17 replies to this topic

[Walks_In_Circles]

In recent weeks I have experienced a few interesting deaths. I was convinced that they were glitches or, if you believe such things, hacks. However I've been experiencing them more and more. Most, but not always, my cause of death is ammo explosion.

I understand that once you loose your armor, each shot that hits the armorless section has a chance to crit a slot. If that slot has ammo in it it could explode. This I understand. What confuses me is why my standard engines keep getting destroyed time and time again from an ammo explosions in my side torsos.

I'll elaborate, I'll explain the most recent example. I was running my ON1-K, which has a STD 300 engine. My left torso carries 2 tons ammo for my AC/20 which is in my right torso. I got into a brawl and sustained heavy damage on my left (ammo) torso and proceeded to fall back to let my team to continue to push. As I withdraw, I was hit with sniper fire to my damaged torso, destroying it. Then, after about 2 secs, I topple over dead. The cause of death is of course ammo explosion. The odd part to me is that my front and rear CT armor was intact after death, yet my engine was destroyed.

This is not the first time, I'm simply curious if there is something I'm missing here. Am I simply experiencing lag, glitches or odd game mechanics? I couldn't say.

Did the last patch change anything to ammo explosions?

[Ngamok]

Because it transfers from side to center

[Troutmonkey]

Hrothmar, on 17 January 2014 - 11:31 PM, said:

This is not the first time, I'm simply curious if there is something I'm missing here. Am I simply experiencing lag, glitches or odd game mechanics? I couldn't say.

Did the last patch change anything to ammo explosions?

In short - Ammo explosions cause damage to nearby sections. If you put ammo in the side torso it will (obviously) blow off your arm and then do damage to your centre torso. Usually that's lethal damage.

If you want to prevent death by ammo explosion you should use C.A.S.E to contain the explosion to the compartment with the ammo. The explosion will still happen and blow off your arm, but it won't damage your CT. It goes without saying that CASE is useless for XL engines. With Guass the ammo is inert and does not explode, but the rifle itself does.

In practice most people run ammo in the legs where they're less likely to get blown off, and you lose a leg you're pretty screwed anyway.

Edited by Troutmonkey, 17 January 2014 - 11:50 PM.

[Walks_In_Circles]

I rarely use ballistics myself, so I haven't really had to deal with this before. I haven't experienced this with missiles; is this just ballistics?

Thanks Mr. Trout for clearing up my confusion.

[GRiPSViGiL]

Hrothmar, on 18 January 2014 - 12:12 AM, said:

I rarely use ballistics myself, so I haven't really had to deal with this before. I haven't experienced this with missiles; is this just ballistics?

Thanks Mr. Trout for clearing up my confusion.

LRMs, SRMS and Streask ammo also can explode.

[MustrumRidcully]

Damage always transfers from one section to the next if the original section is destroyed. IIRC only 50 % of the damage is transferred (by TT rules, it would be 100 %), but that doesn't really make a big difference - 1 ton of AC/20 ammo is 140 damage, if it was actually the full 2 tons that exploded, even 50 % would be enough to destroy your mech.

Though it is a bit curious that your armor was not destroyed - I thought that the damage was transferred to the secion and first, as always, subtracted from your armour and then from your internals. Maybe that is wrong. Could also just be that the display didn't update.

[Walks_In_Circles]

True. The armor is what really confused me here, and hence why I thought it might be a glitch.

[NextGame]

ive noticed an increase in ammo deaths as well, its getting pretty boring tbh, probably just reading into it too much though.

[Egomane]

Ammo explosions only deal internal damage. Armor is ignored in such a case.

[lsp]

Only newbs put ammo in ST's, stop doing that and you'll be fine. Head and legs.

[Fang01]

lsp, on 18 January 2014 - 04:55 PM, said:

Only newbs put ammo in ST's, stop doing that and you'll be fine. Head and legs.

Doesnt much matter to xl users. Legs aint exactly safe either, I smoked a metalander today by melting off a ammo leg

[Deathlike]

MustrumRidcully, on 18 January 2014 - 01:58 AM, said:

Damage always transfers from one section to the next if the original section is destroyed. IIRC only 50 % of the damage is transferred (by TT rules, it would be 100 %), but that doesn't really make a big difference - 1 ton of AC/20 ammo is 140 damage, if it was actually the full 2 tons that exploded, even 50 % would be enough to destroy your mech.

Though it is a bit curious that your armor was not destroyed - I thought that the damage was transferred to the secion and first, as always, subtracted from your armour and then from your internals. Maybe that is wrong. Could also just be that the display didn't update.

Actually, damage transfer by ammo explosions is 100% in this instance. 50% is only applied to damage when shooting are exposed/blown up sections like the arm->side torso transfer or side torso->CT transfer.

[Sephlock]

Hrothmar, on 17 January 2014 - 11:31 PM, said:

In recent weeks I have experienced a few interesting deaths. I was convinced that they were glitches or, if you believe such things, hacks. However I've been experiencing them more and more. Most, but not always, my cause of death is ammo explosion.

I understand that once you loose your armor, each shot that hits the armorless section has a chance to crit a slot. If that slot has ammo in it it could explode. This I understand. What confuses me is why my standard engines keep getting destroyed time and time again from an ammo explosions in my side torsos.

I'll elaborate, I'll explain the most recent example. I was running my ON1-K, which has a STD 300 engine. My left torso carries 2 tons ammo for my AC/20 which is in my right torso. I got into a brawl and sustained heavy damage on my left (ammo) torso and proceeded to fall back to let my team to continue to push. As I withdraw, I was hit with sniper fire to my damaged torso, destroying it. Then, after about 2 secs, I topple over dead. The cause of death is of course ammo explosion. The odd part to me is that my front and rear CT armor was intact after death, yet my engine was destroyed.

This is not the first time, I'm simply curious if there is something I'm missing here. Am I simply experiencing lag, glitches or odd game mechanics? I couldn't say.

Did the last patch change anything to ammo explosions?

http://www.sarna.net...orage_Equipment

[Arnold J Rimmer]

GRiPSViGiL, on 18 January 2014 - 12:19 AM, said:

LRMs, SRMS and Streask ammo also can explode.

AMS ammo will explode for 24 damage per 1000 rounds, too.

[Dirus Nigh]

As has been said, ammunition explosions transfer damage inward, eating its way there the internals of a mech.

I have to ask, if you are dying to ammunition explosions a lot, do you use CASE, and or do you have an XL engine? CASE can be mounted in the side torsos. It prevents damage from spreading into the center torso. If you have an XL engine and lose a side torso due to an ammunition explosion, your done.

Here is the Battletech transfer damage diagram.

Edited by Dirus Nigh, 18 January 2014 - 05:16 PM.

[Deathlike]

Dirus Nigh, on 18 January 2014 - 05:14 PM, said:

As has been said, ammunition explosions transfer damage inward, eating its way there the internals of a mech.

I have to ask, if you are dying to ammunition explosions a lot, do you use CASE, and or do you have an XL engine? CASE can be mounted in the side torsos. It prevents damage from spreading into the center torso. If you have an XL engine and lose a side torso due to an ammunition explosion, your done.

Here is the Battletech transfer damage diagram.

Should've added a "splat" when the ammo explosion in the head happens.

[wolf74]

TO: Hrothmar

To stop the ammo form taking out your STD engine add a C.A.S.E. to the Side Torso with the Ammo. It is a 0.5 ton 1 Critical Utility item in the game. It solo job is to Stop the Ammo explosion in the Side Torso saving over ½ of the Mech.

[Walks_In_Circles]

Dirus Nigh, on 18 January 2014 - 05:14 PM, said:

As has been said, ammunition explosions transfer damage inward, eating its way there the internals of a mech.

I have to ask, if you are dying to ammunition explosions a lot, do you use CASE, and or do you have an XL engine? CASE can be mounted in the side torsos. It prevents damage from spreading into the center torso. If you have an XL engine and lose a side torso due to an ammunition explosion, your done.

I use mostly cats with XLs to which I rarely receive side torso damage. It hasn't been till recently that I've started using the Orion. In general I put AC ammo in the legs because my torsos are full of heat sinks. I suppose I've simply gone a year (or whenever ammo explosions were implemented) without experiencing it personally.

wolf74, on 18 January 2014 - 07:35 PM, said:

To stop the ammo form taking out your STD engine add a C.A.S.E. to the Side Torso with the Ammo. It is a 0.5 ton 1 Critical Utility item in the game. It solo job is to Stop the Ammo explosion in the Side Torso saving over ½ of the Mech.

Thanks. I've used CASE before, but I've had a problem with ammo explosions before, and I figured it was a rare occurrence that isn't a priority to counter. I guess I was wrong. :/

I took the two extra tons of ammo from my side torso (I really didn't need 50 or so rounds) and now I just go zombie all the time instead. I don't usually run STD engines, so I'm still not used to that and It makes me laugh every time.

Edited by Hrothmar, 19 January 2014 - 10:37 AM.