Changes to reprocessing...

Jester has a post up about his take on the changes in the reprocessing dev-blog.  I think I disagree with him that the vast majority of minerals will now come from mining exclusively.

I certainly believe that some of the folks that run missions and loot, reprocess, sell the minerals are going to continue doing so.  Will they realize as much ISK from doing so?  Of course not.  But, they weren't doing it completely for the ISK anyway (or half of them wouldn't have bothered in the first place - right?).  There is certainly a population that look at ISK/hour calculations and determine that salvaging and looting their missions is a waste of their time.  So, there is already a population that is out there and just letting their wrecks rot in space after they move on.  Of course, there is also that entire class of low life that come barging into a mission and start salvaging your wrecks on you.  If those folks get to go find a new pastime, it won't hurt my feelings at all ;)

My own play style is one that I do take the time to loot and salvage my missions.  Is it always cost effective?  Nope.  Why do I do it?  Because I can.  It is something to do that is not just an endless - blitz mission.  Makes it feel like I'm actually a real capsuleer, instead of a human (with a limited life expectancy) who is playing at being an immortal space pilot.  So, for me, it is just part of the way that I play EVE.  What do I do with all the loot and salvage?  That depends... When I get a hauler full (or get frustrated that I can't find anything in my hanger), I lug it to a trade hub and determine whether each item is better sold or reprocessed.  That particular process probably won't change for me.  At least not at first.  If I get to the point that I'm actually selling loot for .01 ISK because nobody really wants it - well, then I'll probably stop.   Until then, I'll continue and I bet others will too.   So, if it is worth more to reprocess it (even at 55% recovery) than it is to sell in the current market - well, then I'l reprocess it and sell the minerals - at least, in the near term after the change drops on TQ.

I think enough people will continue that while the raw amount of minerals provided by reprocessing the chaff will go down, that it will still be a measurable percentage of the minerals available.

Enjoy your time in space!
  Yinmatook