Thesas
Gallente
Center for Advanced Studies
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Posted - 2007.05.13 15:38:00 -
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Some ideas,
Mining alone is both tedious and risky the longer you do it.
You will encounter ore pirates eventually. Some of them will be entertaining and some will be maddening and many will be griefers.. I do better when mining with friends but friends are not always available as I often play at a late hour. These are the steps I have taken to solo mine with a higher degree of safety.
Train up industrial ships. The higher you train the bigger the hauler you can fly.
Train in gunnery and navigation as well.
The bigger the hauler, the more giant secure canisters you can carry.
This is how I wound up with my series of Iterons.
Do not Jet can mine without several friends with you as that invites problems.
Do not use mining drones unless you are mining in a group.
When mining alone, use secure containers.
Jet cans are acceptable if alone in the system.
Evaluate your situation with every newcomer to the system.
Deploy fighting drones and have them orbit you as you mine.
Always, always, always, align for warp.
A visible means of defense often deters the casual ore pirate but does little for the professional or the griefer. Learn to recognize the difference. Read profiles carefully.
I find excellent places in .8 to .6 space and scout them in advance noting how much traffic in local. I only mine in .5 or lower in a group. If more than 10 people, I move on to find low traveled systems. When I find a quiet out of the way place, I move into the station and set up my ships.
At this point, it becomes routine.
Expand local window and keep an eye on who comes and goes and their sec standings.
Keep overview uncluttered.
Take gun ship to clear belt rats.
Make the call to use jet cans or secure cans.
Take hauler in and drop your secure cans.
It takes 3 minutes between dropping secure cans.
Bookmark all cans.
Take in mining ship, deploy defense drones.
Fill cans then pick up with hauler.
Repeat.
Mining ships equipped with all mining lasers and drones are prime targets.
Train up Drone skills and equip with something better.
I started with mining drones, then switched to hobgoblins, then to hammerheads, and lately been toying with ogres. They greatly deter company and tend to rats quite nicely.
Add known ore pirates to your friends list. I have a folder for ore pirates and I watch for them. They may become quite hostile when your drones blow them up so be aware of them and always expect an ore pirate to have friends standing by. If I blow someone up, I leave to find another system. Let them look for me if they wish but they seldom do..
Useful equipment.
ore scanners.
ship scanners.
microwarp drives.
webifiers.
fighting drones.
It is a question of judgment and acceptable risk, but I often engage pirates. I am sometimes a dead carebear but more often not. Expect pvp always and prepare.
I think people become known in Eve and I prefer to be known as foolish, dangerous, or stupid, not frightened of a fight. I consider carefully before I choose escape. If I see flashing red, and they are alone in a ship I feel my drones have a go to beat, I will attack. If I feel I can not win, then time to cut losses and go.
Equip webifier on mining ships so drones can catch the pirate more easily.
Always expect any shuttle to be a pirate. Consider the risk before you engage a pirate. Evaluate their ship, look at their history. If you engage an ore pirate successfully, be prepared to move out, because ore pirates may become irate and return with far more dangerous ships than you can cope with. Do not engage in verbal hostilities with anyone, be polite.
Many ore pirates in high sec are quite advanced with nice ships which I personally think is somewhat tacky, yet picking on the little guy is the modus operandi of many in Eve. The more troubling pirate will be more interested in griefing and that is the one to be wary of.
This all becomes much easier with an alt in a gun ship standing by and this is how I fund my Hulk savings plan. Mining is not easy.
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