minefields, mothballs

[Dogboy]

Is there any way to remove enemy mines other than using mine sweepers or throwing ships at them? Will 20 fighters in a group destroy 20 mines (and die)? If I have a ship that can sweep 100 mine fields, and we encounter a field with 100 mines, do all get swept, or is there some risk that some will go off? If I have a fleet at a wormhole and give them orders to return to a base and be mothballed, will they be mothballed at the base? Does the base need a shipyard?

Thanks!

[Ironmanbc]

When in doubt send the Scout (with good armour) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Fyron]

There is no chance for a sweeper to fail. If your fleet can sweep 100 mines, it will always sweep 100 mines (except if you cloak the sweepers, since cloaked ships cannot sweep).

You must have a SY available in the sector to mothball ships.

[Nocturnal]

Dogboy said:
Is there any way to remove enemy mines other than using mine sweepers or throwing ships at them? Will 20 fighters in a group destroy 20 mines (and die)?

I haven't tested this, but I guess the group of fighters is treated as one ship. It will blow up mines until it takes enough damage to destroy all of it (so it'll probably take one or two mines.)
If I have a ship that can sweep 100 mine fields, and we encounter a field with 100 mines, do all get swept, or is there some risk that some will go off?

As many as you can sweep will get swept, there's no chance involved.
If I have a fleet at a wormhole and give them orders to return to a base and be mothballed, will they be mothballed at the base? Does the base need a shipyard?

I don't think you can give the order if you're not already at a sector with a shipyard. If you are at a shipyard and order them to move to another shipyard and then mothball, I am not sure whether they'll remember the order. Oh wait, you're talking about SE:V. Why didn't you say so? In that case probably yes, they should remember the order. And you can't mothball, retrofit, salvage, or analyze anything unless you have a shipyard in the sector.

[Dogboy]

Thanks guys. One final Q: Does a ship encountering a minefield keep hitting mines until every last mine explodes (or the ship is destroyed), or can a ship pass through a mine field and only encounter some of the mines?

[Nocturnal]

It's a very simple mechanic. Either the ship sweeps all the mines, the ship blows up, or the mines run out. Whatever happens first.

[Dogboy]

Thanks. With the massive amount of damage they do, one could easily lose a major attack fleet to a relatively cheap mine field. Do people normally send attack fleets with the capacity to sweep 100's of mines per turn?

[douglas]

Once they can afford that many minesweepers and still have a decent combat fleet, yes. Not sending that many minesweepers is just asking for punishment.