Each keeps similar stats but with role bonuses (gas, ice, ore). Add fitting changes (increased no. of slots, PG/CPU) and new modules to expand ore holds — making barges more customizable. Players can fit for tank, yield, or cargo as needed, adding unpredictability to encounters.
Also, simplify ore types: remove redundant variants (e.g., Glossy, Condensed, Massive Scordite, etc.). One variant per ore is enough — fits and skills already provide yield variation and the different base ores (Veld, scord, plag, pyrox etc) is enough for variance. Have a nice day.
Mining Barge bonuses (per skill level):
6% bonus to ship shield hitpoints
2% bonus to Strip Miner Yield
2% reduction in Ice Harvester Duration
2% reduction in Gas Harvester Duration Role Bonus:
50% bonus to drone damage and hitpoints
It used to be something like that. The current system where you choose yield, hold space, or tank makes much more sense than having targeted barges/exhumers.
And really, do you think you’re taken seriously when you don’t even know the Skiff and Mackinaw as names of the other Exhumers?
That’s not the same because there are frigates, destroyers, cruisers, battlecruisers, and battleships that can fit autocannons.
The Skiff, Mackinaw, and Hulk are not the same. They’re completely different.
The Skiff has massive tank and very low yield. It’s for mining in very rough neighborhoods and it takes a very long time to accomplish its task. It’s like mining in an Abrams Tank.
The Mackinaw is the middle ground. Less tank, medium hold size, and medium yield.
The Hulk is 100% for fast mining. It has a very tiny cargo hold that fills up extremely quickly do to its very high yield. Give it a place to store its ore and one Hulk can empty an entire asteroid field all by itself pretty quickly.
If you put Skiffs in gas mining only than no gas mining will ever be over quickly. Putting a Mackinaw in as the only ship able to mine ice means that ice mining will never be exceptional since you can’t bring in a Hulk. Saying that only Hulks can mine ore would be terrible for those that don’t have an Orca nearby for compression or storage. Hulks fill up extremely quickly by themselves. The Hulk isn’t a solo ship. People will use the Mackinaw before they solo in a Hulk.
You’d have to strip away all of these differences before you broke up the ships like this. Their current roles don’t fit this proposed isolation.
It’d increase specialization — e.g., the Procurer loses ice/ore bonuses but gains stronger gas bonuses. Some stats may drop, but extra slots let you compensate.
Just allow every ship of every type to have 8 high slots, 8 mid slots, and 8 low slots with no module restrictions whatsoever and let the chips fall where they may. That’s the only thing that will satisfy you people……and probably not even then.
Currently players can choose to mine ice, ore or gas.
Players can also independently choose to go for defensive power, extra staying power with a larger hold or maximum yield.
Your suggestion is to remove all this ‘player choice’ and replace it with this:
I already told you, because CCP wanted to go where your options were higher yield in a Covetor/Hulk, less clicking in a Retreiver/Mackinaw, or more tank in a Procurer/Skiff.
