Player Features and Ideas Discussion

I've always been surprised that the low sec ores are move valuable per m3 than null sec or most high sec ore. However there is a understandable reason for it.

To mine effectively in Null you need facilities and transporters and most of all protection. I'm not talking about the constant guard of a CAP force. What I'm talking about is the buffer of 5-15 systems between you and the front lines through which hostiles need to pass. They also need to pass the watchful eyes of dozens of other pilots who report all that info in intel channels. Then there are the pilots that will sally forth to take on the intruders. The mining in a null sec system typically involves, indirectly, a lot of people. However under these circumstances its pretty safe.

Now high sec mining is no longer safe. People say all you have to do is be alert and watch local and this is true to an extent. A proper tank will defeat a single attacker. However the truth is that no matter how good your tank or how alert you are, you will at least be chased out of your belt a few times in your mining stint. The actions against miners in high sec have made those ores more valuable.

Now the last factor. The middle minerals are actually more valuable because they come from ores that you usually need to go to low sec to get. Sure you can get some from ore anomalies but not enough to support the demand. And PvPers create a huge demand for ships and materials. And this is where the problem lies. There are few ways to make low sec safe. There is no buffer of systems between you and potential enemies. You need close range scouts and a CAP force to be really safe mining in low. Lastly there is no easy way to get all your mined goods out of low. However compression arrays have made this much easier than in the past. however that means the overhead of a POS which requires a more substantial corp. If not to pay for and defend the POS, then to be taken seriously with your diplomatic efforts.

Another problem I have found in low sec is the ores don't spawn as often as the ones in high sec. Combine this with the fact you cannot upgrade the system to get more ore anomalies and you make those system pay less. If the Jaspet/Hemorphite/Hedbergite/Gneiss/Dark Ochre respawned more often then you could be constantly mining it and thus making the money worth it. At the moment the built in scarcity is making mining those ores only profitable while they exist. Then for the hours they are not there you have a deficit.

I don't know the answer to this problem. One thought is to make the Covetor/Retreiver/Mackinaw/Hulk easier to tank. Just up it enough to require teamwork from gankers. That would reduce the value of high sec minerals because there would be more produced. It may even make those ships more effective in low sec. At the moment its just not worth it for a mining corp to set up in a low sec system and mine. There is one simple reason for it. Guard duty is boring as hell. No PvPer wants to sit there watching people munch roids. Or they expect a huge fee for their effort.

Is it ever possible that people like the OP EVER post in the right forum?

I don't think this is that. I think this is this: https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=369828&find=unread (Which to me doesn't read as 'miner entitlement', but as 'prop up our rental business'.)

Keep in mind that lorewise 1 ISK is a tremendous amount of money to non-capsuleers.

You gotta form a cartel then create artificial scarcity. Google De Beers.

Null Sec already has this. It's called vastly greater refining rates. Which are larger than the raw numbers suggest at first glance also, since it's not the percentages relative to 100% which matter, but the relative percent difference between the two maximum refining values.

Hence why it has become more profitable to sell raw/compressed ore in high sec rather than minerals, since Null sec can export it and get greater quantities of minerals out of the ore.
Which isn't great gameplay when it's only a capital investment and requires no maintenance (that wouldn't otherwise be paid anyway)
PoS's would make a much stronger case for the highest refines as this then presents more value to a corp based in highsec running a pos, as well as not simply packing it down every time a war dec comes along but actually continuing to use it regardless.

Anyway, back on topic, all of the ores are available in Null Sec, so Null Sec miners can always mine the most valuable ore no matter what it happens to be. In addition there are vastly more systems in Null Sec, so there are vast quantities more of this most valuable ore available. And Null Sec can get better boosts than high sec, meaning each miner brings more in. And then they can refine them fairly locally as well by using compression plus some haulers making two or three jumps to a refining station of the compressed ore, meaning that they get more minerals than high sec can for the same ore as well.

All up this gives them significantly more value mining the same ore in Null Sec already.
So any lack of profit by a Null sec miner is a failure to read the market and respond appropriately, nothing to do with game design.

Why not triple the demand for trit instead, its way easier to get a hold of :D

The market value is established by the players, who respond (react?) to the parameters of the game, which are set by CCP. What I'm suggesting would clearly and directly have an effect on the value of a particular ore. Anyone who dismissed CCP's involvement in the market (and there are a number of them in this thread) is just a simpleton. They have sandboxgameitis.

Is it ever possible that posters post on-topic? If you don't like where I posted my thread, don't post in it.

Why not? Id post in it if it was in the RIGHT place too, silly boy.

But hey, like many have said, why actually do something in the game when you can ask CCP to do it for you?

Oh wait, I know

Because it wont happen

You want certain minerals to go up in price?

Starting ganking.

I can send you fits and tips if you like.