5 replies to this topic

[Sasuga]

In the tabletop game the speed of the mech is based on the mass to engine rating, and it works really well. If a mech loses a little mass, the mech doesn't speed up because of many reasons really... First most likely because of the math involved. Second because most of the time it wouldn't add an additional hex of movement, so all the math wouldn't be worth the time.

It might have been in the advanced rules somewhere, I'm not going to try to look them up (because they also might not have been in the advanced rules).

However, I have read Battletech/Mechwarrior stories where pilots have dropped their ammo in order to gain a slight speed advantage. Sort of like old ships throwing their cannons overboard for the same.

Since this is a computer game, and computers are able to make all these calculations on the fly... and even though in most cases it wouldn't give that much of an advantage to a player... I think it would be really neat/nice if a mech increased in speed as its actual/true-state mass dropped.

A catapult with its arms blown off would be able to gain a bit of speed, which might help the pilot escape with his life and the rest of his mech in tact, for example. I mean, maybe he'd escape, maybe he wouldn't... but I think it would kind of be neat to see the max speed go up as parts of a mech's body are blown off.

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Mech's use Myomer which are like muscles, so having less mass they could propel the mech faster.

It would be a neat effect.

Engine damage doesn't slow mechs down right now, nor cause heat (right?), but all that would work as it should if it was put back into the game.

*Shrug* I just think it would be a nice/neat idea.

[Deamhan]

I came here to post something similar and this was top of the list.

I was gonna suggest a simple bonus to speed for going under mass. Too often I fill out my mech and one of two things happen. I either use up all the crit slots and find myself not reaching my max tonnage or I reach max tonnage but don't use up on my slots. In either case, it feels like a waste. I think it would be nice if we could get a bonus to speed for being under weight. It wouldn't be such a waste anymore to be under weight with the crit slots filled up.

I gotta say though, I like your idea and it makes sense. If in fact the formula for mech speed takes into consideration the mech's mass, and the game were to keep track of the mech's mass in a match, then both my and your idea would occur at the same time. This would also mean that mechs would slowly get a speed bonus over time as they use their ammo as well.

[blinkin]

the second half of your title is likely to attract plenty of flaming from the hardcore tabletop crowd.

[Strum Wealh]

Well, the ammo dumping issue is covered in the basic rules (specifically, page 104 of Total Warfare), but are not expanded upon in the advanced rules (that is, Tactical Operations).
There, dumping the ammo had no effect on the 'Mech's top-end speed; the TT system imply isn't sufficiently granular.

The advanced rules (specifically, pg. 93 of TacOps) do, however, discuss the specific weights of BattleMech limbs (though, usually with regard to the loss/removal of said limbs).

Quote

The weight of the limb must be taken into consideration when attempting to lift it. A ’Mech limb is considered to weigh 10 percent of the ’Mech’s total internal structure weight (regardless of damage taken to the internal structure), plus the weight of the armor (if any), rounded up to the nearest .5. In the case of advanced armors that provide extra points, that multiplier must be removed from the armor points to determine the actual weight of the armor on a limb. Finally, any equipment mounted in the arm must also be taken into consideration, such as heat sinks, weapons and so on; if a weapon is split across a limb and torso location the full weight of the weapon must be taken into consideration when determining if the attacking unit can lift the limb.

So, to use a CPLT-C1 (in line with the OP's example):
0.65t (10% of the 'Mech's total internal structure) + 0.81t (13 armor points for the arm, versus 16 AP/ton; MWO's double armor setup doesn't change the ratio or the weight) + 7.00t (weight of each LRM-15) + rounding up to nearest 0.50t = 8.46t -> 8.50t per arm
So, the loss of just one arm, and nothing else, would drop the overall weight of the 'Mech to 56.50t.
The loss of both arms, and nothing else, would drop the overall weight of the 'Mech to 48.00t.
The complete CLPT-C1, with its 260-rated Engine, has a top speed of 64.5 kph.
With the loss of one arm (representing ~13% of the 'Mech's total mass) and the subsequent weight drop, this could increase to approximately 74.5 kph.
With the loss of both arms (representing ~26% of the 'Mech's total mass) and the subsequent weight drop, this could increase to approximately 87.8 kph.
The CPLT-C1 only has two tons of LRM ammo to dump; doing so (and losing nothing else) would decrease its weight to 63 tons and increase its top speed to approximately 66.9 kph (a ~3.7% increase over the original top speed).
Each armor point lost in MWO would decrease the 'Mech's weight by 0.031t (1/32 of 1 ton).
Each LRM fired in MWO would decrease the 'Mech's weight by 0.006t (1/180 of 1 ton).

The OP's idea is certainly interesting... but the math is such that by the time one has lost enough mass to see any significant benefit, one is likely far enough gone that it probably won't make much of a difference anyway.

[Rocket2Uranus]

this is awesome.. because this would PUSH more laser use.
and being able to have slight speed advantage for not carrying ammo could be great for heavy/assaults

[Deamhan]

The more I thought about it and the more I looked into it, there isn't a direct relationship between mass and top speed. There is, however, a relationship between an objects mass and it's ability to accelerate/decelerate by a given force.

Now given the way mechs move, their lags constantly accelerating and decelerating so reducing the mass of the legs should certainly translate into a higher top speed. But considering we can only store two tons of ammo per leg, that would not work out to be much of a change to the top speed.

But the difference to upper body mass on the mech should make a difference to how fast it can both torso twist and turn.