Can someone on the CSM explain the logic here? Can you explain to me what the reasoning was for this change? Mining was simple to understand: Insert crystal type that matches the ore you are mining. Moon mining, makes no sense: Look at or memorize a chart to figure out which crystal you need. This is the opposite of what should have happened. You managed to make ore mining as bad as moon mining.
I would be surprised if anybody on the CSM could explain it. They are usually just as baffled as the rest of us.
My understanding is that It is a simplification that will save you cargo space when shuffling crystals in use.
Kenneth has explained it quite eloquently in a Talking In Stations interview.
I like the practicality of the change, although I mourn the loss of diversity and richness in the game universe. Some crystals have gone the way of Intelligence Agents and highly doubt they will return. It is up we the players to keep the memory of that lore alive.
What used to be 15 different crystals for 15 different types of ores has been simplified to 4 crystal groups:
- Simple (Veldspar, Scordite, Pyroxeres, Plagioclase)
- Coherent (Omber, Kernite, Jaspet, Hemorphite, Hedbergite)
- Variegated (Gneiss, Dark Ochre, Crokite)
- Complex (Bistot, Arkanor, Spodumain)
In addition to the Abyssal ore crystals, Mercoxit crystals and 5 tiers of moon mining crystals that makes 11 different crystal groups.
Additionally each crystal has 3 types: A, B and C (and the old T1 and T2 versions of each). That means a lot of crystals.
Type A
Type A crystals II on a T2 miner has about 44% more yield than a T1 strip miner, which is really nice.
Downside is that you get some residue, which means you cannot get all ore out of an asteroid.
For Type A II your residue chance is 37.6%, which means about 27% of any rock is wasted and you can gain 73% of the ore in it if you mine it all.
Type B
Type B crystals cycle quicker than Type A, which results in 25% more yield.
Residue chance is higher at 64%, which means you can potentially mine 61% of a rock and 39% of the rock is lost.
This means type A crystals can get 20% more ore from a rock (but take longer to do so) and T1 miners can get 64% more ore from a rock (and take even longer).
Type C
Type C crystals are useful when you want to quickly destroy rocks. For example when you want to get rid of less valuable rocks to make Mercoxit respawn in an anomaly, or want to annoy your neighbours.
You destroy rocks 50% quicker than when using type B crystals, which is pretty insignificant, considering you have only 11% of the yield of type A crystals, or 8.8% of the yield of type B crystals, so if you even care about getting some ore at all, type C crystals are useless.
Only if you don’t want to get the ore you’re mining you should consider using type C.
End result
You will likely bring a few type B crystals and need to shuffle less as your crystal now covers multiple different ores.
In rare occasions you may want to bring type A crystals (such as for valuable moons or other situations with limited ore) and I don’t think anyone will use type C crystals at all at these rates, as you can use type B for two thirds of the asteroid destruction rate but with more than 11 times more yield.
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I’ve never had an issue with crystal storage space since ore holds were introduced. This feels like a solution in search of a problem that doesn’t exist. A solo miner doesn’t have the ore hold capacity to burn out the number of crystals that can be carried. A fleet miner has a support vessel (Porpoise, Orca Rorqual) to carry that excess baggage if needed. It’s the opposite of simplification when you need to pull out a chart to figure out which crystal you need to mine which ore.
^This is not a simplification.
In nullsec, you were swapping crystal types about once every 15min or so due to the size of the asteroid, unless you were hulk mining with perfect rorqual bonus.
Follow up, why would anyone want an extra “waste” figure. Just reduce the size of the rocks.
^simple
No, the other part is the simplification.
The type A,B and C crystals add extra optimisation choices to miners, more gameplay depth.
If you don’t want to think too hard while mining, get type B crystals.
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Reduce the number of crystals you need, reduce the number of skills you need to train. It was designed to make it less complex. I think it does that, and it doesn’t ■■■■up your inventory. It’s pretty simple - just grab Gerard’s chart and you’re done.
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this should be an infographic 
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Why?! Why not, I mean… it helps the economy stay together
Makes it a lot similar in high sec for sure, just need 1 crystal. No more oh dah moments realising you been mining veldspar with a scordite crystal. Everything is using the same, no longer double checking all the time the right one is loaded (which was a pita because the colours were so close).
Indeed. Has anyone found one?
Because having 3254343 different crystals was pretty annoying to begin with. While I’m all for shitting on this dev team this isn’t a bad change. IF and this is a big if… They would stop degrading at different rates! I’m so sick of that part.
But all in all this was a nice and welcome change.
Not really necessary.
On moons you use the same crystal as the ore you are mining.
in HS, you will use one type of crystal: simple
In null for stanard ore, you will likely only use two types: complex and mercoxit
in low sec, you will most likely only use on type: variegated
in pochven, you will most likely only use two types: variegated and abyssal
The types are exactly the same for the three
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Thank you, for the break down Gerard. I am returning after being away for 6 years and was confused about the new mining crystals. Still trying to figure out Moon ore since I dont have a moon to test on.
On first contact with these they are not as intuitive as the previous naming for the mining crystals.
It was simple before…
This is not a simplification. If you want a simplification, change all rocks to match the new crystals. But then that’s boring, isn’t it?
The whole point is I shouldn’t have to memorize what crystals I need to mine certain asteroids (of any flavor).
Even simpler, just remove crystals from the game entirely.
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