things you can find on planets are not mineral resources, and the rewards vary, but it's usually not weapon related. Weapons and weapon mods are usually found during combat missions and in shops on the Normandy or the Citadel.
Instead of spending 10-15 minutes seeking resources on a planet, you'll generally spend less than a minute on the planetary scan interface looking for relics or other items of interest. For the most part, they're used to satisfy small side quests at the Citadel.
As a side note, the initial import of your mineral resources isn't worth much in terms of War Assets - I had mined extensively in ME2, and I think I got 25 (of thousands possible) assets from it.
