(Answered) OmniMech Customization

[ANS Kamas P81]

Going beyond the rules in Tech Manual, p20:

All equipment and components used in an Omni unit’s base (core) configuration are considered “fixed” and may not change in terms of weight, space or arrangement between the base model and any of its Primary or Alternate configurations.

According to Strat Ops p189:

Omni units are designed to use interchangeable modular pods, so they are rarely customized. However, even Omni chassis contain certain integral components, such as engines, armor and fixed weapons. These items are not installed in modular pods, so they must be replaced with customizing procedures.

Does this mean that OmniMechs can be customized, not on a 'pod-swapping between configuration' level but using the standard SO customization rules for BattleMechs, without losing their Omni capability?  Everything in TM is only referring to 'primary and alternate configurations' of pods, when it speaks of 'may not be changed.'  StratOps p190 has the following:

Any OmniMech components incorporated into a FrankenMech will lose all benefits and special abilities associated with OmniMechs

That only refers to FrankenMech construction, though, and not Customization of a single complete 'Mech.

Can Omnis be Customized and retain their pod-based capability (albeit with different stats) and their BA Mechanization abilities?  Right now there's no text I can find that says they lose these upon customization, but that may be an oversight as I understand older rules did say this.

[Xotl]

So we've realized that a) there's never been a clear in-book rules citation that says this is categorically possible or impossible, and b) we've said over and over on the forums that it can't be done.

At the same time, there's never been a reason why it can't be done, just arbitrary pronouncements (everyone by this point knows the term "Omnismoke"), and we have a handful of Clan mechs that were refit at the factory level into omnis or otherwise played around with.

So, we're leaving most of the rules as they are.  Most notably, the main procedure as detailed in TM remains unchanged: nominate fixed equipment, and that can't be altered in standard omni configs.  Where we're introducing a tiny bit of flexibility is in the StratOps customization process.  Those rules are being revised, because they've generated a lot of confusion over the years.  One of the numerous changes in the revised version is that it will be possible to alter fixed equipment (either to other fixed equipment, or to more pod space) as a Class F refit (i.e. factory-level, impossible in the field).  This makes the statement from SO p. 189 that you quoted actually doable by the rules.