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A Different Approach To "armor Points"


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Poll: Armor tickness (5 member(s) have cast votes)

Do you like the idea?

  1. Yes (1 votes [20.00%])

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  2. No (3 votes [60.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 60.00%

  3. Other, explained in a post (1 votes [20.00%])

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#1 EvilCow

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Posted 09 June 2016 - 04:19 AM

Hello,

Currently the armor points are only proportional to the weight of the armor, for example, lets say that one ton of armor gives you 20 points of protection.

The problem is that the armor gives you exactly the same protection per ton regardless of the protected surface area. You get 20 points of protection regardless.

A more realistic approach would be to make protection points inversely proportional to the area covered by the armor, for example:

1 ton on 2m2 would give 20 points
1 ton on 1m2 would give 40 points
1 ton on 4m2 would give 10 points

and so on

Now lets consider what effect we would have in game. Lets assume that assault mechs would stay about with the current level of protection, the lower classes would get increasing level of protection with less armor mass used.

The consequence is that the difference between an assault and one light would be not so much protection (to a lesser degree) but mainly speed and firepower. This would make probably the use of structure/armor quirks less necessary and give lesser classes more of a role.

#2 Karl Streiger

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Posted 09 June 2016 - 06:20 AM

Wait did I understand it right?
Big Hitbox = Less armor?

Considering that there is already a decline in possible armor per ton (or a Light carries more points of armor per ton of Mech as a Heavier unit)

Shouldn't it be the opposite?


And because you love realistic behavior: The "assault" Mech is armored with a different type of armor.
Same mass per point of armor but a different density and so more cubic volume.

Or in other words
1m³ Light Grade Armor weights more as 1 m³ of Assault Grade armor


BTW; it seems like the size of the hitbox was also used as balancing metric in MWLL... so some Mechs had more armor (Warhawk) than heavier Mechs

Edited by Karl Streiger, 09 June 2016 - 06:58 AM.


#3 Tarl Cabot

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Posted 09 June 2016 - 04:23 PM

iie. If this is about survivability PGI has already added additional structural quirks to mechs. Anything else PGI should simply triple the armor/structural points from the base number instead of the current double points.


In the military environment, survivability is defined as the ability to remain mission capable after a single engagement.

Edited by Tarl Cabot, 09 June 2016 - 04:24 PM.


#4 ionzu

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Posted 11 June 2016 - 09:25 AM

View PostKarl Streiger, on 09 June 2016 - 06:20 AM, said:

Wait did I understand it right?
Big Hitbox = Less armor?

Considering that there is already a decline in possible armor per ton (or a Light carries more points of armor per ton of Mech as a Heavier unit)

Shouldn't it be the opposite?


And because you love realistic behavior: The "assault" Mech is armored with a different type of armor.
Same mass per point of armor but a different density and so more cubic volume.

Or in other words
1m³ Light Grade Armor weights more as 1 m³ of Assault Grade armor


Posted Image



#5 Void Angel

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Posted 11 June 2016 - 11:44 AM

View PostEvilCow, on 09 June 2016 - 04:19 AM, said:

Hello,

Currently the armor points are only proportional to the weight of the armor, for example, lets say that one ton of armor gives you 20 points of protection.

The problem is that the armor gives you exactly the same protection per ton regardless of the protected surface area. You get 20 points of protection regardless.

A more realistic approach would be to make protection points inversely proportional to the area covered by the armor, for example:

1 ton on 2m2 would give 20 points
1 ton on 1m2 would give 40 points
1 ton on 4m2 would give 10 points

and so on

Now lets consider what effect we would have in game. Lets assume that assault mechs would stay about with the current level of protection, the lower classes would get increasing level of protection with less armor mass used.

The consequence is that the difference between an assault and one light would be not so much protection (to a lesser degree) but mainly speed and firepower. This would make probably the use of structure/armor quirks less necessary and give lesser classes more of a role.

I think you're lost. Heavy Gear is This Way. The "armor points per ton" mechanic is a genre conceit for Battletech - and really, do we need to make the game even more obtuse and confusing for new players? Try making a comprehensive explanation of LRM mechanics to a newbie... "Oh, now you have to remember tube counts on your hardpoints... no, that's the launcher's size, tube counts are..."





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