The Mining Game (Part 1)

Greetings my fellow pod pilots, & blog readers!!!

Recently I’ve been tossing around different ideas on how the game could be improved.  For whatever reason, mining has become the focus for my imagination.  Now I first want to say, that I am not an avid miner, nor do I do it with any regular frequency, but I do have an industrial alt that is slowly acquiring every mining & trading skill to 5! 

It is hard to believe that she is quickly coming upon 60mil SP!  My original intention was to just have an alt to salvage, be my hauler and trader in High-Sec.  After she was able to fly a Bestower, she moved onto a Providence, then Hulk, followed by Orca. (It might not of been in that order) Hell, she can even fly an Ark, but I haven’t decided to save for the Isk to buy one.  I then began picking up mining skills, PI, & production skills just to try different aspects of the game.   It is sad to say, but I need an actual industrialist to tell me what to do with all these skills, and explain how they affect her performance in game. *Sad Panda Update*

Now along the way I did decide to try mining ore & ice. (I have an ice belt next door to my High-Sec base of operations)  I have even worked in a few groups with Orca supplied mining links.  What I discovered…  Mining can be REALLY boring.  I can understand why people developed bots to do it.  (I do not condone bots in game)  BUT, it can be a lot of fun when experienced in a group on voice comms.  Who doesn’t like sitting around playing a game, while chatting with friends?  Isn’t that the reason we play MMOs?  So we can play with other players.  However, there are times when you don’t have the desire to get into a group, nor want to play with others.  So I began to wonder if there were things that could be done to enhance the experience of mining game play?

One Idea – Fragment Mining

***WARNING*** I am going to use some very basic equations to make my point that do not take every detail into account.  One of the advantages o f ratting is that you have a chance to loot really decent items from the wrecks.  It is simple, depending on the security rating of the system you an (Y %) chance of a faction/high end loot drop.  So for a combat orientated player they can look at their income as: Income = ((X ISK/hour) + (Y%/Faction Kill)) .  Am miner’s income, on the other hand, is based on the amount they can strip or mine in an hour: Income = (Market rate of Ore) * (Ore mined/hour).  Notice that in the case of the miner he has a fixed income rate depending on the ore mined!  His experience is constant & in my opinion a bit boring. I want to add + (Z%/Amount Mined)

Now how could CCP change that?  What about a chance of high end ores (the ABCs) or even possibly moon minerals such as Technetium  dropping?  This system would not merely have these prizes dropped into your cargo hold, but you’d have to work for them.

How it would work:

1- Miners begin mining a rock.  Depending on the security rating of the system the miner is in & the type of ore being mined, would grant a X% chance that the rock would yield a High End Ore Fragment (HEO Fragment) per FULL mining cycle for each mining module. (or maybe based on the amount harvested?)  I would suggest either limiting this benefit to strip mining modules OR grant bigger bonuses to the drop % based on the type of modules being used.  A civilian mining laser should NOT have the same chance as a fully fit out T2 Hulk. (Which in turn could allow for additional benefits for using T2 mining crystals or special rigs, or maybe even allow for *new* mining ships especially designed to search for these fragments?)

2- When a mining cycle results in the spawn or drop of a HEO Fragment it appears in space, much like a loot can or wreck.  It also would only remain on grid as long as any other wreck.  The fragment must be targeted.  Now you could simply loot this fragment like a loot can, but I think that would be too easy, and allow folks to come along and steal this precious cargo from the hapless miner.  I suggest the additional steps below.

3- When HEO Fragment is targeted a special mining module must be used to extract the mineral from the fragment.  It would share the same mechanics as salvaging, yet use skills specific to the mining profession. (WOOT!!! New Mining Skills & module to work for!)  I’d recommend that current mining ships could be given an extra high utility slot or two that could be equipped with these modules but not additional strip miners.  (Using mechanics equal to those limiting turrets/bays & utility slots on combat ships)

4- Once the minerals have been “extracted” from the HEO Fragment they may be looted into your ship’s cargo hold.

Until next time,

Be Bold…

Ideas for Low-Sec

Greetings my fellow pod pilots and blog readers!!!

The Notalotofnews guys got me to thinking about ways to improve Low-Sec?

Here is what I came up with:

First low-sec becomes similar to null sec for sov purposes. However player owned alliances could NOT hold sov in these systems. The system sov could be:
1. Concord uncontrolled sov – as systems currently exist.
2. Racial Faction controlled sov – System controlled by a certain racial faction
3. Pirate Faction controlled sov – System controlled by a certain pirate faction

How Sov control would work…

Each faction would be allowed to anchor faction territorial claim units (FTCU). These FTCUs would be built from BPCs that could only be purchased with LPs. Once an FTCUs is anchored for a particular faction then members of that faction may attack the faction warfare dungeons to attempt to claim that system for their own (ie claim Sov of that system). Once a faction controls that system they may place a faction territorial upgrade hub (FTUH). FTUHs would be built from BPCs that could only be purchased with LPs. FTUHs would not be upgraded with modules, but once placed would grant system wide bonuses to that faction based on the time the faction controlled the system.

FTUH would always be attackable.
FTCU of opposing faction would only be attackable when they did not control sov of the system.

It would be possible to remove sov from a faction using current faction dungeon system resulting in the system being turned back over to the Concord faction. Sov benefits would only be gained by a faction claiming sov by placing a FTCU in a system.

Example of bonuses:

Level 1 (0 to 1 week)
Combat – LP gain for faction kills in system receive +2.55% bonus
Industry – Miners for the faction receive +5% bonus to mining yield
Sov – Gate guns & station guns will not fire upon faction that holds sov

Level 2 ( 1 week+ to 2 weeks)
Combat – LP gain for faction kills in system receive +5% bonus
Industry – Miners for the faction receive +10% bonus to mining yield
Sov – Same as level 1, plus gate guns & station guns will fire upon -.5 to -1.0 of opposing factions

Level 3 (2+ weeks to 3 weeks)
Combat – LP gain for faction kills in system receive +5% bonus, 2% bonus to resists
Industry – Miners for the faction receive +10% bonus to mining yield, one asteroid belt spawns in
system same as normal sov mechanics with mining upgrade
Sov – Same as level 1, plus gate guns & station guns will fire upon -.1 to -1.0 of opposing factions. Controlling faction’s players may launch a defense beacon (stealing earlier idea). Once launched the defense beacon will call one level one (Cruiser Frigates) wave of NPC faction defense forces (using Sleeper AI) that will remain for the duration of the beacon and defend the player if attacked.

Level 4 (3+ weeks to 4 weeks)
Combat – LP gain for faction kills in system receive +7.5% bonus, 4% bonus to resists, NPC sites spawn as per normal mechanics
Industry – Miners for the faction receive +10% bonus to mining yield, two asteroid belt spawns in
system same as normal sov mechanics with mining upgrade. (ABC ores spawn)
Sov – Same as level 1, plus gate guns & station guns will fire upon all opposing factions. Controlling faction’s players may launch a defense beacon (stealing earlier idea). Once launched the defense beacon will call one level two (Frigates, Cruisers, Battle Cruisers) wave of NPC faction defense forces (using Sleeper AI) that will remain for the duration of the beacon and defend the player if attacked.

Level 5 (4 weeks +)
Combat – LP gain for faction kills in system receive +10% bonus, NPC sites spawn as per normal mechanics (higher end sites spawn)
Industry – Miners for the faction receive +10% bonus to mining yield, three asteroid belt spawns in
system same as normal sov mechanics with mining upgrade. (ABC ores spawn)
Sov – Same as level 1, plus gate guns & station guns will fire upon all opposing factions. Gates now have NPC faction forces patrolling gates & belts. Controlling faction’s players may launch a defense beacon (stealing earlier idea). Once launched the defense beacon will call one level two (Frigates-Ewar, Cruisers, Battle Cruisers, BS) wave of NPC faction defense forces (using Sleeper AI) that will remain for the duration of the beacon and defend the player if attacked.


Additionally I think that miners that belong to the faction that holds sov in a system should be able to receive LPs based on the amounts of ore mined.

This would an additional incentive to promote miners (targets) to actively mine in low sec.

Until next time...

Be Bold!!!

Greetings my fellow pod pilots, & blog readers!!!

     It has been awhile since I’ve written, and I feel I need to at least update the two or three people that check the blog on a daily basis.  Well actually I need to stop being lazy and get to posting more often.  The lack of RL commitments have actually allowed me some time to log into the game & catch up on some podcasts.

     Let’s start with my game time.  With the latest patches & expansion we have seen the addition to T2 modules, enhancements to assault frigates, and time dilation.  My skill queue has targeted those skills needed to use the newly added T2 modules.  Leadership skills were already maxed (minus the mining crap), and it was only a short run (20 days I think) to Graviton Physics V.  My absence from the game made that a bit less painful!  So now I can use all T2 warfare links & my HICs can fit the new T2 Warp Disruption Field Generator.  However the 37 days needed to get Tactical Weapon Reconfiguration V to use T2 Siege & Triage modules is gonna be “the suck!”  I’ll forego those for now, and finish up the rest of the shield skills to V.  That will take 49 days. (minus Capital Shield Emissions.)  I just haven’t had a need or reason to max out my carrier/capital skills.  Hopefully one day I’ll get into fights were those will be necessary.

     So with the additional mid slot (2 total) I loaded up my Retribution with a bit of tackle and headed out to low-sec to test it out.  It was promptly blown up two jumps in.  Who would of expected something like a rapier, arazu, interceptor, and megathron (I think it might have been a Vindi) sitting on the other side of the gate?  SO it was point, web, & pop for me!  Instead of losing more isk on Tranquility, I decided to load up Sisi and try my luck there.  I’ve been enjoying the quick pickup fights on the test server.  I have even decided to mess around with some other exotic fits. (such as a heavy neut Curse, that sucks cap out to 74km range)  I figure why not just mess around with ships ya don’t mind losing on Sisi.  They are only 100 isk per ship after all.  I like the changes to the Retribution (+1 mid slot).  It needed the extra slot so you could add a disruptor or scram.  The Vengeance is a ship I haven’t flown before, but now that I have Rockets V, I think I may give it a try as well.  It appears o be a tough little nut.

      I haven’t gotten into any fights that have required time dilation (TiDi).  However from the reports that I have read, it appears it is working.  Larger fights are beginning to happen.  Good job, CCP Team Gridlock!!!

     Now that I’ve been getting an itch to play and go pew pew again, I am back to the realization that I need to find another corp and/or alliance to join.  Let’s be honest EvE’s end game requires cooperation.  There just isn’t enough opportunity to get into good 1v1 fights.  You need to work with a team to really get the most out of EvE.  It is a MMO after all… which is a good thing.  So does anyone know of a corp looking for a player with 82mil SP Amarr-centric but quickly moving into Amarr/Winmatar combo character?  Other highlights: All Leadership skills V (minus mining), Scanning skills V (I love my cloaky/scan Legion), Logi V, and I like to fly Interdictors & Heavy Interdictors too.  Send me an EvEmail!  I’m looking for corp that has a direction or goal they are working for, that must include some pvp, but need not be the focus.

     And finally podcasts…  I’ve been trying to catch up on some of EvE’s podcasts.  Now I must admit I don’t listen to all of them, but those I do tend to be the more common ones.  Is it me, or is trash talking becoming the norm?  It appears if you don’t have the time to develop any content or formulate a thoughtful opinion just sit around a microphone and bad mouth the game or the play style of other players.  I guess I shouldn’t be throwing any stones…  as I’m just sitting here typing out my own opinions as well.  I’m such a hypocrite!

     Maybe I just got spoiled flying and chatting with hosts of the Planet Risk Show, QP and Luminus.  Their fun loving self-abasing sense of humor was less spiteful.  They understood EvE is a game.  Or maybe it is because I believe you should respect the people you play against?  I don’t understand the need for a player’s or a person’s need to crush the spirit of another. 

     I get it…. EvE is a dark and harsh game.  Part of the game is to go out destroy what others have worked hard for.  In essence, the other players are what you attempt to conquer, and that players become the villains for doing so.  However EvE is a game.  The point of any game is to have fun playing against another person.  What does it say about a player whose idea of fun is to be cruel?  In this game you should go out and blow things up, but ya don’t need to attack the player for playing the game.  Now it appears that smack talk in local isn’t enough for some, now they need to record their insults as podcasts.

Long story short…  I’ve removed a few podcasts from my list of things to listen to.

Until next time,

Be Bold…