Two Hundred Mines = Dead Fleet. How to Overcome?

Bowden Russell · #1 January 31st, 2001, 05:07 AM

I have been playing against a buddy of mine (much better then AI any day) and I moved into one of his home planets to smash it. Well the 3 mine sweepers weren't enough (they swept 42 mines)- I lost all 4 Carriers and the rest of the 19 ship fleet.

So, it is nearly impossible to take on a human planet if he has enough mines placed there.

Is this a game killer flaw or is there some way I could get around this strategy?

Thanks,

Bowden

jimbob55 · #2 January 31st, 2001, 05:14 AM

Either wait until you have researched stellar manipulation to level 4 or 5 and open a new warp point to the enemy system from one of your own...

Or use http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/ubbup.../HD-Mod1_0.zip
The instructions are on the mods board, HreDaak posted it on 19th of jan.

Which uses Point defense cannon to sweep mines instead of minesweeper comps. It makes the AI a lot harder to deal with and mines become a LOT less useful.

[This message has been edited by jimbob55 (edited 31 January 2001).]

Puke · #3 January 31st, 2001, 05:19 AM

or build more sweepers. get bigger hulls, better sweepers. i mean, 3 sweepers is not much of an effort unless you are in the early game. 10 components * 5 mines per * 4 ships = 200 mines, so it can be done, and sweeper ships build fairly fast.

raynor · #4 January 31st, 2001, 03:25 PM

I like the Stellar Manipulation approach.
Let your opponent mine *HIS* side of the wormhole. Now, you mine *YOUR* side of the wormhole. Then, when he is completely complacent about how well protected he is, mass your entire fleet in one system. Open a wormhole to his HOME system, and utterly lay waste to it. MUHAHAHA!

rdouglass · #5 January 31st, 2001, 03:44 PM

I too like the SM approach. I usually set up 1 fleet as a "raider" fleet. It has the usual complement: mine sweepers, repair ship, missle ships PD ships, and of course 1 SM ship. It keeps the AI reeling (and I suspect it would a human opponent also) 'cause they keep trying to react to where the fleet is this "month". Just open a W Point inside the enemy territory, go thru, close the WP and wreak havoc for a coupla' months. Reopen WP to your territory, go thru, and close WP.

If you want to really mess 'em up, just send a "star buster" thru and waste the whole system. That'll definitely get rid of the mines (and everything else of course).

Of course with a human opponent, it probably would work both ways....

This game is soooo cool....brings out the evil in all of us....

raynor · #6 January 31st, 2001, 04:59 PM

Imagine the fun we can have in human vs. human games.

You see a wormhole open up in one of your more isolated systems. Then, the wormhole closes. Hmmm.. that was weird, you think--assuming you even saw it happen.

Next you send your fleet through one of the 'default' wormholes in your system. KABOOM! They all die.

Of course, I would hope you have to un-cloak to lay mines...

Mark Dey · #7 January 31st, 2001, 05:08 PM

The problem with the stellar manipulation solution is that the original post was concerning a mined *planet*. Not a warp point.

-Mark

Seawolf · #8 January 31st, 2001, 05:18 PM

Well if you building carriers I cna assume you got light cruiser class ships as well. Just take one of those babies and put in the bare min compenets needed and the rest minesweepers! forget shield and weapons just sweepers. A few of these will be able to sweep a large number of mines asap.

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Seawolf on the prowl

Taqwus · #9 January 31st, 2001, 05:38 PM

Alternatives to simply using lots of sweepers, or a star destroyer...

Steal his ships using Crew Insurrection, if he's got any left nearby, and run them into the minefield.

Possibly, sweep with cheap (basically empty) fighters -- either they set off the mines (perhaps one each?... which would be quite wasteful) or they ignore them (even niftier).

Or ignore the planet military-wise, using instead facility sabotage, PPP, anarchy Groups, or condition/value-wrecking ops -- it shouldn't be too hard to drive it to Deadly conditions. And then surround it with storms or your own minefields if you're feeling evil.

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

Baron Munchausen · #10 January 31st, 2001, 06:16 PM

quote:
Originally posted by raynor:
Imagine the fun we can have in human vs. human games.

You see a wormhole open up in one of your more isolated systems. Then, the wormhole closes. Hmmm.. that was weird, you think--assuming you even saw it happen.

Next you send your fleet through one of the 'default' wormholes in your system. KABOOM! They all die.

Of course, I would hope you have to un-cloak to lay mines...

Nope, you do NOT have to uncloak to lay mines. This seems realistic to me. All you have to do is push them out a hatch, after all.

And why open a new warp point? Just sail into the existing oneand drop your mines. Unfortunately, most of the rest of mine operations are NOT realistic. We've got several threads on this board which discuss how they always hit and how that spoils their usefulness and believability. Also, mine sweeping is 'instantaneous' when in fact it should take some time. You ought to lose a movement point when your mine sweepers are activated. This is one of the primary purposes of mines in RL warfare, to DELAY and harass your enemy. Hopefully MM will make some changes when the worst of the bug fixing is accomplished.