Visible AI Minefields?

[markgame]

I just moved to an enemy system and found a minefield. Funny thing is, I don't think I should have been able to see it. I don't have any advanced sight techs, just a level 1 combat sensor. Is this a bug? According to the HTML manual "Mines are completely invisible." Hmmm.

[Tomgs]

Do you see the actual mines or a sector outlined with an "M" printed in it? The sector gets marked like that automatically if one of your ships or possibly (though I haven't seen this) by one of your allies if they go into a mined sector and take damage. Another way that could possibly happen is if you got system information from another race. Again I don't know if this would work I haven't tried that either. You could get information from intell opps or by diplomatic means from other races but I don't know if that would make mines visible to you.

[This message has been edited by Tomgs (edited 17 November 2000).]

[markgame]

No, it was an actual unit. I did a right-click check on it and it said it was a minefield. I'll try to get a screenshot next time, I didn't think to do it this time till after it was too late.

[markgame]

I knew I wasn't crazy. Here are two screen shots of mines I came across in tactical combat while chasing a minelayer.

BTW, after killing the minelayer I left the mines alone and ended the tactical session. Back on the main display I had my ship leave the sector, which then showed empty. Then I moved back into the sector and it was destroyed by the mines (as expected).

Perhaps the mines take a turn to become "invisible?"

[LintMan]

I think the mines are only cloaked on the sector display, not in tactical combat. The AI attacked one of my minelayers once, and I pumped out a bunch of mines, which the computer promptly targeted and destroyed.

I don't think mines are useful at all in tactical combat - they don't trigger when enemy ships get near, and even if an enemy ship explicitly rammed one, the mine doesn't do its explosive damage.