Here's the straight scoop from someone who has played this game since 1984 when it was called "BattleDroids". (In less than a year, it was renamed BattleTech because George Lucas claimed that he owned the term 'droid'.)
Every fusion engine mounted in a battlemech includes 10 heat sinks. They are considered integral to the engine, and are included in the weight of the engine.
However, they still possess mass, and a portion of these heat sinks will have to be allocated to critical spaces, dependent upon the engine's rating. The benchmark for this process is the 250 engine. A 250 engine can contain all 10 heat sinks without having to allocate any. The number of HS to be allocated or not allocated changes in increments of 25. Therefore, a 225-245 engine must allocate 1 heat sink to a critical slot; a 200-220 must allocate 2, etc.
Conversely, the larger the engine rating, the fewer heat sinks need be allocated, but anything over the initial 10 HS must be paid for in tonnage. For example, a 300-320 engine can include 11 heat sinks without being allocated, but you must spend 1 ton for the extra heat sinks. Likewise, a 325-345 can hold 12, but you gotta pay the two tons extra.
Simple, right?
Well, when they designed their Mech Lab, they only got it half right. Yes, if you drop a 375 engine in a mech, you can have 14 heat sinks included in the engine without having to allocate them, and pay 4 tons over the tonnage of the engine itself.
HOWEVER, they got it totally wrong in lighter engine. If you put in a 200 engine, you only get 8 heat sinks in it. This is cool, I now just have to allocate 2 HS to critical slots, because ALL mechs have a minimum of 10 free heat sinks. But the Mech Lab forces me to pay TWO EXTRA TONS to get those mandatory heat sinks!!! There goes my medium laser and two jump jets....My 25 ton Commando, in order to maintain it's designed speed of 97 kph, has to mount a 150 engine at 6.5 tons (which according to the BT construction rules engine tables actually weighs 5.5 tons, hehe) and these jerks are making me spend 4 EXTRA TONS for heat sinks, just to have my required 10 and have a "legal" mech!!!
This is highway robbery, and a total departure from the intent of the design process, I think the game was designed by IRS agents.
A friend of mine observed:
With 10 built in heat sinks lights would NEVER overheat. All the extra weight would go to speed.
Of course!!! That's the trade off.....the balance is built into the system. Yes, light mechs don't have the heat issues heavier mech do because they don't carry as many weapons, or as much armor.
That's what light mechs do: they run fast, run cool, and die quickly if they get hit
Remember the tank designer's century-old dilemma....the three-headed monster of Mobility, Armor, and Firepower.
If you want to excel at one, you must sacrifice elsewhere.
You wanna carry the big guns, you gotta pay the price in heat generation and lack of speed
You want the speed and heat management, you gotta pay the price in protection and firepower.
STOP MESSING WITH A GAME THAT HAS BEEN AROUND LONGER THAN HALF THE PLAYERS PLAYING IT!!!!!!
That's all I want to say.
Ogre Prince Mighty Zug <HoS> BOS
Colonel, LCAF (Ret)
Knight of Rahne
Bearer of The McKennsy Hammer
Edited by Colonel Zug, 10 March 2013 - 08:36 AM.