Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Mining Barges need some changes.

The Reasoning
As a game developer and experienced pvp pilot (2003 player) in eve, I for-see the future of eve turning into a very "Roam" based pvp system in 0.0. I predict much less "warning" to roams / Invaders, and much more common pvpers. For this reason i predict that miners will be instant gimp repeatedly, and that the 0.0 Mining playerbase will cease to exist (thus moving the game toward high sec only mining). This is a huge shame, but already miners are massively scared and apprehensive to come here. We need changes!



Current Changes
- Move Slots
Barges badly need more slots, especially high slots. Being able to fit cloaking devices will massively help mining in 0.0. Let players create uncloaking and searching tactics

* Im thinking if there was a ship that was "50% Bonus smart bomb range* - 50% Damage (Cruiser class) it would really make finding cloaked mining fleets better, and really help smart bombers shine.

- New Barge Types
I would love to see a Covert Mining Barge (out side the prospect) that is drone based. Black-ops is massively used for combat, but why not sneaking mining options?

- Drone Boat Miner
I would love to see a mining barge that mined via drones. I would love to see on it a bonus like "+ 2 max drone deployed per level" and "Faster travel speed and mining rate for drones per a level".

Beams are great, But lets make mining drones more valid!

- A new Hauler Type
One of the biggest problems as a miner is the inability to stock large amounts of ore in a hold. Its incredibly annoying.
Please give us a new transport ship that is tech 3, that allows players to drop ore into its hold, and give it "automatic container creation", where the ship can "generate" a "personal hanger" for players dropping ore in it Or you could give it a ROLE bonus like "99% reduction in mass of station containers". Give it a massive ore hold. "50% bonus to ore hold size per a level", capping out at 10m Ore hold. Make it a Industrial Equiv Hull.

- A new Mining Cloak!
a new mining cloak where we have a tech 3 mining ship that allows use to mine cloaked, would be awesome!

Baboli game on point...

Long time player, but still very poor understanding of how the overall sandbox of the game works. Being a pvp'er is not an excuse however.




Sure, but then the barge should not be able to fit any drones. Covert cloak is already an incredible weapon in EVE.





You must be trolling...

carriers make excellent mining drone boats.

Ok defensive roam is roaming your own space hoping someone poke you. for miners this means nothing if your 3-5 systems out or engaging someone else when they get dropped, so you need to stay close to your miners if you are supposed to defend them

No, a home defence gang is 'Okay guys, gang incoming, reship to [whatever you use] and form up [wherever] so we can hit them before they hit our guys'.

If you have multiple hostile gangs in your space, maybe you shouldn't be expecting to mine in complete safety?

Likewise, if you can't be bothered to watch local, put scouts anywhere, use skiffs and drone triggers, or, y'know, put in anything that even resembles effort to get your fleet out when hostiles come your way, maybe you shouldn't be in nullsec at all?

Pro-tip: a group of Procurers/Skiffs with two Basilisks is a SCARY composition (it is like fighting a group of Arbitrators with 50k to 90k+ tanks).

Barges are fine. The tools to defend themselves are already there.


And IF miners all leave for high-sec because they don't want to expend the effort of using the tools and tactics already available to them... that is a sign that high-sec mining should probably be nerfed. A lot.

I will vouch for the sheer power of fleets of mining craft, i dropped a bomber gang on a group once and we wound up losing 6 bombers and only killed 2 macks and a skiff, had their been logi we would have been doomed

Me thinks this is the core element of your post that FireFrenzy weas referring to.
Perhaps you did not intend it to be this way but you are calling for a nerf to high sec mining rewards and that is not something the game needs right now. I agree that those who choose to mine in areas with greater risks should receive greater rewards and CCP has made many changes over the past year or so to address that issue.

And getting back to the OP topic, NO the barges are in a good place at the moment.

As an interceptor pilot, nothing is more frightening than landing on a group of prepared miners and suddenly finding yourself webbed and scrammed, with 30+ assorted light drones coming at you. Add logi, and you have a comp that can put up a frightening defense against smaller ships.

But let's be clear - mining barges are not combat ships. Against cruisers or larger ships, they're going to get torn to pieces - and they should. Part of flying a non-combat ship (or any ship really) is knowing when to run the **** away.