Don't know about 15k and max yield.

My hulks tend to be about 36k unbuffed and just above 40k with orca buffs. My Macks are >41k and >46.5k. All uniform EFT.

an orca can warp over 450au in three minutes. systems are rarely over 100. so that was grossly exaggerated, like a lot of ur other posts. if space is an issue u can always use more than one Orca or a freighter itself since they are supposed to be able to scoop now.

You forget not all systems have stations sometimes you have to go through multiple systems in order to get to a station. In addition a cargo orca align time is slower then a Charon freighter. depending on which direction your facing it may take you 2 minuets to simply allign.

FYI also station less systems are the best mining systems as most don't mine them out because it is "inconvienient".

I wouldn't have too much of an issue with this. But bear in mind that people will still complain because any cargohold still has a finite amount of space and requires some kind of logistics effort at some point.


So get someone (preferably a newbie) in an industrial ship to ferry ore back and forth from the Orca to the station? That way the Orca can stay to provide its bonuses and the barges don't need to use jetcans.

I wouldn't have too much of an issue with this. But bear in mind that people will still complain because any cargohold still has a finite amount of space and requires some kind of logistics effort at some point.


So get someone (preferably a newbie) in an industrial ship to ferry ore back and forth from the Orca to the station? That way the Orca can stay to provide its bonuses and the barges don't need to use jetcans.

Wrong. Hold large enough to hold only one cycle is broken. It needs to be at least 2, to make flipping viable without macro.

This has probably been said earlier, but I will say it again. The hulk needs a boost. it doesnt give the better yield compared to all the other barges that it deserves. Also the fact that you cannot run 2 cycles with T1 strip miners without the ore hold clogging up ure whole opreration. For all us relaxed miners out there it is very annoying.

Many miner players I've ever spoken to operate with an orca pilot, and at least 2 hulk pilots...sometimes three. This setup seems more common to me than 4 individual players doing a mining op.

probably cause they are doing it wrong. if u wanna dual screen mining, then a mack will reduce ur work load. if u want to get two friends together and mine efficiently, then hulks are good.

if hulk pilots use two hulks at once with the current ore hold, then increasing that ore hold will just try and make them use three. and then they'll complain that the hulk needs even MOAR ore hold to support their three hulks.

just use a mack like ur playstyle is suited to or get better at dual boxing

The problem with the Hulk is not the cargo space or the output. The problem is the lack of tank causing output to be dropped to avoid easy gank. When I build my setups I found the Skiff ended up with higher ore output because I had to spend too many modules on my Hulk putting in a bare bones tank.

What I'd like to see done is the Hulk have 20k EHP before any modules are put on the ship. Then you can max output and still not worry about a destroyer or two suicide ganking.

Given the hulk is designed as a fleet ship, why not just have the modules in your support orca and refit for tank using the orca once you see the destroyers on dscan?

You forget not all systems have stations sometimes you have to go through multiple systems in order to get to a station. In addition a cargo orca align time is slower then a Charon freighter. depending on which direction your facing it may take you 2 minuets to simply allign.

FYI also station less systems are the best mining systems as most don't mine them out because it is "inconvienient".

@ OP. I'm surprised you aren't asking for that refund for your T2 cargo rigs while you are at it.

The hulk is perfect where it is; the ore hold only fits one cycle because you're supposed to be dumping that ore to a hauler toon, aka another FLEET member. However the hulk is the only one of the three types that is so clearly defined in it's role.

I do believe the other barges/exhumers need a little tweaking. Mackinaw tanks seem a hair high. Skiffs can also hold multiple cycles of ore.

If the ships are supposed to fill a role, put them in that role; if they are supposed to have significant overlap, all three should overlap in some ways.

First off china is on its own server.
Secondly you get almost 4 min to move your ore over which is plenty of time

As for the Skiff being redundent...

the 25% extra omni resistance it was is the magic, with skill, and fitted for def, you could get a skiff with 85-90% omni ress, not to mention a huge shield, iwe been fiddling about with two warp core stabs also, good luck ganking one of those , before they warp out ...

its not about making money

Yes it is.
you need mega and zydrine? well it's quicker to mine more veldspar, sell the extra trit and just buy the mega and zyd. that's quicker, and cheaper than going all the way to null, getting jumped by two ships that both scram you, and end up in your pod back where you started.

Then again, if everyone were thinking like that, no one would ever get those minerals would they?