16 replies to this topic

[Resist The Dawn]

After watching the Frozen City video(which I am very excited for), The advent of thermal vision made me wonder if there would be any other interesting vision types. As far as I know Thermal vision is not a canon thing, though I could be wrong. Anyone have any ideas for some new variants like thermal vision?

Also, has there been any word of the urban maps that everyone was so excited about? I know frozen city is well, a city, but from the video there didnt appear to be too many buildings, and the other map seen in the preview videos is clearly not an urban environment.

[mr Zonke]

In the novels (well the three stackpole novels I read anyway) there was normal (vislight), thermal and magnetic vision..

[Pat Kell]

there are going to be several vision modes, regular and thermal everyone starts out with and through progression on the skill tree (i think) you can unlock other modes like magnetic vision to use in your mech

[Easily]

For the additional vision modes, see http://mwomercs.com/...e-warfare-cont/

• • Vision Mode 1 - Zoom Vision – Allows the pilot to zoom 7x
  
• • Vision Mode 2 – Night Vision – Allows the player to see in dark areas/night
  
• • Vision Mode 3 – Thermal – Allows the pilot to see heat signatures through solid objects
  
• • Vision Mode 4 – Magnetometer – Allows the pilot to see metal through solid objects

These are planned for now. (Of course, this could have been changed since the post was written.)


Also, for now we only know of 2 maps. Frozen City and the Woodland/Lake/Hill map.
There is however still the urban map from the Reboot Announcement trailer:

but even that is almost a year old.

Edited by Easily, 02 July 2012 - 11:44 AM.

[BenEEeees VAT GROWN BACON]

Maybe when the clans invade we get image enhancement...... then we see everything in wireframe mode

[Resist The Dawn]

Lol Magnetic vision, kind of a strange name. I'm assuming it allows you to see metal things and not pull people towards you by looking at them like some sort of robot superman. How exactly does that work in the novels? It seems like it would be next to useless on urban maps.
Edit: nevermind, thanks for clarifying that Easily.

Edited by Resist The Dawn, 02 July 2012 - 11:46 AM.

[TheOneGunslinger]

if you look at the Assault/Defense Skills in "\
http://mwomercs.com/forums/topic/3921-dev-blog-4-role-warfare-cont/"
it lists

• • Vision Mode 2 – Night Vision – Allows the player to see in dark areas/night
  
• • Vision Mode 3 – Thermal – Allows the pilot to see heat signatures through solid objects
  
• • Vision Mode 4 – Magnetometer – Allows the pilot to see metal through solid objects

well looks like a few people got in before me

Edited by TheOneGunslinger, 02 July 2012 - 11:46 AM.

[BenEEeees VAT GROWN BACON]

Resist The Dawn, on 02 July 2012 - 11:44 AM, said:

Lol Magnetic vision, kind of a strange name. I'm assuming it allows you to see metal things and not pull people towards you by looking at them like some sort of robot superman. How exactly does that work in the novels? It seems like it would be next to useless on urban maps.

It allows you to see through obstacles.

[Easily]

TheOneGunslinger, on 02 July 2012 - 11:45 AM, said:

if you look at the Assault/Defense Skills in "\
http://mwomercs.com/forums/topic/3921-dev-blog-4-role-warfare-cont/"
it lists

• • Vision Mode 2 – Night Vision – Allows the player to see in dark areas/night
  
• • Vision Mode 3 – Thermal – Allows the pilot to see heat signatures through solid objects
  
• • Vision Mode 4 – Magnetometer – Allows the pilot to see metal through solid objects

Beat you to it *evil laugh*

Resist The Dawn, on 02 July 2012 - 11:44 AM, said:

Lol Magnetic vision, kind of a strange name. I'm assuming it allows you to see metal things and not pull people towards you by looking at them like some sort of robot superman. How exactly does that work in the novels? It seems like it would be next to useless on urban maps.
Edit: nevermind, thanks for clarifying that Easily.

No worries bro, glad to be of assistance.

Edited by Easily, 02 July 2012 - 11:48 AM.

[Saren21]

TheOneGunslinger, on 02 July 2012 - 11:45 AM, said:

if you look at the Assault/Defense Skills in "\
http://mwomercs.com/forums/topic/3921-dev-blog-4-role-warfare-cont/"
it lists

• • Vision Mode 2 – Night Vision – Allows the player to see in dark areas/night
  
• • Vision Mode 3 – Thermal – Allows the pilot to see heat signatures through solid objects
  
• • Vision Mode 4 – Magnetometer – Allows the pilot to see metal through solid objects

well looks like a few people got in before me

I wonder what the view range on the mag is gonna be ? i would guess with in 50m for small mechs up to 150 for larger ones ?

[Targetloc]

EM imaging... no idea what it would look like, but it's usually used in forested terrain because forests severely drop the distance you can spot mechs at using vislight. I think thermal was also more affected by forest hexes, and already starts with a base penalty unless the mech is actively producing heat (ie firing weapons).

[Easily]

Saren21, on 02 July 2012 - 11:49 AM, said:

I wonder what the view range on the mag is gonna be ? i would guess with in 50m for small mechs up to 150 for larger ones ?

From what I could piece together of the few video's I have seen, the thermal vision has about a 100, perhaps 150 meter range, and if my memory serves me right the actual size of mech does not appear to influence the detection range.

I could be horribly wrong though (hopefully?).

Of course, there's no way to know if the Magnetometer has the same detection range, but I doubt it will have a longer range.

Edit: Actually, you got me intrigued, let's see if I can come up with a more accurate answer. To my video collection!

Edit2: Righto, updated answer. Turns out I suck at judging distances in video games.
I only had some very short clips with thermal imaging to work with. But I did see the following:

• Normal vision range during a snowstorm on Frozen City appears to be 200 meters. Keep in mind, this is to see movement. You see a vague blur that moves. You can not lock.
  
• Locking range appears to be about 150 meters during a snowstorm.
  
• Thermal vision range is atleast 200 meters. You can see this during a lock on a mech in the Frozen City reveal video.
  
• Thermal vision probably has a 300 meter range from what I could see (had to estimate the distance to a smoke cloud that gave off some heat). Couldn't find an example of a thermal image beyond that range. Doesn't mean it isn't possible.

Keep in mind that this data is collected without knowledge about the pilots modules. That could (will?) affect vision and detection range.

Edited by Easily, 02 July 2012 - 12:21 PM.

[Bongo TauKat]

Easily, on 02 July 2012 - 11:43 AM, said:

For the additional vision modes, see http://mwomercs.com/...e-warfare-cont/

• • Vision Mode 1 - Zoom Vision – Allows the pilot to zoom 7x
  
• • Vision Mode 2 – Night Vision – Allows the player to see in dark areas/night
  
• • Vision Mode 3 – Thermal – Allows the pilot to see heat signatures through solid objects
  
• • Vision Mode 4 – Magnetometer – Allows the pilot to see metal through solid objects

In the old Battletech Tactical Handbook, there was a seismic sensor system as well. However it was only addressed a couple of times in the book, primarily in Kai Allard-Liao's trial of position for the Dragoons, and was actually accessing free standing sensors, not those incorporated into the mech. The book gave modifiers for the system that were weight based. Negative mods for the lighter and positive for the heavy chassis.

The handbook also denotes an EM sensor system for locating powerplant outputs, never stated in the canon as far as I know.

Edited by Bongo TauKat Talasko, 02 July 2012 - 12:29 PM.

[H Minus]

Targetloc, on 02 July 2012 - 11:53 AM, said:

I think thermal was also more affected by forest hexes, and already starts with a base penalty unless the mech is actively producing heat (ie firing weapons).

Id rather use NVGs in the forest then thermal imaging..in the army, I remember thermals on the TOW lighting the whole ******* forest up in a generally bright blurry mass. A normal sized living thing could walk right at you and you wouldnt see them. Humvees were hard to see in the woods too using this method even with engines running. NVGs were the way to go.. Im sure it would be different with a 50 ton mass heating up from massive weapon discharge, as you've stated.

[Saren21]

Easily, on 02 July 2012 - 11:55 AM, said:

From what I could piece together of the few video's I have seen, the thermal vision has about a 100, perhaps 150 meter range, and if my memory serves me right the actual size of mech does not appear to influence the detection range.

I could be horribly wrong though (hopefully?).

Of course, there's no way to know if the Magnetometer has the same detection range, but I doubt it will have a longer range.

Edit: Actually, you got me intrigued, let's see if I can come up with a more accurate answer. To my video collection!

Edit2: Righto, updated answer. Turns out I suck at judging distances in video games.
I only had some very short clips with thermal imaging to work with. But I did see the following:

• Normal vision range during a snowstorm on Frozen City appears to be 200 meters. Keep in mind, this is to see movement. You see a vague blur that moves. You can not lock.
  
• Locking range appears to be about 150 meters during a snowstorm.
  
• Thermal vision range is atleast 200 meters. You can see this during a lock on a mech in the Frozen City reveal video.
  
• Thermal vision probably has a 300 meter range from what I could see (had to estimate the distance to a smoke cloud that gave off some heat). Couldn't find an example of a thermal image beyond that range. Doesn't mean it isn't possible.

Keep in mind that this data is collected without knowledge about the pilots modules. That could (will?) affect vision and detection range.

Ok.. that sounds about right to me. 300M is a good range for heat thise are 30 to 100 ton war machines and can drawf most small buildings no real hideing the heat from them I guess.

[BigJim]

BenEEeees VAT GROWN BACON, on 02 July 2012 - 11:43 AM, said:

Maybe when the clans invade we get image enhancement...... then we see everything in wireframe mode

I had such a crap computer I played 90% of MW2 31st like that.

[Ranek Blackstone]

the devs seem to have moved on somewhat from what they listed in the devblogs. In the charts, thermal is listed as an unlock. In the reveal and various interviews based off it, thermal is now a stock system installed in all mechs.

NV and MAG might still be module based.