6 replies to this topic

[Mookan]

As every one knows each Battlemech has four critical spaces across their two legs. Right now I'm guessing that most missile or ballistic mechs use this space to store extra ammunition, a possible extra four tonnes that adds a significant extension to their weapon usefulness.

This should not be allowed as from a mechanical point of view it is unlikely that the feed mechanisms would be advanced enough to cope with hip and waist joints to get to the weapons in the torso or arms (It's a game I get reality is not required).

Ammunition should only be allowed in the torsos or arms, which would make C.A.S.E. useful again (and make XL engines risky) and limit the amount of ammo a missile or ballistic mech could carry balancing out their builds (with respect also to DHS and limited torso/arm room). As there is no heat caused ammo explosions the legs end up being a safe option with no risk for ammo dependent builds.

So then what are leg slots useful for? Structure or armor with ES and FF respectively. Jump jets for applicable mechs. And single heat sinks.

On the heat sink front I've seen the tip that heat sinks in the legs submersed in water are twice as effective. The problem here is that DHS that buff the engine internal sinks are just too powerful to ignore.

If switching to DHS didn't buff the internal sinks (no down side, engines retain size and weight...) then SHS builds that utilize the water cooling effect may be viable and the whole weapon and heat build up could be better balanced for SHS vs DHS.

In summary: No ammo in legs as there is no risk for heat induced explosions plus it helps put ammo dependent mechs back in a risk category with XL engines or ammo shortage. DHS don't buff internal HS which makes using the leg slots for water boosted SHS viable (map dependent).

[MoonUnitBeta]

Nothing wrong with ammo in the legs. However, I never imagined that the ammo was in my feet or anything like that. I always pictured them being in the hip kind of area, and feed up vertically via A SERIES OF TUBES.


But touching on heat sinks.. They should just remove the threshold increase on those DHS things. Then SHS might be somewhat of a benefit and maybe worth it to put heat sinks in your legs and to go out into the water and snuggle in tight with the fishes.... or caustic eels. or manta rays. or little microbes.

Edited by MoonUnitBeta, 12 October 2013 - 02:43 AM.

[Carrioncrows]

yeah, lots of things in Btech don't quite like a lot of sense from a mechanics point of view, let alone raw physics

20mm Gatling Machineguns only effective out to 90m anyone?

But suspend your dis-belief and enjoy the game.

[DerSpecht]

I remember some mechs in the Grey Death trilogy having SRM launchers in the legs? Read them in the 80s so i don't know exactly if i my mind is plaing tricks on me.

[Carrioncrows]

DerSpecht, on 12 October 2013 - 03:13 AM, said:

I remember some mechs in the Grey Death trilogy having SRM launchers in the legs? Read them in the 80s so i don't know exactly if i my mind is plaing tricks on me.

yeah there are quite a few mechs with weapons in their legs, they are not technically in the legs but rather on the hips.

The Crusader is famous for having leg mounted SRM's (Hip really)

[AlexEss]

I tend to store my BAP in the legs on the mechs that can make use of it as it is a lot more valuable then some ammo. It does not really make sense either. But that is what i do.

But beyond that i do indeed tend to store ammo in the legs, they are after all well protected and utterly useless for most other things.

[Bishop Steiner]

Mookan, on 12 October 2013 - 02:35 AM, said:

As every one knows each Battlemech has four critical spaces across their two legs. Right now I'm guessing that most missile or ballistic mechs use this space to store extra ammunition, a possible extra four tonnes that adds a significant extension to their weapon usefulness.

This should not be allowed as from a mechanical point of view it is unlikely that the feed mechanisms would be advanced enough to cope with hip and waist joints to get to the weapons in the torso or arms (It's a game I get reality is not required).

Ammunition should only be allowed in the torsos or arms, which would make C.A.S.E. useful again (and make XL engines risky) and limit the amount of ammo a missile or ballistic mech could carry balancing out their builds (with respect also to DHS and limited torso/arm room). As there is no heat caused ammo explosions the legs end up being a safe option with no risk for ammo dependent builds.

So then what are leg slots useful for? Structure or armor with ES and FF respectively. Jump jets for applicable mechs. And single heat sinks.

On the heat sink front I've seen the tip that heat sinks in the legs submersed in water are twice as effective. The problem here is that DHS that buff the engine internal sinks are just too powerful to ignore.

If switching to DHS didn't buff the internal sinks (no down side, engines retain size and weight...) then SHS builds that utilize the water cooling effect may be viable and the whole weapon and heat build up could be better balanced for SHS vs DHS.

In summary: No ammo in legs as there is no risk for heat induced explosions plus it helps put ammo dependent mechs back in a risk category with XL engines or ammo shortage. DHS don't buff internal HS which makes using the leg slots for water boosted SHS viable (map dependent).

because we play 20 meter tall humanoid stompy space robots because they make perfect military and scientific sense.

Go watch Pacific Rim. Total nonsense. And I love it. Why? Because we watch giant stompy robots to go stomp things. JUst because you don{t like dakka, ain't my problem.

Carrioncrows, on 12 October 2013 - 03:17 AM, said:

yeah there are quite a few mechs with weapons in their legs, they are not technically in the legs but rather on the hips.

The Crusader is famous for having leg mounted SRM's (Hip really)