Science & Industry

Yeah the idea is cool, but I see more downsides than general improvements if this will ever be applied.

First and obvious one is: if you wanted (as someone said before) an hulk + something this is called OP-mining and will turn into lots of people running in this "new shiny world" thus prices will fall possibly to a critical level. Translation: you cannot op such a thing as mining!

Second: if as I assume these covops barges will need lots ok skill training (a hulk already takes a couple of months to be used decently in high sec) they will also cost a ton of isk, which means you'll need to mine for months in an OP barge to have your investment paied off. Now, you have 2 chances: people will keep on using Hulks in high sec and yours will be just a fail implementation, or you'll have again a fall in mineral prices if the new mining will result way more profitable as you prolly intended when suggesting such a thing.

Third: hulkageddon will be spread all over the year if gankers will find a way (and they will find it) to gank billions worth barges!! In fact you mean to use them in low and null, don't you? These new barges looks to me more like golden cookies floating in space for pvp-ers and gankers in general rather than anything else. Guess a stealth bomber fleet could already bring all the troubles needed to such a mining fleet.

My personal conclusions are that CCP should somehow re-define mining in New Eden, but tweaking the actual barges and rules in general. Something like removing local in null-sec would be an idea even if not possible for pvp life as a whole, so maybe something in-between like a barge cov-op device which doesn't affect the visibility of the ship in space, but it removes it from local, so that gankers will have to move to the ore belts and sites to find you, and you could have all the time to catch them and fly away before they come and gank you...... just an idea tho, for sure there are better ones but imho your way to revolution the mining world is not going in the meant direction.

my 2 cents

They could add a Cloak Suppression to Strategic Upgrades. Allied ships would require a certain frequency or password to enable their cloak. And if an enemy knows the password, change it and you know there is a spy in your Alliance. Adds another layer to that ever so wonderful game of espionage.

P.S. Lowsec miners you're still screwed with this idea.

Erm, there are hundreds of ships you can use to mine ore, that's what Miner II's are for.
There is 1 ship that is seen as the 'best' for mining, the hulk. But that's because it's mining output is generally the highest, but it's tank is low.
People used to mine with battleships

say it to this guy:
http://eve-kill.net/?a=pilot_detail&view=kills&plt_id=253002&m=1&y=2012

if this KB isn't enough: this char is black ops cyno generator. He is sitting cloaked 24/7. And some time he drops 7-13 BO gang into his victim. And they have enough time to kill target and get out before you can grab enough people to counter them. Cyno jammer active in system doesn't stop them too.

Just some information for those "afk-cloaker doesn't kill"