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MineAPlanet
Drone income estimator

Mine a Planet Calculator

Time one mining cycle, enter the values visible in your game, and estimate active or offline cash without relying on invented drop rates or hidden formulas.

Quick answer: what this tool does

It multiplies what one drone cycle is worth by how many cycles fit in an hour. Fleet cash per cycle is drones × cargo per drone × cash per ore; cash per hour divides an hour by your timed cycle seconds first; offline cash applies your measured efficiency to the hours you plan to stay away. Every input comes from your own session, because Skydog Games has not released the game's internal income formula — the estimate is only as honest as the numbers you feed it.

Your observations

Describe one mining cycle

Estimate

Fleet income

Cash per hour

240,000

Fleet cash per cycle
2,000
Cycles per hour
120.0
Estimated offline cash
1,920,000

Estimate based only on your inputs. Mine a Planet does not publish the exact mining or offline-income formula, so compare this result with one real session and adjust the cycle time or efficiency.

Methodology

How the math works

Four lines of arithmetic, shown so you can check any result by hand.

StepFormulaWhat it answers
Fleet load valuedrones × cargo × cash per oreCash from one complete fill-and-return cycle.
Cycle rate3600 ÷ cycle secondsHow many loads the fleet delivers per hour.
Active incomeload value × cycle rate × multiplierCash per hour, with any visible boost applied last.
Offline incomecash per hour × hours × efficiency %What you expect to collect when you return.
Worked example

The tool's example fleet, by hand

The default inputs are 4 drones, 50 cargo each, 10 cash per ore, and a 30-second cycle. They are illustration values for the arithmetic — not reported game data, so replace them with your own session before drawing conclusions.

  • • Fleet load value: 4 × 50 × 10 = 2,000 cash per cycle
  • • Cycle rate: 3600 ÷ 30 = 120 cycles per hour
  • • Active income: 2,000 × 120 = 240,000 cash per hour
  • • Offline, 8 hours at 100%: 240,000 × 8 = 1,920,000 cash
  • • If your overnight test collects only 60% of that, enter 60 as efficiency and the estimate matches reality.
Interpretation

Reading the result like a planner

The point of the estimate is not the big number — it is which input is holding the others back. Raise cargo and nothing changes if drones come home half-empty; raise mining power and nothing changes if the fleet already waits on the return trip. Change one input, rerun the same timed cycle, and keep only the upgrades that move cash per hour.

A cycle that slows down after an upgrade can still be a win if load value grows faster than cycle time — compare the two results instead of watching one number. When you plan a planet evolution, feed the projected post-evolution values into the evolution budget planner to see whether the change pays for itself.

FAQ

Calculator questions

The two most common questions first: what the tool assumes, and why real sessions drift from the estimate.

Is the Mine a Planet calculator official?

No. It estimates from values you enter and clearly labels the result as an estimate.

What cycle time should I enter?

Time from the start of mining until the drones complete the return for one comparable cycle.

How do I estimate offline cash?

Enter your measured active hourly income, planned offline hours, and an efficiency percentage based on a real before-and-after test.

Why can the result differ in game?

Server conditions, boosts, ore availability, hidden formulas, and partial cargo can all change the real result.

Does the calculator assume the game's hidden formula?

No. It uses plain arithmetic on the four values you enter. Mine a Planet's exact income code runs server-side, so any public number is an estimate — this one just shows you what your own observations imply.

How accurate is the offline estimate?

It is only as good as your efficiency input. The official description confirms drones keep mining while you are away, but no official percentage exists. Run one real before-and-after test: note your cash, leave for a known number of hours, and divide what you gained by what the tool predicts at 100 percent.

What cycle time should I enter?

Time a full loop with a stopwatch: from the start of mining, through the return flight, to the moment the load converts to cash. Repeat once and use the average — a single timing can catch a partial load or server lag.

How do boosts fit in?

Enter a visible multiplier directly — a 2x weekend tag becomes 2. Because tags rotate, test boosted and unboosted runs separately instead of averaging them together.

Why does the result differ from my in-game income?

Real sessions mix ore values, partial cargo, travel distance, and event multipliers. Treat a large gap as information: if your measured income is lower, your cargo is probably not filling completely, or your cycle takes longer than you estimated.

Farming guide

Turn the estimate into a repeatable measurement routine.

Fleet upgrades

Decide which input to raise next.

Evolution planner

Budget the next planet with the same numbers.

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