A Tech Usage Census - Clan Invasion through the Dark Age

[Sartris]

I recently became interested in how technologies have penetrated production models in the post-Helm Core Inner Sphere through 3150... so I did a lot of counting. Huge props to Hammer of the MegaMek team for providing me with a complete readout of MM's database, which allowed me to play with what to include and exclude without a significant amount of manual work (that would have certainly lead to a large number of errors).

The following data was derived from the current megamek database (.43.3) including only canon designs. I haven't done any cross-comparison, but there are a handful of units NOT included from the MUL (likely due to possessing tech currently not programmed into the application). To avoid skewing, especially of cutting-edge tech, I have moved any Unique-tagged units from the MUL, pretty much everything from XTROs, and mixed-tech designs (those require their own, separate analysis)

Obviously, this isn't perfect. Here are some of the caveats:
* Without actual in-universe production numbers, there is no way to weight any of the data. All variants (including omni configs) are treated as equal and discrete entities.
* I am only tracking designs by intro date. I make no attempt to sort out what's still in production, introduced in decades or centuries previous. The intent was to look for changes in design paradigm philosophy over time. It turns out there is, whether TPTB planned it that way or not.
* I was only interested in mechs (and industrialmechs as they use the same weapons systems) for this particular study. I have the raw data for other combat units but haven't really considered what to do with it yet.
* Smaller sample sizes get skewed a bit for strange reasons. For example, the only reason the standard SRM-2 and LRM-5 show up much at all post-3080 because they're fixed equipment on the Ares. Ultimately this isn't a broad concern as the numbers are so small.
* This is a projection of a fictional universe with real-world biases. Units counted in this study have been collected from canon sources published from 1986 to 2017 - and those units were not added chronologically to the BTU. It is impossible to extrapolate intent from the TPTB as far as their intentions. Were designs created specifically to fill holes in the timeline? Were earlier publications more haphazard in their approach? Unknown.
* In retrospect, I probably should have pulled the majority of Solaris-exclusive designs due to their special role as testbeds for advanced tech far before those systems reached general circulation. Some were flagged as unique (and therefore excluded), but many were not. Because of the small numbers involved, I didn't think it necessary to go back and recount everything.
* I have lumped 3080-3150 together into one group - the 3090s-3120s especially have an extreme paucity of new gear. The total for that sixty years is still barely over half of just the 3060s. Also it's hard to show any significant variations when some decades had twentysome new designs.
* I have the numbers for clan gear, but I haven't included it here for two reasons 1) separating the IS vs Homeworld divide was too daunting a task and 2) the much more narrow clan tech base didn't reveal anything interesting. ERPPCs and ERLLs are just as popular in 3050 as 3150.
* The 3040s are weird. The Helm recovery retcon hasn't been filled in extensively so the reintroduction of that technology is still ruled by units introduced in the original TRO:3050. The vast majority of advanced tech seen in the 3040s is found in 3047+. I included this decade largely for completeness.


THE DATA
I'm not going to drop all the numbers here, as there's just a lot of it (it's also kind of a giant mess). Numbers presented are usage rates per 100 designs to normalize frequency. (ie percentage of variants a particular item appears x 100). Due to rounding, some total percentages may come out to slightly more or less than 100 (e.g. DHS vs SHS)

Designs per decade included:
3040s: 86
3050s: 328
3060s: 541
3070s: 329
3080s-3150: 284

Table info:
1st. - first canon appearance AMONG INCLUDED UNITS; 2xxx - too lazy to look up intro date, likely an AoW or SL tech; I = introtech
I haven't included a lot of the newest tech because it just hasn't appeared in any real numbers, mostly showing up in the last column as 1-3%. I mainly wanted to see when / how newer tech began to supplant older tech and the waves it occured in.

TABLE ONE: DHS UBER ALLES

Code: [Select]

Tech 1st 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s-150s
Heat Sink, Double 3042 41 70 89 84 89
Heat Sink, Single I 59 30 11 17 12

TABLE TWO: ENDOSTEEL TAKEOVER

Code: [Select]

Tech 1st 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s-150s
Structure, Standard I 63 52 33 39 20
Structure, Endo Steel 3042 30 46 64 55 67
Structure, Endo-Composite 3090 4
Structure, Composite 3054 1 1 2
Structure, Reinforced 3065 <1 <1
Structure, Industrial 2xxx 7 2 2 6 6

TABLE THREE: I LIKE MY ENGINES LIKE MY T-SHIRTS - XL

Code: [Select]

Tech 1st 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s-150s
Engine, Standard I 64 36 28 28 20
Engine, XL 3042 30 62 48 47 57
Engine, Light Fusion 3058 1 19 19 16
Engine, Compact 3068 2 4 1
Engine, XXL 3054 <1 1 <1 4
Engine, Large XXL 3065 <1 <1 <1

Engine, Fuel Cell 2xxx 5 1 1 1 2
Engine, ICE 2xxx 1 0 1 2 1

TABLE FOUR: I HAVE A CLOSET FULL OF ARMOR AND NOTHING TO WEAR

Code: [Select]

Tech 1st 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s-150s
Armor, Standard I 71 73 61 53 52
Armor, Ferro Fibrous 3042 27 25 22 15 14
Armor, Light Ferro Fibrous 3065 0 0 5 16 13
Armor, Heavy Ferro Fibrous 3062 0 0 1 4 2
Armor, Stealth 3062 0 0 7 5 6

Armor, Anti-Penetrative 3114 1
Armor, Ballistic-Reinforced 3131 1
Armor, Hardened 3063 <1 <1 2
Armor, Heat Dissapating 3125 1
Armor, Impact Resistant 3108 1
Armor, Reactive 3054 1 1 0 1
Armor, Reflective 3063 1 0 2

Armor, Industrial 3042 7 2 2 6 0
Armor, Heavy Industrial 3044 1 <1 1 3 3
Armor, Primitive 3074 1
Armor, Commerical 3050 2 1

Armor, Modular NULL

TABLE FIVE: AUTOCANNONS - IF Y'ALL FANBOYS PLAYED SOMETHING BESIDES DAVION YOU'D REALIZE NO ONE LIKES THEM, VICTOR

Code: [Select]

Tech 1st 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s-150s
Autocannon 2 I 3 0 0 0 0
Autocannon 5 I 2 1 0 1 0
Autocannon 10 I 0 1 0 1 1
Autocannon 20 I 2 2 1 1 0

Autocannon, LB-2x 3060 1 0 0
Autocannon, LB-5x 3058 <1 <1 1 0
Autocannon, LB-10x 3048 6 10 4 5 2
Autocannon, LB-20x 3054 1 4 1 1

Autocannon, Ultra 2 3058 0 0 0 0
Autocannon, Ultra 5 3047 6 3 1 0 0
Autocannon, Ultra 10 3056 1 3 1 2
Autocannon, Ultra 20 3060 2 0 0

Autocannon, Light/2 3068 1 1 1
Autocannon, Light/5 3062 1 3 2
Autocannon, Rotary/2 3062 1 0 2
Autocannon, Rotary/5 3062 4 3 5

Autocannon, HV 10 3069 <1 0 0
Autocannon, HV 2 NULL
Autocannon, HV 5 NULL

TABLE SIX: GAUSS IS BETTER ANYWAY

Code: [Select]

Tech 1st 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s-150s
Gauss Rifle 3044 8 11 8 5 8
Gauss Rifle, Heavy 3061 3 0 0
Gauss Rifle, Imp. Heavy 3074 <1 1
Gauss Rifle, Light 3056 2 4 2 1
Gauss, Silver Bullet 3075 <0 <0

TABLE SEVEN: YO, DAWG. I HEARD YOU LIKE ER MEDIUM LASERS

Code: [Select]

Tech 1st 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s-150s
Laser, Large I 5 16 2 2 2
Laser, ER Large 3045 10 15 14 7 8
Laser, Pulse Large 3042 7 11 6 1 2

Laser, Medium I 51 42 13 19 6
Laser, ER Medium 3054 5 56 39 40
Laser, Pulse Medium 3043 26 32 20 11 8

Laser, Small I 8 17 5 6 2
Laser, ER Small 3054 3 17 15 11
Laser, Pulse Small 3046 3 9 3 3 2

Laser, X-Pulse Large 3057 1 1 <0 1
Laser, X-Pulse Medium 3054 1 2 1 5
Laser, X-Pulse Small 3058 <1 <1 <1 2

Laser, VSP Large 3071 2 1
Laser, VSP Medium 3072 4 1
Laser, VSP Small 3071 1 1
Laser, Blazer 3074 1 1
Laser, Bombast 3071 <1 <1

Laser, Re-engineered Large 3120 2
Laser, Re-engineered Medium 3100 1
Laser, Re-engineered Small 3130 1

TABLE EIGHT: GUYS, THERE ARE OTHER WEAPONS BESIDES PARTICLE CANNONS

Code: [Select]

Tech 1st 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s-150s
PPC I 9 4 2 3 2
PPC, ER 3047 13 16 17 8 10
PPC, Heavy 3066 5 13 11
PPC, Light 3060 4 16 12
PPC, Snub 2xxx 4 14 8

PPC Capacitor 3066 1 2

TABLE NINE: MISSILES? I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT NAME IN YEARS

Code: [Select]

Tech 1st 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s-150s
LRM-5 I 6 8 3 2 2
LRM-10 I 12 9 4 4 4
LRM-15 I 12 5 7 2 2
LRM-20 I 8 8 2 1 1
***EXTENDED / ENHANCED LRMS MADE NO SIGNIFICANT APPEARANCE

SRM-2 I 0 1 1 0 1
SRM-4 I 13 8 1 2 3
SRM-6 I 13 14 4 2 3
SRM, Streak 2 3047 14 10 2 2 1
SRM, Streak 4 3058 0 2 5 5 2
SRM, Streak 6 3058 0 1 8 3 4

MML-3 3068 <1 1 2
MML-5 3068 <1 8 4
MML-7 3068 1 7 5
MML-9 3068 1 4 3

MRM-10 3058 <1 <1 <1 1 2
MRM-20 3058 <1 2 2 1 1
MRM-30 3054 <1 2 1 <1 1
MRM-40 3058 <1 <1 1 1 0

Thunderbolt 10 3072 1 1
Thunderbolt 15 3063 1 4 1
Thunderbolt 20 3072 1 2
Thunderbolt 5 3072 1 2

Artemis IV FCS 3048 7 13 8 8 3
Apollo FCS 3071 1 2

TABLE 10: BUY FIVE GUNS, GET AN ACCESSORY FREE

Code: [Select]

Tech 1st 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s-150s
Active Probe, Beagle 3047 5 6 6 7 7
Active Probe, Bloodhound 3059 <1 0 1 2
ECM, Guardian 3048 5 9 23 18 15
ECM, Angel 3059 <1 0 2 7
Jump Jets I 42 39 41 29 28
Jump Jets, Improved 3067 2 13 7
CASE 3038 55 33 41 37 26
CASE II 3054 <1 0 1 15
MASC 3042 7 4 7 8 8
Supercharger 3063 2 1 6
Targeting Computer 3062 10 9 8
TSM 3030 <1 2 7 7 10
Cockpit, Small 3062 0 0 10 13 15

AMS 3042 13 11 3 2 1
Flamer I 7 6 4 3 3
NARC 3039 3 3 1 0 0
iNarc 3059 <1 2 0 0
Machine Gun I 8 10 4 3 1
TAG 3048 3 6 6 5 8
TSEMP 3101 5

C3i 3059 <1 18 14 0
C3M 3050 2 3 4 1
C3M Boosted 3076 1 1
C3S 3050 11 10 14 8
C3S Boosted 3069 2 4


[Dark Jackal]

Great list! I'm not surprised with the results.

MW3 was an ERML fest anyway.  O0

[Daryk]

One slight quibble... the Blazer Cannon should have a 2xxx "1st" date, not 3074.  It was introduced in 2801, but never made it past the "experimental" rules level.

[SCC]

For CASE and CASE II can you make the percentages a fractions of 'Mechs that mount or other explosive components?

[Phobos101]

Delicious... raw... statistics! Can I ask what the Helm Recovery retcon involved? I had a quick google around and couldn't find anything on it, and I wasn't aware of it until now.

[Sartris]

Delicious... raw... statistics! Can I ask what the Helm Recovery retcon involved? I had a quick google around and couldn't find anything on it, and I wasn't aware of it until now.

CGL softened the recovery curve by having star league tech return throughout the 3030s and 40s rather than largely  all at once in the  old  tro 3050. Some of that change actually appears in post-4th ed FASA stuff like DHS on the BJ-3 in Battlepack: 4th Succession War but the current regime is even more spread out.  The result is all of the 3050 upgrades piled at the end of the 3040s with only a handful of designs mounting the new gear before then. Maybe TPTB will go in and fill a few gaps like they did in Starterbook: Sword and Dragon or maybe they won't, but my analysis was based off extant variants rather than the current canon recovery dates now codified in IO

For CASE and CASE II can you make the percentages a fractions of 'Mechs that mount or other explosive components?

I had considered this but it slipped my mind to figure out how to do more complex queries. I'm guessing by the end of the 3050s and definitely by the mid 3060s that it's a substantial majority... though perception is often slain by data so it's a question worth looking into. I'll post the results if I can figure it out.

[Wrangler]

@Sartris

XTRO: Republic I-III are considered large and large no longer Experimental.  The units featured in those 3 volunes are production models, not one offs.  The books showed progression of how technology has changed from 3081 to 3150.  Some are indeed still advanced tech, but that highly mixed up in regular deployed units.  Some of those units featured ended up being entered into TRO:3150.  Not everyone did thou.

[Sartris]

@Sartris

XTRO: Republic I-III are considered large and large no longer Experimental.  The units featured in those 3 volunes are production models, not one offs.  The books showed progression of how technology has changed from 3081 to 3150.  Some are indeed still advanced tech, but that highly mixed up in regular deployed units.  Some of those units featured ended up being entered into TRO:3150.  Not everyone did thou.

It looks like I included most of the XTRO Republic units that aren't straight clan tech base or mixed-tech designs (intentionally or not, I'm not sure). Here are the six (out of fifteen) definitely not included in the counting

HNT-181
HNT-182
UM-R93
OSP-36
PEN-3H
AWS-11R

[SCC]

For CASE and CASE II can you make the percentages a fractions of 'Mechs that mount or other explosive components?

I had considered this but it slipped my mind to figure out how to do more complex queries. I'm guessing by the end of the 3050s and definitely by the mid 3060s that it's a substantial majority... though perception is often slain by data so it's a question worth looking into. I'll post the results if I can figure it out.

Well your ahead of me in using those MM tools, but can you search for multiple weapons under an OR condition instead of an AND?

[Hammer]

Huge props to Hammer of the MegaMek team for providing me with a complete readout of MM's database,

Glad I was able to help.

I should add their is a major change coming to how MegaMek calculates Tech Progression.  We've add the Tech Progression from IntOps in a side branch(soon to be added to the main release).  What this branch does is look at every piece of equipment that MegaMek suppports (we are around 90%) and figures out what the Tech level on the unit would be in what era.

So you can see from this screenshot how a Chippewa W7 would advance by the tech it uses.

Well your ahead of me in using those MM tools, but can you search for multiple weapons under an OR condition instead of an AND?

You can,  have a look here. (in the quantity column use the drop down to change the number)


and the results

[Col Toda]

From what I have seen starting in 3075 heavy ferro fibrous armor starts to be used by multiple factions and just about every combat vehicle made has enough extra space to field it . Until heat resistant armor becomes available  heavy ferro fibrous armor would be in an ever higher percentage of combat vehicles . The Wight is the only stock light mech that uses that armor but it's creation made its availability better. CASE II is everywhere it makes sense and have the space and tonnage 3095+ . Superchargers because of expense will always be uncommon . The Dark Age limited mixed tech becomes common . Generally to one primary weapon or a pair of secondary ones. If a ballistic  Inner Sphere weapon is exchanged for a Clan one it tends to save enough tonnage that an XL engine might be replaced with a Light fusion engine . So many of Dark Age mechs are less expensive than my Republic Age ERA one's  and before with no loss of fire power .  Fuel Cell engines in combat vehicles and Security Industrial mech also becomes far more common 3085+ . Fuel Cell engines give combat vehicles the same moment for the tonnage  as a light fusion engine with 9 less heat sinks . The reduction of engine cost makes up for some of the increased weapon and armor costs . ICE engine vehicles beome much more uncommon . Planetary militia becomes a little leaner and meaner. 3095+ infantry  uses armored exoskeletons and Battle Armor more. The same pressure to keep the cost of a combat unit below 16 million C bills remains . New tech that is used to refine your existing tactical doctrine lets you get maximum results short term . Wholesale embrace of New Tech demands time in combat to field effectively so you should expect to lose a lot of fights short term until you know best how to use it . This is why the Draconis Combine did so well wth old LRM 15 and 20 s early in the Dark Age   It is quicker and better to borrow or steal the enemies working doctrine after they spent months or years and an ocean of their own blood and treasure on losing to you . As soon as they develop tactics that work with massive tech upgrades you can install your own.