Its all part of the changes in new patch.
Skiff got axed, randomly.
It supposed to be tankiest miner ship, but just I dont get how those changes align with “… goal with Barges and Exhumers is to create meaningful choice between survivability, yield, and ore hold. However, we understand that some of these ships are not survivable enough. To that end we’re working closely with the CSM to define the best approach, but our end goal is to significantly increase the EHP of all barges and all exhumers as well as their mining yield.”.
- Mass Increased > become slower > longer turn / warp time > easier to gank;
- Lost Mid Slot > lost Invulnerability Field > less resistances > easier to gank;
- CPU decreased > lost Mid Shield Extender > less shield HP > easier to gank;
- Base Shield HP increase 6000 to 6500 > insignificant;
- Base Armor HP increase 5000 to 6000 > irrelevant, ship is shield-tanked;
- Base Structure HP increase 5500 to 6500 > laughable, if a miner is in structure, its over;
- Signature radius increase 150 to 200 > faster target lock > easier to gank;
- Ore Hold increase > stay in Space longer to fill > chance to be ganked increased;
Designers of new changes act like an incompetent government - they declare ‘reform for better brightier future’, sketch on paper dumbed-down simplified scheme how to make everybody prosperous (just take from the Rich and redistribute among the Poor), then implement, and in the end we the people end up paying for their miscalculations.