You can always fall back on strip mining for zero additional effort compared to the current system. It's just the least efficient.

The OP is a perfect way how to give active players superior hand comparing to multiboxers. It is the entertainment part the game needs so much. Mix of mining and PI can even make multiboxing so hard, that we will see much more rewarding gameplay for beginners. I am very much for this suggestion! Even worth make it sticky as a raw idea of mining game re-design. CCP already redesigned exploration, industry, now soverenity, why not mining?

Rather than making attempts to make mining "more interactive" which will be some trivial minigame at best given CCP resources and the game engine, why not just make it much less interactive?

I.E. make mining a totally AFK activity. Miner drops an (reasonably cheap, more expensive for higher ores) ore extractor deployable near to an asteroid and programs it to mine a particular asteroid. It now works completely unattended for several hours and competes for resource with the other ore extractors focussing on that particular roid.

This extractor must be dropped by a designated mining vessel, and can at a later time can only be emptied into a ship with an Ore Hold, and only after a certain time period, set by the program time has elapsed. Longer program times result in higher yields per minute.

But why?! I hear you exclaim, we need those AFK miners to be in the belt to "generate content" for highsec pvpers! This is the whole point. The miner can now switch to a combat focussed ship and protect his mining operation, from rats and players. The actual mining is now less interactive, but the player is free to roam around, do other things, or sit and watch their valuable ore like a hawk and fight to defend it.

A pirate can simply go suspect and engage the ore extractor itself, or they could still use the oldschool gank tactics on the ore hauler / barge that is coming to pick up the ore. Picking up the ore would be somewhat like interacting with an ESS (it takes some time) to create this window of opportunity. Similarly after the time has elapsed anyone can steal from this ore extractor with a requisite ship and go suspect.

Miners grouping together would now be potentially better placed to fight off saboteurs / gankers while having to compete for the same asteroids (similar to a crowded PI planet) and get lower overall yields compared to the solo miner in a less populated system who isn't competing with anyone. Of course that lone miner is probably at much higher risk from having their mining operation interfered with since they don't get the safety in numbers advantage.

Ofc all ships with ore holds including barges would need to be looked at in order for balance to be maintained (or achieved, depending on your point of view) in this new scheme of miner versus pirate gameplay.

Just my 2 cents on a mining "revamp" concept.

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Fang

there is something to be said for this........

but if mining become AFK, then the player can do more exciting things.... I'm not saying I'm right, I'm saying don't dismiss Belinda's idea out of hand

There is people like me who WANT to do mining, ...

There is people like me who WANT to do mining, in every game they play, especially if a game has a big emphasis on industry like eve online. Fun is a personnal matter in a sandbox game :P

This. And i am sure more interactive mining (even with just retargeting the depleting vein) can give this kind of ppl more content they are looking for. More ppl stay in game, game becomes more interesting.

Stuff

not fair to quote someone out of context like that, and I doubt making mining more interactive will increase player retention (show me your numbers and I'll show you mine)

STOP!

For those who are stating that industrialists should stop being industrialists and go be PvPers because that's the real game, just STOP.

CCP made a game with an economy, harvesting and trade. They could have left all that stuff out and create a pure PvP game, but they didn't and that should be enough to tell you that industry is fundamental to their vision. They have iterated on it multiple times over the years.

The problem is that they haven't found compelling harvesting gameplay yet. PI was probably their best attempt to date when compared to moon goo and mining, but it could still be better. CCP needs to seriously look at harvesting gameplay in all its forms and make a real game out of it. Not a mini-game, but a real game. The gameplay should be as thoughtful and intricate as the PvP portion of the game. There should be analysis and a good miner, even in the relative security of high-sec, should require a lot more thought than it does and thought beyond the fitting screen. A repetitive mini-game isn't going to cut it.

It should:

• not be some freemium-style game that gets old after a few weeks.
• be something that someone wants to do and not just for ISK
• integrate well with the game's lore
• be fun in all areas of space
• reward both short- and long-term planning as well as quick analysis in space
• not be separate from normal ship gameplay
• give players a sense of accomplishment

I believe CCP is capable of doing this. I hope this is part of their plans for 2015. It's time for harvesting to have fun gameplay.

Keep in mind PVP and manufacturing is funded largely by an AFK activity known as mining. If mining became too interactive supply would decrease and demand would increase.

What your proposal will do is give multiple account bot farmers perfect ore returns while destroying mining for people that play by the rules but want to play a low key aspect of the game.

Huh, did you read the whole thing ? Some of these methods are supposed to be very intensive regarding the number of actions per minute required, plus these actions are supposed to be randomized. Can't see how a bot (something totally forbidden in this game) or a multi-boxer could do them, plus the actual method will stay, so they will not even have to bother with it if they don't want to.

What your proposal will do is give multiple account bot farmers perfect ore returns while destroying mining for people that play by the rules but want to play a low key aspect of the game.

Sounds like demagogue. Care to explain why you think so? What will be used by bots in the OP, what is not already used by them now? I see it quite opposite. If you are not bot / ak, you can follow vein to increase your yield, for example. That would give real miners sugnificant benefit.

The bots would follow the vein perfectly this outperforming the miners. We really need to wait for any null ore composition change in null before changing anything else in mining.

The bots would follow the vein perfectly this outperforming the miners.