mines and sensors

Hmmmmmmm.  This hadn't really come up in any of the games
I've played, but I'm assuming that you are dealing with 
an attacker-defender scenario.	In a meeting engagement
it wouldn't make sense to already have mines out there.

Unless you feel that if a ship lays a mine outside the scan
range, it isn't revealed.  Is that it?	I don't like that
idea.  I would say that any mines actually getting placed
_during_ the battle are visible, because the other ships
would either pick up the motion, thrust, or EM signs, depending
on how you feel they are deployed.  This would prevent any
disagreement on where they are.

In the original case of one combatant defending a sector, say
around a planet or a jump point, I have no problem with "hidden"
minefields that are graphed into position before the game starts.

Now, as to scanning them:  how about allowing passive sensors to
spot them OR a specific sweep with the active sensors.	To borrow
a page from the ST rules that Scott Field and I are playtesting,
allow a ship to use one of its scans each turn to scan a specific
arc for mines.	Logic:	mines are a smaller than ships, and are
effectively in stealth mode, not giving off any EM radiation 
beyond their 3" attack range, so scanning for them requires
a more concentrated search.  This one-arc limit also makes it
a little more challenging for the attacker.

Another possibility:  reduce the range at which the scans will
detect mines.  Like maybe to half.  27" with active scans and
18" with passive.  I like this.  This way, the attacker either
comes in slower to allow more reaction time; actively scans
away, giving away his ships; or comes screaming in and takes
his chances.  Historically, this is why harbors and such were
mined in the wet navy.	Mines aren't expected to stop the
enemy, or even to do a lot of damage, though that's always
nice.  The intention is to slow the enemy down and restrict
his movement, allowing the defender to maneuver on him.

On a campaign note:  if the defender is allowed pre-set mines,
and we are assuming that they have been in place for a while,
does the defending fleet have to have minelayers in it?

Really nasty thought:  orbiting minefields move don't they?
ie. like a moving asteroid field?  Ouch.

More than enough said.

Out here.

	-monty		(Robert Montgomery, New Orleans, 
				RMMDC@UNO.EDU