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So does mark mines do anything?


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<Minor Russian campaign spoiler> So the first mission I'm being told to clear the minefields with the engineers. A quick search shows several different opinions on whether "Mark mines" does anything. Does it? Not going to waste engineers if all it does it change the color of a minefield sign without any real effect.

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To the best of my knowledge it reduces (but not eliminates) the likelihood that soldiers will set off a mine while passing over it. And the slower you go the safer you appear to be. Run across an area with a yellow mine marker and you're pretty likely to die.

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Yes; as noted, a marked minefield is mostly (but not 100%) safe to SLOW, MOVE, or HUNT through. I've never done extensive tests, but informal testing I've done suggests that SLOW is safest and can even be done across an unmarked minefield with a fair chance of not blowing a mine. MOVE and HUNT seem to be pretty safe across a marked field, though.

Marking might reduce the chance of setting off a mine one QUICK or FAST as well, but if it does the chance of setting off a mine even in a marked action spot is still high enough to make this a risky proposition.

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This command enables engineer units to detect and mark hidden minefields so that

other units are aware of them. Other units can then move through the marked

minefield, albeit slowly. Mark Mines is a very slow movement command that takes

the unit’s full attention and reduces awareness and returning fire.

From the manual

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I do not think I have ever seen a casualty from a marked mine tile. So you should be able to do whatever you feel like.

But it is a good idea to split your guys and be careful anyway because sometimes large sqds will touch unmarked mine tiles next door to marked ones and it can get real ugly from there.

Supposedly units in the vicinity of unmarked mines have a chance of spotting them (engineers have a higher chance) but it is pretty rare and I think I have only seen this once which was a couple of days ago.

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"To the best of my knowledge..." MikeyD, this is weird... You are a beta tester, and you're saying you don't really know how the game works?

How engineers function and what are the effect of marking mines is is something that should be a cut and dried rule and in the manual. In RL, one would know what one's engineers are capable of. Surely somebody at BF can definitively explain these sorts of important gameplay features once and for all?

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I do not think I have ever seen a casualty from a marked mine tile. So you should be able to do whatever you feel like.

I've gotta disagree. I've seen running troops blown up on marked mines many times.

But it is a good idea to split your guys and be careful anyway because sometimes large sqds will touch unmarked mine tiles next door to marked ones and it can get real ugly from there.

Supposedly units in the vicinity of unmarked mines have a chance of spotting them (engineers have a higher chance) but it is pretty rare and I think I have only seen this once which was a couple of days ago.

Moving units seldom spot mines until someone steps on one. I've definitely seen stationary units spot mines in their vicinity without triggering them, but only after they've been sitting still for while.

In practice, unless you have reason to suspect mines are present in a particular place, you'll only find them the hard way.

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Yeah, in general you spot mines the hard way, but it is definitely possible to spot them without setting them off. You basically need to camp a unit within an action spot of the minefield and be patient. It requires some luck and is more likely with engineers and/or highly experienced units, but it can be done. I've done so on several occasions, including while testing CMRT scenarios.

And I can also confirm Martyr's observation that QUICK or FAST across marked mine action spots is not 100% safe. Maybe safer than the same moves across an unmarked mine square, but not 100% safe.

Also worth mentioning that big HE can set off mines in an action spot and reduce the likelihood of infantry taking casualties as they cross. You can never tell 100% for sure, but in general the areas in and around big craters are more likely to be safe.

And AFVs can actually be used to clear paths through AP minefields. This does cause incremental track damage, but on occasion I have used tanks to set off AP mines and so create a path for my infantry. Again, you never know for sure when a minefield is 100% safe, but IME, if you have a tank with 100% tracks, you can run it 2x across an AP minefield and it will set off most of the mines. The tracks will be damaged, but if you're lucky the tank will not be completely immobilized.

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I've only ever spotted mines the easy way in one scenario; the designer has to tell you they're there so you can plan to have your engineers nearby and support the crossing. Last time I tried to SLOW through a minefield (actually, SLOW units out of a minefield they'd found the hard way), not one got out without suffering further casualties.

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"To the best of my knowledge..." MikeyD, this is weird... You are a beta tester, and you're saying you don't really know how the game works?

How engineers function and what are the effect of marking mines is is something that should be a cut and dried rule and in the manual. In RL, one would know what one's engineers are capable of. Surely somebody at BF can definitively explain these sorts of important gameplay features once and for all?

Having Beta tested on another game, not all testers test all features... unless you have infinite time. Just because 1 tester hasn't systematically tested mines let's not get over excited. The answers given seem to address the issue. It's not like we are talking about something basic like the 'target' command...

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It's not a big issue and I have learned to live with the uncertainty, but this minefield issue re how they actually function has been around since CMBN. So, that is quite a few years. You'd think by now we'd all understand it... let alone beta testers.

I find that unless one is told where there is a minefield there is no realistic way of finding one other than someone getting blown up. THEN you can use an engineer to mark em. But, does marking em have any effect other than informational or victory conditions? Would be great to get a definitive answer to this easy question.

Am also sure I have had troops blown up by any kind of movement thru a minefield other than SLOW. AFAIK SLOW is the ONLY safe method of traversing a minefield.

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...Am also sure I have had troops blown up by any kind of movement thru a minefield other than SLOW. AFAIK SLOW is the ONLY safe method of traversing a minefield.

SLOW is pretty safe even for unmarked ( albeit known ) minefields - I recently did buddy aid on 3 different casualties that had been left lying in the minefields they had each "discovered".

I SLOWed the 2IC unit in and out of each minefield AS to do the buddy-aid and IIRC, lost 1 man on the 3rd iteration. His friends buddy-aided him too and all was well.

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@ Banesy

"...lost 1 man on the 3rd iteration. His friends buddy-aided him too and all was well."

As I understand it, "lost" means dead-to-rights.

Next thing you know, you'll be telling me that some Latino named Jesus died on the cross before being buddy-aided back to life.

They'll even turn it into a holiday.

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@ Banesy

"...lost 1 man on the 3rd iteration. His friends buddy-aided him too and all was well."

As I understand it, "lost" means dead-to-rights.

...

Granted, he wasn't too happy, but as his commander, I was pleased with the outcome :D

I have a c3k attitude towards my troops - they live ( ok, lots of them die too ) to make me happy !

He looked up and saw that his commander was pleased and the corner of his mouth twitched upwards just a little.

His middle finger moved too, but that was just accidental, I'm sure ;)

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"To the best of my knowledge..." MikeyD, this is weird... You are a beta tester, and you're saying you don't really know how the game works?

I watch TV and don't know how a LED monitor works. I drive a car and don't know how electronic fuel injection works. My job is to paint pretty pictures - and tell someone up the chain of command every time something breaks.

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  • 4 weeks later...

(spoiler alert )

Been playing Tankyoi Desant and have been trying to get the sappers to clear the mines off the bridge approach but they seem unable to spot the mines even when they sit beside the road for some considerable time.

Also noticed at the end of the game that a T34 was claimed by the German 3rd squad but I am sure that the tank was killed by the mines.

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(spoiler alert )

Been playing Tankyoi Desant and have been trying to get the sappers to clear the mines off the bridge approach but they seem unable to spot the mines even when they sit beside the road for some considerable time.

Have they been "unmolested" for the entirety of that time? If they have to Cower much, they'll keep interrupting their search...

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