Mining Crits Should not Have Been Introduced to the Game

Communications Center General Discussion
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Let’s start with a thought experiment. We have 2 harvesting modules with the same cycle time. Module A harvests 1,000 m3 per cycle. It has a 10% chance of critting to get 2,000 extra ore. Module B harvests 1200 m3 per cycle. Is there a practical difference?

Well that depends on where the “extra” ore comes from. If they come out of nowhere, well this makes little sense lorewise, but it can be an interesting mechanic. Mission rocks have just enough to finish the mission. So you can end up with some ore (or Azure Ice) left over. You can dock early. You can sell the ore (or Azure Ice) and this can lead to dynamics such as contracts being an ISK sink, some people hauling mission ore (or Azure Ice) to save time. If they forgot they had killrights on them, stopping to pick up mission ore from someone else means they have to make one more warp (to the station to pick up ore and warp off from that station), which means more time vulnerable. This can be interesting.

It would also open up some nice stuff for those ORE modules. I believe they should be special, but making them an improvement over t2 the same margin t2 is better than t1 is just asking for trouble. An increased crit yield from these modules would getting more out of a single belt.

A third cool thing is the Winter Nexus. These belts spawn with a fixed amount and in HS it can be crowded. Critting the rocks having it come out of nowhere gives the Perseverance a nice use during the event. By having crits come out of the ether, they are mechanically different than a yield increase.

But what if the “extra” yield from the crit comes from the rock? Well, then none of those dynamics apply at all. Crit basically becomes increased yield, just with more steps.

I think CCP decided if the crit comes from nowhere, there would be too much minerals sloshing around in the game. So they decided to make it come from the rock.

In my humble opinion, this is dumb. Instead of an interesting new mechanic, we just got a new way to increase yield with more steps. Since having the crit come out of space is apparently too game breaking, I think crits should not be introduced if it is just going to be a de facto yield increase. So I think they should remove crits from the game, refund the skills, and change any laser efficiency charges (the one that helps crits) to laser field enhancement charges.

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They could just remove mining altogether. Everyone could have like a passive daily ore income, that goes directly to their hangar.

3 Likes
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Multiple differences.

  1. Extra yield empties the rock faster. Crits do not, they’re not just a yield boost but also an efficiency boost.
  2. Extra yield is consistent and makes mining predictable. Crits are inconsistent in the short term, which means AFK miners or multibox miners could waste time by not paying attention when they’re already full. A good thing in my opinion.
  3. Mining crits are a second (and third) stat to care about as miner, which makes mining less one-dimensional as you can now boost multiple things besides yield and residue. This adds more depth where in some cases one stat is better and in other cases the other stat.
  4. Extra stats also enable abyssal mining rolls better, as with an increased number of stats it’s harder to roll a ‘perfect’ module with all stats positive, which makes for larger spreads in abyssal modules.

And a couple of more, but I’m tired and should go to bed.

Crits have been a nice addition to the game. I would have loved seeing mining crits to be used for something more active instead that boosts actively paying attention while mining as a way to make single-box mining worth more, but sadly that wasn’t added. But the crits as they are aren’t bad.

1 Like
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I think critical mining strikes were a great addition. The infrequency that they result isn’t going to really change the yield that substantially.

Some kind of mining update was long overdue.

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You sure? If true this would make a difference, but I heard someone claim crit comes from the rock.

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They’re wrong, I’m absolutely sure crits generate ore (or ice) out of thin air.

4 Likes
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I like the crits. Makes me happy. Feels like I won something. I never win anything irl.

2 Likes
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Another thing Crits did for mining was rebalance the residue takebacks with a skill game addition. You have to skill up Crits in order to nullify residue. So those who skill into it get more over those who never do, this creates another avenue for FC to increase revenue; either by skill queues, buying SP, or other PLEX options. Effectively buy back residue losses through skilling.

Mining precision is capped for alphas at L3, and Mining Exploitation is a fully Omega-only skill. Nowhere near buy back levels, nor effective with ship bonuses to any serious degree. It encourages and rewards Omega miners who have skilled up. FC has done this with combat and other skills throughout Eve’s history. Nerf it, then allow a skill/time/cost buy-back. Be it flavour-of-the-month skills, ships, modules, etc. It’s also a function of skill power creep for miners that traditionally don’t have a lot to skill into after a certain point, and so to be an elite miner, you will need the newest, latest, best skills, mods and ships. Remember the rorqual mining push? :smiling_face_with_horns:

Just my $.02 though.

Gave you a like, Gerard. Nice rundown.

1 Like
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Maybe this game is only made for multiboxers and everyone else should just not bother…

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They could do the same for ganking, lol!

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Honestly, this is my opinion on multiboxing and solo in Eve.

CCP and now FC has taken the easy route in development. Early on in Eve the advent of growing the business model through more subs and more accounts totally, and therefore more accounts per player as well, created an easy cash cow for FC. The reality of this was that now it sustains the bottom line, instead of developing more game and its an easier fix. It creates more of a problem the longer it lasts though snowballing to the newest “evil” flavour of the month for players to stick on. That of multiboxing and its “horrors”. A necessary evil has become front and center.

To this degree I think FC realizes the issue and is trying to cater to as many as possible, which its done in the past, while stemming any leaks as best it can without actually creating a ton of new content to shore up the damage in the past. That being said I think FC has done an okay job given the climate of gaming and the realities of current and past players in Eve.

What I have come to understand is that FC is a company and its bottom line is the ultimate reality. Not just for FC, but also for the health and welfare of Eve as we know it. So if you can think of ways to bring MORE players, aka “accounts” to Eve, then Im sure FC will be all ears. People talk about the noobs and how things affect retention and how we need to stop the hemorrhaging of older players, etc. Yet not many new ideas for actual player numbers have been created so FC is trying avenues.

Do I wish solo was a thing again? Yes, yes I do. Yet in an older game to make solo matter more will also allow N+1, be it actual individual players or “alts”, to be the common denominator in Eve gameplay. You cant create an entirely new formula for the game imo. So like life we are kinda stuck between a rock and hard place and I respect FCs moves given that squeeze play.

I think these days true content creators are harder to come by. True innovators and players that break the mould. And that is hurting Eve as the idea of ‘open world’ is reduced and more ‘theme park’ ideas are created. Its a hard thing with a 2 decade old game imo to create, facilitate and content create as a developer. Its narrow and hard to get more out of as players.

So I think if you want a world without multiboxers as a solo player youll have to create your own content. To BE the solution you wish to see. And that is well… hard. But then Eve has never been about the easy status quo for me. Its been about pushing boundaries and being the change. So I wouldnt throw up my hands and say “Woe is me!!” and then unsub. Fight! In whatever manner you feel is right.

Adapt or die… that is the Eve mantra. But innovation is adaptation. Even if the constraints seem harsh. Be the weed struggling in the crack of the cement refusing to die or be pushed out. Find your tribe and stop dwelling in the multibox crowd with alt proliferation. Just know the price of fading into oblivion and saying “No Mas!!” Unsubbing and relinquishing the game. Youll lose YOUR game. And YOUR game defines Eve for YOU and noone else.

Again, just my $.02 though. :smiling_face_with_horns:

1 Like
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FC lost me with the mining changes. No amount of crits will soothe me after they added residue.

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Wow, you think mining is so automated that it should basically be PI? That’s beyond naive…

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it basically is PI, yes

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I basically can’t follow this new thread hierarchy…

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Poor baby

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Thank you for your mining service.

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@ISD_Buldath chronology seems a bit messed up, I replied after Geo Eclipse, but my post is above his. I would think it should be underneath. Although I am the best, and I guess I wouldn’t object to having all my posts placed at the top of any thread.

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I see it after mine

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that just makes it even more messed up if people see everything in a different order