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Ring Mining - What Might It Be?
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Poetic Stanziel
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#1 - 2012-08-01 14:43:03 UTC
from http://poeticstanziel.blogspot.ca/2012/08/ring-mining.html

That CCP Soundwave dude has stated he'd like to introduce ring mining into EVE Online, perhaps as a replacement for tech moons, or in addition too.

Soundwave's stated design goal for ring mining would be to make it collaborative.

If tech moons aren't removed, ring mining certainly becomes the more profitable activity. Collaberative income should certainly always trump a passive income.
Quote:
Ring mining would be getting moon minerals through collaborative PVE. It would take it out of the hands of the alliances and into the players hands.

As a thought exercise, how might this work?

I see it as a possibly four step process, requiring (ideally) a different ship for each of the four roles.

Scanning
The process begins with a scanning ship, that produces a heat map-like scan of the current grid, similar to the heat map used in planetary interaction. This would show relative concentrations of minerals/isotopes of a given type. The scanning module may be something new, requiring different crystals which would map out different configurations of minerals/isotopes. This stage of the process isn't necessary, but it does help in locating high concentrations of the minerals/isotopes being sought.

DPS
The first step of the process would be to break down the "rocks" via DPS. Each rock would have some amount of EHP, and use of weaponry would break them down, ready for mining, once they reached zero HP. Perhaps different rock-types would have different resistances, requiring different ammo types. The higher the DPS ship you have performing this process, the quicker this process is completed.

Mining
Once broken down by DPS, they would be ready for mining. Again, different rock types would mean different minerals/isotopes/tech. Once a rock is mined out, it would further break down, ready for the salvaging process.

Salvage
Perhaps a special salvager is required to finish the ring mining task. Perhaps different salvaging crystals for different salvaging rocks. Perhaps it is at this final stage that ring mining offers its tech moon resources. You certainly want people to complete the process to the final stage, so the tech moon minerals aren't revealed earlier in the process for that very reason.

This doesn't necessarily make mining less boring (can mining be made less boring?), but it certainly makes it collaborative. It may be possible to solo, with a mining ship that has three high slots, one for a weapon, one for a mining module, and another for a salvager. The process as a solo activity would be a very slow one (as it should be), compared to doing it with a group of people, each flying ships designed for a particular stage of the process.

I have zero idea what Soundwave is planning for ring mining, but this may not be far off the mark. The definite advantage of the process as described is that it doesn't require a massive amount of new development. It uses existing mechanics (with tweaks), rather than requiring all new mechanics being written.
Celgar Thurn
Department 10
#2 - 2012-08-01 15:17:39 UTC
I suggest you read the interview/article on mining for the future with CCP Soundwave in the latest edition of EON magazine. There is some chat about it preceding the final of this years Alliance Tournament if you look that up on the EVE Online youtube site.

I think ring mining is probably quite a way off though largely due to the amount of art and design work that will be needed to implement it. And if The Mittani etc stick their fourpenneth in as it will affet their 'tech' cartel then you may not see it happen at all. Actually I think it more likely and maybe more feasible in terms of use of materials gained that any 'advanced group mining' activities will give xxxx amounts of low/nul-sec ores rather than moon mining derived materials. Moon mining materials cannot be 'worked on' in high sec POSes so would probably just be sold on for ISK. Where as low/nul-sec ores can be refined and used in high sec.

Another idea in conjunction with this would be have 'advanced group ice mining' which would yield the better types of ice deep inside ordinary deposits in high sec ice fields.
Aurelius Valentius
Valentius Corporation
Valentius Corporation Alliance
#3 - 2012-08-01 21:57:56 UTC
I assume after all is said and done something like this:

Ring Mining - EVE style
Poetic Stanziel
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#4 - 2012-08-01 22:36:03 UTC
Ring Mining the CCP Soundwave Way

Cooperative net trawling. Includes cool images of ring trawling.

(Disclaimer: Speculative. Not an idea that CCP has confirmed they are using.)
Abdiel Kavash
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#5 - 2012-08-01 22:48:36 UTC  |  Edited by: Abdiel Kavash
No matter what you do, you are replacing an income source based on PvP activity (fighting over moons) by income based on PvE grind.

Moon mining isn't passive income, not in the sense datacores or trading is. You don't get moon money for putting a tower somewhere. You get moon income by first killing a tower on a valuable moon, and then defending it against other people who want to do the same to you. If you stop defending, you lose the moon.
Poetic Stanziel
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#6 - 2012-08-01 22:50:09 UTC
Abdiel Kavash wrote:
You get moon income by first killing a tower on a valuable moon, and then defending it against other people who want to do the same to you. If you stop defending, you lose the moon.
You guys spend all of your time defending your moons, do you?
Abdiel Kavash
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#7 - 2012-08-01 22:51:58 UTC
Poetic Stanziel wrote:
Abdiel Kavash wrote:
You get moon income by first killing a tower on a valuable moon, and then defending it against other people who want to do the same to you. If you stop defending, you lose the moon.
You guys spend all of your time defending your moons, do you?


When we're not out taking somebody else's space or moons, pretty much yes.
Poetic Stanziel
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#8 - 2012-08-01 22:55:44 UTC
Abdiel Kavash wrote:
Poetic Stanziel wrote:
You guys spend all of your time defending your moons, do you?
Pretty much yes.
Haha. I call B.S. Smile

OTEC was created to pretty much ensure that you spent as little time as possible having to defend moon assets. (Making tonnes of ISK was the other reason, of course, but making tonnes of ISK is much easier when you're not at war constantly.)
Abdiel Kavash
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#9 - 2012-08-01 22:59:47 UTC
Poetic Stanziel wrote:
Abdiel Kavash wrote:
Poetic Stanziel wrote:
You guys spend all of your time defending your moons, do you?
Pretty much yes.
Haha. I call B.S. Smile

OTEC was created to pretty much ensure that you spent as little time as possible having to defend moon assets. (Making tonnes of ISK was the other reason, of course, but making tonnes of ISK is much easier when you're not at war constantly.)


Yes, making friends is a valid form of defense.
Styth spiting
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#10 - 2012-08-01 23:13:06 UTC  |  Edited by: Styth spiting
I can't really see the whole net / 2 ships flying around doing some type of drag net setup. Though it could be a way to make a type of mining that would be even more dull than the current mining system.

My hopes are the new system does involve some type of scanning (either finding dead space areas, of a material type within the area to "mine"). A system that combines some of the cool parts of PI's functionality (Anchor an extractor device, have the device scan the area for a material, and start collecting) that also combines drone mechanics (skills reflect extractor types, sizes and quantity deployed at once, as well as skill at collecting, scanning, mat types you can collect, and yield per cycle/minute/hour, and the ability to leave the area to say dump mats, and reconnect when back in the area).

The player would then say every 5,10,20 minutes would need to re-configure their extractors to continue having a high yield per hour, otherwise it would gradually get worst to the point of no extractions so active people get better yields, and afk players get penalized. The system would also be damn hard for a bot as there are several steps involved and requires choosing materials based on data/images.

Personally I'm just hoping there are a ton of new skill requirements, and the new system isn't as passive as PI or as simple as mining.
sYnc Vir
Wolfsbrigade
Ghost Legion.
#11 - 2012-08-02 00:15:38 UTC
Has no one really made the joke that this post is titled Ring Mining.

Am I really on the internet?

Don't ask about Italics, just tilt your head.
Yoshite McLulzypants
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#12 - 2012-08-02 01:07:13 UTC
sYnc Vir wrote:
Has no one really made the joke that this post is titled Ring Mining.

Am I really on the internet?


Oh, ring mining. I had read it as "ass spelunking".