Newbie mine question

LeTharg · #1 May 10th, 2001, 11:04 PM

More attempt at experimentation. I tried to get the sweep button to do something. I could not get it to sweep mines no matter if they were allied mines, enemy mines, neutral mines, no mines or my own mines. It didn't matter if I tried to sweep the sector I was in or another sector. I must be doing something wrong.

Thinking that my empire had to know the mines existed I ran a ship into an enemy field and got it blown up. Then I tried to sweep it but nothing happened.

Has anyone used the sweep button? If so how and why?

Puke · #2 May 10th, 2001, 11:49 PM

i think i remember this from a long time back. sweeper ships will automatically sweep when ever they enter a sector with enemy mines. the only time you should use the sweep button is if your sweeper is in combat with a minelayer where mines are dropped in combat, and you want to sweep before you move out of the sector on the strategic map. obviously, this is pretty rare and would only apply in the turn-based (not sumultanious) game. have not tried it though.

dumbluck · #3 May 11th, 2001, 12:14 PM

here's a question:

do satellites trigger mines? ie you and your ally mutually defend a WP; him w/mines, you w/sats. then you decide you aren't friends anymore, and declare war. So do his mines now kill your sats @ the WP?

Another question: sats w/minesweepers equiped? that would help keep your WPs clear of mines...

Suicide Junkie · #4 May 11th, 2001, 04:08 PM

I suspect that the sats would not set off the mines, but any ships moving into the sector would set off the mines, and the sats would get attacked by the mines at that time.

Sweepers on sats may work, but don't bet on it. SE4 dosen't even try to find some abilities on certain vehicles, such as boarding parties on Fighters. Sweepers on sats may be similar.

LeTharg · #5 May 11th, 2001, 05:43 PM

I tried the mines/sats experiment. When war was declared the mines did not attack the sats. I suspect that mines only attack when something moves into the sector.

I was unable to put sweepers on sats. That makes sense to me since sats have no propulsion. I should think sweepers would need to move.

Q · #6 May 11th, 2001, 06:20 PM

quote:
Originally posted by LeTharg:
I suspect that mines only attack when something moves into the sector.

You are right. Even ships that are already in the sector will not be harmed. They can move out of the sector, but if they move in again.... boom!

Q · #7 May 11th, 2001, 06:28 PM

quote:
Originally posted by suicide_junkie:
I suspect that the sats would not set off the mines, but any ships moving into the sector would set off the mines, and the sats would get attacked by the mines at that time.

IIRC this is not the case: the mines affect only the ships entering the sector. In earlier games I used the mining of planets from allies that I suspected to turn against me quite frequently. They lost the ships that went to the planet, but e.g. spacestations in the orbit were not harmed. It's quite a long time since I checked this so it might have been changed.
Did you try it with the newer Versions?