6 replies to this topic

[Koniks]

The BattleTech IP allows Omnis to be converted to BattleMechs so that equipment hardwired on base chassis can be changed.

In MWO this could be accomplished by allowing players to pay a C-Bill cost to lock their hardpoints and then configure the rest of their equipment and upgrades like the Inner Sphere. The Summoner and Nova could trade jump jets for other equipment or take EndoSteel instead. The Timber Wolf could downgrade its engine for more equipment. The Dire Wolf and Clan lights could sacrifice firepower for speed.

Some limits would have to be put in place because the reduced equipment weight, reduced critical slots on equipment, and hardpoint flexibility are gamebreaking advantages with IS construction rules. So it should only be allowed on stock hardpoint configurations--this would lock in quirks and limit build combinations. And there'd have to be a smaller range of engines available, say +/-15 ratings for Assaults, +/- 25 for Mediums and Heavies, +/- 50 for Lights if staying with a Clan XL engine.

A TBR would get about 4 tons of additional equipment weight by trading down. A DWF could go about 2.5kph faster unless it switched to a STD engine. A Clan Light's speed would top out in the 130s.

The only jump jet Timber Wolf BattleMech would be the S. Likewise the Kit Fox-S would be the only light with jump jets. No Clan BattleMech would have ECM, it'd only be available on a slow KFX Omni. Warhawks still couldn't load weapons in their LT. The Summoner Prime would remain unloved but the D would get a boost.

[AlmightyAeng]

No. That non-customizability is one of the few balancing factors, even with the tinkertoy version of clan weapons.

[Widowmaker1981]

no. the game would become Dire Wolf online..

its not 2.5 kph faster, if you could convert a direwolf to a battlemech and then add a XL 350 and endo steel it would lose a grand total of 1.5 tons of weapon space (and 7 crit slots) but would now move at 62.5, which is plenty fast enough, and with 8 energy and 6 ballistic hard points would be, by far, the best thing in the game.

NO.

Edit.. re-read your post and you kinda addressed those issues.. still bad but yea, your way isnt AS bad as i was saying above, it probably wouldnt create direwolf online.. though dropping the TBW engine to a 350 would be OP on the S variant, itd be TBW-S online instead.

Edited by Widowmaker1981, 17 July 2014 - 06:48 AM.

[Bilbo]

Completely game breaking.

[Zerberus]

SO clan mechs choose their hardpoints, and then get completely free configuration of everything else after doing so?

I love my clan mechs, but THIS would make them massively OP, because then they are IS mechs with mix and match whatever hardpoints you want, and things like 4GR Dire wolves, 2gr2ppc timbertarts, or LRM 75 Warhawks will suddenly start becoming reality instead of hyperbolic panic.

Edited by Zerberus, 17 July 2014 - 06:44 AM.

[Koniks]

Rather than dismissing it out of hand, please explain how it's gamebreaking. If the limits I proposed aren't sufficient, what would be?

Zerberus, on 17 July 2014 - 06:43 AM, said:

SO clan mechs choose their hardpoints, and then get completely free configuration of everything else after doing so?

I addressed that in the OP: they'd only be able to lock the stock hardpoint configurations. And there'd be limits on what engines could be swapped in.

Edited by Mizeur, 17 July 2014 - 07:01 AM.

[Zerberus]

Mizeur, on 17 July 2014 - 07:00 AM, said:

Rather than dismissing it out of hand, please explain how it's gamebreaking. If the limits I proposed aren't sufficient, what would be?


I addressed that in the OP: they'd only be able to lock the stock hardpoint configurations. And there'd be limits on what engines could be swapped in.

Ah, sorry, I must have overlooked that, my bad..... Still not convinced it`s a good idea though, becasue many of the "horrorbuilds" would still be entirely possible even w stock hardpoints....

For example you can get 100 lrms on a summoner w 7 tons of ammo if you forego armor.

SO we downsize the engine to a 250, drop the jumpjets, add endo steel, and suddenly that thing has full armor, 10-15 tons of ammo, an active probe, and the heat is halfway manageable.

Edited by Zerberus, 17 July 2014 - 03:17 PM.