Data Mining

Data Mining, as defined by Wikipedia, is “the process of sorting through large amounts of data and picking out relevant information”. I think I’ve come up with a slightly different definition: Data Mining is Mining for Data. Allow me to explain:

I, as a miner, am interested in getting the most ISK out of my Mining Crystal II’s. That means that I try to mine only the most valuable ore I can find. In the region of space I’m in, that is sometimes Kernite, but mostly Pyroxeres. And besides that, I try to mine the rare types (the ones that give 10% and 5% bonuses to yield) first. So far, all of this is normal, and expected of a miner. What makes me different is what I do with that ore.

I don’t simply dump it in my hangar and then refine it, no sir. First I like to analyze it. How much did I mine today? Why? Do I have more Solid Pyroxeres because they are simply more abundant or did something prevent me from getting at the Viscious Pyroxeres? Did I mine more today or yesterday? These questions help me understand the way I mine and find ways to improve it. Mining is not just about the skills (although they play a major role, of course). The way you fly your Hulk around the belts also plays a big part in determining if you fill a can in 20 minutes or 30. 10 minutes don’t seem like much, but after an hour I have 3 full cans against your 2. It makes a lot of difference in the long run.

So, what kind of “Data Mining” do I get out of my ore? Well, type and quantity is an obvious answer. I have a nice Excel sheet set up  where I can just place the amount of ore I’ve mined and it tells me its predicted sell value. The amount of minerals that each ore yields is known (check Halada’s guide) so all I have to do is figure out is the average price for each mineral. For that, I thank the Matari Mineral Index. I put it all together and presto, I now have a record that helps me during the mining day to see how much I’ve mined so far and  that records how much I’ve mined in the past. This, in turn, helps me to predict future income, which is useful to no end. I’ve even set up a little graph that charts my income .

Do any of you guys use a similar system or have a suggestion for improvements on my own? Let me know in the comments!

Tags: EVE Online, Mining