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[Lobot]

I suggest adding two properties for each mech to be able to balance alphas. At the moment heat is not enough prevent boating alphas. We need to encourage chain fire.

Energy efficiency:
Weapons use energy. Weapons need to draw energy from reactor to be able to reload. Also engine does this. If you alpha weapons with high energy usage, reactor is not able to provide enough for every system. Alpha several PPC or LL, and you will have your engine, hud, night vision turned off and weapon reload time increases. Running out of power doesn't however shut down mech.
To balance this, every mech have certain amount of power provided by reactor and every weapon consumes this energy during reload. If power needed is greater than provided, systems slow down. Some high tonnage battery could be added to mech to give slight help to decrese slow downs.
High energy usage: LL, PPC, Gauss (electromagnetic rail gun?)
Medium energy usage: ML, Flamer, jetpack
low energy usage: SL, Ballistics, Missiles

Make it default, that no more weapons can be shot than reactor can handle. Have option to override this, if desired, like heat systems have.


Mech balance:
Because energy usage doesn't balance alphaing with ballistics, we need to balance these also. Introduce mech balance. If mech suffers high impact, it goes out of balance. Also high recoil weapons push the mech around. If mech goes completely out of balance, it falls. However tries to get up from ground fast.
Hit from AC, Gauss or large salvo of missiles is not enough alone to push you to ground, but is you shoot 2x AC20 at the same time, mech is pushed ground like rag doll. High caliber weapons should have some balls to them anyways. Gauss should push as much the shooter as target as the bullet is solid slug with high speed.
Mech should be able to balance it self from near fall in couple of seconds. You just need to find balance between with your fireing speed.
Very high recoil: AC20, Gauss
High recoil: AC10, LBX10, Ultra AC5, LRM20
medium recoil: AC5, LRM10. running at full speed.
Low recoil: AC2, LRM5, machine gun.

Make it default that weapons won't shoot if it would trip mech. Make possibility to override this fail safe like heat shutdown has.




Chain fire scripts:
Also add possibility to control chain fire speed for each weapon group for each mech. This already can be done outside game with scripts and it can't be controlled. If you can't prevent people using those programs, implement same thing to the game. No need to give upper hand to only some of the ppl.