I would suggest a mode where your radar does not automatically confer information to the rest of your team, unless you have a mech that is designed to equip it. Like scouts. Or command-module capable mechs as a platform.
I would further suggest that this sharing of info have a limited range. I think it'd be more interesting than what we have now and possibly make scouting more than a 15 second affair of "they went that way."
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Remove Automatic C3
Started by AlmightyAeng, Apr 21 2014 12:48 PM
2 replies to this topic
#2
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- The Raider
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Posted 21 April 2014 - 06:22 PM
As an FYI: it's not C3, it's an info-sharing capability that is inherent to every 'Mech.
From TechManual, pg. 39:
"The powers of a BattleMech’s sensory processors stand out most strongly in their ability to recognize other units and classify them by type and as friend or foe. Any T&T suite today can inform a MechWarrior of the type of unit it detects, and can even speculate on what variant it is, and the system is surprisingly intuitive. Sometimes, this can present an interesting effect, such as the famous example of the Inner Sphere naming of the Clan Timber Wolf OmniMech. Upon an Inner Sphere BattleMech’s first encounter with that ’Mech - which looked like a cross between the familiar Marauder and Catapult designs, the name “Mad Cat” was born. The ability to tell friend from foe - another key ability of the T&T suite - eases the burden of target identification for MechWarriors in the heat of battle, particularly under poor visibility conditions.
BattleMechs are also not islands unto themselves. They can share sensor data to some extent, allowing greater sensory performance than a single ’Mech can achieve. The specialized equipment of a C3 system takes this to new heights with direct battlefield applications, but all BattleMechs can at least receive basic sensory data from a unit mate."
By contrast:
"As much a revolution in battlefield technology as one of combat philosophy for its creators in the Draconis Combine, the system is essentially an elaborate tight-beam communications suite, designed to link the sensors and targeting systems of up to a full lance of friendly units in a single, closed network. The C3 system enables those within its network to draw targeting data from one another and coordinate fire with amazing ease. As long as effective weapon ranges and lines of fire permit, a member of a C3 network can essentially strike at a target with the same accuracy as the nearest friendly network member."
(TechManual, pg. 209)
C3 is simply a means for sharing more and better information (including, specifically, targeting and tracking information) with the other members of the same "closed" C3 network (which may, for example, include a single Lance (4-'Mech fire team) but not the whole Company (3-Lance unit)), but all 'Mechs canonically have the ability to share at least basic information with an allied unit regardless of whether or not C3 is present... and it is this basic, standard data-sharing ability that is what's currently implemented in MWO.
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Ideally, PGI would eventually implement proper C3 Networks (with the associated C3 Command Units and C3 Slave Units), with data-sharing capabilities beyond what is currently available through the BattleMechs' basic data-sharing systems.
Doing so would open up variants like the MAL-C Mauler (a 3051 variant, based on the MAL-1R, that trades one ton of AC ammo for a C3 Slave Unit) and the PNT-C Panther (a 3051 variant, based on the PNT-10K, that trades the Artemis IV FCS for a C3 Slave Unit) and the CP-11-C Cyclops (a 3050 variant, based on the CP-11-A, that trades its LRM-10 launcher for a C3 Command Unit and two additional tons of armor).
Potential capabilities of a hypothetical MWO C3 Network:
From TechManual, pg. 39:
"The powers of a BattleMech’s sensory processors stand out most strongly in their ability to recognize other units and classify them by type and as friend or foe. Any T&T suite today can inform a MechWarrior of the type of unit it detects, and can even speculate on what variant it is, and the system is surprisingly intuitive. Sometimes, this can present an interesting effect, such as the famous example of the Inner Sphere naming of the Clan Timber Wolf OmniMech. Upon an Inner Sphere BattleMech’s first encounter with that ’Mech - which looked like a cross between the familiar Marauder and Catapult designs, the name “Mad Cat” was born. The ability to tell friend from foe - another key ability of the T&T suite - eases the burden of target identification for MechWarriors in the heat of battle, particularly under poor visibility conditions.
BattleMechs are also not islands unto themselves. They can share sensor data to some extent, allowing greater sensory performance than a single ’Mech can achieve. The specialized equipment of a C3 system takes this to new heights with direct battlefield applications, but all BattleMechs can at least receive basic sensory data from a unit mate."
By contrast:
"As much a revolution in battlefield technology as one of combat philosophy for its creators in the Draconis Combine, the system is essentially an elaborate tight-beam communications suite, designed to link the sensors and targeting systems of up to a full lance of friendly units in a single, closed network. The C3 system enables those within its network to draw targeting data from one another and coordinate fire with amazing ease. As long as effective weapon ranges and lines of fire permit, a member of a C3 network can essentially strike at a target with the same accuracy as the nearest friendly network member."
(TechManual, pg. 209)
C3 is simply a means for sharing more and better information (including, specifically, targeting and tracking information) with the other members of the same "closed" C3 network (which may, for example, include a single Lance (4-'Mech fire team) but not the whole Company (3-Lance unit)), but all 'Mechs canonically have the ability to share at least basic information with an allied unit regardless of whether or not C3 is present... and it is this basic, standard data-sharing ability that is what's currently implemented in MWO.
----------
Ideally, PGI would eventually implement proper C3 Networks (with the associated C3 Command Units and C3 Slave Units), with data-sharing capabilities beyond what is currently available through the BattleMechs' basic data-sharing systems.
Doing so would open up variants like the MAL-C Mauler (a 3051 variant, based on the MAL-1R, that trades one ton of AC ammo for a C3 Slave Unit) and the PNT-C Panther (a 3051 variant, based on the PNT-10K, that trades the Artemis IV FCS for a C3 Slave Unit) and the CP-11-C Cyclops (a 3050 variant, based on the CP-11-A, that trades its LRM-10 launcher for a C3 Command Unit and two additional tons of armor).
Potential capabilities of a hypothetical MWO C3 Network:
- Decreased target info acquisition time (similar to Beagle, but to a lesser degree - perhaps 15% or so, versus Beagle's 25%) for all members of the network.
- Improves base sensor range (similar to Beagle, but to a lesser degree - perhaps 15% or so, versus Beagle's 25%) for all members of the network.
- Improves the lock-on-time and tracking strength of LRMs (similar to Artemis, but to a lesser degree - perhaps 25% or so, versus Artemis' 50%, Narc's 50%, and TAG's 50%) for all members of the network.
- Improves the grouping size of SRM volleys (similar to Artemis, but to a lesser degree - perhaps 15% or so, versus Artemis' 34%) for all members of the network.
- Improves convergence speed of torso and arm weapons (similar to "Pinpoint" 'Mech Tree Elite Efficiency, but to a lesser degree - perhaps 8% or so, versus Pinpoint's 15%) for all members of the network.
- All C3 bonuses stack with similar bonuses from other equipment.
- All C3 bonuses are active so long as one's 'Mech is carrying a functioning C3 Command Unit (5.0 tons, 5 critical slots) AND has at least one surviving lancemate with a functioning C3 Slave Unit (1.0 tons, 1 critical slot), OR one's 'Mech is carrying a functioning C3 Slave Unit that can reach a lancemate's functioning C3 Command Unit.
- C3 Networks would automatically configure themselves at the start of a match (with the Lance Commander's C3 Command Unit taking precedence if there are multiple C3 Command Units, or precedence being randomly assigned if there is no designated Lance Commander, and the Company Commander's C3 Command Unit taking precedence among the Lance Commanders, or precedence being randomly assigned if there is no designated Company Commander).
- C3 systems have no ECM-countering ability, and members of a C3 network may be cut off from the network (and lose their C3-granted bonuses) when covered by a hostile ECM field.
#3
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- Bad Company
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Posted 22 April 2014 - 06:18 AM
That's a bit more involved than "+2 to initiative" 
Strum, that's pretty well researched ( been a long time since i played TT ), and ...i didn't play it, but the mwll ew was brought up, how'd it do in your opinion?
Perhaps, to the OP, if communications worked at the Lance level, as is?
Strum, that's pretty well researched ( been a long time since i played TT ), and ...i didn't play it, but the mwll ew was brought up, how'd it do in your opinion?
Perhaps, to the OP, if communications worked at the Lance level, as is?
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