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[Greyhart]

OK I know this has been done to death, but I couldn’t sleep last night so had a really hard think about this. I will do a basic description of new mechanics and then go into detail and will try and summarise in a TL:DR at the end.

I will avoid giving numbers and if I do they are illustrative purposes only not fixed ideas.

Allied communications:

All locked target information is shared with your allies. Unless you are in an enemies ECM bubble then no information can leave that bubble. targets that are not locked are not shared. You get the best information if there are multiple locks and the more locks in passive the better the information.

Active/ Passive Radar (new to MWO):

Passive radar is based off visual information and passive sensor information received by the mech. The sensor range is much shorter than active sensors and you never get the paper doll damage information. ECM does not affect this and passive is always on.

Active sensors send out a constant radar “ping” to your target and whatever your crosshairs (arms and torso) are over. you get the paper doll information with active radar and range. The enemy gets your range and position from your ping, but not the paper doll.


When You have locked in passive mode and the Enemy is in passive mode there will be the following effects

• At extreme range the damage from any fire will be spread. The spread will reduce the closer you get to the enemy. This is to reflect the fact that the computer can’t calculate the range exactly until they are close enough. (this could also be done by a convergence mechanic, but I think spread might be easier to work)
  
• LRMs will take longer to lock and the damage again will be spread.
  
• You get no paper doll information.

More than one team mate in passive mode locking an enemy in passive mode:

• Everyone gets the best data. i.e. if you are all the way across the map but the person sending the information is in close there is no damage spread.
  
• If more than one team mate locks at extreme passive range the damage spread and lock on times are reduce as the computers are gathering the range data from various points providing better triangulation. i.e. 2 team mates lock the same target at extreme range the data is as if they were close up in passive mode so no damage spread as convergence can be calculated

you have locked in passive mode and the enemy has locked you in active mode:

• You have pinpoint damage for direct fire weapons. This is because the enemy radar ping gives your computer an additional resource to calculate the right point of convergence.
  
• LRMs take longer to lock and damage is spread, because they can’t lock a mech part.
  
• No paper doll information.

You have locked in active mode (it doesn’t matter what mode you enemy is in).

• pinpoint damage on direct fire because you are pinging them.
  
• LRM target CT and faster lock on.
  
• You get paper doll information.

Blind fire (no lock) in passive mode:

• Fixed convergence on weapons either set by default or set in the mechlab.
  
• dumb fire LRMs as current.

Blind fire in active mode:

• pinpoint fire on anything under the crosshair because your radar is pinging anything under them.
  
• LRMs as current.

You are targeted by an enemy in Passive mode:

• you know nothing about this they don’t show up on the map unless you can see them.

You are pinged by an enemy in Active mode:

• the enemy appears on the mini map, even if behind you.
  
• The enemy appears if you are pinged because you are locked or because they have put their crosshairs on you.
  
• The enemy disappears when they remove the crosshairs or unlock. i.e. they are no longer pinging you with their active radar.

ECM carrier in radar passive mode:

• ECM makes a bubble out of which enemy information cannot leave, unless it is TAG or NARC.
  
• Enemy lock information is not transmitted if the enemy is within the bubble.
  
• If pinged by an enemy outside the bubble they will not get your range (no pinpoint) or paper doll information. You will have their pinpoint information from their ping.
  
• If pinged from within the bubble they will have the information but can’t transmit it to teammates.
  
• ECM does not affect the enemies passive lock on

ECM carrier in active mode:

• the enemy outside the bubble can calculate your range from your ping (which leaves the bubble).
  
• You will ping them a nd therefore they are using your ping for the calculation.
  
• longer LRM lock on.
  
• ECM does not affect the enemies passive lock on

TAG/NARC

• TAG does not count as a ping and therefore you do not show up on enemy map unless you are in active mode.
  
• both Functions as now.

Other devices such as targeting computer / BAP etc can change the default values.

TL:DR

• firing without a lock in passive mode has fixed convergence.
  
• Attacking a target with only passive lock is going to reduce damage and lengthen lock ons.
  
• Active lock gets you all the info and pinpoint damage.
  
• Using active makes you visible on mini map to anyone you target or put crosshairs over and gives them pinpoint damage on you.
  
• ECM stops information leaving the bubble but the passive radar is unaffected.

NB I've had some formatting issues hoping it looks ok

Edited by Greyhart, 07 October 2015 - 02:01 AM.