Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Maybe a T3 Skiff? With T3 like modules .... cloaky

Or would then it become a combat drone boat?

I would like to call it a "Sled"

If it is CCP's desire to see a larger variety of different mining ships gobbling up asteroids, then these changes will change nothing. The problem is not with the yield. It is with the managing.


Hulk...
There is just something unsettling about having to drag ore to a jetcan every few minutes. It sounds like such an easy thing to do, but try doing it for 5+ hours every day for a month strait, and at the end, tell me madness did not touch your mind. Even if you don't mine that much, there is still something unsettling about it. *Eye twitches* Any serious miner understands that this is the problem for everyone and the reason we prefer to fly the Mackinaw.


Mackinaw...
You don't have to move ore to a jetcan, you just have to target a new asteroid after you finish one off. It is bearable.



Rather than changing all the ships, you could try something a little less drastic. One possible solution would be to have ore hold overflow automatically dumped into a jetcan next to you. This would at least eliminate ore hold management as a reason why people fly the Mackinaw, and it would not involve any serious changes that might have horrible unforeseen consequences.

but you pretty much don't cap yourself out running lasers. if you do, spend 2-3 days training some basic capacitor skills.

thanks for listening, good work devs.

I will bring a slightly different view to this discussion. Minor balance change - again. Why not full and final reform? There are 3 T1 and 3 T2 variants of mining barges The differences should be based on the role of the ship.

1. Number of strip miners. That is actually a pretty big issue . If one multiboxes a less strip miners is usually more comfortable. What ever that number is all barges should be equal on this field. One difference could be that mining barges could take MAX 3 or 4 strip miners and Exhumers 5. Max number depending on the skill level of the ship like in mining frigates. Main point being that the ship is not chosen by the micro management load of the mining.

2. It is a good start to differentiate the ships to 3 main classes, combat, max capacity and Max mining. The differences just should be clearer. I suggest that tanky one’s ore hold would be same size or rather even slightly smaller than the Max mining one. The max capacity one should not have better tank than max yield one.

3. All ships should have big enough cargo holds to carry enough mining crystals or even to reduce the crystal micromanagement and just go with one crystal that needs to be replaced at the time. In that case your ore specific skill level could be one of the modifiers for the yield. That would also give miners a need to max out the ore specific skills. Or just eliminate the mining crystals all together and use the ore specific refining skill as modifier on T2 strips little bit like on T2 weapons there is specialization skill. The difference on mining yield with strip I and II should be slightly bigger, IMHO.

Vasama

huh......got wondering, the mining skills will also change to be cycle based instead of yield or will it remain like that?, also, arent those cycle bonuses too small?, how about a 10% for the other barges/exhumers and a 15% for the covetor/hulk........

For those unhappy with the lack of graphs (and tables) in this topic:

Mackinaw (and Skiff) against Hulk Yield over time comparison
Yield per Minute and percentage comparison of the ships.

Ships equipped with Modulated Strip Miner II and T2 Crystals, maximum number of MLU II possible (2 for Hulk, 3 for Skiff/Mackinaw)

That should be the defense for any mining fleet. The defenses on the skiff aren't for players outside of hi sec. You tank a skiff to survive null sec rats. No amount of buffer is going to save you in low or null against players. Giving the hulk an agility bonus makes it easier for them to escape rats, that's all. If reds are getting to you while you're still in the belt, you're still going to die, no matter how fast you align.

The sad truth, is that this is correct.

In my opinion: Unfortunately, because evasion leaves little room for actual competition, it is contrary to playing with others.
You are specifically trying to avoid them, which reduces interaction to near zero, if successful.

If a player CHOOSES this path, then they accept the consequences of losing access to their ISK making efforts as necessary.
Making it so no other effective choice exists, suggests to me that more options are needed in mining.
(Even if this is specific to solo and small groups, I believe a significant amount of play falls into this category)

this is somewhat untrue. While hulks and macks will melt like butter, a skiff or procurer do have a chance at defence. Ihave seen a few examples of this myself in my own experience. too many skiffs on grid will eat up any gang not in cruisers or bigger, a solo frig can be chased off or destroyed, and with ths new bonus they have even less threat from smaller targets that arent cyno ships.