Clearing Mines

from Sins Forums

Finding the game brilliant so far, although i'm confused slightly with the change of the scouts mine finding ability. Now that it is a perk as such and doesn't require targetting, clearing a mine field is much more difficult. I can understand that when in a fleet it's great for making sure you don't run into mines due to the route they take but when you take over a system and you have mines still there it can get quite tedious to clear them out with a scout and a few ships. What i think would be a good idea is if the constructers had a ability to auto detonate mines from a distance, as they could gradually clear out a minefield that was mass produced by the computer!

15,903 views 16 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Adding a mine sweeping ability to constructor frigates has been requested more often in the past. Yet at this point, it is fairly easy to clear out minefields using a single scout frigate. Just back it up with a few flak frigates and watch the mines go boom! It is really not something that needs fixing if you ask me.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

I have done it a number of times yet with mines being placed everywhere by the AI it's still a nuisance to do it when you've managed to kill them but every remaining planet has a large number of mines everywhere.

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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

If you have a titan, it can also be used as a brute-force mine clearer. Just make sure to give it repairs when it needs it (and try not to do it in the middle of a big battle).

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting ChaoticMagician, reply 3
If you have a titan, it can also be used as a brute-force mine clearer. Just make sure to give it repairs when it needs it (and try not to do it in the middle of a big battle).
End of ChaoticMagician's quote

 

"Any ship can be a minesweeper..... Once."

Unless it has shields.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting ChaoticMagician, reply 3
If you have a titan, it can also be used as a brute-force mine clearer. Just make sure to give it repairs when it needs it (and try not to do it in the middle of a big battle).
End of ChaoticMagician's quote

 

True but i usually my titan is doing more important things haha!

 

What about a form of degradation due to them not being maintained by the planet their currently on?

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Pinafal, reply 2
I have done it a number of times yet with mines being placed everywhere by the AI it's still a nuisance to do it when you've managed to kill them but every remaining planet has a large number of mines everywhere.
End of Pinafal's quote

Yeah I wish mines would at least disappear on some of these following criteria:

-Planet and tactical structures are destroyed

-Faction is defeated

-Friendly / Own faction has taken the planet

-I uncheck "mines" in the coolest update to options ever

That said, the scout removal is still pretty easy.  You just send them on a parameter sweep of mouse-clicks and if you have any combat vessels in orbit, they'll auto-attack the mines like enemy structures.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

I never have a problem with mines for two reasons, first I am always AL as they are my favorite faction and I just take control of them, so all enemy mines now belong to me aaaah so great =]  secondly I find that since they updated the scout passive ability it is now MUCH easier as if you hold down alt you can see the range of which the scout has to detect the mines, and one of the easiest way to get rid of them is by strike craft =]. Fighters will own mines very quickly making for a great deal of xp for capitals/titan =]

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

yeah, this is a serious pain. I would love some improvements on mine clearing, because this just doesn't work currently

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

Scouts used to mine sweep automatically. They removed this feature. Go figure.

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
The best counter against mines is the Aeria of the AL. Captures mines at an most impressive rate. The only drawback is, that the mines are still there afterwards... still causing lag.
Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Omnirus, reply 10
Scouts used to mine sweep automatically. They removed this feature. Go figure.
End of Omnirus's quote

Why was this changed?

 

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting wbino, reply 12



Quoting Omnirus,
reply 10
Scouts used to mine sweep automatically. They removed this feature. Go figure.


Why was this changed?

 
End of wbino's quote

This was the reply I got from the devs on this subject of why scouts don't mine sweep anymore:

"

  • This is confirmed, but probably not something we're looking to change. The aiUseTime for this never did a super job at it (your scouts had a decent chance of running into a mine on their way to detecting one). It's something just better left micro'd for now.

"

While yes it is true that on rare occasion scout would hit a mine, it was rare. Rest of the time they were actually quite good at mine sweeping. Besides, who cares if a scout dies on occasion to a mine? They're dirt cheap and expendable.

Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Omnirus, reply 13

Quoting wbino, reply 12


Quoting Omnirus,
reply 10
Scouts used to mine sweep automatically. They removed this feature. Go figure.


Why was this changed?

 


This was the reply I got from the devs on this subject of why scouts don't mine sweep anymore:

"


This is confirmed, but probably not something we're looking to change. The aiUseTime for this never did a super job at it (your scouts had a decent chance of running into a mine on their way to detecting one). It's something just better left micro'd for now.

"

While yes it is true that on rare occasion scout would hit a mine, it was rare. Rest of the time they were actually quite good at mine sweeping. Besides, who cares if a scout dies on occasion to a mine? They're dirt cheap and expendable.
End of Omnirus's quote

The only thing wrong with the scouts auto finding mines is that the range was higher than it's actual attack field, meaning it wouldn't auto engage and just sit on the edge of it.

Another possible way would to implement an ability to detonate a mine, that could be used by the constructors or something, as the scouts are meant to scout and support the main force if they're invading a system that's heavily defended. I don't personally mind how fast the constructors could get rid of them, as long as they eventually do it so that they don't take system memory, nor inform you that their in the system which is always annoying.

Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top

Incorrect.

I just played a full game of Entrenchment and the scouts did a glorious job. I didn't lose a single scout and they did clear the mines. It's nice to be able to send a scout to a system with 150 mines and come back in a while and it be clear. I had multiple systems with over 100 mines and it would have been horrible to clear all that.

In addition, I had a solo scout clear a worm hole with over 50 seeking mines, and it survived.

They have the range, they have the ability.  (Er...had)

Reply #15 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Omnirus, reply 15
Incorrect.

I just played a full game of Entrenchment and the scouts did a glorious job. I didn't lose a single scout and they did clear the mines. It's nice to be able to send a scout to a system with 150 mines and come back in a while and it be clear. I had multiple systems with over 100 mines and it would have been horrible to clear all that.

In addition, I had a solo scout clear a worm hole with over 50 seeking mines, and it survived.

They have the range, they have the ability.  (Er...had)
End of Omnirus's quote

  Wouldn't scouts auto clearing also have a positive effect game performance wise?

Getting rid of all those mines should give a performance increase....unless searching for them increased cycles (cpu) more than the mines themselves. 

Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

It does help the game. And the player. And reduces lag. and saves microing a task that the old entrenchment-era scouts were capable of performing flawlessly (I never once saw a scout kamikaze itself on a mine. Nor where there ever cases of missing scouts after long times without supervision. All gravwells wound up with 4 scouts, 0 mines, not the slightest problem)

Please dev's return the scouts to usefulness!They had just begun being truly useful and reliable in a major fleet engagement because they would shoot out mines while combat vessels did the fighting, free from the threat of mines. It worked so well,