¶ Summary
Compared to the Venture, the Pioneer offers a higher harvesting yield, with a third turret and stronger mining yield bonus. It can also carry a spare flight of drones that the Venture cannot. However, the Pioneer lacks the inherent warp core strength bonus of the Venture.
¶ Skills
To improve mining yield
Mining: Improves mining laser yield by 5% per skill level.
Mining Destroyer: Improves mining yield by 10% per skill level (hull bonus).
Mining Upgrades: Allows use of Mining Laser Upgrade low slot modules, boosting yield.
Mining Drone Operation: Allows for use of mining drones to further boost yield (requires Omega clone status).
Mining Precision: Improves mining laser critical success chance by 10% per skill level.
Mining Exploitation: Improves mining laser critical success bonus by 5% per skill level (requires Omega clone status).
To improve survivability
Evasive Maneuvering: Reduces align times.
Spaceship Command: Reduces align times.
Shield Management: Grants a 5% bonus to shield hit points per skill level.
Shield Upgrades: Reduces shield upgrade powergrid needs by 5%, and allows for better shield extenders to be attached.
To improve self-defense against belt rats
Drones IV: To be able to operate four drones, the amount that the Pioneer has bandwidth for.
Light Drone Operation I: Allows use of light combat drones.
To harvest gas
Gas Cloud Harvesting III: Allows for use of three gas cloud harvesters to maximize the harvest potential of the Pioneer.
¶ Tactics
Orbiting an asteroid can help mitigate incoming damage from belt rats, but can also increase the time required to escape if a player threat nears.