10 replies to this topic

[Xelah]

I'm sure there's some obvious explanation some where, but why does upgrading the heatsinks on the engine prohibit me from loading single heatsinks elsewhere in my mech?

[Vassago Rain]

Because doubles use an entirely different tech and interfaces to function, so they're not compatible. Like trying to get an old joystick to work with a modern PC. There aren't even ports for it.

And it keeps you wasting more money on 12k sinks, which acts as another moneysink.

[Xelah]

Vassago Rain, on 20 December 2012 - 06:20 PM, said:

Because doubles use an entirely different tech and interfaces to function, so they're not compatible. Like trying to get an old joystick to work with a modern PC. There aren't even ports for it.

And it keeps you wasting more money on 12k sinks, which acts as another moneysink.

O_o you realize what a heatsink is.... right? It's a big hunk of metal with lots of surface area and possibly a fan or two. There is no interface. You put the thing on something you want it to cool and turn the fan on.

[Vassago Rain]

Xelah, on 20 December 2012 - 06:23 PM, said:

O_o you realize what a heatsink is.... right? It's a big hunk of metal with lots of surface area and possibly a fan or two. There is no interface. You put the thing on something you want it to cool and turn the fan on.

No, they're heat pumps. The FASA guys simply called them heatsinks. I don't think they even knew there was an actual item in the world, at the time, that was named 'heatsink,' and worked a certain way.

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Heat_sink

Here, read up on the subject. Anyway, you can't combine them because X reasons. You'd not want to, anyway, since dubs are a straight upgrade, except on the heaviest of heaviest of assaults.

[Karyudo ds]

Xelah, on 20 December 2012 - 06:23 PM, said:

You put the thing on something you want it to cool and turn the fan on.

Yeah well you'll have to step back into the early 90's and explain that to a few people. MWO is based on the Battletech rules which just sum it up as you get all of one type.

Possibly to take up less space on the giant record pages.

[One Medic Army]

The coolant liquid they use is incompatible.

[Zanathan]

Right now the implementation is you either have SHS or DHS (or I prefer to call them advanced heatsinks as they aren't double). Not sure if they are ever going to introduce a hybrid where you can choose one or another.

And Vassago is right. They aren't simple heat sinks in TT but are actually heat pumps that integrate into the core/engine and other parts and aren't just passive pieces of metal to cool.

If you want more info read: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Heat_Sink

[Ricama]

They use a different coolant? They operate under higher coolant pressures that would cause normal heatsinks to splode? Honestly it's because one of the problems with DHS is you can't put them in your feet for the extra cooling and allowing you to mix the two would allow you to circumvent that restriction. It is purely, 100% game balance and I don't even know if FASA bothered to come up with handwavium to explain it.

[Zanathan]

Hmm, everyone is too fast .. beat me to it.

[Corpsecandle]

Vass gave a good explanation, but the short answer is, "devs wanted it that way; not a bug"

[FrostPaw]

It's a balance decision, they didn't want it to be a multiple choice system, you either fit one kind or the other and your mech is built around whichever kind you fit. If you could fit both kinds....you would right? you would upgrade to double and then squeeze a number of them on your mech and then a few singles when you didn't have the space.

You can create whatever lore explanation you want, it's done for design limitations to prevent just having both. Sacrifices define meaningful choices and that is the key to strategy and thought process, if there is no sacrifice the choice is common sense and thus not interesting or diverse.