Gainard
Aliastra Gallente Federation
75
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Posted - 2014.08.01 13:07:00 -
[1] - Quote
The mineral problem introduced in Crius
The Crius expansion made some vital changes that will affect HighSec mining in a bad way. Before the release of Crius trade of ore and minerals was well balanced. A lot of the ores and minerals mined in HighSec were shipped in bulk to Null- and LowSec, while Null- and LowSec ores and minerals are sent to HighSec and sold there to raise funds to buy the HighSec minerals and ores. Now this trade model is not required for NullSec corporations anymore. How do I come to this conclusion? Well check out the changes in minerals and ores.
The most obvious change is of course the 1,278 - 1,406 Mexallon a batch of Arkanor now contains, raising it from zero to the most valuable Mexallon source. Then there are the additional 4 ores that now also contain Zydrine: Gneiss (60-65, NullSec only) Hedbergite (9-10, some LowSec) Hemorphite (8-9, some LowSec) and Jaspet (3, some LowSec).
Then there is the mineral content per ore unit. Most minerals per ore unit before Crius: NullSec: Isogen (Gneiss) Megacite (Arkanor) Morphite (Mercoxit) Nocxium (Crokite) Tritanium (Spodumain) Zydrine (Crokite)
HighSec (at least in some areas) Mexallon (Kernite) Pyerite (Plagioclase)
After Crius: NullSec: Isogen (Gneiss) Megacite (Arkanor) Mexallon (Gneiss) Morphite (Mercoxit) Nocxium (Crokite) Pyerite (Bistot) Tritanium (Spodumain) Zydrine (Crokite)
HighSec none
Now all ores containing the most minerals per ore unit are in NullSec. Given the fact that CCP has promised that the number of mineral refined from ore will not drop (with perfect skills, best refining facilities and the 4% refining implant they are actually slightly increased) that can only mean NullSec has been given an increase of minerals to refine per ore unit.
Lets take a closer look at it. I would not have bat an eye if it was just the 1.6 times increase of Nocxium in Crokite. However, there are some slightly larger increases that I think tilt the scales way beyond reason towards NullSec. The most blatant increase is Bistot with Pyerite content raised from 170 - 187 to 16,572 to 18,230 per batch while halving the batch size. That means a refiner with an effective 78% refinery efficiency will get 142.2 Pyerite from one unit of Monolitic Bistot instead of 0.94, a neat 152 fold increase. Other winners are Crokite (nearly 124 times the amount of Tritanium and a meager 1.6x increase in Nocxium), Ochre (110x Tritanium), Spodumain (69x Pyerite and 24x Tritanium), Arkanor again (36x Tritanium) and Gneiss (23x Mexallon, 23x Tritanium and double the Isogen) - not too shabby, eh?
I am aware that the LowSec ores are also available in HighSec ore sites. However, they have rather small asteroids and are usually mined out very fast. Additionally the only significant changes are the 1.8 times increase of Pyerite in Jaspet and the 3-10 Zydrine (per batch) now available in HighSec through those sites. All other increases are directed towards NullSec and they are massive, as in 15,200% massive.
To anyone who thinks this won't have a profound impact on EVE's economy I have a shiny bridge to sell.
I predict the prices of Tritanium to plummet right through the bottom of the ocean, only to exit on the other side of the planet, closely followed by Pyerite. Zydrine and Mexallon will lose value too. Megacite and Morphite will rise as, with the increased availability of the other ores in NullSec, the production there is bound to increase, making those two more scarce. Also, the exchange of minerals and ores from NullSec to HighSec and vice versa will slow down if not all but die.
This will of course hurt production in HighSec. It will somewhat hurt skilled miners in highSec too, single players more than corp players, but the worst hit will be the new comers. Mining used to be a profession that allowed for moderate income with low skills. This will not be the case anymore once the HighSec ore prices start going down. Refining ores is out of the question for anyone but the best skilled players. This will make it that much harder for "young" players to earn the ISK to fund skill books, ships and equipment.
When was the last time you were flying a ship with an (useful) empty slot? Us older players tend to forget how hard it is to get going, not being able to jump from one stargate to the next in one go, being unable to fit a ship properly for lack of skills and funds, having a new ship blown up in missions or by HighSec pirates on top off being generally clueless of how this game works.
I do not believe the Crius expansion will drive a significant number of players into Low- or NullSec as seems to be the intention. Those that want to be in Low-/NullSec are already there. Us whiny HighSec'cers are not likely to follow. It is probably more likely that this expansion is driving more people away from EVE, than there are players moving into Low-/NullSec.
I am not going to leave over this expansion (besides the ore/mineral problem there is the changes in refining, skipping the standing requirements for POSGÇÖ and other issues that pisses people off) but I am worried what will happen when subscriber numbers dwindle. What on earth am I going to do with all the free time once EVE shuts down?
Man, I train for certain goals and then the related skills / modules / ships get nerfed. I hate to be addicted to EVE. |