EVE Online has a huge manufacturing component, with player made items driving the market, and because of this mining and ore are key to the game. The constant demand for ore means that mining can provide a lucrative, quick start for new players, and you’ll find that with just a little bit of work and some basic information under your belt that you’ll be in good shape to understand ore, it’s place in EVE Online, and how you can quickly turn the ore you’ve mined into a big pile of ISK!
The first thing to be aware of is that ore is a basic material that can be found in the asteroid fields that you will encounter in EVE. There are various types of ores, but they are unusable until they have been refined into the minerals that compose them, much like mining in real life. The minerals that result can be very valuable when it comes to things like the manufacture of ships and weapons, and this is the way to make mining a profitable use of your time.
Choose a quiet system to mine in. Less than 60 pilots in local is ideal – enough for someone to help if you get into trouble, yet not enough to pose some serious competition. You’ll find that competition can be fierce, and when you are starting out, you might need to in a quieter area to make the most of your opportunity. Try to make sure that you are mining in an area that has a refinery nearby; as soon as your hold is full, make sure that you get the ore refined and taken in for ISK, the game’s currency, as soon as possible!
When you are looking at ore, the best rule to keep in mind regarding whether the ore you’ve found is valuable is that the closer it is to A in the alphabet, the more valuable it will be. There are always exceptions, but this is a good rule to follow when starting a career in mining. Also remember that the more valuable the ore, the less you will need of it to refine an amount of mineral that will net you a good profit. It is also fair to say the the more exotic and valuable ore will require some traveling to get to.
The most valuable and sought after type of ore is Arkonor, which can be refined at 200 ore units. There is a great deal of competition for this ore, and it takes some serious searching and work in EVE Online to come up with an amount that can easily be refined. Veldspar is the quickest and safest way to make some ISK – it refines into Tritanium, which is always in demand as it’s used in ship building.
Take some time to learn about the ores, particularly if you are planning to make mining your profession, and you’ll find that there are plenty of ways that you can prosper!