I play EVE for 15 years (aka Maque (sold)) and inspite of that i am a pvp player all the way, I started with mining and still love it a lot and no doubts for me that it is a big part of the game! However todays mining mechanics is outdated and didn’t have substant changes for all the time.
The biggest problem now is an income disbalance. For example player can earn up to 400m Isk / hour with one account at PvE and ~100mil/h at mining, using very expensive ship like Rorqual or 10-30m/hour in high-sec with Covetor (wich will be suicided ofcourse) or Procurer *with perfect skills. So it appears that if a player like mining stuff, than one need to make 4+ accounts to make some tangible profit. On one hand it brings more subscribtions for game developer, on other - repels real players that could bring more content to the project. What is more important should be calculated, but at long distance i’m pretty sure that real players are more important, than sub accounts.
I allready had several threads that are eventually implemented in game we are playing now such as adding logistic frigate shiptype, epic arc changes, null-sec blackout. So i hope this idea will also be heard by CCP.
So what is my suggestion for improvement:
Split mining on 2 type of game content:
Hard and profitable for single account playing (ore) (sublevels mining)
Soft and profitable for multiboxing (ice) (no changes)
So as the ice mining wont change i’ll focus on Ore mining mechanics
Fragment a rock (using a Voronoi diagram for instance as a solution for developers)
Give a geo-prospecting tools (modules) to a mining barge or create a separate role for mining frigates
After geo-prospecting use special tools to detonate or drill separate piece a rock (can be mining drones)
Make mid and high-class ore dangerous to mine (like mercoxite), as a payment for failed detonation.
Link detonating and mining to one person, to prevent detonation by one character and mining with other 10 alts
Increas ammount of mined ORE to make profit up to 50-400mil isk per hour depending on ore type, trained skills, craft understanding and APM
So this changes will leave old “afk-mining” (ice mining) to people who like and need it, and bring new and interesting content to one-account players, who want to make profit based on their deep game experience and mastery.
While I’d agree a revamp of how mining works would be good, considering CCP wants multboxes… they aren’t going to make it equal or better to use LESS characters, now are they?
1.) this not Elite Dangerous
2.) Ore costs barely anything to mine, if a player does not buy it how would you make 50-400 million ISK per hour?
3.) AFK mining should really not be a thing, otherwise turn the ICE anoms back into impossible to mine out Static Super belts.
4.) In relation to what @Nevyn_Auscent said, why go thru the extra hassle mining when you can just run LV4’s instead and buy the finished products.
5.) Miners might not need to multibox if more people went mining to feed Alliances and Coalitions not just their personal selves, maybe you should pick up a Proc or something and help out.
6.) If you OP dont understand points 1-5…maybe you should not be making proposals on things you have no clue about as they relate to the bigger Meta picture.
Manual mining has x5 mining yeld for example?
Otherwise if mining will get more complicated than ore price will rise… thats how market works. strange that you don’t know obvious things. Your incompetence shown in other points as well, so i see no use of explaning you simple things.
Allready done. Carrier fighters mechanics rebalanced and it’s fine.
Exciting game mechanics make game more interesting and bring more people to the project. I’d rather think that CCP could make mining missions in high-sec like burner missions where only a venture can enter and mine high value ores after killing some evel rats, maybe with his friend that use to run encounter missions. why not. PvE content must be interesting.
Carriers do not require any kind of hotspot mechanics, special fragmenting tools, special diagrams or anything else. So no, you are not talking about carrier type mechanics.
I don’t really see your “problems” as problems, so no, pointless changes.
-1
Opps, I did find a problem, solo mining with a command ship, they need to nerf the Rorq more if people are still doing this. Probably specifically the mining drones.