Ship Design

[DirectorTsaarx]

I haven't had any problems filling a transport hull with minelayers. The minelaying components have a certain cargo storage capacity, and therefore count towards the "50% spaces filled with cargo components". In fact, I have a large (!) transport hull with nothing but a master computer, engines, and mine layers. (Yeah, the master computer is more expensive, but at level 3 it only needs 20kt of space, which saves a LOT of room on the large ships...)

[Eisenhans]

I use to build one minelayercomponent on each of my transports. That way they can lay any amount of mines except for in combat. But who needs mines in combat anyway?

You can load more mines too, if you use more cargo comps and less layers.

[Sinapus]

I usually use a destroyer or a light cruiser. Then I designate a planet as the mine producer and use the repeat orders to send the minelayer to launch mines and load mines and produce mines as needed from that planet.

I think I will try to keep my minefields below 200 to give the computer -some- chance of getting through.

[DirectorTsaarx]

Eisenhans: Don't forget that MM "fixed" that in 1.19; now you can only lay one mine per turn per mine laying component (unless you re-modify the component file). And laying mines during combat isn't terribly useful since any unexploded mines are re-loaded onto your ship at the end of combat.