RETURN TO SWITCHBOARD																7A. No Additional Pages for This Topic
1. Introduction to VGA Planets								7. Minefields Sub-Menu
2. Race Information Sub-Menu								8. Combat Sub-Menu
3. Friendly Codes Sub-Menu								9. Ion Storm Sub-Menu
4. Planet Information Sub-Menu								10. Misc. Information Sub-Menu
5. Starbase Information Sub-Menu								11. Strategy and Strategy Guides
6. Ship Information Sub-Menu								12. Add-on Information
MINEFIELDS SUB-MENU:
	What is a Minefield?:
		A Minefield is an area of space that has been peppered with warheads that track and launch themselves
			at passing enemy Ships.
		The odds of hitting a Mine are determined by the Host (Hconfig).
		The maximum size that a Minefield may be is determined by the Host (Hconfig).
		Minefields are formed when a Ship with Torpedoes chooses the Ship Mission Lay Mines.
			The Torpedoes are converted into warheads and placed in space.
		Laying more Mines inside an established Minefield will make that Minefield larger, up to the maximum size.
		Mines will destroy enemy Mines if laid at same location in space (Hconfig).
		Laying new Mines will not destroy allied Mines (Host 3.22.011).
		Ships must have fuel to Lay Mines and to Sweep Mines.
		Enemy Ships must have a Ship set to Ship Mission Mine Sweep in order to view your Minefields.
		No Race, except The Colonials (Race 11) can view a Minefield that is inside an Ion Storm.
	Who can create Minefields?:
		Any Race can create a Minefield.
		The Crystals (Race 7) do not create regular Minefields. They create Web Minefields, which are far nastier.
	Creating Minefields:
		By setting a Torpedo Ship's Mission to Lay Mines, a Race can create a Minefield in outer space.
			The Lay Mines Mission converts the ship’s Torpedoes into Mines and creates a Minefield.
			The number of Minefield units = number of Mines * (Torpedo Slot)^2 .
			The radius of a Minefield = SQR (number of Minefield units).
				Example: (100 tech 6 Torpedoes would yield 3600 Mine units) (the Minefield would have a radius of 60 light years)
					(the Minefield would be 120 LY across)
					CHART OF NUMBER OF TORPEDOES REQUIRED TO CREATE A MINEFIELD OF SIZE…
					Field		# of		# of Torps required to create Minefield (Torp Slot #s)
					Radius		Mines		SL1	SL2	SL3	SL4	SL5	SL6	SL7	SL8	SL9
					5		25		25	6	3	2	1	-	-	-	-
					10		100		100	25	11	6	4	3	2	2	1
					15		225		225	56	25	14	9	6	5	4	2
					20		400		400	100	44	25	16	11	8	6	4
					25		625		625	156	74	39	25	17	13	10	6
					30		900		900	225	100	56	36	25	18	14	9
					35		1225		1225	306	136	77	49	34	25	19	12
					40		1600		1600	400	177	100	64	44	33	25	16
					45		2025		2025	506	225	127	81	56	41	32	20
					50		2500		2500	625	777	156	100	69	51	39	25
			By default, the Ship will convert all of its Torpedoes into Mines, or it will convert enough Torpedoes to create
				a maximum sized Minefield, whichever is smaller.
		By setting a Torpedo Ship's Misson to Lay Mines, and by setting the Ship's Friendly Code, a Race can control
			how many Torpedoes are used to create the Minefield.
			mdh		Convert half of the Torpedoes on this Ship into Mines and lay a Minefield. (Registered only)
						Ship Mission must be set to Lay Mines.
			mdq		Convert a quarter of the Torpedoes on the Ship into Mines and lay a Minefield. (Registered only)
						Ship Mission must be set to Lay Mines.
			mdN		Convert Torpedoes into Mines and lay a Minefield. N = 0-9(*10) (Example. Md5 = 50 Torpedoes). (Registered only)
						Ship Mission must be set to Lay Mines.
			miN		Create a Minefield in identity of another Race. N = 1-9, a, b. (Registered only)
						Ship Mission must be set to Lay Mines.
			mix		Create a new Minefield inside a Web Minefield. (Host 3.22.020)
						Ship Mission must be set to Lay Mines.
			mkt		Make Torpedoes. The Ship must have at least 1 of each Mineral and enough Megacredits.
	Destroying Minefields:
		By setting a Beam Ship's Mission to Sweep Mines, a Race can destroy enemy Minefields.
			Any Ship with Beam Weapons can use this Mission.
			The Ship will destroy as many Minefield units as possible.
			The number of Minefield units destroyed = number of Beam Weapons * (Beam Slot)^2 .
				Example: (10 tech 10 Beams would destroy 1,000 Mine units per turn)
				Example: (2 tech 2 Beams would destroy 8 Mine units per turn)
			The Ship Sweeping the Mines must be within 5 light years of the Minefield. (Hconfig)
		A Race can also recycle its own Minefields by setting a Torpedo Ship's Mission to Mine Sweep and its Friendly Code to:
			msc		Scoop up Minefield and convert into Torpedoes. Set Ship Mission to Mine Sweep. (Registered on ly)
		The Colonial (Race 11) Fighters can sweep Minefields. They can do so from a range of 100 light years away. (Hconfig)
		One Minefield unit is destroyed every turn due to natural causes.
		No Race, except The Colonials (Race 11) can Sweep a Minefield that is inside an Ion Storm.
	Minefield Damage:
		An enemy Ship has a 1% chance (Hconfig) of hitting a Mine for every light year travelled in a Minefield.
			The amount of damage done to a Ship that hits a Mine depends on the Mass of the Ship's Hull.
				Cargo and fuel Masses will not help to save the Ship.
				Damage % = 10,000 / (the Hull Mass) .
				A Ship with a Hull Mass below 100 KT will be destroyed by a single Mine.
		A Ship being towed cannot hit a Mine.
	Web Mines:
		The Crystals  (Race 7) do not lay regular Mines, they lay Web Mines. (Hconfig).
		Web Mines are much smaller than normal Mines, but are much more difficult to travel through.
	Creating Web Minefields:
		Creating a Web Minefield is the same as creating a regular Minefield, except that the Ship Mission is called Lay Web Mines.
		All of the Friendly Codes listed under Creating Minefields also work for creating Web Minefields.
	Destroying Web Minefields:
		Destroying a Web Minefield is the same as destroying a regular Minefield.
		However, the Ship Sweeping a Web Minefield must be inside the Minefield.
		The Crystals (Race 7) can also recycle its Web Mines by setting a Torpedo Ship's Mission to Mine Sweep and its Friendly Code to:
			msc		Scoop up Minefield and convert into Torpedoes. Set Ship Mission to Mine Sweep. (Registered only)
		The Colonial (Race 11) Fighters can not sweep Web Minefields. (Hconfig)
		One Web Minefield unit is destroyed every turn due to natural causes.
	Web Minefield Damage:
		An enemy Ship has a 5% chance (Hconfig) of hitting a Web Mine for every light year travelled in a Web Minefield.
			The amount of damage done to a Ship that hits a Web Mine depends on the Mass of the Ship's Hull.
				Cargo and fuel Masses will not help to save the Ship.
				Damage % = 1,000 / (the Hull Mass) . Web Mines do only 1/10 of the damage that a normal Mine does.
			A Ship being towed cannot hit a Web Mine.
		Any enemy Ship hitting a Web Mine will become 'stuck' in the web and the Ship will stop moving. Next turn, the Ship may set
			a new Waypoint and try to move out of the Web Minefield.
			When a Ship hits a Web Mine, the Mine drains fuel from the enemy Ship.
				The Web Mine drains 1/5 of the Ship's Fuel, or 50 KT of fuel, whichever is greater.
			The Web Mines proceed to drain 25 KT of fuel every turn that the enemy Ship is inside the Minefield.
	Non Crystal (Non Race 7) Web Mines:
		The Crystals (Race 7) can lay Web Mines in other Races' identities by using the following Friendly Code:
			miN		Create a Minefield in identity of another Race. N = 1-9, a, b
						Ship Mission must be set to Lay Web Mines.
		The Crystals (Race 7) are completely immune to Non Crystal (Non Race 7) Web Mines.
		Non Crystal (Non Race 7) Web Mines only drain fuel when an enemy Ship hits a Web Mine, not when an enemy
			Ship is just inside the Web Minefield.