Minesweepers

[Nitram Draw]

I think if the minesweeper doesn't remove all the mines then it gets attacked by them. If it can't take the damage then it will be destroyed.

[Alpha Kodiak]

In my experience with previous Versions (back to 1.19) if a minesweeper failed to sweep all of the mines in the turn it entered the field then it got hit by the mines.

[Master Belisarius]

The minesweepers are working.
The question should be that was a large mine field, then, after clean the mines that can (depending the type and quantity of the mine sweeper devices into the ship), the ship take damage like any ship.

I saw a problem when the AI player manage the minesweepers: if the minesweeper have sucess cleaning the minefield, stay there, without come back to a safe place, then, usually is destroyed by others ships after some time.
I suggested to Aaron, to include mniesweepers into the fleets, because the more common reason for the AI to lose a fleet (including wars between AIs), are the mines.

[Sinapus]

The AI should also stop sending ships to places where a minefield has been encountered until the minesweepers clear it.

Sure, 20 ships w/o minesweepers will "sweep" mines in their own, but very much slower than 20 minesweepers could.

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"What do -you- want?" "I'd like to live -just- long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price. I would look up into your lifeless eyes and wave like this..." *waggle* "...can you and your associates arrange that for me, Mr. Morden?"

[Q]

I only can support your comments: minesweepers must be included in attack fleets! A lonely minesweeper is a very easy target and even cloaking is not a certain protection, because the sensors in SE IV are very powerful compared to SE III.

[Sirkit]

My experience with a computer my prove interesting in this case. I was busy mining a couple of warp points when I get a message that tells me that the computer has lost 30(!) ships to my mine field but the mine field died when I looked closer at the ships that made it, they were all escorts! Is it just me or is the computer sometimes both incredibly smart yet stupid at the same time? Any way this hole in my defences allowed them to invade my home systems and greatly hinder my ability to retaliate because I had lost 4 builder worlds. My score dropped and there were rebellions, it sucked, they died, I hold 5 of their ships in orbit in my "museum du dead species" may they rot in peace

[mottlee]

I have found that mine sweepers SHOULD be with other ships, I had the problem when I sent a sweeper into a sector with mines alone it was killed and did NOT clear any mines, when sent in with another ship it cleared mines (started getting cleared measages)