Mine balance suggestion

[Ed Kolis]

Here's a simple idea that will help balance mines, and also alleviate a problem that can occur in multiplayer games (that of players forming treaties, going behind each other's lines, and laying mines throughout the "ally"'s territory, then breaking the treaty):

Make it so if you lay mines when another empire can see your minelayer, then the mines are visible to that empire.

I realize that this may cause problems if the first empire later lays more mines there when the second empire's not looking - the game would have to keep track of which mines are visible and which aren't. And when it comes time to sweep those mines, hoo boy!

But it's only a suggestion, and besides, it wouldn't be too unreasonable to say that later mines laid there by the same empire while the minefield exists became visible even if the viewing empire wasn't present anymore...