Moon Mining - Ancient Relics
I was thinking that based on the back stories of millions of Capsuleers fighting in space and then some crashing onto the surface of numerous moons across the Universe that through the process of cracking the chunks of the surface of the Moon that ship, module and other debris would possibly be extracted in the same process. I would even go so far as to say that abandoned and underground complexes could likely be possible to exist and found as well.
Moons locations close to the Eve Gate could also potentially have relics left behind in the wake of the collapse of the Eve Gate wormhole.
But more importantly Moons in W-Space would have more potential in discovering Sleeper artifacts and even possibly Drifter artifacts as well that would continue the need to research both of these mysterious races. Discoveries that would also lead to new technologies and new ships.
How would hunting for relics and debris on a Moon or Moon chunk work?
1.Moon Relic Site Survey
You would first have to train a few skills that would include Moon Relic Survey that would increase the likelihood of determining whether a Moon has a potential relic site or sites present on it.
-15% chance of accurate survey result for each skill level up to 100%. Training this skill would also allow the Capsuleer to use the Moon Relic Survey Probe that would increase the probes strength in determining the exact location of a site on the Moon or on the Moon chunk itself by 3% per level trained for a total chance to locate a relic site at 90% for either the Moon surface or Moon chunk.
Every ten weeks that a refinery is active and mining moon ore the chance to find a Relic site on the moon would increase by 3% due to the refinery breaking the Moon apart. So within nearly a years time the ability to locate a relic site on a moon would be 99% with a 1% chance of not locating a relic site.
2.Moon Relic Extraction
Once the Moon Relic Survey skill had been trained to level four, at least a 15 day training period, the Capsuleer could then use the Moon Relic Extra Array and or Moon Relic Extraction Module.
Array - 15% chance to extract relics from a relic site when discovered using the Moon Relic Extraction Array/Module per level trained. The array would be a separate station that would be anchored in space around a moon. The Array itself would be three times the volume of the MTU and would be able to extract and tractor moon relics from the moon chunk at 125 km and 300km from the Moon itself. The array would only be able to extract relics and debris found on the surface of the Moon or mined moon chunk.
-Ship based modules could only be fit to a Porpoise or Orca in the High Slot. The ship based module would have a 10% chance to extract bonus per level trained and would only be able to extract relics and debris from the lunar chunk.
Relic Extraction Salvage Rigs would increase the chance to extract relics by 5% per rig allowing a ship based relic salvager a 65% chance to extract relics.
Implants would further give bonuses to the Array and ship based modules chances to extract relics for a total of 80% extraction of the relic.
Moon Relic Extraction Colony
The best chance to extract relics from moon would be to establish a colony on it. To establish a relic extraction colony on the moons surface would require the following:
- All skills involving Planet Management would need to be learner to level 5.
- Once all Planet Management skills had been learned to level 5 the Moon Extraction Command Center could be trained
- The Moon Extraction Command Center skill would would allow one Extraction Dig Site operation to be used per level up to a total of five Extraction Dig Site operations. A single site operation has a 90% of extracting relics and debris. Each additional site operation deployed reduces the chances to extract relics or debris by 5% for a total chance of extracting relics and debris at 75% for each site deployed with five operations deployed. Each site operation when used by itself has a 95% chance to extract relics or debris. When the Extraction Command Center is upgraded , ten million isk per upgrade level, the penalty for deploying additional site operations is reduced by 1% giving five operation sites a total of an 80% chance to recover relics or debris.
If only one operation is used with a fully upgraded command center the chance to extract relics or debris is 97%.
The cycle time to extract relics and debris varies on the volume discovered. The larger the volume the more time it would take.
For example a site discoveries an underground complex that has caved in. Crew would first have to remove the cave in, cycle of 1 to 30 days which factors in structurally enhancing the the complex that would require new items to manufacture and then supply to the site to keep the dig in a constant state of operation. Once the cave in and repairs had been completed normal examination of the site and removal of artifacts would commence that could take up to three months for total extraction.
A ship wreck, for example would take less time given the type of ship found. For modern day ships, such as a Hel, the total time would be two days. For older ships discovered that were around during the time of the original colonization of New Eden the cycle could be up to two months.
I think that such a new profession and operation will give the role players a much needed new door to open up as well as creating new content for manufacturing.
