Mining Production Technology

[Ostar (OP)]

I apologize if this is answered somewhere, but I couldn't find it.

Mining Production Technology: "Annual production of accessibility 1. 0 minerals for each mine or automated mine.  Small amounts of lower accessibility minerals will be produced; half annual rate for 0. 5 accessibility, one tenth annual rate for 0. 1 accessibility, etc. "

Do these "small amounts" subtract from the actual Quantity, or are they in addition to it (reducing waste, etc. )?
In other words, if I have 1000 Quantity, then Mine 100, and gain an extra 5 from the current Mining Production Tech, is the Quantity afterwards 900 or 895?

I ask because if the actual Quantity is reduced by these extra minerals and they are produced at a lower accessibility rate than you are losing minerals in the long run, trading total amount for increased mining speed.

[Iceranger]

Annual mineral production = mining tech * accessibility * number of mines * (1+governor mining bonuses)

If we ignore the governor mining bonus part, mining tech increases your mining output linearly.

For example, with 10-ton per year tech, 1000 mines, 1.0 accessibility:
10 * 1 * 1000 = 10000 ton per year
10-ton per year tech, 1000 mines, 0.1 accessibility:
10 * 0.1 * 1000 = 1000 ton per year
20-ton per year tech, 1000 mines, 0.1 accessibility:
20 * 0.1 * 1000 = 2000 tons per year

You always mine out minerals faster (the deposit disappears sooner) with better technology.

[Llamageddon]

In other words, if I have 1000 Quantity, then Mine 100, and gain an extra 5 from the current Mining Production Tech, is the Quantity afterwards 900 or 895?

I've also wondered this. Speed or efficiency? I really don't know for sure but I think it is speed rather than efficiency, so you are just mining the same total amount of minerals faster, not getting any extra from the increased tech. You will mine more per year but run out faster, gaining no increase to total minerals mined at the end.

In my opinion higher tech should get you a slightly larger amount of minerals from the total available. But there might be a good balance reason for not doing this. Or I might be wrong and it does give you a greater yield overall.

[Kylemmie]

I've always read it as simply giving more capacity like upgrading factories.    It doesn't generate bonus minerals out of thin air - but.   .   .   

As an accountant, I see it as each increase in Mining tech increases the value of each individual mine.    (Value to the Empire)  I need big industry to fight a war.    I need lots of minerals with (hopefully) minimal investment.    Each increase in Mining Tech is minerals I don't need to spend on additional mines to keep up with Industry.    That where I see the 'savings' or bonus in minerals from Mining Tech.   Each 2 point upgrade = 20% more mines for no minerals.   

P.  S.   Don't have the game in front of me at the moment, so these figures are are NOT accurate.    If I remember when I get home I'll look up the real numbers and edit.   But as an hypothetical example.   

If starting Mining Tech = 10
Each jump in tech = +2, or 1/5th of a starting mine.   
If I have 1000 Mines and 800 Automines at Tech 14 and I spend 10,000 RP to bump Mining Tech to 16, that's the equivalent of building 200 Mines and 160 Automines worth of extra production (at base prod value or 10) for zero minerals and no Industry Cap needed to build the 360 mines and no Cargo Holds needed to move them.   

So for me, the deciding factor is judging the value of the Scientist tied up not researching something else vs the value the next +2 gives you based on the number of mines you currently (or very soon) have.   

[Garfunkel]

You do not get extra minerals out of thin air, the existing minerals are mined out faster.