Discuss away. I'll be keeping an eye on this and also I suggest that in the end a player request to be filed.
<3
This is something that will affect every player, not just one player who files a request that is never seen by other players and then rejected or accepted without public discussion or informing the person of a reason. If you're not going to do something unless someone files such a request, you should seriously reconsider the way you process suggestions. Also, I believe I did file such players requests (over a year ago) after having been asked to do so, the current suggestion among them, which got ignored without a word.
EDIT: None of the descriptions here sound even remotely relevant to removing an entire ID type.
Player Requests are the current due process for such alterations and a lot of them affect all the players.
Discuss this at will, gather a consensus, file a request. I will not partake in the discussion due to my very sparse knowledge of mining and its general mechanics.
Also I checked the Dev Requests and Player Requests, and I have found zero mentioning of Miner ID with your forum handle attached. Was it filed in any other way?
If I recall correctly I filed requests over several issues that would make the game more accessible for new players, including mining, at a link for requests given to me by sindroms, in may 2017 or so. Only one of the points (changing the welcome message to something shorter and more useful) were implemented, the others ignored. Since the threads are invisible, I can't check where it went.
I find the ID amusing to play, I've got several Freelancers flying small Civilian Mining ships (though you can play pretty much the same role with a small Freighter too, but its a balance of efficiency versus hold size)...Since the ships holds aren't very big it doesn't take long to fill them either way...Its fun to set them up with a need to balance mining ability against some defensive capability...I enjoy that the characters are essentially down at heel wanderers, selling their ore where they can, unwelcome at any official mining base, mostly. I wouldn't like to see the ID removed, as I enjoy the distinction between it and a "regular" Freelancer. Its my understanding too, that the generic Miner Id works slightly differently than other types of Mining ID...in that the ship type matters less in the mining "equation" , I may be wrong here...I don't see a point in the calling for its removal nor do I agree that only beginners use it...I grant you its not a way for an individual character to get rich quick...but that seems beside the point, given its Roleplay potential after the early use mining helium and so on.
Space travel's in my blood and there ain't nothing I can do about it...
Long journeys wear me out......but.... I know... I can't live without it...
From "Another Girl, Another Planet" by The Only Ones 1978
Miner ID is so bad it isn't worth it. Remove the rephacks (both corporate and unlawful) or boost the mining bonus slightly to compensate. Though in the first instance it may as well be merged with Freelancer ID for multi-purpose independent prospector kind of thing.
I don't think it would be a good idea to give thr freelancer id a mining bonus, even less making it competitive to mining factions. This is a balance issue.
A. A generic miner can go about mining nearly whatever in nearly whatever mining ship. It also has a generous rephack and a RP plausible one too. Trade off is that you have no expertise in one particular mineral or group of minerals, so you do what you do half-assed. Again, RP-wise plausible.
B. A freelancer id has very few restrictions as far as range of operations goes. You can go wherever and befriend nearly anyone. Being able to mine whilst having this freedom and being able to do it at a decent rate on top of that would not only make mining factions obsolete but turn the experience into powergaming (and not the good kind). As freelancer id-ied character you are an expert pilot - whether it is a fancy hot rod or a bulky ice hauler, you make it dance. But you have no clue about mineral extraction - for that you hire miners. Again perfectly plausible.
C. Mining ships are plausible way to go about mining in general. You need the right gear and a mining turret is by far not sufficient. There are industrial processes going on inside your ship which you don't need to care bout, but they are there and your craft needs to be equipped accordingly. If we narrow mining down to just shooting rocks you might just as well have npc-s drop ore when shot at. Ergo, not plausible at all.
I think if the miner ID would actually be good, it could be interesting. Give them 2.0-2.5 for all ores. Then make them a target of cooperate piracy, so factions can defend their orefields from the new competitors.