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Mining: Difference between revisions

From EVE University Wiki
Ore locations: added mining missions
Mining mechanics: Moved subsections around; shortened text for readability
Line 59: Line 59:
Once your cargo or mining hold is full, bring the ore you have mined to a station (either fly there yourself or transfer the ore to another player's ship to fly back (see [[Mining#Solo mining|solo mining]] and [[Mining#Cooperative mining|cooperative mining]] for more details)), then return to the asteroids and continue mining!
Once your cargo or mining hold is full, bring the ore you have mined to a station (either fly there yourself or transfer the ore to another player's ship to fly back (see [[Mining#Solo mining|solo mining]] and [[Mining#Cooperative mining|cooperative mining]] for more details)), then return to the asteroids and continue mining!


=== Mercoxit mining ===
=== Efficiency computations ===
Any ore mining module can mine any type of ore, with one exception: Mercoxit, the [[Asteroids and ore#Ore variants|rarest ore type]] (and only source of Morphite minerals), which is found only in [[System security#Null security|nullsec]] systems and can only be mined with Deep Core mining modules (any module with "deep core" in its name). In order to use these modules you need to train {{sk|Deep Core Mining|icon=yes}}, and whilst they can be used to mine other types of ore, they are less efficient at it than "normal" mining modules.
{{main|Mining yield}}
All computations with income from mining are typically done in (ISK per m<sup>3</sup>). The reason for this is that all mining modules mine a certain volume of ore/ice/gas in a given time. For example, a beginner miner in a Venture with, say, 200m<sup>3</sup>/min yield would mine 2000 units of Veldspar per minute, as volume of 1 unit is 0.1m<sup>3</sup>, or, for example, 100 units of Jaspet per minute, as volume of 1 unit is 2m<sup>3</sup>. Therefore it makes sense to compare not prices per unit, but prices per m<sup>3</sup>.  


Mercoxit mining has one other notable feature: when you mine a Mercoxit asteroid, it will randomly release a cloud of toxic gas which will damage your ship if you're caught in it. Fortunately, the cloud only forms within 5&nbsp;km of the asteroid, so keep your ship further away to escape any damage (note that this precludes you from using the basic Deep Core Mining Laser I module, as it has a maximum range of only 5&nbsp;km). Additionally, you can train {{sk|Deep Core Mining|icon=yes}}, which reduces the chance of a cloud forming by 10% per skill level - in other words, at {{sk|Deep Core Mining|V}}, only half the amount of clouds will spawn when you mine Mercoxit.
Since the market is player-driven, ore and mineral prices are ever-changing, hence miners should always check the market for the most efficient ore/mineral to mine for. Websites like [https://ore.cerlestes.de/index.html Cerlestes ore table] can look up the current market prices for ores and minerals, and give you a recommendation on which ores are the most profitable. Remember to double-check the prices that any automated tools give you - they will often use regional averages to determine mineral prices; if you plan to sell your goods at a specific station or hub then your priorities might come out differently. Lastly, most expensive types of ore are typically assotiated with most dangerous [[Asteroids and ore#Asteroid distribution|parts of New Eden]] so you might want to limit yourself to safer areas.


=== Efficiency ===
Once you have chosen a type of ore, you will want to maximize the mining yield over time. This involves choosing what [[Mining Ships|ship]] to mine in, what [[ORE Basic Ship and Skill Overview#Fitting strategies and mining modules|modules]] to fit to it, and what [[Mining#Skills|skills]] to train; see those links for more details.  
{{main|Mining yield}}
If you would like to dive more deeply into mining, it's worth determining the most profitable way to mine. This involves deciding:
* What asteroids to mine, and where to find these asteroids
* Which ships (and skills) are best suited
* How best to haul the ore to a [[refining]] station and then to the market
All miners should attempt to maximize their efficiency (and therefore their profitability), which is typically measured by the amount of ISK earned per hour.


When deciding what ore to mine, the driving factor is income per volume of ore (ISK per m<sup>3</sup>). For example, Veldspar is the [[Asteroids and ore#Asteroid distribution|most common and cheapest ore]] in EVE and has a volume of 0.1&nbsp;m<sup>3</sup> per unit; Scordite is the next most common ore but has a volume of 0.15&nbsp;m<sup>3</sup> per unit. Therefore (ignoring [[mining crystals]]), you will always mine 50% more Veldspar than Scordite in a given period of time (since mining lasers mine a fixed ''volume'' of ore per minute). Therefore, in order for Scordite mining to be more profitable than Veldspar mining, Scordite's market price must in turn be 50% greater than Veldspar's. Since the market is player-driven, ore and mineral prices are ever-changing, hence miners should always check the market for the most efficient ore/mineral to mine for.
Do not forget to include [[Hauling]] time into your profitability computations. There may be different strategies involving [[Compression]] or lack of such, [[Refining]] ore or selling it in raw form, selling locally or in [[Jita]], hauling yourself or paying someone to do it.


Websites like [https://ore.cerlestes.de/index.html Cerlestes ore table] can look up the current market prices for ores and minerals, and give you a recommendation on which ores are the most profitable. Remember to double-check the prices that any automated tools give you - they will often use regional averages to determine mineral prices; if you plan to sell your goods at a specific station or hub then your priorities might come out differently. Lastly, don't forget that most ore types are only found in a [[Asteroids and ore#Asteroid distribution|certain part of New Eden]], and most miners prefer to operate only in certain parts of space.
=== Mercoxit mining ===
Any ore mining module can mine any type of ore, with one exception: Mercoxit, the [[Asteroids and ore#Ore variants|rarest ore type]] (and only source of Morphite minerals), which is found only in [[System security#Null security|nullsec]] systems and can only be mined with Deep Core mining modules (any module with "deep core" in its name). In order to use these modules you need to train {{sk|Deep Core Mining|icon=yes}}, and whilst they can be used to mine other types of ore, they are less efficient at it than "normal" mining modules.


Once you have chosen what kind of ore you would like to mine, you will want to maximize the quantity you mine over time. This involves choosing what [[Mining Ships|ship]] to mine in, what [[ORE Basic Ship and Skill Overview#Fitting strategies and mining modules|modules]] to fit to it, and what [[Mining#Skills|skills]] to train; see those links for more details.
Mercoxit mining has one other notable feature: when you mine a Mercoxit asteroid, it will randomly release a cloud of toxic gas which will damage your ship if you're caught in it. Fortunately, the cloud only forms within 5&nbsp;km of the asteroid, so keep your ship further away to escape any damage (note that this precludes you from using the basic Deep Core Mining Laser I module, as it has a maximum range of only 5&nbsp;km). Additionally, you can train {{sk|Deep Core Mining|icon=yes}}, which reduces the chance of a cloud forming by 10% per skill level - in other words, at {{sk|Deep Core Mining|V}}, only half the amount of clouds will spawn when you mine Mercoxit.


=== Ice and gas harvesting ===
=== Ice and gas harvesting ===
In addition to ore, ice and gas can also be harvested. While the actual harvesting mechanics are fairly similar, the ships, equipment, and locations differ significantly from mining ore. ''(Further details can be found in [[ice harvesting]] and [[gas cloud harvesting]].)''
In addition to ore, ice and gas can also be harvested. While the actual harvesting mechanics are fairly similar, the ships, equipment, and locations differ significantly from mining ore. ''(Further details can be found in [[ice harvesting]] and [[gas cloud harvesting]].)''


== Ships ==
== Ships ==