Originally by: Kathryn Dougans

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Mining frigates, every race has them, but they don't have a Tech2 variant.

What on earth would be the point of T2 mining frigates?
Especially when there are barges and exhumers?

To operate with much lower risks of being caught and destroyed by hostile forces, but at reduced reward in terms of ore per minute.

They would have a small sig radius, making it easier to get past gate camps, maybe even a +1 to warp core strength, making 2 point warp jammers necessary to catch them, further increasing their ability to escape gate camps. This would also allow them a good chance to escape when hostiles warp in on them.

They would have good mining yield - although not as much as the smallest barge. Since they'd use ordinary mining lasers rather than strip miners, it's not so bad if you cancel the cycle if you have to warp out.

They'd also be a lot cheaper than a hulk, so if they are caught, it's not as big a deal if they're lost.

I think this might encourage miners to venture into lowsec, as they would have a much higher chance to get in, get ore and get out, compared to a barge or exhumer.

This might help reduce the attitude that lowsec=instant death. If people feel confident to go in and out of lowsec and gain experience in so doing, then they are more likely to think of losses as bad luck rather than a routine occurrence.

It might also make piracy more fun, in that it's more of a sense of achievement in catching a target that's a lot more elusive than a barge.

The ships might also be useful in 0.0, as economic warfare. Pop the oppositions most valuable asteroids before they can organise a gang to chase you off. This might allow industrial players in alliances to feel like they're directly attacking the opposition and making a useful contribution, which would be good for their morale.

I think that's everything, so it's now up to the Eve community to tell me the % composition of fail in this idea.

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