Newbie mine question
 

It is a bit of a long story but an ally has a bunch of mines around one of my planets. Is there any way to get rid of them while keeping the treaty in place? I don't want them there if the ally should declare war. And no, I don't want to ask the ally to get rid of them (how could I verify it anyway?).

Re: Newbie mine question
 

I'm guessing that your ally launched them in combat, "defending" your planet http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif.

You could build a minesweeper, and leave it in orbit just incase. You may also be able to mothball it, then unmothball and sweep as soon as you get word that you're not allies anymore. As long as no ships enter the sector, your ships within the sector may be safe.

Re: Newbie mine question
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by suicide_junkie:
I'm guessing that your ally launched them in combat, "defending" your planet http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif.

You could build a minesweeper, and leave it in orbit just incase. You may also be able to mothball it, then unmothball and sweep as soon as you get word that you're not allies anymore. As long as no ships enter the sector, your ships within the sector may be safe.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Can you manually sweep an ally's mines from a sector using the sweep command? Would be nice if you could.

Re: Newbie mine question
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Can you manually sweep an ally's mines from a sector using the sweep command? Would be nice if you could.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Why, destroying your neighbour's property sure isn't nice http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif!

Why not try to make use of them, by tempting a mutual enemy into the field, or trade ships with one of your friend's enemies.
When the ship gets traded the mines can blow it up, while you get a new ship with new technology!

Re: Newbie mine question
 

Some ally, I hate to think what the do to their enemy!

Re: Newbie mine question
 

Thanks for the feedback. I tried a little experiment and I don't think you can sweep an ally's mines. I'm not sure why not; maybe I wasn't doing it correctly. Anyway, I didn't even know there was a sweep button so I learned something.

As to how it happened, it has to do with planets changing hands. Mines in orbit don't go with a gifted planet. This particular planet has been through several hands.

Re: Newbie mine question
 

Well you've opened a new tactic for me. You could be a real pain in the a** by dropping mines over your allies planets. Launch a new ship and KABOOM. Talk about a reason to stay at peace!
One question, could you see your allies mine?

Re: Newbie mine question
 

Yes, mining an allies planet can provide a little insurance against an unfaithful ally. It has actually happened twice so far in my first PBEM game.

A little more experimentation. You cannot sweep your ally's mines even when they are on his planets. And no, you can't see them even when they are on your planet. It can be a bit devilish.

Re: Newbie mine question
 

Cool, sneakily mine their shipyard planets and then declare war. What a pain that would be, the first new ship in your warfleet has to be a minesweeper!

Re: Newbie mine question
 

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?

Re: Newbie mine question
 

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.

Re: Newbie mine question
 

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...

Re: Newbie mine question
 

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.

Re: Newbie mine question
 

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.

Re: Newbie mine question
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by LeTharg:
I suspect that mines only attack when something moves into the sector.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

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!

Re: Newbie mine question
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>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.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

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?

Re: Newbie mine question
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by LeTharg:
.... 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...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have had that happen to me. At first, I thought 'bug' as you did. But then I double checked and found that I did not have a clear path to the sector I wanted to sweep - there was another minefield in a Warp Point that I HAD to go thru to get to the sector I wanted to sweep. Ships in SE4 (and 3 IIRC) will NOT go thru a known minefield unless specifically instructed to. IOW, you have to give the ship(s) orders to go to (or sweep) the first minefield, THEN go to the second and sweep. Once I did that, sweeping worked fine. This may be the case for you - it was for me.

Also, I think you may have to specifically designate the ship as a Mine Sweeper, but I'm not posistive - mine WAS designated a Mine Sweeper...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>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...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Does that mean fighters don't set off mines also? IOW is triggering a mine only accomplished by Ships?? In the same question, will Bases trigger mines in combat? (I suspect not since they don't move..) Does anyone know exactly what triggers a mine? It's been a long time (and several patches) since I used mines, I can't really remember.


[This message has been edited by rdouglass (edited 11 May 2001).]

Re: Newbie mine question
 

just a quick thanx for all the replies to my question.

Thanx.

------------------
May your Life prosper and your Dreams be sweet.

Re: Newbie mine question
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Does that mean fighters don't set off mines also? IOW is triggering a mine only accomplished by Ships?? In the same question, will Bases trigger mines in combat? (I suspect not since they don't move..) Does anyone know exactly what triggers a mine? It's been a long time (and several patches) since I used mines, I can't really remember.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Only stuff that moves into a sector will trigger mines. Then the mines are triggered, everybody dies.

Re: Newbie mine question
 

In my opinion, if fighters DON'T trigger mines, they should.

Not that I use mines much.... although I probably should....

Re: Newbie mine question
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by suicide_junkie:
Only stuff that moves into a sector will trigger mines. Then the mines are triggered, everybody dies.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I checked this: If ships are already in the sector they will not be harmed, only the ones that move into the sector will be attacked by the mines. So it's still as I stated in my previous post in this topic: If you mine the sector of a planet space stations will not be destroyed by the mines, even if other ships are entering the sector and will trigger the mines.