Originally Posted by Figment
Indeed, which is why I often used reverse-reverse psychology and shortest-route-psychology to determine where to place the mines. Often based on observation of what the (ANT-)driver did when he left the base: did he use roads, a direct route or did he take a "safe" route (like driving right next to roads, weaving through trees, etc). I'd avoid those spots that are first checked for mines (base CY entrances) and would mine other areas such as choke points along the route instead. In some cases, chokepoints are tread with extra care since they're so obvious to mine, that you place them JUST beyond the chokepoint, just at the spot where they sped up because they thought they passed the potential CE area.
These are also the types of units I've often destroyed with the CE funnels: they're so inclined on not taking damage from CE, that they'll avoid it at all cost and drive straight into your carefuly layed minefield.
The involved skill in placing CE is virtually all psychology and behavioural observation. It's not as if randomly placing a mine or spit kills enemies or draws them in like a moth to flame. It requires thorough pre-knowledge to be effective with them and not squander resources. Likewise, the victims should be aware of this threat as if they pay attention, they can easily deal with it. You never hear people blame anyone but themselves if they drove into a minefield, though I have gotten compliments on smart minefield placement, especially when I used myself as bait.
Example: placed 5 mines underneath a tree. Sat on minefield with Fury: BFR came down the road, I fired at it, got its attention, then back up straight away: it starts to run directly in your direction as you're no threat and a quick kill. BOOM. Dead BFR (got a nice conversation with compliments afterwards). Another time, I decloaked to wave after tossing an EMP grenade at a Lightning, then ran around the corner. The Lightning of course sped up to give chase, knowing the EMP effect would wear off soon, but thinking he could run me over in the meantime before I'd disappear completely. 20m along he was dead, since I placed a minefield 30m wide just around the corner of the base in between all passages between rocks.
Again, the mine did not outsmart the enemy player, it was me using aggro-psychology and path prediction to spring a trap on an enemy who was outplayed due to falling for bait or sticking to their own habbits.
|
I see your mines and I counter your mines. I see you counter and I counter your counter!
Also the ams trap! Deploy an ams at the backdoor, maybe damage it a bit. Lay mines around it, several boomers and put 1 or 2 spits out in plain sight - then when someone does gal drop they see the spits, realise they have to do an EMP, it's like a mini OS going off.
I used to have a favoured method of mining the BD (prompted by psycho I must admit). A few mines, but importantly 5 shadow turrets on a friendly base of 5 normal spits on an enemy one. Two of the turrets go on the walls themselves looking down - it's a nearly guaranteed kill and impossible to breach without showing something is up.
tbh, it's an example of something great in PS. The devs simply provided a framework and the players the intelligence.