7 replies to this topic

[Xaks]

As long dormant and nearly ossified portions of my brain are slowly coming back to life with the Good Old Days of BattleTech, I mentally happened across a detail that might be interesting here. It might also be broken, overpowered, not workable, etc etc.

Several 'old' mech designs had droppable weapons. For instance, IIRC, the Donal PPC in the right hand of the Battlemaster could be put down, freeing the fully articulated hand(s) for manipulation of ...whatever. And then the weapon could be picked back up again.

The original Phoenix Hawk, I believe, could 'drop' its large laser like a pistol, and use both hands, then pick it back up.

Gonna take a wild stab that a dropped Battlemaster PPC can't be picked up and fired by a Wasp or something, for obvious reasons....

...

...

Or can it?

Why NOT pick up the laser from a downed opponent (if your mech has articulated hands) and shoot it at his lancemates?

Is the weapon too heavy for your chassis? What if you have triple strength myomers and pass the roll check?

How can you target it? Is your mech's finger gonna fit in the 'trigger slot'?

The more I think about it, it would be neat as hell, but I think it would be a nightmare to code properly, and almost impossible to balance. If I can't use an Atlas to throw a Locust, I don't see it feasible.

Thoughts?

[Deaths Touch]

This really begs a question you haven't mentioned: Will there be articulated hands in the game and what will their impact be on things like guns or even downed 'Mech's appendages. I would love to throw a leg at another 'Mech if I could. Maybe it's something they are working on as it shouldn't be any harder than a standard FPS. I also agree that there would have to be restrictions on things like a Wasp picking up a Battlemaster PPC (though that would be funny as hell to watch). Also, now that I'm thinking about it, would that change the heat load on a 'Mech if they picked up/dropped a weapon like that?

[Woodstock]

The weapon wont have an internal power source that will come from the mechs reactor. ergo it wont work in another mechs hands

[SquareSphere]

honestly I wouldn't be surprised if the hands are just cosmetic in this game just like all the other MW games

[Skoll]

I'd love to be able to punch through someones cockpit in a Battlemaster, but I don't see it happening.

[Deaths Touch]

woodstock, on 02 November 2011 - 12:26 PM, said:

The weapon wont have an internal power source that will come from the mechs reactor. ergo it wont work in another mechs hands

The part about power would be true, but don't hands have some kind of universal connecter for that kind of thing?

[wolf74]

I have nothing personal against self contained hand Held weapons system. But there has to be some build rules for them.

I would used the vehicle rules for a base.
Ammo based weapons
Weapon Weight + .5tons for handle + Ammo weight +armor weight (don't not build up heat just like Vehicle)

Energy Weapon
Weapon Weight + .5ton for Handle + (Fusion Engine weight)* + Heat Sinks to cool the weapon. +Armor Weight

The Engine Come with 1 Heatsink + 1 for every 25 rating the engine is.(can be double)


Large Laser (5tons) + Handle (0.5tons) + 75Rate Engine XL (1ton) which give 3 heat Sinks(I pick double)+1for 4DHS = Weapon Weight 6.5tons so a 65ton mech could use this weapon. Fire Rate = a Normal Large Laser
Cost $100,000 L-Laser $130,000 Engine** + $24,000 Double Heatsinks+$50,000 Handle Mod & Labor =$304,000.00
Use the weapons total weight as the units weight for cost factor.

You can make a Energy Weapon with Less Heat sinks but it will not fire until Heat is Back to 0
The Handle has a Data Link for the Basic Targeting system in a Mech, Can't be link to Targeting Computer upgrades.

The Armor is a Option if a mech is shot in the arm (In the MW if it hit the weapons) there 50% chance of the weapon being shot, it has internal Rating 1pt per ton rounded down witha Minimum of 1. Roll Critials as normal any Criticl distroy the weapon.

Again the above is just my personal Thoughts on these due to the lack of CBT rule backup.

Edited by wolf74, 02 November 2011 - 01:30 PM.

[Yeach]

This sounds like Heavy Gear 1.