Tale of A Ship Idea That Failed

[Deathstalker]

Recently, during my modding for the StarWars AI (to be released in a little while, still in beta testing) I decided to change how Mine Sweepers were used. Since shields do nothing when encountering a mine field I scrapped them entirely and went full armour. Worked great until stealth/scattering armor was discovered. Now all the ships auto-cloak and head for the minefield, then go 'boom' and do not sweep. It seems cloaked ships cannot sweep mines, really quite disturbing to see a dreadnought fully loaded with armour/sweepers get blown away by a few mines.

Hopefully MM can fix this, either by allowing cloaked ships to sweep or finding some way to 'de-cloak' them b4 hitting the field. Until then it seems my 'new' minesweeper is not quite worthwile.(although the armour does soak up quite a few mines, maybe I'll just replace ALL the components with armour, that might work).

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"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

[Magnum357]

I'm sorry, but I think I have to disagree with you. I think how it is now is more realistic and provides better game balance. First, It think it is more realistic because in my opinion, a clocked ship with minewarefare equipment (whatever that might be) would probably require active Emissions of energy (or whatever scanners and sensors use) to detect mines in space so the Mine component can destroy the mine. If you activated your ships specialized scanner equipment while clocked, enemy ships would be able to detect you at long distance and would make the clock useless. Secondly, if ships with cloaks were able to use mines effectily, it would give cloaked ships more advantages then uncloaked. Why build uncloaked minewarefare ships. To unbalancing in my opinion.

[Marty Ward]

You would think if it was a known minefield that the ship would automatically un-cloak and sweep the mines.
I don't see why cloaked ships can't sweep for the AI. What is the differance between them moving, uncloaking, sweeping and cloaking in one turn and sweeping while cloaked. At the end of the turn they are still cloaked.
Hopefully this will be fixed soon as the AI needs all the help it can get regarding mines.

[geoschmo]

Shields don't protect you against mines? What sense does that make? Is that confirmed?

Geo

[Lerchey]

Shields do not protect against mines. Shields are considered to be "tactical" components, and are only activated during combat. That's why they don't help against mines or damaging warp points. Armor never turns "on and off".

Lt. Col. John

[Erhardt]

ouch...This is news to me.

SO shield's do squat against mines?

Huh?