I apologize in advance for the length of this post.
@ Tilley
@Thorqemada
Legging is not dishonorable. People complained about it in MW3 but there was no hard rule to prevent it, only in specific units. If anyone remembers the invasion of Somerset (if you saw the 1st Somerset Strikers Battletech Animated Series) the 1st enemy mech taken down by Star Colonel Nicolai Malthus of Clan Jade Falcon was a leg shot <a href="
http://www.youtube.c...sjkMeU#t=02m30s" target="_blank">leg shot</a>. He disabled the mech quickly & moved on to his other 2 opponents. Clansmen take pride in being able to aim at & destroy specific parts on an enemy mech.
#1. My job as your enemy is to shoot your mech. A leg is a part of the mech.
#2 Legging an opponent has a tactical advantage to it. I will present 2 examples:
a. Light/Scout mechs are known to be low on the side of firepower but high on the side of speed & tend to normally run circles around heavy/assault mechs (& some mediums as well). Legging such a mech robs it of its only advantage; speed. It is now easy pickings for you or anyone on your team. This piece of logic does not only apply to light mechs which leads me to
b. You are engaged with a mech, you have gained the upper hand & an enemy mech notices you & decides to come to the aid of his/her teammate. If he/she does not have extremely long range weapons he/she will have to come in close or at least to a medium distance to engage you. Destroying one of that mech's legs buys you valuable time to either 1. finish off your current target then ready yourself for the approaching mech or 2. move to a suitable area where you can have both mechs in your FOV to deal with them appropriately or 3. have your teammate deal with the incoming mech while you continue to take apart your current foe.
@VirgilCaine
@Cyber Carns
Having reviewed the two Field Manuals listed I find what you say to be accurate & vaild. However regarding Total Warfare, while accurate it cannot be valid as it relates to TableTop games.
If I choose to hold fire until all my weapons cycle in order to shoot off an "Alpha", what makes that dishonorable?
The rule regarding weapons range refers to the range of ALL weapons on YOUR mech. Also an UAC is a ballistic weapon that works best at mid to close range. I am not going to fire at the max range just to hit you & again the Table Top cannot hold for the video game. Where is the dishonor in using my weapons as effectively as possible in order to achieve peak performance & maximum damage?
Regarding line of sight, that is also a Table Top rule & cannot hold in a video game. Please remember that in the BT Universe battles vary based on conditions & terrain. I am not going to look in each novel to quote an example for you because this post is big enough already, suffice it to say moving out of line of sight is perfectly acceptable. The easiest example to give is moving behind cover to let enemy fire cause you no damage.
Also regarding mechs that are shut down: in the first book of the Jade Phoenix Trilogy (Way of the Clans), Joanna instructs Aidan, as well as the rest of the cadets, thusly:
Quote
Peri finished the torso drill and Joanna addressed Aidan. "Cadet Aidan. Check your heat scale. Does it
show up normal? Respond."
On the intercom, cadets always had to wait for Joanna's order to respond before they could press and hold down the blue button next to the 'Mech throttle and actually speak to her. He had expected the communication restrictions to be relaxed once in a 'Mech, and it surprised him to learn that he could still not speak to Joanna or any other officer without permission to respond.
"Heat scale normal," he said and released the button.
"As it should be. I tell you to check only to make sure you realize the most important cockpit rule.
Never—not in the heat of battle or the excitement of fixing an enemy 'Mech in your sights, lining it up, and using your most skillful assault plan, your best array of weaponry in the fancy blasts and pulses that have become your battlefield specialty—never, never forget that you must be continually conscious of the ribbons of information revealed on the heat-scale gauge. A 'Mech is like a living being; it is like the horse of the cavalry, the camel of the desert warrior. You must continually care for it, not push it too much, not allow it to become overheated. Just as those animals speeded up the time, and in many ways, expanded the territory over which wars could be conducted, so the BattleMech—and especially the OmniMech—has quickened and enhanced the possibilities of ground warfare. But even with the improved heat-sink
technology of the OmniMechs our scientists have provided us, we can still disable our own 'Mech, making it a sitting duck for others, or even get it blown up and ourselves with it, because we get so caught up in being a hero that we forget the patterns of awareness that a 'Mech pilot must maintain at all times. These patterns include the knowledge of your own 'Mech as well as the situation of the fellow warriors of your Star or Star Cluster. This warning is for all of you. Cadet Peri, you understand this, quiaff? Respond."
If Clan warriors are not allowed to shoot at shut down mechs why is there concern regarding the mech overheating? It cannot be that they have to worry about other Clans not following Zellbrigen because the Trial would be declared null & void & the offending Clan would be tainted as dezgra (remember Honor Levels came into effect for encounters with IS forces) & it could not be worrying about IS pilots because in the novel at the time Aidan is training, the invasion had not begun. I can only draw two conclusions from this:
1. Each pilot is responsible for managing his/her own heat. If you cannot properly pilot your mech, shoot your weapons & control your heat, that is YOUR problem.
2. The rule about shooting mechs that are shut down had to relate to mechs not currently engaged in combat & were waiting for an oppurtunity to engage. What adds to my argument is the penalty invoked in a Trial of Position where a cadet is given three targets & is to engage them one at a time. If the cadet shoots a mech that is not engaged in combat, the Trial turns into a melee.
e.g. If a cadet was fighting his first opponent & shot the third opponent whether accidentally or intentionally, all three of his opponents could engage him at once.
There are loopholes however; the classic example being the second book in the Jade Phoenix Trilogy (Bloodname). To describe it as briefly as possible, Clan Jade Falcon bid certain elements in their battle with Clan Wolf. A DropShip carrying mechs, supplies & ammunition was deployed to a certain area. Clan Wolf fighters disabled the DropShip damaging almost all the equipment stroed within. (if I remember the details correctly) The Wolves scored a crippling blow at the beginning of the campaign.
@Kay Wolf
I do agree that not only Clan warriors can be considered honorable but please tell me what is left to be desired regarding Clan honor.
@Geist Null
Honor always has a place; the question is where do YOU put it? Is it on the back burner or is it foremost on your mind? Your post states where you are.
Edited by Jaroth Winson, 15 January 2012 - 12:58 PM.
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Phelan Kerensky, on 10 January 2012 - 10:09 PM, said:
