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[Cayp]

I will try to be constructive and thorough.

A penalties for high alpha damage feels too artificial because there is no natural mechanics behind it. For example - there is no ghost heat in universe.

But moving to energy draw - there is. But current game mechanics use damage values instead of energy.

Secondly, there is more ways to punish for high alpha and it feels natural when we begin to talk about energy.

So, how I see natural way of things:
1. Engine produces power. In mechs - electrical I think.
2. Power is an amount of produced energy per time.
3. Energy is consumed by weapon and mech systems and partly dissipated into heat.

Where is natural limits and penalties:
1. Power rating of engine.
2. Looks like mech engine can produce more power than its power rating but with high heat penalty (thermonuclear reactors, you know) and not for long time. We already have penalty for this in CT damage during overheat and override mechanics.
3. Power consumers cannot consume more power than their own power rating. This limits cooldown cycles.

How power produced looks simple, its usually a constant value. But how it is consumed and what should be when there is not enough power?

1. Mech systems:
A. Mech movement - myomers.
Consumes amount of power proportional to speed and movement activity.
Produces proportional amount of heat during movement.
If there is not enough power:
- Mech can be slowed down
- Mech can be knocked down (like during CBT/OBT)
- Actuators can work poorly: we have shackle during use of jump jets, it's the same and increased pinpoint time
- Mech can stop or be shutted down
B. Sensors.
Consumes constant amount of power.
If there is not enough power:
- We can have sensors and screen glitches (like back in MW3 or near ECM)
- Sensors can go offline and mech pilot will be blind
2. Weapon systems.
2.1. Energy.
Consumes a lot of power during cooldown cycle. Obviously recharging their capacitors.
Produces a lot of heat during fire cycle.
If there is not enough power - recharging becomes slower or impossible.

As Recharging drains power it affects other systems. It can induce penalties if there is not enough power in all other power consuming systems during recharge. For example: slow down movement, and slow down recharging and reloading mechanisms in other weapon systems.

2.2. Ballistics and Missile.
Consumes power for reload and a little or none for fire mechanisms.
Produces some heat during fire cycle.
If there is not enough power - reloading becomes slower or impossible.

2.3. Gauss rifle.
Consumes power during charge up cycle.
Produces almost no heat during fire.

So as you can see - there is no artificial penalties and a lot of interesting game mechanics to use.

With this mechanics we save old simple heat system and you will be punished for high alpha with slowing down and exposing yourself to the enemy, losing accuracy and increasing cooldown time and thus losing your firepower.