First off: the mining barge. Large ship, non-player-pilotable. Capable of inter-system jumps, NOT capable of supercruise. Expensive. Lands at random point in systems. Choice of which star to land at? Docking platforms for player ships (no shipyard, possibly refitting). Capable of receiving and emitting cargo via intra-system railgun system for cargo, probably cargo drone as well.
Huge (large as well?) cargo launchers. Launch cargo cans at TBD speed, fast enough to transfer cargo from belts to mining barge in reasonable timeframe. This is a BIG timesink, as you have to arrive, mine, shoot the cargo over, WAIT, and then when the barge gathers the cargo, dispose of cargo. Either that, or drop the cargo off for a cargo-fit ship?
Gravity-suction module for fragments. Player ship version ignores all material except mining fragments and cargo dropped by allied ships (wing/squadron). Automated cargo ship version only transfers intended cargo (you can drop off/request cargo from the barge, drones can suck up ejected cargo from allied ships. Useless for all other cargo scenarios. Could go in hardpoints.
Automated mining op tracking. This isn't EVE, people don't want to spreadsheet nearly as much. Make an automated function to track contribution and automatically mark cargo per op, and distribute credits. Like, a Sidewinder would get 1 share, a Python could get 10 shares, and a Cutter could get 20 shares. When the product is sold, the credits would be divided by 31, and that number distributed for each share. Shares are defined by op leader, and locked at beginning of op. Would be good for ad-hoc mining, as well as barge operations, if people are splitting hauling/mining duty (this allows more people!). It can also be time based, so a 1-share Sidewinder that stays for 10 time units (defining in mining op) would get the same money as a 10-share Python that stays for 1 unit of time. (Also, tracks materials lost to piracy!)
Ideal usage:
This has holes in it. This is completely intentional.
The entire barge system must provide significantly more money overall, otherwise it will not be worth using. This is because it requires a long period of cooperation between multiple players. For solo work, you would probably refine it all yourself, railgun it over, and log for the night. Next session, barring piracy, you would jump the barge to the sell station, and start the selling transfer, then log again or do something else. Convenience vs time decisions and balancing necessary.
It would be nice to be able to grab ore out with a hauler and deliver it yourself? Or grab some Painite for an engineer. But probably unworkable. All the minerals must be marked per op, and sold quickly enough that the system does not have to track an excessive amount of mining op data. Besides, if the barge has to sit in a system flying a cargo drone back and forth to a station, that gives a chance for ACTUAL piracy!
Huge (large as well?) cargo launchers. Launch cargo cans at TBD speed, fast enough to transfer cargo from belts to mining barge in reasonable timeframe. This is a BIG timesink, as you have to arrive, mine, shoot the cargo over, WAIT, and then when the barge gathers the cargo, dispose of cargo. Either that, or drop the cargo off for a cargo-fit ship?
Gravity-suction module for fragments. Player ship version ignores all material except mining fragments and cargo dropped by allied ships (wing/squadron). Automated cargo ship version only transfers intended cargo (you can drop off/request cargo from the barge, drones can suck up ejected cargo from allied ships. Useless for all other cargo scenarios. Could go in hardpoints.
Automated mining op tracking. This isn't EVE, people don't want to spreadsheet nearly as much. Make an automated function to track contribution and automatically mark cargo per op, and distribute credits. Like, a Sidewinder would get 1 share, a Python could get 10 shares, and a Cutter could get 20 shares. When the product is sold, the credits would be divided by 31, and that number distributed for each share. Shares are defined by op leader, and locked at beginning of op. Would be good for ad-hoc mining, as well as barge operations, if people are splitting hauling/mining duty (this allows more people!). It can also be time based, so a 1-share Sidewinder that stays for 10 time units (defining in mining op) would get the same money as a 10-share Python that stays for 1 unit of time. (Also, tracks materials lost to piracy!)
Ideal usage:
- Jump barge to target mining system (fuelled for jumps via player ships?)
- Move players to belt, small ships mine, larger ships refine and deliver cargo to barge via railgun. (Cargo drone in belt for pickup?)
- Players could sit in a belt railgunning cargo to the barge, or cargo ships could take it over. (Which should be faster? About the same speed?)
- Wait for cargo to arrive at barge.
- Jump barge to target selling system.
- Use barge systems to sell ore to station remotely via railgun or cargo drone.
This has holes in it. This is completely intentional.
- The barge is not invulnerable, players can knock it over for cargo and a price on their head. The barge cannot be completely destroyed, however.
- Cargo could be vulnerable in transit. Why knock over the miners when you can just intercept their shipments?
- The barge can only deliver to stations, and it takes time to shoot the ore over (allows time for raiding).
The entire barge system must provide significantly more money overall, otherwise it will not be worth using. This is because it requires a long period of cooperation between multiple players. For solo work, you would probably refine it all yourself, railgun it over, and log for the night. Next session, barring piracy, you would jump the barge to the sell station, and start the selling transfer, then log again or do something else. Convenience vs time decisions and balancing necessary.
It would be nice to be able to grab ore out with a hauler and deliver it yourself? Or grab some Painite for an engineer. But probably unworkable. All the minerals must be marked per op, and sold quickly enough that the system does not have to track an excessive amount of mining op data. Besides, if the barge has to sit in a system flying a cargo drone back and forth to a station, that gives a chance for ACTUAL piracy!
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