Just an idea of mine to use mining drones without losing them to npcs

1) bot arrives in belt
2) switch to npc tab
3) if npcs in belt and in range
-- a) launch combat drones and attack
-- b) if no more npcs recall drones
4) switch to asteroids tab
5) target asteroids and assign lasers
6) launch mining drones
7) target asteroid and assign it to drones
8) switch to nps tab
9) if npcs appear in belt
-- a) recall mining drones
-- b) launch combat drones
-- c) attack
-- d) if no more npcs recall combat drones
-- e) launch mining drones
-- f) reassign asteroid
10) if asteroid gets exhausted
--- a) switch to asteroids tab
--- b) assign new asteroid
--- c) switch to npc tab

The problem with mining drones is that it would mess up the asteroid content prediction.

The problem with combat + mining drones is a bug with drone groups in eve. Drones not stay in groups permanently. Will need to check and redistribute drones between groups every undock/eve restart. Also bot will loose mining drones each disconnect, because they always in space. NPCs can appear and aggro on mining drones, kill them. Mining drones probably the most pathetic addition to the miner.