65 replies to this topic

[Alexandrix]

BTone, on 11 July 2012 - 12:43 PM, said:

maybe it's a force field powered directly from the fusion engine. It works for relatively small surface area, like a cockpit, but it would take too much energy for say an entire mech.

while that would be awesome.no.it's been answered in this thread what it is already.

[Torben Ivarson]

microsoft smartglass

[BTone]

I got that...but forcefields rock...

[Alexandrix]

BTone, on 11 July 2012 - 12:47 PM, said:

I got that...but forcefields rock...

that they do!

[CaveMan]

BTone, on 11 July 2012 - 12:43 PM, said:

maybe it's a force field powered directly from the fusion engine. It works for relatively small surface area, like a cockpit, but it would take too much energy for say an entire mech.

There are no forcefields in BattleTech.

As for lasers, 'Mech cockpit windows have a layer in them that is opaque to the wavelength of light used by battlefield lasers, but permits other wavelengths to pass through. Since a laser by design only uses a single frequency and lasers are standardized, this is fairly easy to do across the entire range of 'Mech lasers. Any laser operating outside this standard range can be dealt with by a photo-sensitive coating that turns black when exposed to high intensity light.

That said, laser hits to the cockpit cause pilot damage, so at least some of that energy is getting in and hurting the pilot.

[captn rentoshi]

Now from tada-oh industries!

Ferroglass for happy happy long time.

What is Ferroglass™?

Ferroglass™ is our proprietary brand of epoxy/glass which has up to 60% by
weight of ferrite powder added to the epoxy resin. This has the effect of reducing the
reluctance of the magnetic tolerances which includes the molecular structure.
The result is an increase in strength of 3000% or more compared to conventional casing materials.
The performance gain due to the Ferroglass™ casing is greatest at small diameters,
where the amount of ferrite in the casing is an appreciable percentage of the total magnetic material present in the magnetic circuit. strenght increases of 40% have been measured using 6.5mm diameter Ferroglass™ CASE. When the impeder diameter exceeds
30mm, the gain may be as little as 500%. The chart below depicts the deflection efficiency for
different panel diameters, using both Ferroglass™ & conventional reflective casing.

Remember in MW3 how that pesky anihilator used to knock you down and chip your cockpit glass?

Edited by captn rentoshi, 11 July 2012 - 12:54 PM.

[Bloodshed Romance]

Sean von Steinike, on 11 July 2012 - 12:39 PM, said:

It's Scotty's transparent aluminum, formerly used to house humpback whales.

thank god i'm not the only trekkie that was thinking that.. was gonna say it but thats what I get for checking the forums late...

edit: it could be like the force fields from Next Gen behind the glass.. As shown in First Contact...
but you know.. this is Battletech... which is a whole nother scenario of technology..

Edited by Bloodshed Romance, 11 July 2012 - 12:54 PM.

[Damascas]

BTone, on 11 July 2012 - 12:38 PM, said:

or another thought, why not make the whole damn mech made of that material?

Because then they can see what they need to shoot.

[verybad]

Nanocarbonfiber

Steelo, on 11 July 2012 - 12:35 PM, said:

Thats the point of my question what is the canon science behind this?
Is there something?

Because it seems like barely anything works and that normal metal would be alot easier and cheaper to find and reproduce than crazy translucent materials considering the state of the economy

Edit:

Ferroglass interesting

There's no canon "science" they used terms that sounded cheesy even back in the 80s
Ferroglass is one of the terms. I like to think they simbly have screens, not windows,with the outside cockpit look produced by thousands of minicameras.

Edited by verybad, 11 July 2012 - 12:55 PM.

[captn rentoshi]

BTone, on 11 July 2012 - 12:47 PM, said:

I got that...but forcefields rock...

Drop ships have force fields, and some fire bases have it too, aren't they called (hardened)? I hated those missions where you had to hunt down the field generator, by the time you got to the base you were all shot up and got less honor.

[Name48928]

Sean von Steinike, on 11 July 2012 - 12:39 PM, said:

It's Scotty's transparent aluminum, formerly used to house humpback whales.

Which already exists:

http://blog.makezine...arent-aluminum/

Once manufacturing costs come down, it will likely replace bullet-proof glass.

[CaveMan]

captn rentoshi, on 11 July 2012 - 12:58 PM, said:

Drop ships have force fields, and some fire bases have it too, aren't they called (hardened)? I hated those missions where you had to hunt down the field generator, by the time you got to the base you were all shot up and got less honor.

No, they don't.

The closest thing to a force field in BattleTech is the Blue Shield Projector, which just creates a strong magnetic field that disrupts PPCs (but nothing else).

The mission in MW2 with the temple protected by a shield isn't considered canon. That was Activision's doing.

[BTone]

I was being generally facetious in my posts. The cockpit glass is just unimpressive to me

[Erwiin]

captn rentoshi, on 11 July 2012 - 12:51 PM, said:

...Remember in MW3 how that pesky anihilator used to knock you down and chip your cockpit glass?

I hope something like that is included in MWO!

[Fetladral]

Well Star Wars would be even farther in the future then Battletech and they have glass (Transparisteel) though oddly all of their tech seems to go backwards for awhile once the emperor gains power. But thats besides the point. If Star Wars still has a type of glass that can take laser hits why can't battletech?

[Name48928]

Fetladral, on 11 July 2012 - 01:09 PM, said:

... though oddly all of their tech seems to go backwards for awhile once the emperor gains power.

Not really that hard to understand: The Emperor cut funding to science and education in order to balance the tax-cuts for his wealthy friends (you know, the one's who helped him get into office). Of course, with the rich getting richer, industry took off. But without any research being conducted, tech levels slipped. Which is why the Empire has so many combustible TIE fighters by the time of New Hope.

I'm reading Ideal War by Christopher Kubasik right now. In the story, the protagonist's Phoenix Hawk is described as having a nearly opaque front port, "enough to just let some light in". It reads like welding glass, and is used primarily to project images on. But each BT writer does it a little different...

Edited by MinionJoe, 11 July 2012 - 01:16 PM.

[Davion5150]

Sean von Steinike, on 11 July 2012 - 12:39 PM, said:

It's Scotty's transparent aluminum, formerly used to house humpback whales.

Scotty holds mouse to his mouth. "Oh computer? Computer?"
Other guy: "Just use the keyboard"

[Elkarlo]

Aktually you need only to Change the Molecular Structure of Metall (The Molekular Grid ) to have a transparent METALL.
You have only learn how to make a Prozess to give the Metall a certain Cristall structure to have Transparent Metall.

In Essenz you build into the Metall Strukture a polarizer in. So that a lot of Lightwaves are allowd through, you can even work it so that corrent Light will have some trouble an loose lot of energy.( So yes it will even protect against Laser Beams)

Like the Transparent Alumium mentioned before.

Drawback is that such Metall will become very hard and rigid so it will loose some of it's flexibility which makes in Essence a good Armor.
But of yours it will be better and lighter than Glass.
But this Rigid Feature of Transparent Metall will explain why the Cockpits still have Class style Framing,
to give it the ductility back you need for a good Armored Structure.

Small science Lesson over.
For the Big Lesson i can ask a Friend of mine. A Metallurgist at Thyssen-Krupp.

Edited by Elkarlo, 11 July 2012 - 01:26 PM.

[captn rentoshi]

CaveMan, on 11 July 2012 - 01:00 PM, said:

No, they don't.

The closest thing to a force field in BattleTech is the Blue Shield Projector, which just creates a strong magnetic field that disrupts PPCs (but nothing else).

The mission in MW2 with the temple protected by a shield isn't considered canon. That was Activision's doing.

If it happens in the game is history and you played it the fact you remember proves my point, this isn't real life and you can't quote the BT bible at all times remember the introduction of mercenary's? My shields are down and I'm going to be a sitting duck out there you better hurry up!

Or maybe I imagined it.... dang this shrooms.

Edited by captn rentoshi, 11 July 2012 - 01:20 PM.

[Fetladral]

I like BT alot better without shields though. Though I'm certain there were environmental shields of some kind (biodome type) but combat energy shields nah. Mean light mechs could possibly take as much damage as heavies basically everything might be able to take 3 times as much damage.

thontor, on 11 July 2012 - 01:21 PM, said:

But i thought Star Wars was a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away?

The star wars movies are our "future" being told from a point beyond when they take place. Tis a bit confusing.

Edited by Fetladral, 11 July 2012 - 01:25 PM.