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[David Bradley]

Hey there everyone,

Below is a summary of our design for OmniMechs and other aspects of Clan technology related to Mech construction. As a result, this doesn't cover any of the rules or stats pertaining to Clan weapons beyond how they would be equipped on an OmniMech.

And, of course, there is always the big disclaimer: Things may change as design, tuning, etc progresses. But this is the path that we are currently set to implement.

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OmniMechs

OmniMechs in MWO will be built and customized in a manner based on the OmniMech construction rules of the tabletop game, with changes made to best suit the systems that we already have in place.

Configurations

Instead of buying a variant of a chassis, OmniMechs are bought as configurations. On the surface, configurations are essentially the same as variants. The difference is that an OmniMech comes equipped with an OmniPod in each location (head, left arm, right torso, etc).
When the player purchases a configuration, they receive:

• A complete 'Mech.
  
• All weapons and equipment that are a part of that configuration’s default loadout.
  
• The configuration specific OmniPod in each location.
  
  • E.g. The Mad Cat A comes with the Mad Cat A left arm OmniPod, the Mad Cat A left torso OmniPod, etc.

After purchase, OmniPods can be interchanged and can change aspects of the 'Mech, such as which hardpoints are available in each location.





OmniPods

The defining feature of the OmniMech is the OmniPod system. For an OmniMech to be legal to bring into a game, each location on the 'Mech must have exactly one OmniPod assigned to it. The OmniPod is not a piece of equipment, but rather it changes the properties of the location as well as the 'Mech as a whole.

OmniPod Rules

OmniPods obey the following rules:

• An OmniMech may only equip OmniPods made for its chassis.
  
  • E.g. A Mad Cat can only equip Mad Cat OmniPods.
• OmniPods are specific to a location.
  
  • E.g. Left arm, right torso, etc.
• The OmniPod in a configuration’s center torso cannot be changed.
  
  • This helps to identify the 'Mech as being a particular variant for XP and other purposes, as the player will be unable to completely change one configuration wholly into another.
• OmniPods can exist for configurations that we do not sell as complete 'Mechs in the store.
  
  • E.g. The Black Hawk D only has 2 hardpoints, and could be hard to justify making as a 'Mech on its own, but the hardpoints are unique compared to other configurations. So the OmniPod of the Black Hawk D’s right arm OmniPod could be made available to place on other configurations.

Equipping an OmniPod



OmniPods are equipped in the MechLab.

• OmniPods are equipped in the Loadout section of the MechLab.
  
• OmniPods are listed as their own category of item.
  
  • i.e. Similar to Equipment, Ammo, Engines, etc.
• Each location can have up to 1 OmniPod equipped at a time.
  
• The currently equipped OmniPod for each location is displayed in a slot above the location’s equipment/critical slots.
  
  • OmniPods are not placed in a location’s critical slots.
• The desired OmniPod is dragged from the inventory/store section to the slot on the loadout.
  
  • Any currently equipped OmniPod is returned to the player’s inventory.
• OmniPods can be purchased with either C-Bills or MC.
  
  • If the player already has a copy of the OmniPod in their inventory, that item is used before buying a new one.
• Equipping a new OmniPod returns all non-fixed weapons and equipment in that location to the player’s inventory.
  
  • This is to prevent conflicts with changes to hardpoints, actuators, etc.

OmniPod Properties



Each OmniPod has a set of properties. When an OmniPod is equipped to a 'Mech, its properties are applied to the location and/or 'Mech (as appropriate).

• The chassis to which the OmniPod can be equipped.
  
• The location to which the OmniPod can be equipped.
  
• A set of hardpoints.
  
• A number of jump jet slots.
  
• A number of module slots.
  
• A set of quirks.
  
  • The individual quirks on an OmniPod can be set to 0, to have no effect on a 'Mech.

OmniMech Quirks



Based solely upon canon hardpoints, some OmniPods are outright better than others.
For example, the right arm of the Mad Cat’s Prime configuration has 2 energy hardpoints while the right arm of the Mad Cat’s A configuration has 1 Energy hardpoint. Based on this alone, this makes the Prime configuration’s OmniPod the straight out better choice.
To balance this out, each OmniPod can be given its own set of quirks that will apply to any 'Mech that has it equipped.

• Each OmniMech’s base configuration has a set of quirks in the same manner as a normal BattleMech.
  
• Each OmniPod has a set of quirk modifiers.
  
  • These are positive and negative values that are added to the respective value in the base configuration
• Each quirk of an OmniMech in-game is equal to the sum of the quirk’s value in the base configuration and all quirk modifiers in all equipped OmniPods.

Currently, all the quirks in the quirk system are movement related. When we introduce the OmniPod quirk system, we hope to have a greater variety of quirks were added to the game. This would allow for better diversification among 'Mechs. Potential new quirks would involve aspects such as heat generation and loss, weapon cooldown times, increasing/lowering damage taken, etc.





Clan Technology

The following are differences between Clan and Inner Sphere technology as it pertains to 'Mech construction. Rules differences specific to OmniMech construction are also noted. Differences in Clan and Inner Sphere weapons are detailed in other documents as they have no bearing to 'Mech construction.

• Clan XL Engine
  
  • Same weight as Inner Sphere XL engines.
    
  • Only occupies 2 critical slots in each side torso. (Compared to 3 slots in each side torso for Inner Sphere XL engines.)
    
  • Destroying a 'Mech via engine destruction requires the destruction of either both of the side torsos or the center torso.
• Clan Endo Steel
  
  • Provides the same weight saving as Inner Sphere Endo Steel.
    
  • Occupies 7 critical slots on the 'Mech. (Compared to 14 slots for Inner Sphere Endo Steel.)
    
  • On an OmniMech, the location of the critical slots is fixed.
    
  • On a standard 'Mech, the location of the critical slots is dynamic.
• Clan Ferro-Fibrous
  
  • Provides 1.2 times more armor points per ton than standard armor. (Inner Sphere Ferro-Fibrous provides 1.12 times more armor points than standard armor.)
    
  • Occupies 7 critical slots on the 'Mech. (Compared to 14 slots for Inner Sphere Ferro-Fibrous.)
    
  • On an OmniMech, the location of the critical slots is fixed.
    
  • On a standard 'Mech, the location of the critical slots is dynamic.
• Clan Double Heat Sinks
  
  • Provide the same heat loss as Inner Sphere Double Heat Sinks.
    
  • Each Clan Double Heat Sinks occupies 2 critical slots.
• CASE
  
  • Clan 'Mechs automatically receive CASE in any location where ammunition or an explosive weapon is placed.
    
  • This CASE does not take up tonnage.
    
  • This CASE does not take up critical slots.
    
  • This CASE has no cost.
    
  • This CASE otherwise behaves the same as Inner Sphere CASE.

OmniMech Rules and Limitations



In keeping with the tabletop rules, and to provide a balance to both Clan technology and the customization allowed by the Omni technology, OmniMechs have several limits to their customization that are not present in standard BattleMechs. Each configuration of an OmniMech is built upon a base configuration. The base configuration is what remains when all the customizable weapons and equipment of an OmniMech are removed, leaving only that which is permanently fixed in place.
In all OmniMechs, the following are determined by Design on a per chassis basis and cannot be changed or customized in any way:

• Engine type.
  
  • Standard vs XL.
• Engine rating.
  
• Internal structure type.
  
  • Standard vs Endo Steel.
• The location of any critical slots occupied by the internal structure.
  
  • i.e. Instead of freely floating as they do in standard 'Mechs, slots occupied by Endo Steel are assigned specific locations that cannot be changed. (The slots still compact to provide as much continuous free space as possible. Just the location [left arm, etc] is fixed.)
• Armor type.
  
  • Standard vs Ferro-Fibrous.
• The location of any critical slots occupied by the armor.
  
  • i.e. Instead of freely floating as they do in standard 'Mechs, slots occupied by Ferro-Fibrous are assigned specific locations that cannot be changed. (The slots still compact to provide as much continuous free space as possible. Just the location [left arm, etc] is fixed.)
• Heat sink type.
  
  • Single vs Double.
• A minimum number of heat sinks (varies per chassis) have specific locations they must occupy and cannot be moved or removed in any way.
  
  • Customization involving adding additional heat sinks beyond the minimum number is allowed.
    
  • The heat sinks still compact to provide as much continuous free space as possible. Just the location (left arm, etc) is fixed.
• Heat sinks cannot be added within the engine unless they are part of the minimum number that is included in the base configuration.
  
  • Canon OmniMechs generally place at least the 10 heat sinks required for all 'Mechs as part of the base configuration, but they do not always place enough to fill extra space in engines rated 275 or greater.
• Whether MASC is present.
  
  • If not present, MASC cannot be added by the player.
    
  • If present, MASC cannot be removed by the player.
    
  • If present, the location MASC occupies cannot be changed.
• Some OmniMechs, as determined by Design, have specific weapons or other pieces of equipment (such as jump jets) as part of their base configuration.
  
  • These weapons and equipment can be neither moved nor removed.

In addition to the limitations of the base configuration, the following rules apply when customizing any OmniMech.

• If any of the following weapons are equipped in an OmniMech’s arm, any Lower Arm Actuator or Hand Actuator that was present in the base configuration is automatically removed:
  
  • Any Gauss rifle.
    
  • Any autocannon.
    
  • Any PPC.

OmniMech XP System



OmniMech configurations earn XP in the same manner as standard BattleMech variants.

• An OmniMech always counts as the same configuration as it was originally purchased, regardless of which OmniPods are equipped to it.
  
  • The center torso OmniPod of the 'Mech cannot be changed, to help aid in the identification.
    
  • E.g. A Mad Cat A is always a Mad Cat A, regardless of the other OmniPods equipped to it.
• Each configuration has its own pool of 'Mech specific XP, in the same manner as standard 'Mech variants.
  
• An OmniMech receives an XP bonus if all OmniPods equipped on it, including the center torso, match.
  
• Each configuration has its own 'Mech Tree, in the same manner as standard 'Mech variants.
  
• A player cannot reach the Elite level of the 'Mech Tree of a configuration without first completing the Basic level for three configurations of the same chassis.
  
  • This is in the same manner as standard 'Mech variants.
• A player cannot reach the Master level of the 'Mech Tree of a configuration without first completing the Elite level for three configurations of the same chassis.
  
  • This is in the same manner as standard 'Mech variants.

Additional Clan 'Mech Rules



While the OmniMech rules apply to all Clan OmniMechs as well as any Inner Sphere OmniMechs we may make in the future, there are also rules that apply to all Clan and Inner Sphere 'Mechs, dictating the use of Clan technology.

• Clan 'Mech can only equip Clan weapons and equipment.
  
  • Clan 'Mechs cannot equip Inner Sphere technology.
    
  • When customizing a Clan 'Mech, only Clan technology is shown in the player’s inventory.
• Inner Sphere 'Mechs cannot equip Clan technology.
  
  • When customizing an Inner Sphere 'Mech, only Inner Sphere technology is shown in the player’s inventory.

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