"Defending Against Packets" by jmeyers@erinet.com 1997 v2.6/7
Defending against Packets
From: jmeyers@erinet.com
1. Build a fleet large enough to collect ALL of the minerals (I like to use large cargo ships), use more than one if necessary (ie. you may have several packets flying in close proximity to each other, additional ships will allow you to take out more before returning to a planet.)
2. Set the waypoint to the alien mineral packet with NO orders! (the no orders part is VERY important!) Also make sure you haven't masked out the messages indicating that a fleet has completed its orders (also VERY important).
3. When you get he message Fleet such-n-such has completed its orders, go to the fleet and use the cargo transfer UI to transfer ALL of the minerals to the cargo ship(s).
4. If there is additional room and other packets in the area, go back to step #2, otherwise, return to any planet that could use the minerals, dump them and repeat the process.
If you are really brave, you can try this idea:
I like to "steal" planets away from computer players that have packet physics technology. Their reaction invariably is to send ~500 MT mineral packets at it until I loose the planet. However, I make sure that I am well prepaired with at least two fleets ready to continuously intercept the packets flung at my newly aquired planet. This tends to generate a nice flow of minerals to my empire. Alternately, if you have miner packet physics technology too, you can build packet receivers on a star base and that will work just as well assuming the enemy doesn't over power your receiver. If you do this, build a cheap starbase design (I call it a Minearl Catcher) with nothing more than a packet physics (the best you have) module. Then you can worry about "upgrading" the starbase and still catch mineral packets while your people are adding weapons and armor and whatever else you can't live without.