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Currently, mech quirks are limited to movement/aiming (engine rating, torso twist, Accel/Decell, and arm movement).
I think expanding this to offensive and defensive systems (as described below) could help bring a bit of variety back to the battlefield, and differentiate various mechs from each other beyond what is capable with the simple hard-point system we have now. These quarks could be used to further balance individual mechs and variants to make up for weakness's in designs that worked fine for TT, but do not translate well into the FPS/Sim environment of MWO.
The point of these quirks would be to reward/encourage the use of a mech in its intended roll, but NOT by punishing players with penalties if they leave this intended roll.
I'm going to list a few example's to demonstrate what I mean... The numbers used are just to illustrate the point and are obviously not "balanced". Each Quirk would apply to a specific location or weapon type on a mech, unless otherwise noted. Some mechs would have less quirks then others.
Lets take the DRG-5n as my first example.
The most prominent feature of this mech (other then its huge CT), is it's "Gun Arm", which in its stock configuration carries a UAC5,
Example Weapon Quirks for DRG-5N:
Reliable Feed System (Right Arm): Reduce UAC Jam chance by 50%
Efficient Feed System, Ballistic (Right Arm): Decrease Cool-down by 20%
Air Cooled (Right Arm): Decrease Ballistic Weapon heat by 20%
So, whats the end result here? Using the intended primary weapon loadout for this mech (A Single UAC5 in the right arm) is an attractive option. Trading that UAC out for a different ballistic (Such as an AC10 or Gauss), gives you some of the advantages (Increased ROF and Less heat), but not all. Some weapons will benefit very little (Such as Gauss), while others more (Triple AC2).
For a similar example, lets look at the CPLT-A1.
The Cplt-A1 is meant to be a LRM support mech, so lets help it fill that roll, without punishing a player for choosing a different roll (Say, using SRM's or streaks instead).
Efficient Feed System, LRM (Right Arm, Left Arm): Decrease Cool-Down by 20%
Efficient Ammunition Magazines: +10% Ammo per ton
External Weapon Cooling (Right Arm, Left Arm)yes, this name sucks: -10% Weapon Heat
Again, some of the bonus's are specific to the mechs intended roll (LRM's), while others are a bit more flexible and can be applied to a non-standard loadout. This allows the catapult to be a very Efficient LRM Boat (getting volleys off faster, with less heat and more ammo), or a slightly more efficient SRM/Streak Platform (Losing the increased ROF but still getting the Heat and Ammo Bonuses).
HBK-4G example.
Armored Housing (RT): -10% damage to RT, +10% HP to all weapons in this location.
Efficient Ammunition Magazines: +10% Ammo per Ton
Efficient Feed System, Ballistic (RT): Decrease Ballistic Cool-Down by 20%
Cooling Jackets (LA, RA): Energy Weapons produce -10% Heat
All of a sudden this mech's Iconic hunch is a bit harder to destroy, as are its primary weapon has a bit of an edge in a brawl. As a medium, I added a 4th Quirk for its arm mounted lasers, making them a bit more heat efficient, again focusing on the HBK's roll as a brawler.
CN-9A example:
Efficient Feed System, Ballistic (RA): Decrease Ballistic Cool-Down by 20%
Air Cooled (Right Arm): Decrease Ballistic Weapon heat by 20%
Efficient Ammunition Magazines: +10% Ammo per Ton
Efficient Feed System, LRM (LT): Decrease Cool-Down by 20%
The CN-9A with these quirks gains an increased ROF on both ballistics and LRMs, and can carry more ammo then normal for its weight class. If you choose to swap the LRM's for SRM's or streaks, you loose the increased ROF, but still benefit from the increased ammo.
So, that's an outline of my Idea. It would provide an additional avenue for balancing mechs within the same class against each other, as well as allowing similar variants to behave differently.
