I know there have been suggestions geared towards changing salvage mechanics and mech construction rules before. To some extent, the below suggestion is a base point from which some of those others can be built from as well. And I may be reiterating other suggestions that basically say the same thing. Regardless, this came to mind because of a conversation in the #new_to_battletech channel on the BATTLETECHGAME discord.
Current mechanic:
- Player destroys enemy mechs and salvages "mech parts" that consist of internal structure and, if 'Unequipped Mechs' is NOT checked, weapons and equipment.
- When the player has 'enough' mech parts, Yang instantly assembles a new mech structure (possibly with equipment) and instantly covers it in armor.
- The new mech takes a mechbay or gets shoved into storage by the player.
- Player has an inexhaustible supply of internal structure, actuators, etc from which to repair destroyed hit locations.
Suggested mechanic:
- Slightly increase the randomized salvage from missions across the board (maybe 2 additional random pieces)
- All mech parts go into storage AND STAY THERE until used.
- Mech parts become a commodity to sell in stores, rather than just whole mechs.
Suggested storage / construction mechanic:
- When a mech is put in storage, it is converted to "mech parts".
- When the player wants to ready a mech, the number of "mech parts" for that chassis is decreased by whatever the parts/mech value is and the 'Ready <chassis>' task shows up in the task list.
- OPTIONAL: When the player returns from a contract and has enough parts to construct a mech, Yang prompts them asking if he should ready the mech (if there is room) or letting the player know that there's not enough room for the mech.
Suggested repair mechanic:
- If a mech has taken only structure damage, it gets repaired as normal.
- If a mech has had hit locations destroyed, each mech part (from storage) is able to be used to repair 8/<parts-per-mech> hit locations much in the same way that destroyed weapons and equipment need to be replaced by functional equipment.
- - At 3 parts per mech, a single "mech part" could be used to 'repair' up to 3 destroyed hit locations.
- - At 8 parts per mech, a single "mech part" is used _for each_ destroyed hit location.
EXCEPTION TO CONSTRUCTION RULES:
- Whole mechs that are given to the player via rewards or purchased as a "BattleMech" in the store, would give the player the option to place the mech (fully equipped) in a mechbay or deconstructed and placed in storage as parts.
Extensions:
- Since the player is "readying" mechs from parts at this point, it could be extended to allow the use of mech parts from different variants of the same chassis in order to repair or construct mechs and the resulting mech would be the variant which contributed >51% of the necessary parts for the construction.
Benefits:
1. Single inventory item in storage ("<chassis> parts N/X").
2. More "logical" mechanic for repairing massive damage (destroyed hit locations) by using mech parts.
3. No more "Yang magically creates mech from baling wire and duct tape" instantly on return from a contract. Constructing a mech from parts is just 'readying' a mech from storage.
Downsides:
1. Tracking how many mechs you've collected becomes more difficult. Do you track how many mechs you are _able_ to construct from parts? Do you track how many mechs you _have_ constructed from parts?
2. Less obvious when you have the ability to construct a mech. (see OPTIONAL above as a possible workaround).
Current mechanic:
- Player destroys enemy mechs and salvages "mech parts" that consist of internal structure and, if 'Unequipped Mechs' is NOT checked, weapons and equipment.
- When the player has 'enough' mech parts, Yang instantly assembles a new mech structure (possibly with equipment) and instantly covers it in armor.
- The new mech takes a mechbay or gets shoved into storage by the player.
- Player has an inexhaustible supply of internal structure, actuators, etc from which to repair destroyed hit locations.
Suggested mechanic:
- Slightly increase the randomized salvage from missions across the board (maybe 2 additional random pieces)
- All mech parts go into storage AND STAY THERE until used.
- Mech parts become a commodity to sell in stores, rather than just whole mechs.
Suggested storage / construction mechanic:
- When a mech is put in storage, it is converted to "mech parts".
- When the player wants to ready a mech, the number of "mech parts" for that chassis is decreased by whatever the parts/mech value is and the 'Ready <chassis>' task shows up in the task list.
- OPTIONAL: When the player returns from a contract and has enough parts to construct a mech, Yang prompts them asking if he should ready the mech (if there is room) or letting the player know that there's not enough room for the mech.
Suggested repair mechanic:
- If a mech has taken only structure damage, it gets repaired as normal.
- If a mech has had hit locations destroyed, each mech part (from storage) is able to be used to repair 8/<parts-per-mech> hit locations much in the same way that destroyed weapons and equipment need to be replaced by functional equipment.
- - At 3 parts per mech, a single "mech part" could be used to 'repair' up to 3 destroyed hit locations.
- - At 8 parts per mech, a single "mech part" is used _for each_ destroyed hit location.
EXCEPTION TO CONSTRUCTION RULES:
- Whole mechs that are given to the player via rewards or purchased as a "BattleMech" in the store, would give the player the option to place the mech (fully equipped) in a mechbay or deconstructed and placed in storage as parts.
Extensions:
- Since the player is "readying" mechs from parts at this point, it could be extended to allow the use of mech parts from different variants of the same chassis in order to repair or construct mechs and the resulting mech would be the variant which contributed >51% of the necessary parts for the construction.
Benefits:
1. Single inventory item in storage ("<chassis> parts N/X").
2. More "logical" mechanic for repairing massive damage (destroyed hit locations) by using mech parts.
3. No more "Yang magically creates mech from baling wire and duct tape" instantly on return from a contract. Constructing a mech from parts is just 'readying' a mech from storage.
Downsides:
1. Tracking how many mechs you've collected becomes more difficult. Do you track how many mechs you are _able_ to construct from parts? Do you track how many mechs you _have_ constructed from parts?
2. Less obvious when you have the ability to construct a mech. (see OPTIONAL above as a possible workaround).
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