Minesweepers Accompanying Fleet can Prevent Mine Hits

[blarglol]

At the request of brygun and reviewing how the game is using minesweepers, I wanted to make a new suggestion: An "active minesweeping capability."

What this would mean in practice is that in an actual engagement on the battle layer, as opposed to operationally,  minesweepers accompanying your capital ships have a chance to get a message like the "submarine sighted" one.

Ideally, they could then sweep the mine in question - something like "Mine spotted - Minesweepers are moving to clear it!" It could work similar to the popup asking if you want to detach to look for survivors, a brief, automated series of moves before rejoining formation.

At the very least, some ability to spot mines would be helpful...before some unfortunate cruiser or whatnot plows into one and rolls over (which has happened to me before basically from game start in 1890/1). Minesweepers screening for capital ships should be able to do something other than just follow along (slowly) and look the part of doing their intended duty. Basically - if they are going to be put in a battle with the fleet, let them actively do what they were built to do. Otherwise, do not let them follow the fleet in because they are just a liability unable to do anything.

[brygun]

Think something like this is a good idea.


Im seeing that with minelaying destroyers at the start of battles there is a pop up of them putting mines out in active warfare.

Having the minesweepers then be able to challenge the mines would be good. As blarglol the mighty seal of the north suggests at least spotting the mines. Also if a mined square has damaged a ship the minesweepers could go there to remove the mines.

The other option would be more handwaving with the minesweepers generating a pre-battle message like the minelaying destroyers. In this they would say "minesweeper detected mines at... " and "minesweeper removed mine at..." with those warnings and removals applied to the battle map. This is probably easier to code then actually sailing them around though sailing them to sweep is more realistic.

In the real world the WW1 Galliopli and nearby straits had examples of minesweeping in combat. It does to me stand out though as rather unusual. Usually the minesweepers would try to go in before the battleships got into the narrows. The battle ship gun ranges meaning they could shoot into the area to be swept to drive out defenders. In the case of the Gallopili and the straits the problem was land batteries pulled shoot-n-scoot tactics.

[williammiller]

Thanks - I do like this idea.