So I'm not really an explosives kinda bloke, but I have all these damned grenades and mines and I've started using grenades and dynamite a bit, but I can't for the life of me figure out why I would ever use a mine. They basically serve the same purpose, they blow people up. Now I won't go into a comparison on how much easier it would be to just shoot people instead of trying to blow them up, but it certainly is a lot easier lobbing a grenade into a room and ducking for cover than it is to sneak into an NPC's patrol pattern, laying down a mine, sneak back out and then waiting for him to come back in that general direction.

Anytime I've had a need to disperse of a large group of hostiles in an enclosed environment I find it much easier and faster to use a grenade rifle or launcher, which are also more precise.

I'd like to hear about why grenades and mines in particular serve any purpose.

Cash. That is what I use them for.

Yeah, I don't really need caps either =)

I'm thinking about just laying a circle of mines around my house, but that would just make me look like some paranoid nut and I'd probably also end up stepping in them myself.

Mines are pretty useful when you're not the PC. I step in them all the time cause I don't use them myself so I don't look for them. But I'm not some evil NPC planting mines in derelict buildings just to watch scavengers blow up. They seem to be more of a trap for the PC than a useful tool to the PC.

Depends on your play style. If you prefer luring enemies into your mines, especially the stronger ones, they can be useful. I also think they might serve a purpose while deathclaw hunting in Quarry Junction. Lay clusters of mines on the way between you and the deathclaws, then wait for them to walk over them and explode. I also think they can knock characters over.

Mines can also be useful in areas where doing something triggers a flood of enemies entering to ambush you. Lay mines at the doorways and other entry points and you can cut the horde down to size some and make it a lot easier to deal with the ones who get through.

Some cells I know spawn enemies after I go in. So, I will put some mines down at the entrance for those guys. Also, you can put down mines where enemies respawn after you clear an area. Then, the next time you walk back to that cell or area, you get some booms and then you can harvest the remains. You can also use mines if you observe the pattern the NPCs walk, then mine the appropriate places.

they are for luring enemies into. they are especially good for when u know an enemy will spawn or chase u somewhere. like to kill davidson(the "boss" nightkin in the repconn test site) i take the mines from the area on the way there then lay 3 or 4 in front of the door then sneak shoot him. he runs into the mines and usually both legs are crippled so i take him out before he gets to me. also i have killed benny by laying mines and a bottlecap mine in his room then when he spawned in he instantly died. they obviously have less uses then grenades but are good for some places.

They can also be useful if you're running from some tough enemy. Equip a mine, run like hell, and drop some mines along your path as you go along. The enemy chasing you should trigger all the mines you drop while you're running away.

That's a pretty good idea for a certain vault, provided you know what triggers the enemies.

Edit: and here's that house where you get ambushed when leaving it. And a mine where baddies follow you in.

Eh, yeah, mining spawn sites is cheating, I'm not doing that.

I can see how it's helpful throwing mines over your should as you're fleeing, but really? I know the AI ain't up to scratch, but still, anyone with half a brain would avoid those mines.

So far the only useful way to apply mines I've seen is dropping them around you if you're expecting to be ambushed or in the path of someone you've observed walking a route, like a guard, and at that point it's faster, easier and more quiet to shoot them.

I'm totally not convinced in the usefulness of mines.

Mining spawn points is off to me too. I suppose "cheating" could be the word as well.

Looks like you want a more logical approach.

Versus overlords and other powerful opponents; grenades can be inaccurate or bounce around via uneven terrain rendering grenades near useless.

If you're a heavy VATS user, grenades eat AP points up and using guns/VATS on a bullet sponge opponent can take a long time as well as burning up ammunition.

Mines don't roll around as much and they land where you place them. They chop large amounts of health and in most cases cripple the legs allowing you to use far less bullets on carefully aimed head shots.

Mind you, this is more of an RP choice as we've all got thousands of caps for ammo and sometimes ammo doesn't weight anyway. However, employing said explosives may freshen up your game style when you get bored.