Difference between revisions of "Ice harvesting"

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Ice mining is different to standard asteroid mining as only mining barges and exhumers are capable of fitting the required equipment, and the refined products are not used for manufacture, but for the standard operation of [[Player Owned Structures]] (POS) as well as [http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Jump_drive Capital Ship Jump Drives].
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Ice Mining is the process of mining in ice belts, and then refining it into fuel for [[Player Owned Structures]] and [http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Jump_drive Capital Ship Jump Drives].
  
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Ice mining equipment also differs to asteroid mining modules, as the yield is a fixed parameter depending on the ships being used. All capable ships will mine one piece of ice per cycle, except for the mackinaw which has a 100% bonus, so instead 2 pieces of ice will be mined per cycle.  
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Special modules are required for ice mining, which produce exactly one unit of raw ice each cycle - except for the Mackinaw, which produces exactly two. Each piece takes up 1,000m3 of cargo space. Increasing mining yield, therefore, is done by reducing the cycle times of the modules.
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'''Advantages of Ice Mining'''
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* Reduced work for the miner.
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* Ability be self-sufficient in terms of POS fuels.
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* Lower penalty for working without a hauler - longer cycle times mean fewer trips to the station.
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* Ice asteroids are huge - very small chance of actually having one pop.
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'''Disadvantages of Ice Mining'''
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* Reduced ISK yield compared to normal mining.
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* Smaller demand for ice products
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* Increased chances of suicide ganks.
  
 
==Ice Asteroids==
 
==Ice Asteroids==
  
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In empire space ice asteroid belts are found at fixed locations, to find them use this free map [http://www.ombeve.co.uk/Eve_Regions.pdf] Eygfe is an example of a system with an ice asteroid belt.  
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In empire space, there are a few systems in each region that have an ice belt. The nearest one to Aldrat is in Eygfe, and more can be found on maps such as [http://evemaps.dotlan.net/map/Metropolis dotlan].
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Each asteroid can contain well over 100,000 pieces of ice and each piece takes up 1,000m3 of cargo space.  
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Ice belts are very visually distinctive. Hundreds of kilometers long, each huge asteroid can contain well over 100,000 pieces of ice.
  
 
===Ice Ore===
 
===Ice Ore===
  
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There are 4 basic types of ice asteroid that are aligned to the faction that controls the local space, with perfect ice refine each will always produce;
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There are 4 basic types of ice asteroid that match the faction that controls the local space. With perfect ice refine, each type will always produce:
  
 
* 50 Heavy Water
 
* 50 Heavy Water
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* 25 Liquid Ozone
 
* 25 Liquid Ozone
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* 1 Strontium Clathrates
 
* 1 Strontium Clathrates
  
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as well as ice specific isotopes
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as well as one faction-specific isotope:
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{| cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1"
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==Basic Ice Mining Requirements==
 
==Basic Ice Mining Requirements==
  
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Ice Harvesting modules can only be fit on Mining Barges or Exhumers. Since the procurer is all but useless apart from being cute, the minimum ship to mine ice is in is a retriever
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Ice Harvesting modules can only be fit on Mining Barges or Exhumers. As usual, the Retriever is the recommended starting point:
  
 
===Retriever===
 
===Retriever===
  
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The following allows for a Mining Barge to be used:
 
 
* [[Skills:Science#Astrogeology|Astrogeology  III]]
 
* [[Skills:Science#Astrogeology|Astrogeology  III]]
 
* [[Skills:Science#Science|Science IV]]
 
* [[Skills:Science#Science|Science IV]]
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* [[Skills:Industry#Ice Harvesting|Ice Harvesting I]]
 
* [[Skills:Industry#Ice Harvesting|Ice Harvesting I]]
  
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This skill set will result in 1 Piece of Ice per Ice Harvester with a cycle time of 10mins, this is the lowest ice yield rate possible.
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This skill set will result in 1 Piece of Ice per Ice Harvester with a cycle time of 9:30 minutes.
  
 
==Improving Cycle Times==
 
==Improving Cycle Times==
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To improve the amount of ice we can harvest, we have to reduce the cycle time from the rather long 600 seconds.
 
  
 
===Skills===
 
===Skills===
  
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Continuing to learn the [[Skills:Industry#Ice Harvesting|Ice Harvesting]] skill will decrease the cycle time by 5% per level for a grand total of 25% reduced cycle time which give us a cycle time of 450 seconds
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Continuing to learn the [[Skills:Industry#Ice Harvesting|Ice Harvesting]] skill will decrease the cycle time by 5% per level for a grand total of 25% reduced cycle time which will give us a base cycle time of 450 seconds.
  
 
===Tech 2 Modules===
 
===Tech 2 Modules===
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The Ice Harvester II is available once Ice Harvesting 5 has been trained, which has a base cycle time of 500 seconds, and 375 seconds after the skill bonus is applied.
  
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By reaching Ice Harvester Level 5, we can now fit the Ice Harvester II which has a base cycle time of 500 seconds, we then apply the 25% bonus and with a week of training we have reduced the cycle time down to 375 seconds a great 37.5% improvement
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===Ice Harvesting Upgrades===
  
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===Ice Harvesting Upgrades===
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We can reduce the cycle time even further by using Ice Harvesting Upgrades. These basically work the same as Mining Laser Upgrades, but the bonus reduces cycle time instead of increasing yield. A T1 upgrade gives a 5% bonus with a 10% CPU penalty, and a T2 upgrade gives a 9% bonus with 12.5% penalty.
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Obviously our ultimate aim is two fill both of the low power slots with these modules for a combined cycle reduction of 18%.
  
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We can reduce the cycle time even further by using Ice Harvesting Upgrades, they act the in the same way as Mining Laser Upgrades, except the bonus applies to ice ore. With a tech 1 module we can improve our cycle time by 5% with a 10% cpu penalty and for a tech 2 module we can improve our cycle time by 9% with a 12.5% cpu penalty.
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<!-- todo: check if 9%->18% upgrade stacking is correct, check if mining upgrades skill affects ice upgrade CPU usage -->
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Obviously our ultimate aim is two fill both of the low power slots with these modules for a massive cycle reduction of 18%
 
  
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With the fitting levels of a retriever at most only one upgrade can be fit, if you have access to a hauler it is a good idea to use a cargo expander in spare slot. The reason is quite simple, a retriever has a basic cargo space of 2,000m3. This fits exactly 2 pieces of ice, so when your cargo hold fills, one of the harvesters will turn off. If you have a bit of extra space this wont happen and you can continue uninterrupted.  
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Only a single upgrade can be fitted on a retriever, and if you have access to a hauler it is a good idea to use a cargo expander in the spare lowslot, even if you don't have enough space for another ice block. The reason is that the retriever's base cargo space (2000m3) fits 2 blocks exactly, so when your cargo hold fills, one of the harvesters will turn off. If you have a bit of extra space this wont happen and you can continue uninterrupted.  
  
 
==Hulk or Mackinaw==
 
==Hulk or Mackinaw==
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The Hulk and Mackinaw are the best ice mining ships; choosing between them is a matter of preference and situation.
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One of the most controversial questions when Ice mining, is what ship should be used. The answer is always the Mackinaw or the Hulk and below we will outline the benefits of each as honestly, which to choose is a personal decision.  
 
  
 
'''Ice Output'''
 
'''Ice Output'''
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This is an easy one to answer, the Mackinaw produces more ice per minute then the hulk can. This is down to the fact that it has a 100% yield bonus and for every cycle you receive 4 pieces of ice instead of three.
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This is an easy one to answer: the Mackinaw produces more ice per minute then the hulk can. This is down to the fact that it has a 100% yield bonus so for every cycle you receive 4 pieces of ice instead of three.
  
 
'''Cargo Space'''  
 
'''Cargo Space'''  
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The hulk is capable of holding 8 pieces of ice compared to the mackinaw’s 6, and with module expansions and rigging, it is obvious that the hulk can stay out longer before having to return to that station to drop off the ice. However it does take longer to mine.  
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The hulk is capable of holding at least 8 pieces of ice compared to the mackinaw’s 6, so the hulk can stay out longer before having to return to that station if solo mining.  
  
 
'''Survivability'''  
 
'''Survivability'''  
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There are more then enough high sec systems with ice belts, and Eygfe is one such system close to Aldrat. Thusly on a safety standpoint it is not necessary to move into dangerous low-sec space. However there is still the issue of suicide gang attacks (gankers) Ice belts can be targeted due to the belief that many ice miners are afk and are thus easy targets. The hulk does have an increased chance of surviving a ganker attack then the mackinaw does.  
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While most ice mining is done in hisec, suicide gankers often see the AFK nature of ice miners as an advantage. In hulkageddon 3, the systems with most casualties were Nakugard, Oppold and Eygfe: all systems with ice belts. The hulk has an increased chance of surviving a ganker attack then the mackinaw does.  
  
 
'''Price'''
 
'''Price'''
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Many experienced players will point out that any one wanting to be a miner will have to buy a Hulk at some point to maximize their profits. This means that frequently the Mackinaw is bought as a second ship dedicated to ice mining, and as such significantly increases purchase costs.  
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Most dedicated miners will own a Hulk for high-yield mining, so frequently the Mackinaw is bought as a second ship dedicated to ice mining, and as such significantly increases purchase costs compared to using the Hulk.
  
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'''The big question – Is Ice mining actually for me?'''
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<!--'''The big question – Is Ice mining actually for me?'''
  
 
Yet again another question without a correct answer. There are many reasons for and against Ice Mining, but there are some important facts that need to be said. Ice has a limited use compared to asteroids. Minerals from asteroids are used throughout eve, basically everything out there is made out of minerals where as ice products are only used in Player Owned Structures and certain ships with jump drive capability.
 
Yet again another question without a correct answer. There are many reasons for and against Ice Mining, but there are some important facts that need to be said. Ice has a limited use compared to asteroids. Minerals from asteroids are used throughout eve, basically everything out there is made out of minerals where as ice products are only used in Player Owned Structures and certain ships with jump drive capability.
 
It is perhaps considered easier to ice mine, as the cycle times are significantly longer then asteroid mining modules, and ice asteroids are so massive, that it would take a large fleet of ships to mine all of the ice, as such it is very difficult for the ice asteroid to run out. Many miners will tell you the frustration at mining an asteroid with hardly next to nothing in it and loosing cycle time because they haven’t got the attention to focus on there scanners. This is perhaps where Ice Mining does come into its own, and many miners have been known to hit the asteroid belt while they are, for example, studying.  
 
It is perhaps considered easier to ice mine, as the cycle times are significantly longer then asteroid mining modules, and ice asteroids are so massive, that it would take a large fleet of ships to mine all of the ice, as such it is very difficult for the ice asteroid to run out. Many miners will tell you the frustration at mining an asteroid with hardly next to nothing in it and loosing cycle time because they haven’t got the attention to focus on there scanners. This is perhaps where Ice Mining does come into its own, and many miners have been known to hit the asteroid belt while they are, for example, studying.  
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The final big issue is well, that ice is big! Just one block takes up 1000m3 of space. So an unmodified Hulk can only fit 8 pieces, not much really. Many professional ice miners will have a second account to act as a hauler to move the ice and leave the miner in place.
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The final big issue is well, that ice is big! Just one block takes up 1000m3 of space. So an unmodified Hulk can only fit 8 pieces, not much really. Many professional ice miners will have a second account to act as a hauler to move the ice and leave the miner in place.-->
  
 
==Perfect Ice Mining Requirements==
 
==Perfect Ice Mining Requirements==
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To get the absolutely perfect ice harvesting settup this is what you are going to need.
 
  
 
Mackinaw skills:
 
Mackinaw skills:
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2 x Ice Mining Upgrades
 
2 x Ice Mining Upgrades
  
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This skill set will result in 2 pieces of Ice per Ice harvester with a cycle time of 4 mins 20sec
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This skill set will result in 2 pieces of Ice per Ice harvester with a cycle time of 4min 20sec
  
 
[[Category:Industry]]
 
[[Category:Industry]]
 
[[Category:Mining]]
 
[[Category:Mining]]

Revision as of 21:47, 26 July 2010

Ice Mining is the process of mining in ice belts, and then refining it into fuel for Player Owned Structures and Capital Ship Jump Drives.

Special modules are required for ice mining, which produce exactly one unit of raw ice each cycle - except for the Mackinaw, which produces exactly two. Each piece takes up 1,000m3 of cargo space. Increasing mining yield, therefore, is done by reducing the cycle times of the modules.

Advantages of Ice Mining

  • Reduced work for the miner.
  • Ability be self-sufficient in terms of POS fuels.
  • Lower penalty for working without a hauler - longer cycle times mean fewer trips to the station.
  • Ice asteroids are huge - very small chance of actually having one pop.

Disadvantages of Ice Mining

  • Reduced ISK yield compared to normal mining.
  • Smaller demand for ice products
  • Increased chances of suicide ganks.

Ice Asteroids

In empire space, there are a few systems in each region that have an ice belt. The nearest one to Aldrat is in Eygfe, and more can be found on maps such as dotlan.

Ice belts are very visually distinctive. Hundreds of kilometers long, each huge asteroid can contain well over 100,000 pieces of ice.

Ice Ore

There are 4 basic types of ice asteroid that match the faction that controls the local space. With perfect ice refine, each type will always produce:

  • 50 Heavy Water
  • 25 Liquid Ozone
  • 1 Strontium Clathrates

as well as one faction-specific isotope:

Amarr - Clear Icicle Caldari - White Glaze Gallente - Blue Ice Minmatar - Glacial Mass
Isotope Helium Nitrogen Oxygen Hydrogen

Basic Ice Mining Requirements

Ice Harvesting modules can only be fit on Mining Barges or Exhumers. As usual, the Retriever is the recommended starting point:

Retriever

Ice Harvester

The minimum additional skill requirement to use a basic Ice Harvester is;

This skill set will result in 1 Piece of Ice per Ice Harvester with a cycle time of 9:30 minutes.

Improving Cycle Times

Skills

Continuing to learn the Ice Harvesting skill will decrease the cycle time by 5% per level for a grand total of 25% reduced cycle time which will give us a base cycle time of 450 seconds.

Tech 2 Modules

The Ice Harvester II is available once Ice Harvesting 5 has been trained, which has a base cycle time of 500 seconds, and 375 seconds after the skill bonus is applied.

Ice Harvesting Upgrades

We can reduce the cycle time even further by using Ice Harvesting Upgrades. These basically work the same as Mining Laser Upgrades, but the bonus reduces cycle time instead of increasing yield. A T1 upgrade gives a 5% bonus with a 10% CPU penalty, and a T2 upgrade gives a 9% bonus with 12.5% penalty. Obviously our ultimate aim is two fill both of the low power slots with these modules for a combined cycle reduction of 18%.


Only a single upgrade can be fitted on a retriever, and if you have access to a hauler it is a good idea to use a cargo expander in the spare lowslot, even if you don't have enough space for another ice block. The reason is that the retriever's base cargo space (2000m3) fits 2 blocks exactly, so when your cargo hold fills, one of the harvesters will turn off. If you have a bit of extra space this wont happen and you can continue uninterrupted.

Hulk or Mackinaw

The Hulk and Mackinaw are the best ice mining ships; choosing between them is a matter of preference and situation.

Ice Output This is an easy one to answer: the Mackinaw produces more ice per minute then the hulk can. This is down to the fact that it has a 100% yield bonus so for every cycle you receive 4 pieces of ice instead of three.

Cargo Space The hulk is capable of holding at least 8 pieces of ice compared to the mackinaw’s 6, so the hulk can stay out longer before having to return to that station if solo mining.

Survivability While most ice mining is done in hisec, suicide gankers often see the AFK nature of ice miners as an advantage. In hulkageddon 3, the systems with most casualties were Nakugard, Oppold and Eygfe: all systems with ice belts. The hulk has an increased chance of surviving a ganker attack then the mackinaw does.

Price Most dedicated miners will own a Hulk for high-yield mining, so frequently the Mackinaw is bought as a second ship dedicated to ice mining, and as such significantly increases purchase costs compared to using the Hulk.


Perfect Ice Mining Requirements

Mackinaw skills:

Ice Harvester II module:

2 x Ice Mining Upgrades

This skill set will result in 2 pieces of Ice per Ice harvester with a cycle time of 4min 20sec

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