Mining Guide
Mining is the basis of everything in Eve. Mining is the easiest way to make ISK. Mining is required to make almost everything in Eve, and since nearly everything in Eve is player made, it is quite important. You'll start out in your "starter" frigate mining with one civilian laser until you decide to take the chance and repackage your ship, then reassemble it and put that free laser you just got into the slot that used to hold your civilian gun and go crazy with two lasers and no weapons. Then you'll get yourself into a bigger frigate. You'll start to think your a mining machine. Then you'll get into that first cruiser. You won't be able to contain your excitement as you rip into those asteroids. Your cargo hold is so big, you can sit there for at least two whole minutes before you get full.
But then you'll get into a Procurer. Sure, it only holds one strip miner, but man, it can hold so much and it fills so fast. It is easily the best thing since Quafe Zero. But you'll soon realize that rats can kill it so fast. So you'll get yourself into a Retriever. Two turrets, huge cargo hold, everything but leather seats. But you'll still be feeling those drawbacks, so you'll keep working. After a short while, you'll be flying in style in the king of the mining barges. The covetor. This thing is massive. Three Strip miners. Huge cargo hold. But, then you'll see someone in a more sleek and even better ship. A Skiff, Machinaw, or Hulk.
At this point, I need to point out that every ship has a specific attribute set that makes it best suited for a specific fitting or task. While Procurers, Retrievers, and Covetors are all pretty much used just to mine, the exhumers have specific roles.
Skiff: Procurer class hull (this means it's the tier 2 version of the procurer) Designed to gather that notorious Mercoxit, that's it, just Mercoxit.
Machinaw: Retriever class hull. Designed to mine Ice. This has a 100% bonus to ice gathered per cycle. So instead of 2 blocks, it gets 4.
Hulk: Covetor class hull. Designed to mine ore. This bad boy can mine and hold more ore than you ever dreamed possible.
If you find yourself in 0.0 with a Mercoxit asteroid nearby, grab that skiff and lay waste to it. However, if your not mining Mercoxit, then the skiff is kinda useless when compaired to the other exhumers. The machinaw is awesome if your mining ice. But if your not, then it doesn't even really compare to the hulk, so use this for ice. Now the hulk is the king of beasts when it comes to mining. This bad boy gets bonuses that really help you get that ore the fastest. Since it holds so much ore, it allows for fewer trips to stations, and so, increases you ore per hour. There is such a thing as a perfect miner. The only way to be that guy/girl is to get into a Hulk.
Now that your in a hulk, you need to get rid of those t1 strip miners, work to get those t2 strip miners. Now work to get the t2 mining chrystals. This is refining work, but you'll be glad you did it. Make sure to get your Refinery Efficiency to level 5. You'll need it for the more advanced mining chrystals.
Now, for the tank fit. Depending on where you are, you might need a good tank fit.
High slots: 3 T2 strip miners
Med slots: 1 Gistii A-Type Small Shield Booster, 1 Eutectic I Capacitor Charge Array, 2 Gist B-Type Hardeners (use whatever type the goes against the baddies guns).
Low slots: 2 Mining Laser Upgrade
This fit is hard to beat. The problem is the price. Those faction modules cost a boat load of ISK. Since you'll probably be hanging out in high sec for a while, focus more on the mining/refining skills for now. It takes about 8 to 10 months to get the mining/refining skills up to where they need to be. If you have a friend who helps you, you might get better implants faster, but for the average player it will take a little while. Especially since death is around every corner. Don't get discouraged by this, though. You'll enjoy just about all of those 8 months. And you will be pretty darn good at what you do long before then. Time is the main reason guides don't talk about how long it takes to get the skills.
Since I just don't feel like reinventing the wheel, here is a link to a site that is a bit old, but still has a load of good information. Advanced Mining Guide.
-Jesse Collie
But then you'll get into a Procurer. Sure, it only holds one strip miner, but man, it can hold so much and it fills so fast. It is easily the best thing since Quafe Zero. But you'll soon realize that rats can kill it so fast. So you'll get yourself into a Retriever. Two turrets, huge cargo hold, everything but leather seats. But you'll still be feeling those drawbacks, so you'll keep working. After a short while, you'll be flying in style in the king of the mining barges. The covetor. This thing is massive. Three Strip miners. Huge cargo hold. But, then you'll see someone in a more sleek and even better ship. A Skiff, Machinaw, or Hulk.
At this point, I need to point out that every ship has a specific attribute set that makes it best suited for a specific fitting or task. While Procurers, Retrievers, and Covetors are all pretty much used just to mine, the exhumers have specific roles.
Skiff: Procurer class hull (this means it's the tier 2 version of the procurer) Designed to gather that notorious Mercoxit, that's it, just Mercoxit.
Machinaw: Retriever class hull. Designed to mine Ice. This has a 100% bonus to ice gathered per cycle. So instead of 2 blocks, it gets 4.
Hulk: Covetor class hull. Designed to mine ore. This bad boy can mine and hold more ore than you ever dreamed possible.
If you find yourself in 0.0 with a Mercoxit asteroid nearby, grab that skiff and lay waste to it. However, if your not mining Mercoxit, then the skiff is kinda useless when compaired to the other exhumers. The machinaw is awesome if your mining ice. But if your not, then it doesn't even really compare to the hulk, so use this for ice. Now the hulk is the king of beasts when it comes to mining. This bad boy gets bonuses that really help you get that ore the fastest. Since it holds so much ore, it allows for fewer trips to stations, and so, increases you ore per hour. There is such a thing as a perfect miner. The only way to be that guy/girl is to get into a Hulk.
Now that your in a hulk, you need to get rid of those t1 strip miners, work to get those t2 strip miners. Now work to get the t2 mining chrystals. This is refining work, but you'll be glad you did it. Make sure to get your Refinery Efficiency to level 5. You'll need it for the more advanced mining chrystals.
Now, for the tank fit. Depending on where you are, you might need a good tank fit.
High slots: 3 T2 strip miners
Med slots: 1 Gistii A-Type Small Shield Booster, 1 Eutectic I Capacitor Charge Array, 2 Gist B-Type Hardeners (use whatever type the goes against the baddies guns).
Low slots: 2 Mining Laser Upgrade
This fit is hard to beat. The problem is the price. Those faction modules cost a boat load of ISK. Since you'll probably be hanging out in high sec for a while, focus more on the mining/refining skills for now. It takes about 8 to 10 months to get the mining/refining skills up to where they need to be. If you have a friend who helps you, you might get better implants faster, but for the average player it will take a little while. Especially since death is around every corner. Don't get discouraged by this, though. You'll enjoy just about all of those 8 months. And you will be pretty darn good at what you do long before then. Time is the main reason guides don't talk about how long it takes to get the skills.
Since I just don't feel like reinventing the wheel, here is a link to a site that is a bit old, but still has a load of good information. Advanced Mining Guide.
-Jesse Collie