4 replies to this topic

[Deadoon]

This stuff is an interesting thing I found looking through the sarna wiki, it has been a long time since I played or observed battletech games but I could see it being a use in this game due to the design.

It has a protection per ton 50% higher than standard armor and should be cheaper, however the problem is it has a bar of 5 so anything which does more than 5 damage will be able to crit you. This could possibly be used as an alternative to standard armor for long term protection, due to it's light weight for armor and provides adequate protection against anything up to a ppc or beyond an ac/10.

It would also allow for cheaper builds and a nice armor booster for light builds due to the difficulty of hitting them with any of those weapons, but ppc could become devastating weapons to their users.

Although it is industrialmech armor I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to use it on a battlemech.

[Arisaema]

Unless you want to see agrimechs on the field, I wouldn't suggest it.

[Deadoon]

Mainly I suggested this as a method to allow for some alternate armors.
Frankly our available options give us no real competition on which is better to switch out, armor or skeleton.

If ferro were better at it's job it may be worth it, but as of now, no. I suggested this as a way of lightening your armor at the cost of your armor being softer but rather than bulkier.

[Cev Lost]

Deadoon, on 23 November 2012 - 04:56 AM, said:

This stuff is an interesting thing I found looking through the sarna wiki, it has been a long time since I played or observed battletech games but I could see it being a use in this game due to the design.

Really need to read more towards current time line.

What you really need is to understsand the armor

Ferro-fiberous armour didn't do anything than lighten the weight of the armor itself. it didn't give you excessive ammounts above what a battle mech could already carry.

All it did was reduce the tonnage needed for the points you required.

Same with Clan version only at a reduced structure imposition.

Now in a few years (keeping with the 1:1 time line)

You may see some houses developing different classes of armor!

First up on the list is the
Light Ferro-Fiberous.
Sarna:

Quote

Light Ferro-Fibrous armor was developed by the Inner Sphere for use on BattleMechs and combat vehicles. It was first put into production in 3067.^[1] In their attempt to mimic Clan Ferro-Fibrous armor, Free Worlds League scientists were able to reduce the amount of space that Light Ferro-Fibrous takes up to match that of the Clans, but the cost was reduced protection.
In game terms, Light Ferro-Fibrous takes up seven critical slots in a BattleMech or one slot in a combat vehicle. The amount of armor points is increased by six percent when compared to standard armor.^[2]

English translation: Less points of armor per ton compared to ferro fiberous but just as space consuming as the clan.

Then you have :Heavy ferro-Fiberous

Sarna :

Quote

Based upon the Light Ferro-Fibrous compound developed by Free Worlds League scientists, Durallex developed Heavy Ferro-Fibrous armor for the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces in 3069.^[1] The fires of the ***** quickly spread the technology to other Inner Sphere powers. Durallex was inspired by Kallon Industries' idea to modify the amount of diamond in the armor, but went in the other direction. The result was a bulkier armor that was stronger.

English translation: More armour points per ton (21 crit slots used... Count that on your mech man.)

This leads us to the sexier: Hardened Armor

Sarna:

Quote

Hardened Armor is a thicker armor type that uses multiple overlapping plates to provide additional protection against enemy fire. Though capable of diverting more damage than standard armor, the increased number of armor plates and their lack of flexibility makes any unit employing it more difficult to pilot, and can affect the speed as well. In fact, Hardened Armor is so heavy that it cannot be mounted on hovercraft, VTOLs, or WiGE vehicles.^[1]
Development of Hardened Armor began in 3045 with the Federated Commonwealth.^[1] Though prototype armors entered service in 3047,^[1] the multiple drawbacks of the armor prevented widespread adoption. The Clan Invasion increased pressure on manufacturers to create viable Hardened Armor but despite their best efforts creating armor that provides increased protection without compromising performance remains impossible.
Clan Ghost Bear seized several examples of Hardened Armor and their Scientist and Technician Castes have created their own version. However, to the Bear's dismay the heavy plates preclude the armor from being used on OmniMechs.^[1] This means that only standard BattleMechs can benefit from the increased armor protection.
The final drawback to Hardened Armor is its cost: 15,000 C-Bills per ton.^[2] This has restricted its use to prototype vehicles and 'Mechs.

English translation: Finally an armor that works better, each point giving you two effective damage eaters. Problem though is only a battle mech (funny we have those) and not omni (comming soon to a clan war near you). And the cost! You think Ferro fib is a ***** now! muhahaha wait till you can mount these plates onto your mech! It will make double heatsinks look like buying a rattle for a baby.

Pressing on! you Also have dunda da dun

Laser Reflective Armor

Sarna:

Quote

The Experimental Laser Reflective Armor was first created by the Lyran Alliance in 3058, and used in 3061 by Clan Jade Falcon.^[1] Also known as Glazed or Reflec armor, the first batch of Laser Reflective Armor was created by accident on a Ferro-Fibrous armor production line. Laser Reflective Armor dissipates energy weapon attacks 50% more efficiently than other armor types, reducing the amount of damage taken by the 'Mech mounting it. Despite the name, Laser Reflective Armor is effective against all energy weapons, not just lasers. PPCs, Flamers, and Plasma Rifles and Cannons are all less effective against it.

And special note should be taken.
Sarna :

Quote

Though the armor functions like standard armor against ballistic weapon attacks, it is very brittle. Whenever a 'Mech is physically attacked, falls, or crashes through a building, the armor is half as effective as standard or Ferro-Fibrous armor. This weakness has also been observed in artillery attacks.^[2] In addition Armor-Piercing autocannon ammunition, Tandem-Charge missiles, and BattleMech Tasers all have a better chance of penetrating the armor and causing critical damage.^[3]
Like the Ferro-Fibrous armor it's based on, Laser Reflective Armor is bulkier than standard armor. In game terms it provides the standard protection per ton, and takes up ten critical slots on a 'Mech. The total damage taken by the armor from energy weapon attacks is rounded down.

English translation: Woo Lazer armorz (insert ball knocking cataphract/streak-a-pult here and ******** betty "Critical hit"s every third or so shot...) Standard armor points per ton only... you take up 10 slots instead of 14 of the ferro fib.

Yet on the other side of things you have

Reactive armor

Sarna:

Quote

Reactive Armor (sometimes called Blazer Armor) is an experimental armor that uses a series of microscopic explosions to reduce the effects of explosive weapons fire like missiles, artillery, and mortars. When these weapons hit a unit with Reactive Armor protecting the area, the damage is reduced by 50%. The microscopic explosives embedded in the armor redirect the force of the weapon away from the protected unit. This force redirect also reduces the armor-piercing effects of Tandem-Charge Missiles, Armor-Piercing autocannon ammunition, and BattleMech Taser spikes.^[1]
Though effective against missiles and artillery, the armor is no more effective than standard armor against other weapon types and physical damage.^[2] In addition there have been several cases where lucky weapon fire has initiated an armor explosion, stripping the Reactive Armor away from the protected location, leaving the unit extremely vulnerable.^[3] Another drawback to the armor is its bulk: Reactive Armor occupies as much space on a chassis as standard Ferro-Fibrous Armor, but only provides as much protection as standard 'Mech armor.^[4]
The armor was developed by the Draconis Combine in 3063, but Clan Ghost Bear captured several samples during the Combine-Ghost Bear War. The Bear's Scientist caste was able to reverse-engineer the armor and put it into limited production two years later.^[5]

English Translation: Take previous translation and insert Pulse-pults and the feared Er-PPC carried on most mechs (well okay its not so feared..) This stuff is 14 slots as well.

Now that you are some what educated on the closer to now time armors I suggest you just sit back and wait for the clans to get here.

Saving those c-bills cause clan's cost a lot more!

[Deadoon]

Well I shouldn't say that ferro lightened the armor, It is closer to it is a more durable armor, I understand that the problem is in this game the max armor does not shift based on armor used 14 tons of standard will be 12.5 ferro, but use up 14 crit slots as a compromise.

Also you should note that light and heavy ferro, reactive, and reflctve armor have not been developed yet and hardened is a just released prototype, thus I ignored it as a viable solution to alternate armors.

Although, thinking about it I see no problem with hardened armor being added, despite it's prototype status, it costs half as much as ferro in this game(wut).