I don't really seem to understand why are all these questions pointed at dusty.
noone is forcing anyone to mine actually, and now when dusty actually explained his D: faction people are eager to see can they actually make their own, instead of filling up other factions that mine like BMM, Daumann and Kruger.
I'm pretty sure it's easy to just say "hell I can't do it" and never try it instead of trying to join a mining faction and rock.
It is really easy to say that. I have tried twice now to set up mining operations.
Tried and failed.
Of those 60-70 people, the vast majority will be playing the characters they want to play and will not be interested in mining together, another percentage will be factionalised and playing those characters for that time, and another percentage will be trading. Of the percentage left, which will be mining, which you could rope together, maybe five, if lucky. I will be generous and say 10. However, our of those ten, half will be in other areas.
So, you end up with 5. I remember many times logging on being the only one there.
In conclusion, my timezone is just not conducive to mining. So, I trade. (Which leaves me earning 20 million an hour or so.)