Hello all,
let me introduce a new vessel called “Neptune”.
Its main purpose is to enable capsuleers mining Ice behind hostile borders.
You can think of it like a hybrid of a carrier and mining barge - or as a very big ‘Procurer’.
Instead of a Ship Maintenance Bay it has a new “Ice Ore Cargo”. Q&A is below the stats.
For comparison see the following links:
Rorqual: https://everef.net/type/28352
Thanatos: https://everef.net/type/23911
Procurer: https://everef.net/type/17480
Ice Harvester I: https://everef.net/type/16278
Medium Ice Harvester Accelerator I: https://everef.net/type/32819
Stats of Neptune:
- Structure, Armor and Shield like Thanatos
- Targeting (Lock, Scan Resolution, etc) like Rorqual
- Navigation (Velocity, Warp Speed, Jump Range, Jump Fuel, etc.) like Rorqual
- Cargo Capacity: 10000 m³
- Fleet Hangar Capacity: 10000 m³
- Fuel Bay Capacity: 5000 m³
- Ice Ore Capacity: 350000 m³
- Fighter Hangar Capacity: 20000 m³
- Light Fighter Squadron Limit: 1
- Fighter Squadron Launch Tubes: 1
- Drone Capacity: 0
- Drone Bandwidth: 0
- Fitting: 3 high slots, 5 medium slots, 3 low slots, 3 rig slots (XL; 400 calibration)
- Required Skills: Capital Ships 1, Capital Mining Barge 1 (new Skill), Jump Drive Operation 1
Traits of Neptune:
Capital Mining Barge bonus per Level:
- 4% reduction in Capital Ice Harvester duration
- +1 warp core strength
Role bonuses:
- Can fit Capital Ice Harvester
- Can launch Light (and Support?) Fighters.
- 5 times penalty to Entosis Link duration.
New Skill “Capital Mining Barge”:
- requires: Capital Ships 4, Drone Interfacing 5, Jump Drive Operation 1, Mining Barge 5
New Skill “Capital Ice Harvesting”:
- requires: Ice Harvesting 5
- trait: 5% reduction per skill level to the cycle time of capital ice harvesters.
New module “Capital Ice Harvester I”:
- requires Capital Ice Harvesting 1
- Range: 30 km
- Activation time / duration: 2m 0s
- Mining amount: 1000 m³
- Can only be fitted once: yes
- Can be fitted to Capital Mining Barge
New module “Capital Ice Harvester II”:
- requires Capital Ice Harvesting 5
- Activation time / duration: 1m 40s
- rest as T1 variant
New Component “Capital Ice Ore Cargo Bay”
- necessary building the Neptune, used instead of ship maintenance
New Blueprints:
- Neptune
- Capital Ice Harvester I
- Capital Ice Harvester II
- Capital Ice Ore Cargo Bay
Q: Why?
A: By the last big ressource changes, CCP made Ice nearly unavailable. Please don’t mention that crap in hisec.
If you’re not in the lucky situation that your group still has good access to Ice, you need a chance of stealing it behind hostile borders.
Since the scarcity took place a niche was created. And the Neptune would make use of it perfectly. As Ice Ore is big, you need a big ship.
Q: Did you think for every detail?
A: No, for sure I forgot something and you’ll rip me or the idea apart for that.
Q: Neptune?
A: Yeah, the coldest mf planet in our solar system. Ice cold you could say. And it’s a big cold planet, too. And you know Neptune as god? He ripped ships apart.
Q: That Ice Ore Cargo is overkill, isn’t it?
A: No, roughly 350k m³ is still nothing in regards for the need of fuel blocks. Behind hostile borders you normally don’t have the chance to compress it. So you need a big cargo for Ice Ore.
Q: Why Fighters?
A: Silly, it’s a capital, that’s why. Actually, smaller ships can rip the fighters apart and whale hunters still have an easy game. In combination with the bad locking stats the ship can only defend itself from NPC Pirates or very bad hunters.
Q: It has a Jump Drive?
A: It’s a capital, of course it can jump.
Q: The mining amount is too damn high!
A: No, actually it’s below a rigged ‘Procurer’ and the missing drones can’t compensate that fact. Also, I didn’t plan a rig like the ‘Medium Ice Harvester Accelerator I’ you can use for mining barges and exhumers. Even an Endurance is very close to the Neptune.
In short: mining barges and exhumers stay more effective!
Q: Only one Harvester?
A: Yes. Intention is that this one Harvester steals fast 
Without mining boosts it would feel faster than it actually is. Just a nice, psychological effect.
Q: The warp core strengthening is overpowered!
A: The ship is expensive (hull cost should be like the Thanatos) for a mining barge. The additional warp core strength is the only thing that enables an escape. This ship is still an easy target for whale hunters - even with the additional warp core strength.
Q: How would it look like?
A: Take a Thanatos, remove the ship maintenance bay, remove two third of the fighters bay and use this room as Ice Ore Cargo. Replace the good electronics with the crappy Rorqual electronics. Shape it more like a mining ship. Use some yellow paint. Done.
Q: How to utilize it?
A: Use it as a thicc mining barge: jump behind hostile borders and steal Ice from them. Use it as Ice hauler: while you friends are mining in small Endurances you can hauler. And, of course, all the misuse scenarios you can find out yourself
Q: How about dirty fuel?
A: Great idea! Just imagine a ship that can fuel/use any isotope for the jump drive.
Q: Why not use just a Rorqual? It’s better in everything.
A: True. The Neptune only fills out a niche that CCP created through heavy scarcity of ice belts.
Before you rip the idea apart, please think about the main purpose of the ship: steal Ice behind hostile borders!
What do you think about it?
o7