Seeing enemy mines??????

Just because you can see the mines doesn't mean that they won't explode as soon as you enter the sector It's the mines that are laid *after* you enter the sector that you're shooting down with PD. The reason you can see the enemy mines is probably that you have high enough level sensors to be able to detect them - mines in Balance Mod do not have impenetrable cloaking!

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The floating Eee zaps you with an anti-proton beam! You are paralyzed! --more--

Seriously that's what we need, a Space Empires themed roguelike!

Level 1 mines? probably.

But there is a problem with the way the AI handles mines for planets in Balance Mod. It seems like it will frequently keep many them grounded until combat starts. This eliminates the need for a mine sweeper and makes them cannon fodder for pd weapons. I don't understand the point of not launching the mines until after combat has started. It seems like a complete waste of mine production to me.

The mines are usually stockpiled for Mine Layers to pick up and not automatically launched. Sometimes a planet doesn't get the chance to launch them prior to combat.

Mines will not be visible in combat in BM v1.15.

Space Empires Depot | SE:V Balance Mod

If PD can still shoot mines, making them invisible in combat will serve only to aggravate the player, won't it? "Where are those lousy mines? The AI can target them but I can't?!" Or can weapons not target invisible objects? If that's the case, maybe "Mine" should be removed from the PD target list, to be clear...

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HAI CAN HAS MINECODEZ PLZ KTHXBYE
*lays tons of mines on your homeworld*

Point-Defense is auto-fire. No regular weapons can target mines.

Haven't actually tested out what would happen though with this settings.

Space Empires Depot | SE:V Balance Mod

The invisible mines in BM 1.15 cannot be shot down by PDC.
This makes them more important and leads sometimes to nasty susprises for the attacker: You attack an enemy planet and clear its (initial) minefield. But the planet launches its remaining mines before you can conquer it, which has no impact on the current combat. However if after that some of your ships without minesweepers enter that apparently safe sector.....boom!

Bomblet missiles are technically not point-defense (they are seekers) - might want to pay especially close attention to those!

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HAI CAN HAS MINECODEZ PLZ KTHXBYE
*lays tons of mines on your homeworld*

Apparently safe sector? Does that mean that mines can't be seen at all in BM 1.15? Not even with Tachyon sensors? Wouldn't that make mines the perfect defensive weapon with perfect cloaking? Just spread 'em around everywhere.
By the way, where the heck is BM1.15? Can't wait!

Mines can still be detected by sufficiently advanced sensors. They just don't appear in combat like they did previously.

Space Empires Depot | SE:V Balance Mod

Do mine sweepers sweep mines launched in combat (whether there were any mines on the approach or not)?