Giving the free super former ability in the faction files

[Natalinasmpf]

Anyway, my original point I was worried, since the Pirates, even with land and air units got the Marine ability when they got Adaptive Doctrine, even if it was not used...

[Chaos Theory]

However, AFAIK, those units with the Marine ability can't use it; they can't capture ships.

[Sikander]

The scale of the game argues against minefields as a seperate entity. Assume that they are in play on the tactical level for your dug in units. Mine fields without backing by troops are pretty easy to defeat anyway. You don't have to clear the whole area (usually), just a few paths through it, and this can be done without too much trouble by engineers who aren't simultaneously getting shot at.

Modern mines come in a lot of flavors. Some are acoustically triggered, programmed to fire themselves at the sound of a particular sort of vehicle for instance. But by far the most common are simple, hard to detect anti-personnel mines which have been planted by the millions for often temporary tactical benefit and then forgotten until someone trips it 10 years later. Too bad the anti-mine convention was so narrowly drawn that the U.S., Russia, China etc. couldn't sign it.

[Mr. Harley]

Consider mines as part of a perimeter defense. It's not just a fortified wall, it's the totality of the interlocking defense system that makes it so tough. Mines are almost certainly part of that system, which explains part of the expense.