Essentially make the IFF setting of lightning mines "keyable" as the conquerable station defenses are. Players would be able to give keys which would make their ships ignored by each other's Lightning mines.

Currently Lightning Mines (especially in grey) will attack anyone who is not their owner, even if the pilot is in the same group.

No. Like flares, these should remain dangerous to all pilots to prevent throwing them into a furball and knowing your buddies are safe. There's a better argument that an Lmine could IFF, but gameplay is overriding here I submit.

Lecter: The problem with that argument is that you can be a lot more careful about aiming flares. Lmines don't make very good offensive weapons, and still wouldn't make very good offensive weapons if this were implemented. They are great for defensive purposes in nation space (huge formations of lmines can be used to protect capital ships from bombers, for instance), but it isn't possible to use them this way in grey due to the difference in friendly fire protection. That inconsistency seems rather silly.

Instead I would suggest that L-mines and other mines should light up like christmas trees both visually and on radar for anyone grouped with the owner of the mines. Most of the time mine FF is simply a lack of proper organization tools.

That is part of it. That still precludes the possibility of a mine-laying formation.

We've seen a lot of attempts to use Lmines re: control of the dock lately. I'm still sort of ambivialent re: magic shields, but it makes more sense for Lmines. One thing I don't want to see go away is damage for anyone and everyone close to an Lmine that gets shot and explodes.

One thing I don't want to see go away is damage for anyone and everyone close to an Lmine that gets shot and explodes.

Yes. Honestly I think they should deal out more damage when exploding than they do now. That's a separate matter though.

+1 to the OP.

Use of common sense with dangerous materials should be common sense. I agree with Lecter.

I always thought that it would make more sense if prox/conc mines had IFF rather than l-mines.

There should be a version of lightning mines which have IFF. But they should cost more, and possibly be heavier.