Pacifist / paralysing mines

[dmm]

quote:

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Originally posted by DirectorTsaarx:
The only problem with building shield-busting mines is that shields are only on during combat. So shield-depleting mines would be useless (outside of combat).

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Are you sure about that? Somebody else posted (on another topic, fairly recently) that a great "cheat" for busting through minefields is to make a ship with enough shields to handle the bLast from a single mine. He claimed that the shields regenerated after each mine, so such a ship could take out an entire minefield.

[jimbob55]

OK, my idea was a warhead that did shield only damage or skipped armour. You can mount 4 warheads on a large mine, so make it 3 heavy shield killers and one regular warhead.

Or 2 regular warhead + 2 armour skipping warheads. With the damage FAQ somewhere the damage to the armour should get stored up until it either does more than 150 damage (to destroy the armour) or it just disappears..not sure.

Engine damage mines could be deployed in every sector of a system. This would wittle (sp?) down a fleet. If the armour + shield skipping mines were used at the warp point you could reduce or eliminate the minsweepers capacity to make the rest of the smaller mine fields effective....
A trail of immobilised vessels mark a path through your outer systems just waiting to be captured.....

[This message has been edited by jimbob55 (edited 06 February 2001).]

[Zanthis]

IMX, your shields are at full strength for each mine hit. I *believe* you also get all your OA regenerated (haven't been organic in awhile). But it is certainly true that any extra damage (damage from a single mine that does not kill a component) is lost between mine hits.

So, if you had 155 shields and a single piece of stealth armor (150 damage resistance), you can get hit by unlimited 300 damage mines (only 145 gets through, which can't kill your armor).

On the plus side, Crystalline Armor gives you no special protection against mines. Since its ability only effects the second and subsequent hits in combat, it acts as just plain 150 damage resistant armor against mines.

[Daynarr]

quote:

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Originally posted by Zanthis:
IMX, your shields are at full strength for each mine hit. I *believe* you also get all your OA regenerated (haven't been organic in awhile). But it is certainly true that any extra damage (damage from a single mine that does not kill a component) is lost between mine hits.

So, if you had 155 shields and a single piece of stealth armor (150 damage resistance), you can get hit by unlimited 300 damage mines (only 145 gets through, which can't kill your armor).

On the plus side, Crystalline Armor gives you no special protection against mines. Since its ability only effects the second and subsequent hits in combat, it acts as just plain 150 damage resistant armor against mines.

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If that was true then you could sweep an entire minefield of small mines with lvl 3 warheads (600 damage each) with just 1 destroyer that is equipped with 2 lvl 5 shields (600 damage resistance). That IMX is not the case.

[Zanthis]

Well, I haven't hit very many large minefields, since I play against the computer. Guess I'll just have to test out minefields next .

[Lerchey]

I found this line of modding interesting, since way early in the beta testing I put in a request to have "special" mines based on various tech tree weapons.

To wit, I just tried it. I creatd an allegance subverter warhead. Here are the data lines:

Name := Allegiance SubVersion Warhead I
Description := Warhead containing a psychically charged explosive which mentally conquers the crew of a ship (no damaged upon failure). Triggered by contact with a ship.
Pic Num := 183
Tonnage Space Taken := 5
Tonnage Structure := 5
Cost Minerals := 500
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 100
Vehicle Type := Mine
Supply Amount Used := 5
Restrictions := None
General Group := Weapons
Family := 2026
Roman Numeral := 1
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Explosive Warheads
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Psychic Weapons
Tech Level Req 1 := 4
Number of Abilities := 0
Weapon Type := Warhead
Weapon Target := Ships
Weapon Damage At Rng := 75 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Weapon Damage Type := Crew ConVersion
Weapon Reload Rate := 0
Weapon Display Type := Torp
Weapon Display := 30
Weapon Modifier := 0
Weapon Sound := neutbomb.wav
Weapon Family := 24

Now, while I haven't tested it in battle, it at least *appears* when I have researched the appropriate tech levels. Now for the "but".

But, when I design a mine, there is NO EXPLOSIVE WARHEAD available! Only the allegance converter warhead.

Someone please tell me what I did wrong while I go sew these things around...

?

John

[Daynarr]

Lerchey, you need to put new warhead in their own 'Family' and 'Weapon Family' group. You are using the one for the explosive warheads and that may cause the problem.

[This message has been edited by Daynarr (edited 07 February 2001).]

[Tomgs]

If you click off the only latest button you will see the explosive warheads. You created the alegience subverter at the top of the tech tree for explosive warheads so its assumed to be just the latest explosive warhead.

[Puke]

quote:

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Originally posted by Lerchey:
I found this line of modding interesting, since way early in the beta testing I put in a request to have "special" mines based on various tech tree weapons.

To wit, I just tried it. I creatd an allegance subverter warhead. Here are the data lines:

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thats really cool. anyone know if this works? i cant try it right now, but i am anxious to know before tonight. you probably cant make a weapon that has the random event power of teleporting your ship to a random spot in the quadrant, but that would also be a cool mine ability. it would also be useful on friendly ships: "Engage the infinite probability drive!"

[Taqwus]

Hrm. I'd like to see "mines" that actually attach themselves as tracking devices, but the coding for that (and balancing it) would be *nasty*.

On teleportation... is the ability "Random target movement" strategic or tactical? I've never bothered with warp weapons, but they've got that ability.

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night