7 replies to this topic

[WonderSparks]

So I've been trying and trying and so on to find some way to calculate the speed a 'Mech will have (in kph) with a particular engine rating (not for MWO, mind you, I'm talking like the speed values you see on the BattleTech Wiki) but I just cannot find any charts or anything relating to that. All I have is some stock loadouts and their maximum speeds, but that doesn't help for -all- of the things I'm looking for.

So I was wondering if anyone could help me figure this out, maybe provide me with a reference or something. I just want to be able to learn how to say something like "35 tons with a 210 engine? 97.2 km/h! 100 tons with a 300? 54!" Stuff like that.
In particular right now I'm trying to figure out how fast a 90 tonner with a 400 XL engine could go. I like making custom variant concepts, but with the tools I have, I have only limited engine selections, so that's why I'd like to learn how to calculate speed for a given weight from a specified engine.

(On a side note, I finally got the guts to make my first topic post, I just hope I didn't do anything wrong as I have a tendency to do! XD)

[CyclonerM]

They said engine ratings will probably be locked..

[Egomane]

By normal Battletech construction rules, your reactor rating must have rating that is a multiple of the mech weight. So a 50 ton mech can mount a 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350 or 400 reated reactor but nothing in between.

Battletech Tech Manual - Page 48 said:

INSTALL ENGINE
Every BattleMech constructed under these rules may carry one fusion engine to power its movement, weapon systems and other integral components. The relative output of this power plant is measured by the BattleMech’s Engine Rating, which is directly determined by the ’Mech’s total weight and desired speed.
To compute the Engine Rating, the designer simply multiplies the BattleMech’s tonnage by its desired Walking MP. The ’Mech’s Running MP is also calculated at this time by multiplying its Walking MP by 1.5 and rounding up to the nearest whole number. Note that under these rules, no BattleMech may be constructed with an Engine Rating below 10 or above 400.

This is due to the simplified movement rules of battletech, where you move your mechs over a hex-map. For the game you use the number of hex you can move in a turn as the speed value instead of kph.

You can calculate the kph rating with this formula:
Speed in kph = 16.2 * reactor rating / mech weight

For example, your 90 ton mech with a 400 reactor:
72 kph = 16.2 * 400 / 90

You can construct something like that in BT, but you can not play it by the normal rules.

[Durant Carlyle]

Egomane, on 24 December 2013 - 04:00 AM, said:

Speed in kph = 16.2 * reactor rating / mech weight

This.

Note that if you want to make a custom-speed variant for the tabletop game, they are a complete waste of tonnage. They don't actually go any faster, and the weight is much better utilized in additional weapons/armor/equipment. That's why the engine ratings in the 'Mech creation tools are limited.

'Mechs weren't meant to have the granular engine choices that we have in MW:O, which is why nobody has a chart like you are looking for. Should be easy to create one yourself though, using that formula.

[Pht]

Ah, someone still remembers doing mech builds on pen and paper, I bet... Unlike the rest of us lazy types who just load up heavy metal pro or solaris skunk werks...

[Sigmund Floyd]

That's not strictly true...Battletech Master Rules, Miniature rules (pp 96-102) conceivably allows you to use engines with non-integer move values provided you want to measure fractions of an inch.

[Blood Rose]

I just use Solaris Skunkwerks. Its far easier.

[WonderSparks]

Haha I completely forgot I had started this topic! XD
Anyways, thanks for your input, guys! I've created my chart and now I can calculate speed with ease. ^^
And as for the 90 tonner with the 400 XL Engine? I'd post the picture I drew of it in this comment but last time I tried to do that I broke the page, so I'll post the URL linking to the page instead (and this time I'll check my spelling THOROUGHLY before posting XD) http://fav.me/d712qrv
I'd say with a loadout like that, I'd need all the speed I could get. cx