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	Archive through January 25, 2006	25		01/26 12:26pm

I can see a use for the thing SVC discribes as a unit that quickly closes the transport corrador (although there exists other ways for that tactic) or perhaps a unit ment to stimey sweeping efforts.

Consider this a mine place just behind other mines. When the first mine is swept the base command controls the mine to transport its ordinance. I would guess you could have a couple patern programmed in for where the mines would be placed. That would be dang scarry for a mine sweeper!


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An alternative would be a mine that transports small bomblets directly at a target. Think three bomblets in front of the target, each hitting the three facing shields. Targeting so surround the enemy would be difficult but to just transport the bomblets near the target and in front in a wide pattern would be easy. It would be a large mine, of course.


This has me thinking of a really cool Tholian Web Caster mine that casts web out two hexes to either side (so five hexes total). I may have to start my own proposal thread for that.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 10:26 pm: Edit

Won't work, Loren. You don't have a way around the arming/transport-explosives rule. There is just no way to "hit a ship with a itty bitty mine".

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 12:31 am: Edit

I wonder if the idea of a cluster bomb could be carried over to a drone module?

Hmm...

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 11:04 am: Edit

Isnt that the idea for the Multiple warhead type III "long lance" drone? carries 3 type VI dogfight drones/submunitions?

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 12:26 pm: Edit

We're in minutiae over the delivery method (transporting mine bomblets to adjacent hexes).

What if we changed the rationale to some kind crude, large-area variation on on the hellbore effect that condenses energy in a 7500 km radius ring around the mine and then detonates it? The energy registers strongest as an implosion coming back on the mine's hex.

If Jim's idea has merit from a gameplay point of view, we can BS some rationalization for making it happen even if it isn't "cluster bombs". If the idea doesn't have merit, then the delivery method doesn't matter.

By Richard Wells (Rwwells) on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 02:52 pm: Edit

It will be very devastating to ships with non-standard shields. That's probably the major playbalance issue. Do we really want Andros that enter a hex with a mine to fill up panels that fast? Can anyone afford to reduce area coverage for a slightly better result if the opponent obliges by going right into the trap?

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 05:30 pm: Edit

John Trauger:

That is already done (more or less) in the Qixa Nebula, and seems unlikely that any given area of space could be drained of that much energy. If it could, it would be the basis of many weapons since it would be remarkably cheap to arm. The ultimate anti-fighter/anti-drone system since there is no delay in its use.

And, I am sorry, delivery method does matter.

In both cases you are setting game precedents that will have to be dealt with over and over again in the coming years.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 06:43 pm: Edit

SPP,

I was not advocating this idea. Just re-framing the debate away from a focus on delivery system.

I believe that gameplay is a more important consideration than the delivery method.

By Jim Ryan (Jrr) on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 07:10 pm: Edit

John;
Were you thinking of an air/gas bomb effect - where the gas is distributed then is imploded?

By Jim Ryan (Jrr) on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 05:01 am: Edit

Lets try the KISS principle:

NO captor mine.
NO transporters.
NO aiming system.

The mine fires (use explosives, magnetic cannon, giant springs, whatever) bomblets in a set direction - each bomblet aimed 60 degrees fom the next.
A timer within each bomblet explodes it - all set to explode at the same time and distance from the mine.

Could be laid during scenario.
Could come in two sizes - large/small.
Limit deployment to minelayer/minesweepers and set defense minefields (prelaid).
Further limit - not more than 5%-10% of minees in minefield/mineracks.

Yes it is more dangerous than NSMs to units with down and alternative shields. Maybe they were deployed in reaction to Andromedans (or another threat)?

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 10:48 am: Edit

Jim Ryan:

Still a captor since it is firing, and therefore the mine cannot be laid during a scenario, not even by a minelayer.

If you can put timers in bomblets, you can put timers in T-bombs.

If you can fire these bomblets from your mine, then why can't I fire them from an ADD rack? Or even a normal drone rack? Why can't I mount several of these systems directly on my bases for defense against drones?

The bomblets as you are proposing them at this juncture are an entirely new weapon system and there is no reasonable logical reason to restrict their use solely to mines, and they are clearly grossly superior to the current ADD system for defense in the respect that, even though they only have a range of two hexes (Ship in 1703 fires bomblet into hex 1702 oriented to focus its blast into 1701 where the drone or suicide shuttle is) it is a guaranteed kill on the seeking weapon, not a die roll.