James The Fox Dixon, on 30 July 2013 - 07:45 AM, said:
Cooling pods and seismic are implemented wrong to begin with. I can understand that PGI needs to make money when it comes to the cooling pods. Seismic sensors should have required the use of Active Probe, C3 Master Computer, Improved C3 Computer, Command Console, and Communications gear that takes a minimum of 1 critical slot and weigh 1 ton. Seismic Sensors are blinded by the mech's own movement and ECM counters it. The sensor is not deployed in the mech, but in the ground in the form of sensor bouys that can be destroyed by mechs. The sensor only receives a wireless transmission from a base station that collects the seismic readings and transmits them wirelessly between the bouys to the base station then to the mech receiving the feed.
Claiming that not everything translates well and proving it are two completely different things. If they had spent the time to implement them properly then balance would have been preserved.
As it stands, the armor types you've mentioned as modules are in fact upgrades to standard armor. It makes about as much sense as having Rotary ACs and MRMs being modules instead of weapon upgrades.
As it happens, seismic sensors are actually a common supplementary sensor type available to BattleMechs.
"Thermal imaging, light amplification, radar and magnetic anomaly sensors are all among the primary sensors used by BattleMechs, supplemented by seismic sensors, motion detectors, chemical analyzers and a multitude of others."
(
TechManual, pg. 39)
We already have
radar,
thermal imaging, and
light-amplification as the built-in sensor modes (though, we're still missing
MAD, which was mentioned in
Dev Blog 02).
Seismic sensors (along with (ultrasonic?)
motion detectors, some form of chemical analysis system (possibly an array of
ChemFET-type sensors), possibly some form of radiation sensor (in the form of a simple
Geiger counter, or a more advanced
particle detector), and more) are arguably better suited as Modules, as they serve as supplements to the primary sensors available to every BattleMech but may not always be present on any given individual 'Mech, and because they do not consume additional tonnage or critical spaces on their own.
Each of the above sensors is built into the BattleMech (e.g. a seismometer, or array of seismometers, could be installed within each foot). In addition to the built-in sensors, there exist
remote sensors (that come in sets of 30 per half-ton) that are deployed from
remote sensor dispensers and contain the same types of sensors as found on a BattleMech, plus a transmitter to establish a data link.
These, on the other hand, are better left as normal equipment as they do consume weight and critical spaces.
Likewise, a lot of people seem to assume (erroneously) that the data sharing in MWO is "free C3"; what it actually is, is the data-sharing capability inherent to every BattleMech.
"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."
(
TechManual, pg. 39)
I will, however, agree that the coolant flush mechanic should have been implemented as the
coolant pods from BT - they consume weight and space, and explode when they take a critical hit.
My opinion is that anything that consumes weight and/or critical spaces on a record sheet or TRO should be implemented as normal equipment, not as a Module.
Edited by Strum Wealh, 30 July 2013 - 02:30 PM.
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