Update to Mining Barge availability

[David_Coker]

The new ship availability look really good. I would like to see an update to mining barge availability.
More defence options would be good, and ships with larger drone bays would be good.
Currently we can hold, 5 Hobgoblins, and 5 Salvage, or 5 Mining Drones… Would be good to be able to deploy what we need at a given time, and be able to carry, 5 hobs, 5 Salvage, 5 Mining all at the same time, and deploy what is needed at the time.

Are there any other thoughts and suggestions to how Mining Barges might evolve?

[Gerard_Amatin]

Is there a reason mining barges require a buff?

Aside from “please buff my ships” I mean.

Yes, you cannot bring all the drones you like at the moment, but have you considered that ‘making choices’ may be part of the game by design?

[stefnia_Freir]

@David_Coker

Would be good to be able to deploy what we need at a given time, and be able to carry, 5 hobs, 5 Salvage, 5 Mining all at the same time, and deploy what is needed at the time.

What the ■■■■ do you need salvage drones for ?

I think you are trying to get everything even if it’s completely useless.
Having a flock of combat drones and a flock of mining drones is already enough IMO.

[Gerard_Amatin]

Salvage drones can be pretty useful while mining.

You get a little extra ISK from the pirates you kill and it keeps the belt empty of wrecks so that hostiles who pass by your system don’t instantly see which belt you were mining on.

Still, ships have limitations for a reason: you are not supposed to be able to do everything in one ship, which means people have to make choices.

Have you considered using an Endurance instead of Barge? With three high slots for one mining module and a cloak you have a spare slot for a salvager if you wish to salvage while mining!

[Sasha_Nemtsov]

I don’t know where you are, OP, but no-one needs 5 Salvage Drones in an asteroid belt.

Mix and match. If you’re in Highsec, you don’t need 5 Hobgoblins to deal with rats, either.

So, your 5 combat drones are unnecessary - and they won’t help against attackers. You only need one Salvage Drone, because mining takes time anyway.

Now, about your 5 Mining Drones. You may decide that these are indispensable. That’s a personal choice, which does have some justification…

Take 5 Mining Drones, 3 Combat Drones, 2 Salvagers and I don’t think we need trouble the good folks at CCP HQ, do you?

[stefnia_Freir]

@Gerard_Amatin

You get a little extra ISK from the pirates you kill and it keeps the belt empty of wrecks so that hostiles who pass by your system don’t instantly see which belt you were mining on.

That’s pretty anecdotally useful. Wrecks can’t be scanned down while you can.

@Sasha_Nemtsov

Take 5 Mining Drones, 3 Combat Drones, 2 Salvagers and I don’t think we need trouble the good folks at CCP HQ, do you?

But he also needs 3 webifier drones, 2 sensor dampener drones, etc.

[Andlaust]

I think you’re misunderstanding what a mining barge is.

This is what a fully tanked Skiff would be on Earth. Notice the lack of guns?

[Gerard_Amatin]

@stefnia_Freir

That’s pretty anecdotally useful. Wrecks can’t be scanned down while you can.

I’ll be cloaked or docked, so they cannot scan me down.

Wrecks show up on d-scan or when they warp to belt to see whose name is on the wrecks and if it matches one of the names in local.

Yes, it’s anecdotally useful, but still a use of salvage drones that I used often while mining in null.

[Alice_Saki]

Procurer is great.

Exequror Navy Issue | Stinky Klown | Killmail

Skiff is Training, Next month lads

Also Please Buff Procurer I want 2 sets of Meds + 1 Smalls

Buy my Book

[Andlaust]

15k damage out of a proc?!?!

How many hours did that take?

[Gerard_Amatin]

@Andlaust

How many hours did that take?

The Exequror Navy Issue took thermal damage from the Hammerheads and mostly thermal from the Serpentis rat, so let’s assume for simplicity that the Reactive Armor Hardener was 60% thermal resist. Let’s also assume that both the aggressor and miner have perfect skills. This results for the ENI in a total of 78.9% thermal resistances against the Procurer’s Hammerheads. At 15,012 damage taken after resistances this must have been 71,147 thermal damage from the Hammerheads. At 337 dps with the drones (she’s using 2x DDA in her Procurer fits) this took at least 212 seconds.

It took about three and a half painful minutes to see their ENI get eaten by a Procurer.

[Miss_Stardust]

This is the right answer. Utility high Salvager II is OP on Endurance. If you feel spicy you can drop the cloak and run a tractor beam for maximum productivity.

/msd

[Alice_Saki]

Battle procurer is more scary than people assume

I will say tho good pilots would easily beat the procurer

ENI with a good pilot would have wrecked me.

[zazzmatazz_Xu]

Yes, don’t use a barge anymore, it’s really mostly useless without mining fleet support, use expedition frigs, cheaper and more practical for solo or fleets.

[Gerard_Amatin]

Barges are great for mining fleets.

Solo mining isn’t really great, but if you do solo mine, the Expedition frigates are a good choice.