Author Topic: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)  (Read 5016 times)

Daryk

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Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« on: 20 November 2016, 21:39:00 »
So, looking at the Squad Support Weapon rules, it struck me it would be handy if there was a way to bring more of the esoteric Electronic Warfare and sensor capabilities to lighter BA squads.  Hence these ideas (both Inner Sphere):

Light IESS:  Combines the ECM Suite, Improved Sensors, and Remote Sensor Dispenser capabilities into a package that provides ECM, Active Probe-like abilities, and three remote sensors per suit for 200kg for purposes of parsing out into a Squad Support Weapon.  For construction, it requires each suit to leave 100 kg and 2 equipment spaces open (savings of 105 kg and 1 equipment slot per suit over installing all components individually for the cost of a halved number of remote sensors).  When reduced to a single suit, a squad would lose its ECM Suite capability and any remaining remote sensors.

Heavy IESS: Combines the ECM Suite, Active Probe, Remote Sensor Dispenser, Laser Microphone and Search Light into a package that provides ECM, Active Probe, Laser Microphone and Search Light capabilities along with four remote sensors per suit for 400kg.  For construction, it requires each suit to leave 200 kg and 4 equipment spaces open (savings of 200 kg and 2 equipment slots per suit over installing components individually for the cost of a reduced number of remote sensors).  When reduced to a single suit, a squad equipped with this package would lose its Active Probe capability.

Nightgaun7

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #1 on: 23 December 2016, 08:07:12 »
Like the idea. I'm a fan of anything that gives BA an easier time with regard to utility.

Daryk

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #2 on: 23 December 2016, 23:14:42 »
Thanks!  I appreciate the feedback.  More broadly, I'm looking at the lower end of BattleTech and trying to make things more consistent on the way up to 'Mech scale and beyond.

Dragon Cat

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #3 on: 24 December 2016, 02:48:25 »
I'd remove the laser mic and searchlight from the bigger one but otherwise I like them combining them to give something akin to the watchdog isn't a bad idea maybe the larger one or both could have C3 capabilities or maybe a variant loses ECM gains C3
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Sabelkatten

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #4 on: 24 December 2016, 05:58:23 »
Rather excessive upgrade - you've pretty much made the standard ECM obsolete. And it's not really necessary either, it's not difficult to fit ECM, Improved sensors, and Remote sensors on a light BA with mobility and armor (but of course you won't fit any heavy guns!).

Code: [Select]
IS light BA, 100 kg
3 ground/3 jump MP, 135 kg
Armored gloves
5 basic stealth armor, 275 kg, 3 slots
LMG, 75 kg, 1 slot
Improved sensors, 65 kg, 1 slot
Remote sensors, 40 kg, 1 slot
SSWM ECM, 50 kg, 2 slots

Isn't this good enough? How much more do you need? ???

Daryk

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #5 on: 24 December 2016, 08:21:29 »
I was trying to reduce the cost and weight so you could fit the light one on a PA(L) economically.  The Nighthawk only gets the ECM suite...

Cryhavok101

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #6 on: 24 December 2016, 10:04:59 »
Rather excessive upgrade - you've pretty much made the standard ECM obsolete. And it's not really necessary either, it's not difficult to fit ECM, Improved sensors, and Remote sensors on a light BA with mobility and armor (but of course you won't fit any heavy guns!).

Isn't this good enough? How much more do you need? ???

I've kind of always wondered: If one ecm will cover the whole squad why do I need 4-6 of them? Same with Active Probes? I really like the idea of each squad member taking a different piece of EW gear so the whole suite is covered.

Maingunnery

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #7 on: 24 December 2016, 13:41:57 »

I have done something similarly before.

But I found a way to make the number of suites matter, have the number of BA with suites determine the radius of the ECM/AP effect.
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Cryhavok101

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #8 on: 24 December 2016, 13:52:00 »
I have done something similarly before.

But I found a way to make the number of suites matter, have the number of BA with suites determine the radius of the ECM/AP effect.

I like this, that way it is like the APDS in that way. I also like the idea of one system per suit... I like having more design options.

Sabelkatten

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #9 on: 24 December 2016, 16:05:08 »
I have done something similarly before.

But I found a way to make the number of suites matter, have the number of BA with suites determine the radius of the ECM/AP effect.
This I can agree with 100%!

Daryk

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #10 on: 24 December 2016, 16:14:42 »
Having some background in EW, I don't really like the radius being determined by the number of suites.  Hence my idea for one suite for the whole squad.

Sabelkatten

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #11 on: 24 December 2016, 17:49:25 »
Having some background in EW, I don't really like the radius being determined by the number of suites.  Hence my idea for one suite for the whole squad.
But your OP doesn't really do anything about that either - ECM and sensors can already be placed in SSWMs, you just have to eat the slot requirements and losing the whole system if the wrong suit is killed.

I was trying to reduce the cost and weight so you could fit the light one on a PA(L) economically.  The Nighthawk only gets the ECM suite...
Well, it's hard to fit a GR on a Locust too... Doesn't mean the GR should weight less, it just means you need a larger platform.

If you absolutely want it, houserule SSWMs instead. Maybe just "An SSWM can hold one piece of gear per suit". So a squad of PA(L) could look like this:

Code: [Select]
IS PA(L), 80 kg
1 ground/3 jump MP, 75 kg
Armored gloves
2 standard stealth armor, 120 kg, 4 slots
SSWM (1 slot) RA, 2 slots

And in those 125 kg you could fit:
ECM, 50 kg (suit 1)
Improved sensors, 35 kg (suit 2)
Remote sensors, 20 kg (suit 3)
LTAG, 20 kg (suit 4)

Daryk

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #12 on: 24 December 2016, 18:35:25 »
Not a bad idea, but it seems a bit more fiddly than inventing a package deal, and would need additional restrictions to keep it from being abused for weapons.

Sabelkatten

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #13 on: 25 December 2016, 05:08:39 »
Not a bad idea, but it seems a bit more fiddly than inventing a package deal, and would need additional restrictions to keep it from being abused for weapons.
No more fiddly than SSWMs in general (same rule, after all). Thankfully it's not abusable at all when it comes to weapons - 1xMG on each suit is 100 kg and 1 slot each, on SSWMs it would be 200 kg (4x50) and 2 slots each. :)

Nightgaun7

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #14 on: 01 January 2017, 00:55:16 »
The real problem is that BA ECM is basically useless thanks to the same-hex range.

Cryhavok101

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #15 on: 01 January 2017, 01:42:57 »
The real problem is that BA ECM is basically useless thanks to the same-hex range.

Not on suits that specialize in swarming the enemy mechs. They'll be in the same hex anyway.

It also protects the BA from having ECM-vulnerable ammunition used against them (and whatever they are riding), and it interferes with Active Probes trying to locate them while they are hidden units. If I remember right, you can even use it to create ghost targets, making it harder to hit the squad and it's ride. Along those lines, they could even use their ECM as an ECCM protecting their ride from hostile ECMs.

It might not be as great as normal or angel ECM due to it's radius, but it's far from useless.

Nightgaun7

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #16 on: 01 January 2017, 02:22:47 »
YMMV, but I would much prefer to have a normal suite that can cover a large area than a BA one that can only cover one hex. Plus, the weight and crits it takes up seriously hurts the BA's ability to perform other tasks.


Daryk

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Re: Integrated Electronics and Sensor Suites (IESS)
« Reply #17 on: 01 January 2017, 09:42:00 »
And that's why I came up with the IESS packages, trying to make the electronics more usable for lighter suits.