24 replies to this topic

[Elyam]

While nearly all mechs have general spotlights of various forms, the Warhammer's huge specialty light was always considered something more, explained in the lore as a fuller-EM spectrum flood, not just of visible light and/or IR, and an integral part of its active sensor suite. I don't have the original 3025 technical readout in front of me (it's sitting at home, and I don't trust Sarna to have kept the original text), so I can't quote the specific description. It would be nice to have a perk for the 'Hammer that gives a bonus to general sensors or the BAP or even a better resolution to the night and therm sensors (if technically possible).

And for those thinking the BT lostech lore and technological effect are whacked, there are two main explanations: the constant state of warfare over centuries (not sporadic, but constant, punctuated by 4 massive war events) and all it wrought, including severe destruction to science, technology and production centers and the people who manned them PLUS the departure of General Kerensky and the Star League army, taking with them huge numbers of the best minds and techs from throughout the Inner Sphere. It's a lot to read, but looked at in its entirety, the lore provides very convincing arguments as to why so much knowledge was lost and how some systems can be maintained but not produced.

Edit: after checking the readout, I appear to have over-remembered a bit on the breadth of EM radiated by the spotlight, but the rest was accurate

Edited by Elyam, 06 January 2016 - 07:45 PM.

[Deathlike]

Beside's a Lostech concept... why would you want something that increases the ability for your opponents to shoot your CT?

[Nastyogre]

MeiSooHaityu, on 06 January 2016 - 10:34 AM, said:

Pepridge Farms remembers.

You sir, win the internet today.

[Elyam]

Deathlike: You would want it in any situation where the need to find the foe outweighs other considerations. After all, submarines (for example) have active sonar for a reason...rarely used and with great caution, but sometimes you ping. Same with the spotlight...and sometimes the mech will be in a position similar to one among many destroyers hunting a sub, and they can often afford to go active for significant periods of that search.

Of course, MWO isn't at such advanced sensor stages yet.

Edited by Elyam, 06 January 2016 - 07:54 PM.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

So, Goons rejoice, some good HAS come out of somethingawful.com. The book, "My Tank is Fight", for instance, lays to rest the misconception that people in the 1980s in Western society were not accustomed to night vision devices and the associated technologies. The {Godwin's Law} German military DID attempt to field such devices as early as 1939. By the time of the Vietnam War, passive night vision devices were in common use around the world in military equipment, and even by some dismounts. My near-and-dear-to-me AH-64 Apache was developed in that 1970s, with two separate nigh-vision-capable systems (PNVS, TADS) fielded on it. Earliest production aircraft, IIRC, were fielded before the first BT game was published by FASA.

So yeah, actually, folks in the 1980s WERE familiar with night vision equipment and technology.

And I STILL want a doggone search light on my whammy...