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[Sandslice]

EloKa - electronische Kampfführung - electronic warfare. The art of gathering as well as denying information to the enemy using technology.

With all the bandying about hence and hither about ECM, and the ongoing debate as to whether we should adhere to Battletech's core rules (AKA the TT) or not, I've been thinking about the game while playing it (and, well, while watching it - I do spend a fair bit of time dead.)

That is, Battletech has a nicely importable system for information warfare and EloKa. It's not actually *nice* on the tabletop, because you need three instances of the map and a referee to play it, but it's very nicely importable: the double-blind ruleset, along with the hidden record sheet / paperdoll rules, starting on page 219 of Tactical Operations.

This is my attempt to adapt it into MWO in a balanced way. Forgive me in advance, this may take a couple posts.

1. Just what you see

"Visual spotting" is the technique of using your 'Mech's ordinary optical sensors - its eyeballs, if you will - to acquire targets. Its range is normally determined by environmental conditions:
-Night or darkness: 90-150m
-Heavy fog, rain or snow: 300m
-Twilight, gusting rain, or snow flurries: 450m
-Moderate rain or snow: 600m
-Light fog, rain or snow, or hail: 900m
-No weather: 1800m

1800 is a huge range compared to MWO maps; for tactical purposes, I'd suggest nerfing it to 1200. Otherwise, you'd have instant spotting on Forest Colony. Of our current maps, River City Night is definitely a night map, River City a twilight map, and Frozen City (not night) a snow flurry map. We can even have areas of the map (like the cave in Forest Colony) with different conditions.

Anything that is in range, in your torso front arc, and in direct line of sight is visually spotted, and you can target it.

Night Vision mode (however we represent it) works this way: if your spotting range is affected by night or darkness, the range becomes 600. KISS.

Next post: all about sensors.

[Sandslice]

2. Sensors online... all systems nominal.

Currently, we have three sensor systems: the 'Mech's onboard radar, Thermal Vision, and Beagle Active Probe. None of these observes line of sight apart from hills and other natural terrain features (such as the cave walls on Forest and Frozen.)

The onboard radar has a range of 720m. This is quite powerful on its own; so we will restrict it to line of sight and a 180 degree front arc, and ECM stops it per current mechanics.

The thermal vision reaches out to 900 meters, but requires front arc, and can only detect things that have either gone above 30% heat, or have taken internal structure damage (the smoke and glow, etc.) It can still detect weapon discharge.

The active probe reaches out to 1000m all around. ECM still prevents individual units from being revealed, but the ECM bubble will be revealed to the BAP-user on the B map (not on the HUD radar, forcing the BAP-user to actively use the map to get that info.)

3. Gear makes the 'Mech

Just a quick thing about two pieces of gear, one that exists and one that does not yet:

-Command Console: For its weight, it should do good things. I suggest that for allies within 300m, the following benefits are gained:
---+150m range on all sensors
---+50m to the "happy zone" in which you can detect an ECM 'Mech while being outside of its bubble - that is, the 180-200m band becomes 180-250.
---A little blue happy face icon indicating the commander effect

-Stealth armour: Stealth armour requires a working ECM. While stealth armour is active, its carrier generates heat and suffers all the effects of being in an enemy ECM bubble (Total Warfare p. 142,) but the MWO benefit will be more pronounced: the stealth 'Mech simply cannot be targeted while its stealth is active. Even by an active probe.

And finally, about the paperdoll:

Even though we're allowing visual spotting to target, ECM stops a unit from acquiring the paperdoll unless the unit is carrying an active probe or Advanced Targeting Computer (that is, the thing that every Warhawk carries.)

Thoughts, questions, etc?

Edited by Sandslice, 17 January 2013 - 12:37 AM.

[Sandslice]

So, to condense this into a cyan elk format:
GOAL: An overhaul of the system that governs 'Mech detection.

-Visual spotting: Allows you to target something if you can see it.
Range is based on environment, with darkness negated (to 600m) by night vision mode. Only stopped by hot stealth gear.

-Sensors:
'Mech radar is 720m, 180 degree arc, LoS, blocked by ECM (think peripheral vision.) Expands to 360 degrees with the 360 targeting module.
Thermal is 900m, 90 degree front arc, but can't detect cold targets.
Active probe is 1km, 360 degrees, no LoS, and can identify ECM on the large map because of ECM's noise. Still countered by ECM while in the bubble.

-Gear:
ECM Disrupt counters 'Mech radar at all times; interacts with active probe in different ways.
Command console gives +150 boosted sensor and +50 ECM "happy zone" ranges to the team. It is not itself affected by ECM.
Stealth armour runs hot and puts "hostile ECM" on its carrier while active, and also requires working ECM in either mode. Renders you immune to targeting while active.

-Paperdoll interactions:
When ECM is involved, a unit protected by ECM cannot be paperdolled, except by units mounting an active probe or Targeting Computer.

-----

And, finally, a note. I am distinguishing three aspects of targeting here:
-Targeting: Putting a box on a detected enemy, and sharing that box with friends.
-Paperdoll: Having a target long enough to, if possible, bring up its 'Mech health indicators.
-Locked: Having your missile aimer on a target long enough to feed targeting data to your missiles.

The last of these, I'm not addressing here, as that goes into ECM's anti-missile functions.

Edited by Sandslice, 17 January 2013 - 08:23 AM.