56 replies to this topic

[Koniving]

Bt has energy shields known as BlueShield, but it won't be a thing for a "long while" in the timeline... and it only works against PPCs.

[Koniving]

BT has physical shield tech close to our current timeline.
Although examples of it have existed in 3025 and earlier.... just not "officially" put into the rules.

[JediPanther]

Here I was hoping for x-wing/tie fighter recharge-able shields pulling power from the weapons and engines to set recharge rate. RIP Lucas Arts and good space sims. T/I D for life.

[Brain Cancer]

Actual robot-mounted force fields ain't happening.

Physical shields? Absolutely, as has been noted. Like a lot of stranger stuff, they start out as Solaris tech and later on end up showing up here and there on production models for general use.

[mistlynx4life]

It might just be where my mind is today but I can 100% support this, especially in Solaris, as a counter to the MG Boats. Any of the concepts mentioned would be fine. I can see energy shields functioning similar to stealth armor where they absorb damage for heat or something, and physical shields that have their own set of health, whether it be arm-mounted or just generic armor buffs.

[Brain Cancer]

We're not getting energy shields. Full stop.

Physical shields actually exist in Battletech. Energy shields on giant robots is MechAssault derp at best, and nowhere near canon save for the very short-duration Blue Shield anti-PPC systems.

[Variant1]

Brain Cancer, on 26 April 2018 - 12:39 PM, said:

We're not getting energy shields. Full stop.

Physical shields actually exist in Battletech. Energy shields on giant robots is MechAssault derp at best, and nowhere near canon save for the very short-duration Blue Shield anti-PPC systems.

dont talk smack about mechassault, its the best mechwarrior game out there!

[ShiverMeRivets]

I'd be happy with simple armor padding modules. These can also replace the useless CASE we have now.
Armor padding may take critical component so it soakes up critical damage from other equipment, and add add armor rating to the component it is installed in.

This will allow the option to trade firepower or cooling in favor of armor - which we can't do now.

I am not a battletech guy so I have no idea if something like this already exists within the rules.

[Brain Cancer]

ShiverMeRivets, on 26 April 2018 - 10:12 PM, said:

I'd be happy with simple armor padding modules. These can also replace the useless CASE we have now.
Armor padding may take critical component so it soakes up critical damage from other equipment, and add add armor rating to the component it is installed in.

This will allow the option to trade firepower or cooling in favor of armor - which we can't do now.

I am not a battletech guy so I have no idea if something like this already exists within the rules.

http://www.sarna.net...ored_Components

Just starting to be used experimentally in 3059, prototyped in 3061.

[Spare Parts Bin]

Armoured components did not remember that.

[CanadianCyrus]

I'm down for Shields, but then I'm a shill for WoB era tech being introduced in general (weapons and different gyro/cockpit, etc).

[ShiverMeRivets]

Brain Cancer, on 27 April 2018 - 12:28 PM, said:

http://www.sarna.net...ored_Components

Just starting to be used experimentally in 3059, prototyped in 3061.

Thanks, but there are armored version of refular components. I was thinking about an armor item that adds to the armor of the mech part it is installed in. So, put it in a side torso, it occupies say 2 critical slots and adds +10 to the armor of that side-torso.

[Asym]

El Bandito, on 24 April 2018 - 07:33 PM, said:

Would be decent addition to Solaris.

No. A terrible idea. Shields have no skill in their use.... They are as bad as LRM's and strikes... Now, if you had to give up slots and weight for the additional machinery that creates the shields.......maybe.

If a shield can protect a space craft from micro-meteorites and debris, anything "solid" could be repelled since in space, debris is traveling much faster than munitions in an atmosphere, and the repel effect would "bounce" those munitions to the sides and they could hit a teammate inflicting damage. Imagine the code that would take to calculate "secondary damage"....

Naw, not a good idea at all: after all: someone would find a way to exploit it....

[El Bandito]

Asym, on 28 April 2018 - 07:35 AM, said:

No. A terrible idea. Shields have no skill in their use.... They are as bad as LRM's and strikes... Now, if you had to give up slots and weight for the additional machinery that creates the shields.......maybe.

Of course shields should add weight.

[Asym]

Right.... And there is land in Grenada for sale at a pound a hectare.... I doubt PGI could code it; let alone make it work. The shields would have to have a "use duration or declination" value and a shoot through portal of some sort.....they couldn't be a constant on since that would enable farming on the grandest scale ever conceived......oh my, I get it.........bring on the shields !!!

Heck, even I could farm with shields !!! I want layered shields...

[Brain Cancer]

ShiverMeRivets, on 28 April 2018 - 04:12 AM, said:

Thanks, but there are armored version of refular components. I was thinking about an armor item that adds to the armor of the mech part it is installed in. So, put it in a side torso, it occupies say 2 critical slots and adds +10 to the armor of that side-torso.

We got that, too.

http://www.sarna.net...i/Modular_Armor

[Khobai]

shields would be fine.

they would have the drawback of not being able to fire arm or torso weapons on the same side as the shield. unless you drop the shield or the shield gets destroyed.

and even if the shields dont weigh anything they would have a severe speed penalty (like -20kph and cant use jumpjets for the heavy shield)

Edited by Khobai, 28 April 2018 - 05:47 PM.

[LordNothing]

Brain Cancer, on 27 April 2018 - 12:28 PM, said:

http://www.sarna.net...ored_Components

Just starting to be used experimentally in 3059, prototyped in 3061.

that might help is xl engines not suck so hard.

[Adridos]

Khobai, on 28 April 2018 - 05:44 PM, said:

shields would be fine.

they would have the drawback of not being able to fire arm or torso weapons on the same side as the shield. unless you drop the shield or the shield gets destroyed.

Yeah. Though the issue is that they only work if the mechs are capable of more complex motion which Alex's designs simply aren't. Likewise, you run into the issues of design as to how big they need to be to suit the different sizes of mechs, or maybe have to make personalised ones for each mech (tons of work), how to handle edge-cases like the Clan mechs with T-Rex hands that are absolutely worthless but make them shield-capable machines rules-wise, etc.

The only sort of shield MW:o could reliably implement is the PPC shield talked about earlier. I.e. this:

[ShiverMeRivets]

Brain Cancer, on 28 April 2018 - 10:21 AM, said:

We got that, too.

http://www.sarna.net...i/Modular_Armor

Thanks.
This sounds like a reasonable deal: +1 ton + 1 crit slot for 10 armor, some hit to speed and Jump, and no stealth armor. I'd certainly use it if the speed is not hurt too much. Alpha and DPS slowly creep up, that is natual in games - defense should creep up also to compensate. Besides, build tradeoffs are always good and interesting.

PGI, please implement "modular armor"!

Edited by ShiverMeRivets, 29 April 2018 - 07:19 AM.