Improve Your Mining Strategy With The New 'EVE Online' Expansion

[heirdeux]

You'll also get to attack pirate bases and protect your mining fleet from computer-controlled enemies.

Improve Your Mining Strategy With The New 'EVE Online' Expansion : Read more

 

[bit_user]

The process begins with the Refinery extracting a giant portion of a target planet’s surface and bringing it to space. That chunk is then broken up to create a small asteroid field near the refinery, which players can mine to get precious materials.

Okay, clearly someone skipped both physics and geology. It would take a tremendous amount of energy to "extract a giant portion of the target planet's surface and bring it into space".

Second, the valuable materials tend to sink to planets' cores. Whereas, if you mine existing asteroids and comets, the density of heavy elements is probably far higher.

Finally, there's no way that extracting a giant chunk of a planet isn't going to create all sorts of orbital debris.

So, it would be far cheaper, easier, safer, and more profitable to mine one of the vast number of asteroids already out there. That's why companies and governments are trying to do exactly that.

Dumb game.

 

[spagunk]

@Bit_User

In a game where warp gates, faster than light travel/communication and Giant moon sized ships reside, why would this be so hard to believe? Just because it's not possible in real life, doesn't mean we can imagine something like this happening. Seems like either you're a disgruntled former eve player or you lead a very boring life.

It's just a game, suspension of disbelief if required for any game. Unless you really think floating white bars bounce blocks like ping pong on a 2d black field in real life.

 

[bit_user]

In a game where warp gates, faster than light travel/communication and Giant moon sized ships reside, why would this be so hard to believe? Just because it's not possible in real life, doesn't mean we can imagine something like this happening.

Just because they have a necessity to bend the laws of physics in some respects doesn't mean they should completely disregard them, in all respects.

Seems like either you're a disgruntled former eve player or you lead a very boring life.

No, but I'm one who thinks there should be a bit more science fact, in science fiction games & movies. They'll get away with as much as we let them.

It's just a game, suspension of disbelief if required for any game. Unless you really think floating white bars bounce blocks like ping pong on a 2d black field in real life.

Now, you're just being ridiculous. Pong is a completely abstract game. It doesn't pretend to model anything in real life. I'm also quite forgiving of games that are obviously cartoonish or surreal.

BTW, I've never played EVE. It sounds way too much like real work, and I already have a job.

 

[olmeca.gold.eve]

@BIT_USER

Asteroid mining is already a part of this game. The moon mining (the new mechanic, structures breaking moon chunks, not planets btw) might require tremendous energy. But energy is only a constraint relative to how much you can collect and store it. Stars provide virtually infinite energy if you can collect/store in the right way. In this sci-fi environment thousands of years into the future, I don't think the scenario is in conflict with what we know about science today. I also don't think planetary debris etc. has to huge problems for these imagine structures. They have shields and stuff.

 

[maersikai]

@BIT_USER

See here's the thing though, IT'S COOL. In a game the laws of physics are basically whatever the developers want them to be. That being said, nothing saying the tech in-game can't negate the massive energy needed to achieve tearing off a chunk of a moon. Or maybe they can produce the massive amount of energy needed to do it. They might just really, really want those moon juices and are willing to expend the energy.

And my last rebuttal is this, don't like it? Don't play the game or argue about fictional settings you don't know about. Real life need not apply.

 

[mrgothmog]

As an actual Physics major, I'd like to take this opportunity to point @BIT_USER in the direction of /r/iamverysmart, where he will no doubt fit in.

For what it's worth, the density of a material doesn't make it valuable (as one can see with lead). It's a function of the material's uses, as well as its scarcity, which gives it value.

 

[ajpaolello]

Why are we debating the physics of a video game?

 

[bit_user]

That being said, nothing saying the tech in-game can't negate the massive energy needed to achieve tearing off a chunk of a moon. Or maybe they can produce the massive amount of energy needed to do it. They might just really, really want those moon juices and are willing to expend the energy.

But why not just drop your mining operation down on the surface, extract the good bits, and only send up the stuff you want?

And my last rebuttal is this, don't like it? Don't play the game or argue about fictional settings you don't know about. Real life need not apply.

I already don't play the game and these forums are for discussing the article, which is what I'm doing. If there weren't an article about it, I wouldn't be commenting on it. I'm not on some sort of anti-EVE mission - it was just a casual comment.

You guys seem awfully thin-skinned for a gripe about game physics/mechanics to have gotten you worked up enough to sign up and write replies. If you enjoy the game that much, why care what a random internet comment says about it?

 

[bit_user]

As an actual Physics major, I'd like to take this opportunity to point @BIT_USER in the direction of /r/iamverysmart, where he will no doubt fit in.

Thanks, but flattery will get you nowhere.

For what it's worth, the density of a material doesn't make it valuable (as one can see with lead). It's a function of the material's uses, as well as its scarcity, which gives it value.

When I was referring to the density of elements being higher on asteroids, I meant the heavier elements (which often are more valuable) should be more evenly distributed, since you didn't have a strong gravity sorting them while they were still molten.

P.S. I hope you can do something more productive with your actual Physics degree.