Looking for comments on possible mine suggestion.

[Will]

A long time ago, in many galaxies far, far away (sorry, I just couldn't resist)...

I used to play a game called SpaceMerchant, which was based on the old TradeWars 2002 BBS game. The way that game eventually implemented mines could, IMHO, be adapted to SEIV.

SpaceMerchant had a map system of usually many "galaxies", each galaxy a square of sectors that wrapped; think a system map in SEIV, where if you were in the top right corner, and moved right, you'd be in the top left corner. However, you couldn't always move between adjacent sectors, there were paths that had to be used. Galaxies were linked via warps.

So, for each sector, there is a maximum of five entrances/exits. The way SpaceMerchant did mines, the total number in the sector were divided by the number of entrances, and a random modifier was applied. When you moved into a sector, that amount of mines would "attack" you, and a certain percentage would blow up next to you. The effect was: you got a small amount of damage (usually not enough to come close to killing you, unless you were already close anyway), any course you had plotted is erased, you lose three turns in the attack (turns were often very limited, 1 move = -1 turn), you're decloaked.

From there, you had a few options. If you went back from where you came from, nothing else happens (unless some mean person laid mines there while you were in the other sector ). If you continue attacking the mines, you face all of them at once (there was a max of 50 in a sector). If you try going through some other exit, you don't move, and it's the same as if you just entered the sector, but, the sector you tried to move to is now the "safe" sector, where you can go without worrying about any other mines in the current sector.

There is a bit more to the mine stuff in that game, but I don't want to explain the entire game, and that gives a general idea of how they work.

That could be modified for SEIV. When ships enter a minefield, 25% have a chance of hitting, and an extra movement point is taken. If the ships withdraw the same way they came, they don't encounter any more mines. A sweeper can stay in the field and attempt to sweep the mines, having a chance of getting all, or none, or anything in between. If ships attempt to exit some other way, 25% of the remaining mines have a chance of hitting, an extra movement point is taken, and they can continue. Ships cloaking are turned off on encountering a minefield (they'll know where you are from the pretty explosions, after all).

Change the sweeper's rating's from "Can sweep X mines" to "Can sweep X warheads", and have them destroyed on use. Moddable, of course, for those who would like their mines to be more/less powerful.

[Pax]

Originally posted by geoschmo:

quote:

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Originally posted by Hank:
Lastly, a question. If a sweeper does not completely sweep a minefield, can it be destroyed by the mines? If so, this should be changed. A sweeper should be able to spend many turns sweeping a particular minefield and not get hurt by it. Think of it as the sweeper clearing a path into the minefield as it moves into the sector.

I would only support this if the other ships in the fleet with the sweeper get bLasted. Otherwise what's the point? All you would need is one sweeper regardless of the size of the minefield.

Geoschmo

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Well, perhaps it would work better if no more than ONE mine could hit a ship, for each X kT of mass the ship had (say each 150kT, the size of a single escort)? Makes sense after all; a sector is a big place, 100 mines won't hit a single ship all at once.

That way, you -could- try and "bull" your way through a minefield, especially if your ships were armor-heavy ... but you'll be hurt by the process (especially helpful for when it's a Warp Point and the defender has ships/sats/base(s) present to immediately fire on the now-damaged ships ...).

Now the question is, is that effect hard-coded into the executable, or MODdable ... ?

[Fyron]

Hard coded.

[dumbluck]

(This would be better as a PM. Sorry.)

[ July 12, 2002, 10:11: Message edited by: dumbluck ]

[Zarix]

The 100 mine limit isn't realistic at all. Much better solution would be to allow more mines but make them so that over 100 mine minefields could be seen. And if someone puts more than 200 mines in a sector the mines would collide and explode or maybe some mines would move to another sector.

[geoschmo]

It just occured to me that a lot of us would be happy if the game just treated minefields the way it currently does damaging warp points. There you have a damage rating, but there is a chance of getting through the warp point undamaged.

If the game could modify this chance based on how many mies are in the field, that would be cool. Then you could try to "bull your way through" and not all your ships would be destroyed. You would get hurt, but not all or nothing like it is now. And some mines would remain, so the minefield would be more usueful, even though it was doing less damage.

Geoschmo

[bearclaw]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
It just occured to me that a lot of us would be happy if the game just treated minefields the way it currently does damaging warp points. There you have a damage rating, but there is a chance of getting through the warp point undamaged.

If the game could modify this chance based on how many mies are in the field, that would be cool. Then you could try to "bull your way through" and not all your ships would be destroyed. You would get hurt, but not all or nothing like it is now. And some mines would remain, so the minefield would be more usueful, even though it was doing less damage.

Geoschmo

That would be nearly perfect, IMHO. I also feel that mines should have various cloaks and that some sensors can see through certain mine cloaks. Also, (can't recall if someone else mention this) sweepers should do a certain kt worth of damage to a mine field instead of 1 for 1.