48 replies to this topic

[UncleKulikov]

At the very least, module boards will be different across mechs. That could reduce the Stalker's high end energy boat ability, if it only has slots for missile modules.

[Kanatta Jing]

UncleKulikov, on 12 June 2012 - 10:14 PM, said:

At the very least, module boards will be different across mechs. That could reduce the Stalker's high end energy boat ability, if it only has slots for missile modules.

And those Mech Efficiencies you can get. I'm sure there is trick in there for keeping the Awesome from going critical before the end of the match.

[SuomiWarder]

Given the basic design rules of BattleTech construction, it is inevitable that you can "rebuild" the same basic weapon mix into similar weight machines. I don't see this as a critical factor though, for a combination of the following reasons.

I expect that different houses will get different prices on some or all mechs. Only a chasis that starts with JJs can ever mount them. It may well prove that certain body shapes have damage advantages or disadvantages (cab forward designs like the cataplut and stalker may prove easier to hit in the CT - or perhaps they take side torso hits more often unless you are directly ahead of them). Increase the speed of a heavier mech is generally more expensive tonnage wise than doing so to a lighter chasis. Some people just plain have their favorite mechs and will use it no matter what. Repair on heavier chasis may be more expensive than lighter ones. Models with arms might prove longer lived as side on shots might tend to hit the arm rather than torso. And some designs basically ask for a specific weapon mount to be targeted. (The Hunchback hunch and the "ears" of a catapult come to mind). Thickness of legs can affect how easily they get hit.

[HiredGun]

I think you will have to have 3 energy critical slots in the same location to equip a PPC. So, if you have a large laser (2 slots) and a medium laser (1 slot) in the right torso, you could swap these out for a PPC (not including weight of course). You could always do the reverse too. You could dump a PPC and pick up 3 Medium Lasers in that location. If you only have 2 medium laser in a specific location then you could swap them out for a Large Laser but not a PPC.

This comes from dev blog 6 (mech lab) http://mwomercs.com/...-blog-6-mechlab
"The stats of a Large Laser are five tons, two critical slots, energy weapon. We can put in its place, any energy weapon(s) that stay within the maximum weight and space threshold.

Both the Medium Laser and Small Laser take up one critical slot and weigh one ton and ½ ton respectively. This means both systems are viable to be put into the space provided. For this demonstration, let’s have the player put two Medium Lasers in the available spaces."

Edited by HiredGun, 12 June 2012 - 10:43 PM.

[Shadowscythe]

So, say you take a stalker and strip it... throw 2 PPCs in each arm (4 total, or one in each arm and each side torso, taking the places of the medium lasers and large lasers, whichever)
Since the Stalker doesn't have hand or lower arm actuators,

• that frees up 4 crit slots total and gives the stalker, in it's side torsos/arms 44 crit slots available total
  
• the 4 PPCs make 40 heat and take up 12crit -12 crit slots
  
• 20 total double heat sinks. 10 free from engine. 10 equiped at 3 crit slots per -30 crit slots

those will counter the 40 heat from the PPCs.

You end up with 1 empty crit slot per arm (thanks to all the missing actuators) and enough heat sinks to cover the weapons fire with 3 tons left over from maxing out armor on a normal BT TT mech. You won't have full armor in MWO since it takes 16.5 tons to fully armor a 85 ton mech in BT TT and in MWO you can carry double the normal amount of armor (I think it is)

So, pretty much untill we get more info, Awesome=worthless.......only looks....or module slots

[Shadowscythe]

Quotes from community Q&A 6

Lets say I take an Awesome, normally with 3 PPCs, 1 small laser. Then I modify it to its maximum theoreitcaly extent, that is to say 10 medium lasers. Will this be possible, or could the hardpoint system further restrict so there's a maximum number of smaller weapons that could replace a larger one to help prevent crazy boating? –CapperDeluxe

[DAVID] The hardpoint system will be related to how many weapons are in the default loadout, and not how many slots those weapons take up.




Isnt this system a little rigid? If i got this right you can only downgrade weapons because you couldnt fit a bigger weapon into the hardpoints even if you reduced armor. –Rutok

[DAVID] hardpoints will limit the number of weapons that can be placed in a location on the ’Mech. The number of slots those weapons can occupy is not predefined (outside of the maximum number of slots in the location). So let’s say that I’m allowed 2 energy weapons in my right arm. I currently have 2 Medium Lasers which occupy 1 slot each. I would still be allowed to put in 2 Large Lasers, which occupy 2 slots each.

^^^ This quote is really the only one that looks like it has any hope at all for the awesome...If he said Hardpoint slot, or Critical slot. the post would be a bit clearer..Because the ML taking up 1 slot and LL taking up 2 sounds like he went to critical slots. If that is the case, the Awesome still not doing so well



Are hardpoints limited by the weapons that come stock with the mech? By that I mean will there be hardpoints available on a chassis that a particular configuration doesn't use? –BarHaid

[DAVID] The hardpoints will be based on the default loadout of a given ’Mech. However, different variants of the same ’Mech will have different default loadouts and, therefore, different hardpoints.




A Swayback Hunchie would have energy hard points in the arms, and right torso cannon mount. Does that mean in the left torso, where no weapon is normally mounted, there are non-weapon hard points for empty crit slots, which means no weapon can be mounted there? –Namwons

[DAVID] Yes, if there are no weapons in a location on the default loadout, then there will be no weapon hardpoints in that location. Equipment generally doesn’t use hardpoints and can be placed anywhere, including the Hunchback’s left torso.

Another problem with these quotes are they are from April. They may have changed since then.

Edited by Shadowscythe, 12 June 2012 - 11:22 PM.

[Pvt Dancer]

Yeah, Victor is totally spot on so far.

Consider the Warhammer... would be the perfect mech to play with as it has energy hardpoints on the arms and torsos, a missile hardpoint on the right torso and balistic hardpoints in the torsos. What every your fevered little mind can come up with, that is the chassie to put it on.

I honestly do not think torso twisting speed and the like will matter. Modes on the mech might. Obviously cockpit visibility might, since the view out should be different for every mech, and that may sway people. It may just come down to personal preference on what chassie people use.

But does it need to be fixed? I am not sure if it does. If they keep stuff like Jump jets per chassie and how they work the moduals for the mechs to keep them unique may be the only fix they needto prevent the Stalker>Awesome factor. It honestly might be enough.

Very good point to bring up Victor.

[Telemonian Ajax]

Just wanted to point out that as far as hard points go, an AWS-8T would have 3 energy and 2 missile hard points. Almost every mech has variants with different weapons and thus different hard points. At some point whatever the dominant design on the field is it will be copied and the battles will sadly become more uniform. Most flavor will come from personal preference, not through a desire to make the best design. When people played Chromehounds, whatever weapon system seemed the strongest made its way onto the battlefield in ever increasing numbers, until the devs of that game sent an update which altered the weapon stats and changing the battlefield. I expect the same type of actions here, no devs want uniformity and the only way to do that is to try and balance the battlefield.(Good luck with that!) so that no design can dominate the field.

Ok, enough late night ramblings.

[Frostiken]

This thread looks oddly familiar

Where's the legion of nubs moaning that you're trying to 'kill the game' and 'ruin the mechlab' and that they should be free to put AC/20s in the head slot, because 'teh moar kustimorzashun the bettar!111'