New optional feature: ++ weapons only have benefits when they match stock

[Nick_S]

I had an idea a while back which came up in a discussion in the forums. I think it's brilliant, and it never got much attention, so I wanted to pull it out and list it as a suggestion and ask for feedback.

The idea was to have an optional difficulty setting such that you can only take advantage of the benefits of + equipment when it's replacing a weapon that the mech carries in it's stock configuration.

So if you have a ++AC-20 you want to use you couldn't mount it on a Shadowhawk (and take advantage of the extra benefits), but if you mount it on a Hunchback (4G) you'd get the extra benefits.

You could make any other changes you want (add remove weapons, armor, jump jets) without restrictions, but you'd be limited in which mechs could take full advantage of improved weapons.

The theory behind the idea is that I love configuring mechs in the mech-bay, I have no interest in running a stock-only campaign, but I end up modifying mechs so much that I forget completely about the original configuration. It would be nice to have something which just reminded me of the original role of the mech and which would keep some distinction between different models (for example, under normal circumstances there isn't much difference between a Griffin 1N and 1S, but if you had a PPC++ or Larger Laser++ that you wanted to mount you would have a reason to care which model of Griffin you were working with).

I think it would strike a nice balance of slowing down the power curve slightly, and making the stock configuration matter (and varients slightly more interesting) without limiting the player too much or being too frustrating.

It would take some work -- there would have to be a UI element to show when a ++ weapon was placed in a spot that would work (and probably also an easy way to see what weapons a given mech carries in the stock configuration) -- so it wouldn't be an easy enhancement to the game, but I think it would be a lot of fun.

 

[Jolly Joker]

Interesting idea.
What about LosTech, then?

 

[Jade_Rook]

I like this idea. I think it would be hard to work in as a normal setting, but is possible as a self-imposed restriction.

 

[Nick_S]

Interesting idea.
What about LosTech, then?

Standard LosTech could be loaded without any restrictions. The only question would be Lostech+. I'd be inclined to say that LosTech+ should also be used freely -- because it's rare enough that it doesn't make much difference and there might as well be another reason to want LosTech+.

From a handwave-y lore perspective I would explain the rule as follows: When you see an AC-20 + 20dam in BATTLETECH it isn't necessarily 20% better out of the box. Perhaps it represents a model which an experienced tech can squeeze extra performance out of, using a couple of tricks. Not all of those tricks may work if the tech is also trying to fit it into a mount which wasn't designed for the weapon.

Since none of the mounts were designed for LosTech weapons anyway we'd just say that, by definition the LosTech+ weapons were models that Yang could work his magic to get extra performance while fitting them into a 3025 mech.

I like this idea. I think it would be hard to work in as a normal setting, but is possible as a self-imposed restriction.

I agree (and I'd love a report if anybody tries it) but for me, I would at least want an easy button in the mechbay to view to the stock configuration for the mech I'm working on. My memory of the different mechs and varients isn't good enough to keep track of that without constantly switching out of BATTLETECH to check a reference, and (for me at least) that would be too much work. But with a "see stock configuration" button I'd be much more tempted.

 

[Jade_Rook]

There is a button to show the stock loadout in the mech bay. The display just isn't great and it isn't well called out in the UI. It is located just under the CT.

 

[Nick_S]

There is a button to show the stock loadout in the mech bay. The display just isn't great and it isn't well called out in the UI. It is located just under the CT.

Thanks. I didn't know that.

Now I'd be really curious if anybody tries it as a self-imposed restriction. I'm in the middle of a career currently, and I don't think I'll switch over mid-career, but it's tempting. I may start that (or, if nothing else, I might start playing that way with any subsequent mechs I acquire and leave the various toys+ on my current mechs).

 

[Nick_S]

Thanks. I didn't know that.

Now I'd be really curious if anybody tries it as a self-imposed restriction. I'm in the middle of a career currently, and I don't think I'll switch over mid-career, but it's tempting. I may start that (or, if nothing else, I might start playing that way with any subsequent mechs I acquire and leave the various toys+ on my current mechs).

A further thought . . . . In my current career, I have most of the Heavy mechs already but no Assaults yet. So I looked at the list of assault mechs to figure out how much I'd be limiting myself to self-impose the rule going forward.

I realized that the way in which the limitation would most affect me would be not being able to use as many SRM+++ as I would otherwise be inclined to do (also not being able to boat ML+++ but that's less concerning because most mechs already have a couple of ML.

I said above that one goal of the restriction is to slow the power curve slightly, and I think that's good, but I was surprised to realize how much I felt like I was giving up by not being able to field large numbers of improved SRMs.

It just goes to show, the +50% damage boost for SRM+++ is really a big deal.

 

[Nick_S]

Okay, I think I'm doing this.

I don't have a lot of time to play, so my progress moves slowly. But I just completed a new Orion and the first thing I did was check the stock load. I'm at a spot in my career in which I have + varients for most weapons but very few +++ weapons, and not always attractive ones (I have a bunch of +50% crit medium lasers, but not many +dam ones . . . .).

But even, so I looked at the stock Orion load and ended up deciding I was happy with a bunch of it. I went with ML + SRM4 in each arm (+ versions, but not my best items in case I lose an arm), and LRM 15+. Then I added JJ, HS, armor (and I think another SRM-2 stock) instead of the AC-10.

It immediately made a difference in terms of paying more attention to the stock load rather than just asking "what would I do with these hardpoints.

It was also interesting. I had a Clash of the Titans missions shortly after that, in which two two assault mechs were a Stalker and Highlander. Both very nice. Normally I'd be more excited about the Highlander, but I do like the stock weapons in the Stalker better, so I wasn't sad when I was able to kill the Stalker pilot but the Highlander pilot survived 4 wounds, and I ended up coring the mech.

One other note about my pace of play. I just had a long travel time and realized, upon arrival, that there are a couple of pilots I'd forgotten about completely. They were injured for 30 or 45 days and it might have been close to that long real-time since I included them on a mission.