22 replies to this topic

[Namicus]

What is it and does it make buying the wave 3 packages worth it?

[Alaskan Nobody]

In older games MASC made your mech move faster for short bursts

How long it lasted (and what penalties there were) varied from game to game though
So there is little telling how it will work in this game
In one of the games (forget which one) it had a meter like JJ do
In the TT game you rolled each time you used it, and on a bad roll you were fully immobilized for the rest of the game
I do not expect them to use the TT penalties though, as UAC had a similar issue - and was simplified to a temporary jam, rather than an "until you get back to the mechbay to manually fix it" jam

However
Rather like ECM and Command Console did nothing at first
I expect MASC to not have any function to begin with

Edited by Shar Wolf, 26 February 2015 - 12:05 PM.

[Hospy]

On the tabletop it also has the fun side effect of sometimes immobilizing your mech for the rest of the game.

[Namicus]

Great to know. Thanks!

[charov]

I hope they won't make it useless by adding some weird drawback. Clans will be the first to use it and probably will be hardwired. On the executioner it weight 4 tons, quite a lot especially if you consider that it already has 8t of hardwired JJ.

Btw, I think that this Pack should be very good. I don't see any DOA mech, atm (the Executioner is a bit "unlucky" due to MASC and JJ, but not DOA).

[Empyrus]

It should be noted that it does not completely immobilized a mech in the event of failure in the tabletop game nowadays. It just damages the mech's legs by one critical hit (eg you might lose a hip actuator or a knee actuator). The old rule was the complete immobilization.

IMO MASC should boost speed slightly, increase acceleration and deceleration significantly, increase mech torso/arm movement speed, and turn rate. The penalties could include increased heat generation, and for extended use, legs' internal structures getting damaged.

[Augustus Martelus II]

red devil2, on 26 February 2015 - 12:52 PM, said:

I hope they won't make it useless by adding some weird drawback. Clans will be the first to use it and probably will be hardwired. On the executioner it weight 4 tons, quite a lot especially if you consider that it already has 8t of hardwired JJ.

Btw, I think that this Pack should be very good. I don't see any DOA mech, atm (the Executioner is a bit "unlucky" due to MASC and JJ, but not DOA).

Coldron-Born will be my nickname

[DjPush]

It will probably generate heat when used. That seems like something PGI would add. It may get you to the battle faster but you may be at 25% heat by the time you get there. Try to use it to escape the battle to cool down and your mech will overheat. Something along those lines. Kinda makes sense thought. Higher speeds require more energy. More energy means more heat.

[Satan n stuff]

Shar Wolf, on 26 February 2015 - 12:03 PM, said:

Rather like ECM and Command Console did nothing at first
I expect MASC to not have any function to begin with

ECM never actually did nothing, PGI held back canon ECM variants until it was ready and then added it to some others.
There was a pretty big riot in CB because Raven owners couldn't elite their mechs because of it.

[Alaskan Nobody]

Satan n stuff, on 26 February 2015 - 01:14 PM, said:

ECM never actually did nothing, PGI held back canon ECM variants until it was ready and then added it to some others.
There was a pretty big riot in CB because Raven owners couldn't elite their mechs because of it.

Pretty sure the Ravens were in before ECM was fully functional, if only by one patch.

I could easily be wrong about that though

[Satan n stuff]

Shar Wolf, on 26 February 2015 - 01:23 PM, said:

Pretty sure the Ravens were in before ECM was fully functional, if only by one patch.

I could easily be wrong about that though

Ravens were, the 3L wasn't. That's what that riot was about, Raven owners couldn't elite their mechs because there were only two variants in the game at the time. It's not something you forget when half the community was clamoring for PGI to release ECM already. Look how that turned out.

[Augustus Martelus II]

MASC = Ghost heat = because: thats why.

[Insects]

I think it will operate like JJ's but for turbo boost speed.
Might have its own meter. Might cause heat.
Could have a meter and damage legs instead of CT when exceeded.

[Kain Demos]

I heard some third party info that it will have a bar like JJs that depletes but you can continue using it after it is depleted at your own risk because it can cause damage to your leg's internals kind of like when you override shutdown.

Not a bad implementation if true but too bad it is just hearsay and likely to be false.

Edited by Kain Thul, 26 February 2015 - 02:22 PM.

[TheSilken]

It would be cool if it would just rip your both legs off if you used them way too much. One second you see an Executioner running 90 kph towards you the next you see its torso flying by, without any legs attached, into a wall before log rolling back to you.

[Scout Derek]

From Mechwarrior 3:

[Kristov Kerensky]

Russ said MASC would work, he said he didn't know HOW it would work yet, but it would be working when we got it with the Wave III Mechs.

In TT, MASC requires tonnage and slots based on Mech tonnage/20(IS)25(Clan) and ALL the slots must be together, it's a single piece of hardware. It's a player select usage item and it increases your speed by 2x Walking speed, not Running speed. Roll every turn used or have your leg actuators seize up due to the extreme stress of that doubled speed, and there you stand until someone takes out your Mech, you eject or the combat is over and your team comes along and picks you up to get repaired. Every turn used you increase the chance of seize up so that it will seize no matter what after 6 turns of straight usage, as you need a 14 on 2d6 to avoid failure at that point, using it for 5 turns, turning it off for 1 turn, then using it again is automatic failure as well, your roll to avoid failure is beating a 12, as the number to beat drops 1 per turn not used. It's fun, has it's uses, but it can be really funny to see a Mech doing well over 150kph have it's legs seize at full speed. Buddy of mine did that, Mech rolled a very very long way before it came to a stop, leaving a long wake of limbs and debris, including the pilot's crushed body in the crushed head behind it

Figure we'll get a 2x Walk speed boost for a set time frame that resets after usage, using 2/3 or 3/4 of the full time causing internal leg structure damage, 100% of the time causing more such damage, have to wait X time frame for it to fully reset to avoid that damage penalty.

[Y E O N N E]

DjPush, on 26 February 2015 - 01:10 PM, said:

It will probably generate heat when used. That seems like something PGI would add. It may get you to the battle faster but you may be at 25% heat by the time you get there. Try to use it to escape the battle to cool down and your mech will overheat. Something along those lines. Kinda makes sense thought. Higher speeds require more energy. More energy means more heat.

Peculiar how that doesn't apply to the Gauss Rifle...

Heat generation with MASC could be a real deal-breaker for 'Mechs with low dissipation (i.e. Locust, Commando), but I don't see it being as much of a problem on Clan 'Mechs.

I do, however, think a damage mechanic would be far more interesting than heat.

[hercules1981]

They mention exactly how heavy the masc will be?

Edited by hercules1981, 10 June 2015 - 03:38 AM.

[Speedy Plysitkos]

hercules1981, on 10 June 2015 - 03:38 AM, said:

They mention exactly how heavy the masc will be?

Sarna says:

For Inner Sphere 'Mechs, MASC takes up a number of critical spots equal to a 'Mech's tonnage divided by 20, rounded up, and an equal tonnage. For Clan 'Mechs, MASC takes up a number of critical spots equal to a 'Mech's tonnage divided by 25, rounded up, and an equal tonnage. MASC is a single piece of equipment, unlike Endo Steel or Ferro-Fibrous armor, and the critical spaces must be allocated to a single location. Destruction of that location or a critical hit to the MASC will destroy the equipment.

When a player first activates MASC, they roll 2D6. On a result of 3+, the MASC operates normally. On a 2, the 'Mechs leg actuators freeze up, immobilizing them for the rest of the game. The second consecutive turn MASC is used, the target number increases by two, to 5. On the third turn, it increases to 7, and so on. If a player ceases to use MASC for one turn, the target number is reduced by one. So if a player uses MASC on consecutive turns, does not use it on turn 3, then wishes to use it on turn 4, his target number will be 4. If ever the target number isn't reached on a roll, the 'Mech is immobilized.

When its successfully activated, the MASC allows the unit to run at double its standard walking speed (adjusted for modifiers such as damaged leg actuators, etc.) for that turn. Though obviously unreliable if used continuously, if used wisely it can have a devastating effect in combat.