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Porpoise and Orca
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Scruffled
#1 - 2017-02-18 23:59:04 UTC
So I noticed that Rorqual Drone mining is the **** now. Has anyone done Prpoise or Orca mining? Solo? Is it worth it? I remember a year or so ago I had my main in an orca for boosting/holding ore, and a hulk right next to it mining and dropping ore hold into the orca.

Is there a more efficient way to mine with 1 account? Or two max?
Thrakster
Serenity Pacific Corporation
#2 - 2017-02-19 02:58:48 UTC
This reddit post is about the best I have seen on the topic.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Eve/comments/5bp0sm/mining_yield_with_the_november_update/
Shiloh Templeton
Cheyenne HET Co
#3 - 2017-02-19 03:40:45 UTC
I tried it with a solo rigged Orca. I was going for maximum semi-AFK but it just didn't earn enough to make it worthwhile and the drones are a bit tedious. Putting a boosting/mining Orca with 1 mining ship should work a lot better

Vivianne Athonille
WHolely Unacceptable
#4 - 2017-02-19 05:29:49 UTC
Having worked with all three of the mining command ships since the update, I am coming to one big conclusion. There needs to be a weakened version of the Industrial Core available to the Porpoise and Orca. Perhaps only a 100% yield boost as opposed to the 500% of the T1IC (and of course reduce other bonuses as well), but it would establish a consistent use of these ships from beginning to end of the tech tree. Then you would also get your in-belt compression for HiSec and WH daytripping but still with the 5-minute anchored timer.
pinkajoo
#5 - 2017-02-19 10:12:34 UTC
But then who would train for the barges and exhumers? There is a designed synergy between the smaller hulls and the bigger hulls.. is this idea outdated now? Any more buffs to these hulls will seriously endanger the usage of the smaller hulls.

I tried two accounts some weeks back, one Mack (I had no Hulks nearby) and one Orca. They need to be near the 'roids to lessen the effects of drone flights (any time wasted travelling/not lasering up 'roids is downtime). I experimented with drone navigation modules and the drone rigs and the collection was still slow, and the bigger ore hold of the orca will keep you on site for longer (resulting in more ISK, less downtime).

Their ability to contribute to collecting is a nice touch, but IMHO using them solo isn't efficient.
Do Little
Bluenose Trading
#6 - 2017-02-19 12:17:03 UTC  |  Edited by: Do Little
Mining drones give an on-grid booster something to do. These ships are not intended to be solo miners. You can use them that way if you want but you will get better yield from a barge/exhumer for a much lower cost.

In addition to its primary role, Orca provides a fantastic support ship for mission runners and remains a decent mid-size hauler for those who don't need/want a freighter. It's in a pretty good place.

I originally thought on-grid Rorquals would get massacred - didn't happen but it may just have taken a while for hunters to figure them out. The Imperium lost a fleet of 7 Rorquals last week despite having a defense fleet ready to help. The exceptional mining ability of these ships needs to be balanced by a commensurate risk.

I am currently buying Tritanium for less than 4 ISK and Pyerite for a little more than 5 ISK. I don't think I seen prices this low since I started playing the game. The last thing we need is a more efficient way to harvest ore!
Vivianne Athonille
WHolely Unacceptable
#7 - 2017-02-19 16:06:50 UTC  |  Edited by: Vivianne Athonille
pinkajoo wrote:
But then who would train for the barges and exhumers? There is a designed synergy between the smaller hulls and the bigger hulls.. is this idea outdated now? Any more buffs to these hulls will seriously endanger the usage of the smaller hulls.


The Industrial Cores actually do much of this balancing. The only time you can produce good mining yield is while running the core. And it comes with quite the list of restrictions.

  • Immobile
  • Remote assistance reduction
  • Fuel requirements
  • Loss of a high slot (Very big deal on a Porpoise, and still important for an Orca even with its new slots)

The dedicated mining hulls will always have their place due to their lower price and greater ease of use.

Do Little wrote:
Mining drones give an on-grid booster something to do. These ships are not intended to be solo miners. You can use them that way if you want but you will get better yield from a barge/exhumer for a much lower cost.


Exactly the point. The Porpoise and Orca need the option for more functionality while on-grid, and at least the Industrial Core already includes a significant risk/reward balance.
Owen Levanth
Sagittarius Unlimited Exploration
#8 - 2017-02-19 16:27:16 UTC
Scruffled wrote:
So I noticed that Rorqual Drone mining is the **** now. Has anyone done Prpoise or Orca mining? Solo? Is it worth it? I remember a year or so ago I had my main in an orca for boosting/holding ore, and a hulk right next to it mining and dropping ore hold into the orca.

Is there a more efficient way to mine with 1 account? Or two max?


I tried it just today: Mining Porpoise with T1-drones, two T2 mining drone rigs. Ate through asteroids faster than a strip miner.

Of course, my Skiff is still slightly faster, but overall I was surprised how fast and smooth drone mining worked. The great thing about the Porpoise is how light and nimble it is: It aligns pretty fast and with a MWD you can reposition yourself without losing much time.

The downside is, your ship has to stay about 1,5 hours in the belt to fill up the ore hold. That's a lot of time to spend sitting in one place.

It's certainly relaxing, but not really efficient. Fun though, if you're into mining. When my industry-alt finishes her T2-mining drone skills, I can safely store my Skiff and switch to the Porpoise permanently.