Let’s drill!



Okay, you’ve decided to mine, but aren’t exactly sure how. Or maybe you’ve done it all before, became a millionaire and biomassed. What choices will you make this time, and how will they affect the rest of your career? You want to spend the rest of your life playing EVE, and who doesn’t want to PLEX up from Alpha, but how can you maximize your ISK/hr? Well, today I will answer these questions—so let’s get to it!



We all dream of becoming a rockstar miner, like that Mackinaw over in Ashab. However, even the lowliest Alpha can become a tycoon, if they merely follow a simple strategy. Are you ready? PROTIP: You don’t actually need to invest large amounts of ISK, or actual real-life money earned from mowing the lawn, delivering newspapers, or cleaning underneath the couch.



First, did you know, ships are FREE in Eve? A boat in every port, as Uncle Joe used to say. So, let’s spawn into Imperial Chaven. Look at that, an Impairor is just sitting there. We can skip all that violent tutorial business, and move straight on to what EVE is really about. Some people like Planet VIII’s Asteroid Belt 1, but I’m old school, and you just can’t beat Planet VI’s Asteroid Belt 1. Yes, I know, Planet VIII is only 164,225 kilometres from the Imperial Academy, whereas Planet VI is 3,590,348,880 kilometres away. It seems like Planet VIII is right there, easy access, and it is way too easy! If you want the good rocks, and I mean the real nice ones that haven’t already been picked over by some greedy Retriever, Planet VI is the spot. Think of this as the remote frontier, your own little private nullsec. Let’s warp!



All right, we are up in this belt, and can see all the Scordite just floating out there. Over that way is a field of Veldspar. How do we know which rock is the best? Most players get themselves a ‘roid scanner, but we’ve got a handy dandy advantage. Instinct. Our ancestors invented rock smashing, and it’s in our blood. All you have to do is listen to your gut. That’s right! We want the MASSIVE Scordite. We are not some little hillybilly miner who is going to be satisfied with a little rock. THINK BIG.



Now, there’s two schools of thought on how to mine. Some people like to just hover and suck, but when you are ready to be a real digger, you can orbit the rock. Turn on the Afterburner and let her rip. Goblins won’t be able to catch you. Whichever option you choose, the next step is crucial. Left click your target, hit the control button to lock, and activate your laser. Now you are officially a miner!



What’s next? I usually check my email, or maybe just lean back and relax. If you turn up the volume real loud, you can hear your laser just whirring away. That is the sound of ISK in your pocket, enjoy! One thing I really like, is to zoom out, so I can hear the solar wind gusting to and fro. It’s details like this which make EVE the preeminent space simulator of our era. Oh snap, looks like our cargo bay is full. Let’s get paid!



We warp back to the imperial academy, and take stock. We have 766 massive Scordites, one piece of bonus tritanium (which came with our free ship), and the ship itself. I sell the scordite for 12,806 ISK (after taxes), the tritanium for 4.38 ISK, and utilize a little life hack. You can right click your imparior, and repackage. WARNING: Make sure to leave the ship first! It sells for another .02 ISK, and why not? If you really want to be sneaky, try adding a market sell order at 2000 ISK. Yes, your ship was free, but some Minmatar scum might not realize this. As PT Barnum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”



Once we’ve gotten rid of the ship, we are ready to undock and redock. BOOM! We’ve got a new ship, with even more bonus tritanium. Even better, we can replace the gatling gun with the miner from our original ship. In just a few simple steps, we have doubled our mining efficiency, without spending a single ISK. Well, I need to get back to drilling. Come again next week, when we will be discussing the benefits of an expanded cargohold.



This week’s feature fit:



[Impairor, Dual Miner]



1MN Civilian Afterburner



Civilian Miner

Civilian Miner