10 replies to this topic

[GalmOne]

Greetings fellow Mechwarriors

I would like to pose a question to all the Battletech fans answell as a shoutout for the developers in considering some simple mechanics to add some extra flavour to the game.

Would you like to see more variations in Internal Structures and Armor Types regarless of the timeline age discrepancy with the battletech lore?


As many of you know most if not all mechs require the standard combination of Double Heat Sink and Endo-Steel internal upgrades, setting aside DHS, this creates a slightly stagnant situation in the variety of builds for this mechs where you basicaly have x slots, x tons and x hardpoints that just need to be filled up

But what if there was a reason to enhance this number of combinations? What if you had the ability to choose between more space, less space, more protection or less protection?

With a quick search on Sarna i have come across a number of links which provide simple examples which i believe would fit perfectly into the game at the moment.


Armor Types:
http://www.sarna.net...eflective_Armor
Take less damage from energy weapons but more damage against ballistic weapons and missiles in general, no indication if it uses extra slots or weight

http://www.sarna.net.../Hardened_Armor
Provides double resistence x point of armor, requires more weight, mechs with this armor move slower and are less agile

http://www.sarna.net...r_Stealth_Armor
provides as much protection as standard armor. It takes up two critical slots in each arm, leg, and side torso. To work, it also requires the 'Mech to carry a Guardian ECM Suite, from what i understand it generates heat when activated but will basicaly make you invisible to sensors like IR and such (would be quite scary in maps like Frozen City with fog)

Internal Structures:
http://www.sarna.net...ernal_Structure
Basicaly it's even lighter than Endo but makes your internals alot more fragile

There are way more examples, and battletech fans have surely more knowledge on this topic than me but i think it's pretty self-explainatory how such simple mechanics could widely change the possibilities of the game itself like looking for better protection against a specific damage type at the cost of more vulnerabilty


Frankly what i want to see is something that will make me stop to think IF to install Endo structure or rather use those 14 slots for better armor

What do you guys think? Should we stick with the lore technological progression or should we widen the range of choices for new and older players to add some extra spice to the game?

Let me know what you think.

[Joseph Mallan]

Those are "advanced Tech" Which isn't for the normal game play or "official" events. Sorta like fan rules.

[Widowmaker1981]

I think they would add a lot of build options, wouldn't increase TTK (decrease if anything) and would be a good thing to add. Dont care about the timeline.

[Ascaloth]

No, what we need is moar mech packs.

Joseph Mallan, on 11 August 2015 - 03:55 AM, said:

Those are "advanced Tech" Which isn't for the normal game play or "official" events. Sorta like fan rules.

Maybe some way to customize actuators, myomers, gyro, cockpit? I know small cockpit only comes in 3067... is there anything near 3050-3053 that PGI could add right now?

Edited by Ascaloth, 11 August 2015 - 04:02 AM.

[Joseph Mallan]

Ascaloth, on 11 August 2015 - 04:01 AM, said:

No, what we need is moar mech packs.



Maybe some way to customize actuators, myomers, gyro, cockpit? I know small cockpit only comes in 3067... there is anything near 3050-3053 that PGI could add right now?

There is a planet where where mechs do gymnastics thanks to advanced Gyros and Actuators... but what wout the actuators do for us here when we cannot even bend our arms?

[Pjwned]

Make ferro fibrous armor and standard structure an actual choice before adding more armor & structure types.

Ferro fibrous armor isn't in as bad of shape as single heatsinks because it actually is used, but only in addition to endo steel because it's literally pointless otherwise, and standard structure is never used ever except on omnimechs where it's forced while said omnimechs are pretty much all sub-par (except the dire whale) due in part to not having endo steel.

[CMDR Sunset Shimmer]

K.I.S.S Keep It SImple Stupid

I'd much rather them balance the game we have now than start adding random stuff from Advanced rules.

[Almond Brown]

How about a hybrid Endo-Fibrous structure type. It is the same as Endo and or Fibrous but just has a way cooler name. That way it is so much the same that no one could dare complain about the "differences" it doesn't have.

[FupDup]

Pjwned, on 11 August 2015 - 05:25 AM, said:

Make ferro fibrous armor and standard structure an actual choice before adding more armor & structure types.

Ferro fibrous armor isn't in as bad of shape as single heatsinks because it actually is used, but only in addition to endo steel because it's literally pointless otherwise, and standard structure is never used ever except on omnimechs where it's forced while said omnimechs are pretty much all sub-par (except the dire whale) due in part to not having endo steel.

I once saw a convincing argument from 1453R that buffing STD internals would have an "indirect buff" on Ferro.

The logic was that if you got rid of Endo, you'd get whatever boosts from using STD internals in place (at the cost of weight). Since Ferro is an armor choice, you could use Ferro at the same time as STD internals to give modest weight savings while still getting the full benefit of the internals.

It actually makes sense if you let it sink in for a few moments.

The better part is that it avoids indirectly buffing *most* of the top-tier Clan mechs (which usually have Ferro). Only the Daishi and Loki indirectly benefit...of those two, the Daishi probably needs to be toned done a bit anyways (maybe Loki to a much lesser extent).

[Lugh]

FupDup, on 11 August 2015 - 10:11 AM, said:

I once saw a convincing argument from 1453R that buffing STD internals would have an "indirect buff" on Ferro.

The logic was that if you got rid of Endo, you'd get whatever boosts from using STD internals in place (at the cost of weight). Since Ferro is an armor choice, you could use Ferro at the same time as STD internals to give modest weight savings while still getting the full benefit of the internals.

It actually makes sense if you let it sink in for a few moments.

The better part is that it avoids indirectly buffing *most* of the top-tier Clan mechs (which usually have Ferro). Only the Daishi and Loki indirectly benefit...of those two, the Daishi probably needs to be toned done a bit anyways (maybe Loki to a much lesser extent).

Only the math from the endo are almost always a better trade, especially in the IS.

[Pjwned]

FupDup, on 11 August 2015 - 10:11 AM, said:

I once saw a convincing argument from 1453R that buffing STD internals would have an "indirect buff" on Ferro.

The logic was that if you got rid of Endo, you'd get whatever boosts from using STD internals in place (at the cost of weight). Since Ferro is an armor choice, you could use Ferro at the same time as STD internals to give modest weight savings while still getting the full benefit of the internals.

It actually makes sense if you let it sink in for a few moments.

The better part is that it avoids indirectly buffing *most* of the top-tier Clan mechs (which usually have Ferro). Only the Daishi and Loki indirectly benefit...of those two, the Daishi probably needs to be toned done a bit anyways (maybe Loki to a much lesser extent).

I do recall that suggestion actually, and my response was to buff ferro fibrous and standard structure rather than 1 larger buff to standard structure which I still think is a better idea personally, but I can see how that would work.

The only problem is that mechs with both standard structure and standard armor (especially clan mechs with their half space upgrades) don't get much out of having standard armor that way, but I guess if you need the crit slots from standard armor then it's kind of enough (maybe) when considering that you do get something out of standard structure.

Edited by Pjwned, 11 August 2015 - 02:33 PM.