Space Mines?
Moderator: Oberlus
Space Mines?
A strange and crazy idea occurred to me today. It's been suggested that mines might be used in battle, placed in defense around a system, but what if you could put mines in a system that doesn't belong to you? Let me explain:
A type of cargo ship could be built, possibly containing troops, possibly containing fuel, and possibly containing mines. If a cargo ship carrying mines reaches a system that is not occupied by hostile ships, the player will have the option if deploying all, some, or none of the mines on to the system. If the player chooses to deploy mines, he will be given a view of the battlefield for that system and can deploy mines anywhere in the system.
If another player comes to that system, he will be alerted to the presence of mines in the system and have the opportunity to search for them and destroy them. If he wishes to proceed to a system beyond the mined system or colonize a planet within the system, it is not optional; he MUST pass from point A to point B within the system battle map with as many of his ships as is necessary to complete his goal. This is not as easy as it sounds, however, since the mines will have the highest cloaking technology available to the empire that deployed them, as well as a significant stealth bonus of their own.
If two fleets battle within the minefield, only fleets belonging to the empire which deployed the mines or an empire allied to that one will be able to see the mines initially. Any other fleets must be able to detect them as though they were any other object.
The reason I decided to post this idea is that such a feature would provide excellent strategic value. For instance, you could use mines to cut of a strategic choke point if your fleets are engaged elsewhere. You could protect the planets of your allies without actually risking your ships. You could protect a good planet from being colonized while you hurry to build a colony ship. Plus, who could resist wreaking total havoc by laying a bunch of mines and getting the heck out of there when two opposing fleets are on their way to the same system inside a nebula? (providing nebulae increase stealth bonus, of course.)
At any rate, a few details of my idea might be somewhat impractical, but I hope this kind of thing gets implemented in some way.
Sorry if something like this has already been suggested. I didn't see anything at a glance on the first 5 pages of this board.
A type of cargo ship could be built, possibly containing troops, possibly containing fuel, and possibly containing mines. If a cargo ship carrying mines reaches a system that is not occupied by hostile ships, the player will have the option if deploying all, some, or none of the mines on to the system. If the player chooses to deploy mines, he will be given a view of the battlefield for that system and can deploy mines anywhere in the system.
If another player comes to that system, he will be alerted to the presence of mines in the system and have the opportunity to search for them and destroy them. If he wishes to proceed to a system beyond the mined system or colonize a planet within the system, it is not optional; he MUST pass from point A to point B within the system battle map with as many of his ships as is necessary to complete his goal. This is not as easy as it sounds, however, since the mines will have the highest cloaking technology available to the empire that deployed them, as well as a significant stealth bonus of their own.
If two fleets battle within the minefield, only fleets belonging to the empire which deployed the mines or an empire allied to that one will be able to see the mines initially. Any other fleets must be able to detect them as though they were any other object.
The reason I decided to post this idea is that such a feature would provide excellent strategic value. For instance, you could use mines to cut of a strategic choke point if your fleets are engaged elsewhere. You could protect the planets of your allies without actually risking your ships. You could protect a good planet from being colonized while you hurry to build a colony ship. Plus, who could resist wreaking total havoc by laying a bunch of mines and getting the heck out of there when two opposing fleets are on their way to the same system inside a nebula? (providing nebulae increase stealth bonus, of course.)
At any rate, a few details of my idea might be somewhat impractical, but I hope this kind of thing gets implemented in some way.
Sorry if something like this has already been suggested. I didn't see anything at a glance on the first 5 pages of this board.
Warning: Antarans in dimensional portal are closer than they appear.
Re: Space Mines?
It probably suits the same purpose as a blockade, which usually involves ships cutting off supply, etc. Though with mines, those attempting to break the blocade will cause the mines to detonate, so maybe they could be a temporary blockade.
Re: Space Mines?
If the mines were deployed by the owners of the planet, then they would know where the "safe lanes" were and could pass through the minefield without much chance of injury. Ditto for mines placed by an opponent and the opponent's fleet.
Mines could function as unmanned ships, freeing up personnel that would cost money to maintain. When a mine made an attact, the mine would of course disappear. As a cheap alternative to a space fleet or a manned orbital defense network around every planet, minefields would be attractive. The potential would always exist for friendly ships passing through the minefield to take damage, though, and an automatic reduction of a percentage of shipping to and from the planet would have to be assumed. After all, merchant captains don't like minefields. This could be reflected in a reduction of planetary production and linked to the size and density of the minefield.
Mines could function as unmanned ships, freeing up personnel that would cost money to maintain. When a mine made an attact, the mine would of course disappear. As a cheap alternative to a space fleet or a manned orbital defense network around every planet, minefields would be attractive. The potential would always exist for friendly ships passing through the minefield to take damage, though, and an automatic reduction of a percentage of shipping to and from the planet would have to be assumed. After all, merchant captains don't like minefields. This could be reflected in a reduction of planetary production and linked to the size and density of the minefield.
- eleazar
- Design & Graphics Lead Emeritus
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Re: Space Mines?
Mines could be discussed in this currently active official design thread:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1782
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1782
Re: Space Mines?
What about the effects of mines outside of combat? That would be kind of off-topic there....
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Re: Space Mines?
thought about the idea before. killed the idea because it would add another "type" of ship, which is already overcomplicated. i don't think you will want a "mine layer" to already a long list of types and roles of ships. i think mines as a passive defense purposes is more than good enough and complicated enough to think about (detection system, how to destroy them, where to deploy, how many, what the effects are...).
Re: Space Mines?
Well if one more type of ship is too complicated, why don't we remove all types of ships except short range? I think the strategic benefits far outweigh the added complication. I have a more detailed defense of mines in the "non-ship objects" thread.
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- Large Juggernaut
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Re: Space Mines?
I'd make it so that the game doesn't use specific types of cargo storage. It makes more sense to me to program it so that any ship with cargo space can move/deploy any sort of cargo item.
Computer programming is fun.
Re: Space Mines?
I am in total agreement with you, marhawkman. BTW, I named a ship after you in MoO2.
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- Large Juggernaut
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Re: Space Mines?
I decided your name stands for Massively Augmented Radioactive Hawkman. So I named my massively augmented radioactive ship after you.
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