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Perhaps instead of being made as a weak ship, the ability would merely take a while to use. Not so useful for quick strikes, but in a drawn out assult, it would definitely make a difference to have minesweepers.

Just a thought.

You could just give the ability to destroy more mines to the Flak and Siege Frigates but Leave it as a researchable ability, a research station or two beyond the mines ability. It could be called phased rounds and do as the name suggests, launch phased round or weapons. You could explain them being different from Vasari phase shifted missiles  as they only have the ability to enter phase space, not exit it and cause damage. This would allow them to act as an effective defence, if only for a while. If you capture a planet. I think we should have the ability to remove all mines and capture all civilian structures, while destroying the military structures(mines are included). You could always make it so that you need a starbase to activate mines as the phase cloak things disrupts their scanners. Though you should have at max a 50/50 chance of destroying the mines.

In case your not aware, there gonna be a new update soon to address the problems with Entrenchment.

And they do not need a mine sweeper ship. They currently have 2 ship that IMO are perfect for minesweaping. Flak and/or scout. Granted the CURRENT build does have it at an imbalanced. So, be calm and wait for the update then lets go from there. Ironclad is 999.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% aware of the mine issue.

If this were the case then perhaps the ability to clear mines could be added to the construction drones.

Is it just me or does the AI in beta 2 not use mines as much as before?  I mean, that's good because I don't want to be mine spammed, but in the game I was playing they didn't use any...

<<There's a difference between micromanagement and tedium in which you have to move a ship able to clear mines (without taking damage because this is what it's designed to do) from field, to field, to field, until all minefields are cleared from a system, and doing the same thing with a ship that is able to clear mines ONLY by taking damage to the shields and hull.>>

I have no earthly idea what you are talking about.  Sure, there is a difference between the two things you said.  Thing is, nobody has proposed the second thing you said.

I'm not sure I proposed the first thing you said either.  The ship I proposed wouldn't have to be manually moved from field to field to field, unless all those fields were on different planets.

<<Micromanagement and tedium refer to whether or not the mine clearing is automated or needs to be manually directed by the player. I'm not even addressing that issue. What I'm concerned with is how the field is cleared (ship capabilities), not who's doing it (manually by the player or automated by the computer).>>

I'm not even sure you yourself know what you are trying to say at this point.  "How the field is cleared," and "who's doing it," are combined issues.  If the field is cleared by you manually clicking on a scout, and then manually right clicking on a mine, then that's both "how the field is cleared" (by grabbing a scout and pointing and clicking) and "who's doing it" (you).  Under my proposition, "how the field is cleared" would be by "minesweeper sweeping them," and "who's doing it" would be the AI.

I agree with you, Carbon.  I personally have no issues with mines.  My comments were to try to propose something reasonable to placate the mass of people who DO have issues with them.  You see, if good people don't speak up and offer good solutions, then bad solutions will be implemented (like, getting rid of mines altogether).  An example of this was when the PJI was uber-nerfed coming out of beta.  Some people screamed bloody murder about them, good people didn't speak up, and out came the nerf axe.  I didn't want the same thing to happen to mines.  But if all the devs hear is "I hate mines!  Take them out of the game!" then either they will be taken out, or just nerfed to the point that they might as well be.

we dont want the whole thing to blow up in our faces...

P.F.E.T.O.M. suggest you minesweep better.

The mines are not 100% balanced yet. I know IC has resorted to robots and caffine pumps, to get everything so far.

With a lower number like 30, you do realized that increases the chance for ships to fly thorgh a 'mine field' undamaged?

Yeah, I do agree that mining the jump point is a bit cheap. It be nice if when a ship exited phase jump it disrupted and disarmed the mines.

Edit: Sorry double post, forums went boom.