Battletech technical archive

[eyl]

Hasn't it been stated that weapon's ranges in BT are much shorter than they would be "in reality" due to game mechanics?

Yes

Weapon ranges provide another example. Players will quickly realize that the longest-range standard weapon in the game can only hit targets out to thirty hexes (900 meters) from the attacker. Real-world primary main battle tank weapons have operational targeting ranges in excess of 4,000 meters. Because Classic BattleTech mapsheets are only seventeen hexes long, recreating real-world ranges on a table would require more than seven mapsheets laid end to end, for a playing space greater than twelve
feet in length. Not many people have that type of table space, nor would it provide players with any tactical maneuvering room. Anywhere a player might move a unit on the map, an attacker could hit that unit.
Finally, the abstractions of real-world factors such as firing distance often can enhance the aesthetic of the game universe. Classic BattleTech has always been about “in-your-face” combat, which works best with closer ranges. Players are encouraged to remember such abstractions and not get bogged down in realworld mechanics and physics. Just enjoy the game!

ISTR one of the newer rulebooks contains optional rules for shooting beyond the in-game "maximum" range, but I can't remember which one)

[consequences]

Yeah, and now extended range flamers are LOS weapons. That's not stupid at all.

[PainRack]

Yeah, and now extended range flamers are LOS weapons. That's not stupid at all.

Oh yes.... Don't forget that ionised plasma are both flamers AND PPCs, and that both weapons are now horizon based weapons.

I can't seem to find the bit that goes into further detail of the academy programme....... I put that on the backburner for a moment.

[MJ12 Commando]

Yeah, and now extended range flamers are LOS weapons. That's not stupid at all.

Maybe ER Flamers are some sort of Martian Heat Ray? I mean as far as crazy out-there 'fiziks' goes that isn't even particularly bad.

[consequences]

Yeah, and now extended range flamers are LOS weapons. That's not stupid at all.

Maybe ER Flamers are some sort of Martian Heat Ray? I mean as far as crazy out-there 'fiziks' goes that isn't even particularly bad.

Okay, now explain why the Martian Heat Ray is such a fantastic anti-infantry weapon, when no other B-tech 'energy' weapon other than the flamer can muster more than suck or fail at lighting up the schlubs on the ground?

Yes, I said 'or', since they'd have to improve significantly in order to simultaneously suck and fail.

[Nephtys]

Yeah, and now extended range flamers are LOS weapons. That's not stupid at all.

Maybe ER Flamers are some sort of Martian Heat Ray? I mean as far as crazy out-there 'fiziks' goes that isn't even particularly bad.

Okay, now explain why the Martian Heat Ray is such a fantastic anti-infantry weapon, when no other B-tech 'energy' weapon other than the flamer can muster more than suck or fail at lighting up the schlubs on the ground?

Yes, I said 'or', since they'd have to improve significantly in order to simultaneously suck and fail.

Well, if you go by the rules... Infantry must cluster damned close together, because a gauss rifle round will kill an entire 28-trooper platoon. They must be standing right in line with the gun, I suppose

But anyway, according to these same silly rules, a medium laser'll cut right through a third of that number, or half of a 21-strong jump platoon in one turn worth of firing.

Seems that unless there's contradictory fluff information (I've never heard of the ER-Flamer), they work fine.

[MJ12 Commando]

Well, if you go by the rules... Infantry must cluster damned close together, because a gauss rifle round will kill an entire 28-trooper platoon. They must be standing right in line with the gun, I suppose

But anyway, according to these same silly rules, a medium laser'll cut right through a third of that number, or half of a 21-strong jump platoon in one turn worth of firing.

Seems that unless there's contradictory fluff information (I've never heard of the ER-Flamer), they work fine.

Not anymore. After Total Warfare a gauss rifle or ER Med kills one guy. I think if the guy has Dermal Armor Implants it kills half of a guy, but I'm not sure if it halves damage before the non-AI weapons against infantry modifier or just gives each of them 1 point of armor.

Speaking hypothetically, if the ER Flamer was some sort of martian heat ray, it would be setting things on fire on continuous beam instead of punching holes with a single/multiple pulse(s) as do all other energy weapons-which means that inherently it could be played over an infantry unit like a firehose, setting all of them on fire.

[SAMAS]

Well, if you go by the rules... Infantry must cluster damned close together, because a gauss rifle round will kill an entire 28-trooper platoon. They must be standing right in line with the gun, I suppose

But anyway, according to these same silly rules, a medium laser'll cut right through a third of that number, or half of a 21-strong jump platoon in one turn worth of firing.

Seems that unless there's contradictory fluff information (I've never heard of the ER-Flamer), they work fine.

Not anymore. After Total Warfare a gauss rifle or ER Med kills one guy. I think if the guy has Dermal Armor Implants it kills half of a guy, but I'm not sure if it halves damage before the non-AI weapons against infantry modifier or just gives each of them 1 point of armor.

Right. Now the best anti-infantry weapons are Flamers and Small/Mirco Pulse Lasers, with Machineguns in second (mostly because the whole ammo thing). Oh yeah, Autocannons (standard and light) with Flechette ammunition are also good.

[PainRack]

Some stuff about the Falcons I used debating against Imperial Overlord

The elementals withdrew before the forces in the second ship could recover from the shock of this loss, and the Elemental counterstrike,in addition to fighter and massive Arrow-4 missile attacks, allowed most of Jade Falcons to safely board their dropships and leave the planet.

Battle of Tukayyid, Jade Falcon sourcebook

Dray's Star League-era Dynatec targeting computer should have penetrated the murk easily, but instead his display flickered unsteadily. Was the Clan Mech moving slightly, or standing still? He wasn't sure, and from the volume of fire missing the lone enemy,he guessed that his companions weren't either.

but the beams cut only smoke. What was wrong with his computer? He never had any trouble with it before. And why did he have the sneaking feeling that he wasn't the only one suffering mysterious malfunctions? A sneaking voice in Dray's head told him that the enemy pilot wasn't human, but instead was some unstoppable creature of the night.

then Dray forced his Stinger forward until he stood over the Mad Cat. Funny, his monitors all worked fine now.

[PainRack]

The Star League made great strides in all areas of military technology. Improvements in weaponry, armor, and manufacturing techniques created deadly fighting machines
that were faster, better armed, and better protected. Access to this technology was strictly controlled. The SLDFs Royal commands—units drawing personnel exclusively from the Terran Hegemony—were the first to receive the latest technology. The less prestigious SLDF line regiments, comprising personnel from all the League member states, had to wait years before they received the same equipment. Member states would often have to wait decades before the Hegemony provided the technical details needed to produce such equipment. With the collapse of the first Star League in 2781, the five Great Houses received a massive technological windfall. Many of the SLDF troops who did not follow General Aleksandr Kerensky into the Periphery retained their equipment. The absorption of former Hegemony worlds garnered the House Lords supplies, designs, and the manufacturing base to produce more. But then the First and Second Succession Wars shattered the Inner Sphere’s industrial base. Supply caches were exhausted. Too many skilled technicians had died on the front trying to keep the remaining machines in operation. The Successor Lords had no choice but to use older, obsolescent technologies in their war machines. The few remaining Star League designs only remained operational because their advanced systems had long since been replaced by simple (but readily available) equipment.

By the end of the Third Succession War, the Great Houses thought Star League technology lost. But unknown to them, ComStar had inherited vast caches of advanced technology
when it seized Terra in 2788. Following the Fourth Succession War, ComStar announced the formation of a military force to guard its HPGs. The hidden stores allowed the Com Guards to rapidly grow into a force fielding more than four thousand BattleMechs with armor and infantry support. ComStar also used its store of equipment to secretly re-arm the Draconis Combine—though not before stripping out most of the advanced technology.

Deep in the Periphery the Clans also possess Star League equipment. Upon reaching the Pentagon Worlds, General Aleksandr Kerensky demobilized seventy five percent of his troops and excess equipment was stored away in “Brian Caches”. Some were looted during the Pentagon Civil War, but many survived intact. The Clans tapped this store of material, sometimes using Star League equipment as the basis for upgraded designs. As new and even more advanced weapons were developed, Star League equipment that had survived years of inter-Clan trials was once more consigned to the depths of the Brian Caches. Only training commands and solahma (collections of old and disgraced warriors) are outfitted with these obsolete ’Mechs and aerospace fighters today. Clan armor formations (often treated little better than solahma) also make use of vintage SLDF equipment.

Thanks to the Gray Death Legion’s discovery of a Star League computer library core on Helm in 3028, much lost knowledge has been recovered and the Inner Sphere nations
have started manufacturing a number of old Star League designs.

TRO 3050 upgrade.

[PainRack]

In 3053 the regiment was chosen to spearhead a raid on the JAde Falcon world of La Grave, their mission to deprive the invaders of the industrial facilities of Biassau. Supported by independent infantry and armor regiments, the Black Cats exploited the wooded terrain surrounding the city.

Lyran Alliance FM, 13th Donegal Guards.

A description of an objective raid against the Clans and supporting forces.

[PainRack]

The Tharkad Battle Armor Regiment was commissioned by the Archon herself. It is the largest concentration of such troops in the Inner Sphere,representing almost six month's production of the devastating suits.

1st Royal Guards RCT, FM Lyran Alliance.
Approximately 576 Armor suits represent 6 months of production. Its unknown whether these suits represent the Fenrir or standard IS suits, it is unlikely that they represent Infiltrator and Sloth suits though, given the known discontinuation of new suits at this point in time.

Similarly, the LCAF has cut down on suit production compared to the FC(FL LA), although it is unlikely that their production is inferior to the DC, which in 3058 was suppoed to be underarmed in BA even as Project Phoenix put more pirority in such units.

A year production for the major powers of 1 thousand suits is reasonable. Mech production in this era is in the thousands odd.I will try and see if there is any data with regards to Protomechs production.

[Chris OFarrell]

There was the formula for a simple chemical catalyst, one that would allow silicon, gallium, arsenic and carbon to be combined in such a way that the material became superconducting at room temperature, allowing the transmission of fantastic voltages of electricity, with no waste heat and no loss of power. That was a secret that could improve the handling of the immense electrical charges require to move a starship into jumpspace. Manufacturers already had devised a mehtod for this cricual process, but even to Grayson's untutored eye, it looked like the new information was much more efficient.

Here too was a technique for manipulating the genes of earth-stock dairy animals in such a way that milk production was increased fourfold, as well, as providing certain trace elements, vitamins and anticarinines as well.

Price of Glory, PP 288, describing some of the data Grayson found in the Helm core as he looked through it for the first time.

[Eviscerator]

Sadly, the Houses, even though they each recieved copies of the Helm Core, all decided to sit tight on it and lock it down Except for House Davion who allowed NAIS work on it, and then when Hanse starting pwnings of the rest of the I.S in War of '39 et al, the houses started spy wars for Tech they already had the capability to research

[Chris OFarrell]

Actually I think the implication is that ComStar spent an enormous amount of time and effort hunting down and systematicaly destroying every single copy of the Helm data core that Grayson managed to get away.

The NAIS copy survived because, well, NAIS is an incredably secure facility which ROM never managed to infiltrate except at the most low level -eventually- mostly because Hanse trusted ComStar about as far as he could throw his Battlemaster. And when ComStar found out that there was a copy of the core at NAIS, who were steadily starting to develop the technology in it, they tried to send a covert ComGuard team in to level the whole damn facility dressed as Capellans.

And they failed because Hanse the Man went stomping out in his Battlemaster and bitchslapped them, personally!


I just find it amusing that Price of Glory actually says that the Helm core has a 'simple' forumla for frigen ROOM TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS and no-one in the universe ever appears to use it...

[Batman]

Pfff. We're talking about a universe that apparently has lost a lot of MODERN DAY technology, uses solar sails to recharge the drives of FUSION POWERED starships, and apparently never did anything worthwhile with the triple-strength myomers the NAIS came up with either. Them not making use of RTSCs too is about par for the course for BT if you ask me.

[PainRack]

Sadly, the Houses, even though they each recieved copies of the Helm Core, all decided to sit tight on it and lock it down Except for House Davion who allowed NAIS work on it, and then when Hanse starting pwnings of the rest of the I.S in War of '39 et al, the houses started spy wars for Tech they already had the capability to research

Are we reading from the same source material? Each of the Great Houses devoted considerable resources to unlocking lostech. The difference was that NAIS received a full copy whereas the other Houses didn't, thanks to Waterly.

The NAIS copy survived because, well, NAIS is an incredably secure facility which ROM never managed to infiltrate except at the most low level -eventually- mostly because Hanse trusted ComStar about as far as he could throw his Battlemaster. And when ComStar found out that there was a copy of the core at NAIS, who were steadily starting to develop the technology in it, they tried to send a covert ComGuard team in to level the whole damn facility dressed as Capellans.

Close. There was also internal politics by Waterly, as detailed in the Comstar Manual. She held back information that NAIS had received a copy until she could backstab Tiemolo with it, then "convinced" Precentor ROM to launch a raid against NAIS. Going by the illustrations, god knows how she seduced him.

I just find it amusing that Price of Glory actually says that the Helm core has a 'simple' forumla for frigen ROOM TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS and no-one in the universe ever appears to use it...

They do chris. Its in the jumpships K-F drive. There's a PROBLEM with it. Namely, it can't handle large amount of electricity, hence, the use of solar sails.

Pfff. We're talking about a universe that apparently has lost a lot of MODERN DAY technology, uses solar sails to recharge the drives of FUSION POWERED starships, and apparently never did anything worthwhile with the triple-strength myomers the NAIS came up with either. Them not making use of RTSCs too is about par for the course for BT if you ask me.

Errr..... say what? Even in 2nd edt mechwarrior and so forth, its explained why they use solar sails. Not because the fusion drives can't supply enough power, but rather, they supply TOO MUCH. TAS pathfinder did use fusion, some editions even use ICE(oooh, I should try to find that source), and of course, there's hot-loading. But the use of solar sails is normal fuels burn up fuel and space and well.... you simply don't need a lot of energy to power it. Relatively.

As for TSM, errr...... you're referring to the heat activated one or the chemically burnt one?

[Batman]

I just find it amusing that Price of Glory actually says that the Helm core has a 'simple' forumla for frigen ROOM TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS and no-one in the universe ever appears to use it...

They do chris. Its in the jumpships K-F drive. There's a PROBLEM with it. Namely, it can't handle large amount of electricity, hence, the use of solar sails.

Which provide...a large amount of electricity. Oops.

Pfff. We're talking about a universe that apparently has lost a lot of MODERN DAY technology, uses solar sails to recharge the drives of FUSION POWERED starships, and apparently never did anything worthwhile with the triple-strength myomers the NAIS came up with either. Them not making use of RTSCs too is about par for the course for BT if you ask me.

Errr..... say what? Even in 2nd edt mechwarrior and so forth, its explained why they use solar sails. Not because the fusion drives can't supply enough power, but rather, they supply TOO MUCH.

And as usual, that's COMPLETE GARBAGE. There's no reason the KF drive needs to accept any more power than it needs to. The fusion reactor on a jumpship provides too much power for virtually EVERYTHING that nevertheless IS powered by it. Here's a hint-not all the power the reactor generates has to be channeled into a single system, nor has the reactor to run at peak power all the time.

TAS pathfinder did use fusion, some editions even use ICE(oooh, I should try to find that source), and of course, there's hot-loading.

Which, again, could just as easily be done off the onboard fusion reactor.

But the use of solar sails is normal fuels burn up fuel and space and well.... you simply don't need a lot of energy to power it.

One more reason not to bother with those useless solar sails which mass a lot and don't give ANY advantage over using the fusion reactor to recharge the drive other than having to replenish minuscule amounts of the most abundant substance in the universe.

[Eviscerator]

Hanse Adriann Davion, God rest his soul, somehow saw fit to expend such an invention as Triple Strength-Myomer on what was an extremely big finger to old Max Liao.

I swore i saw that reference to all of the Houses reciving a copy eventually but mostly sitting on it somewhere in these reams of stuff. I'll get to finding it but in the meantime if nothing else House Kurita recieved a full copy of the Helm Core too, thanks to Duke Hassid Ricol. Um, he sort of traded it in to get back in their good books?

And i always did wonder, why cant the reactor be fine-tuned to deliver the same trickle of power the sails supply? It's all energy anyhoo....

[eyl]

Hanse Adriann Davion, God rest his soul, somehow saw fit to expend such an invention as Triple Strength-Myomer on what was an extremely big finger to old Max Liao.

Well, the IS eventually did begin using TSM, though it took them a few decades...

And i always did wonder, why cant the reactor be fine-tuned to deliver the same trickle of power the sails supply? It's all energy anyhoo....

It can be - if you charge slowly enough (I don't have the tables in front of me, but IIRC it takes 150 hours), you can charge the drive from the fusion plant at the same rate as the maximum rate of solar sail charging; presumably this isn't done regularly to save on fuel.

[Eviscerator]

No no, the significance is that Hanse gave Liao blueprints and such for TSM, just so he could stick his finger in Max's eye for trying to impersonate him. It's something like giving an Axix power blueprints for something advanced so you can set up a LOL EPIC FAIL moment later. But with the drawback that the Axis power now has the tech.... hmm..

Result: Liao get TSM several years before the rest of the sphere

[PainRack]

Comstar had several Gm 240XL engines, but those models included outdated heat sinks and allowed no room for a retrofit of the bulkier double-efficiency sinks.

Tukayyid. An older explaination of heat sinks than that found in TechManual. Along with Techmanual, this should conclusively argue against engines being refitted with Double Heat Sinks easily. This may help explain why the Panther never did get Double Heat Sinks, although Darwin Whelp suggests otherwise.

It does raise the question of how field refit kits work.

[PainRack]

And as usual, that's COMPLETE GARBAGE. There's no reason the KF drive needs to accept any more power than it needs to. The fusion reactor on a jumpship provides too much power for virtually EVERYTHING that nevertheless IS powered by it. Here's a hint-not all the power the reactor generates has to be channeled into a single system, nor has the reactor to run at peak power all the time.

Actually, I'm sorry. Reflex argument against Rvalencia from SB who argued that ST anti-matter drives will be beneficial for Jumpships.

Let me quote from the relevent sources.

K-F drives and batteries may be recharged with a vessel's jump sail or power plant.....The base charging time for both drive-core and lithium fusion systems is 150 hours.

However, jump-sail charging conserves fuel and minimizes the risk of damage to a ship's drive.

Explorer Corps
If you trust me on the "captain nightmare of being stranded with a damaged sail and spent engines" quote which I can't recollect is from which sourcebook, the answer is clear. The ship fusion engine sustains 150 hours of constant burn, of which the majority is actually "wasted" and isn't stored.
We don't know why, but apparently, running the charges off anything but the LF battery with its complex power distribution is a failure. Even the 2nd edt RPG description of the TAS Pathfinder, along with battlespace required the reactor to constantly burn just to get the 150MW(IIRC) power.

[PainRack]

Although some robots were previously equipped with limited, artificial intelligence, the technology has now been lost. Therefore, robots are sometimes capable of independent action, but are generally incapable of independent thought.....
However, all of these robotics have been used to fight Mechs at one time or another during the Succession Wars by rebels or opponents who had no Mechs of their own.

Mechwarrior 1st Edition.
An interesting blurb on AI regarding ground units, as opposed to Caspar drones, automated warships and stuff.

Oddly enough, the Republic of the Sphere continues the Succession Era policy of replacing such robots with IndustrialMechs..... nuff said.

[consequences]

Hanse Adriann Davion, God rest his soul, somehow saw fit to expend such an invention as Triple Strength-Myomer on what was an extremely big finger to old Max Liao.

If you'd read the NAIS Aatlas of the Fourth Succession war, you'd realize that that finger took a third of the CC's remaining military out of commission while Maxie desperately had the TSM stripped off the refitted units, effectively allowing the Fed Suns a free wave of invasions at the end of the war.

So it's more like he gave Max the finger, and then gouged his left eye out with it.