BattleTech - The Board Game of Armored Combat
BattleTech Game Systems => General BattleTech Discussion => Topic started by: Sartris on 01 March 2015, 15:07:42
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Between the two major technology shifts seen in TRO: Prototypes and RS: 3145 New Tech New Upgrades, there was substantial movement. I wanted to see how dramatic the landscape has changed so I made a list of items that have changed classifications and combined it with the list of equipment from TacOps that had stayed put. The majority of this shift has occurred by ~3090, though many of the advanced armors and other construction options (eg quadvees) came later.
Below are the results. I have not had a chance to go out into WoR, Jihad: Final Reckoning, etc to dig up all of the new stuff introduced in the past few years so this is not comprehensive.
STANDARD GEAR (FORMERLY EXPERIMENTAL OR ADVANCED)
HEAVY WEAPONS
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Blazer Canon
Chemical Lasers
Enhanced LRMs
ER Flamer
ER Pulse Lasers
Extended LRMs
Heavy Flamer
Improved Heavy Gauss
Improved Heavy Lasers
Improved OS
Laser AMS
Magshot
Rifle Cannons
Rotary AC (Clan)
Silver Bullet Gauss
Streak LRMs
Sub-Capital Cannons
Sub-Capital Lasers
Sub-Capital Missiles
Thunderbolt Launchers
Vehicle Grenade Launcher (VGL)
X-Pulse Lasers
PHYSICAL WEAPONS
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Claws
Flail
Mace
EQUIPMENT
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Angel ECM
Artemis V FCS
Bloodhound AP
CASE II
Coolant Pod
Jet Booster (VTOL)
M-Pod
Mechanical Jump Boosters
MRM “Apollo” FCS
PPC Capacitor
Supercharger
UMUs
Watchdog CEWS
AMMUNITION
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Artemis V-Compatible Missiles
Caseless AC Ammo
Flack AC Ammo
Fragmentation Grenades Ammo (VGL)
CONSTRUCTION OPTIONS
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Composite Structure
Endo-Composite Structure
Reinforced Structure
Fission Engine (CV)
Fuel Cell Engine (CV)
Large Engine (ICE)
Small Cockpit (AS)
Chin Turret (VTOL)
Dual Turret (CV)
Sponson Turret (CV)
Full-Head Ejection System
Torso-Mounted Cockpit
Mixed Tech Chassis
Ultra-Light Battlemechs
Super-Heavy Vehicles
Vehicular Stealth Armor
BATTLE ARMOR / PROTOMECH / INFANTRY-SPECIFIC
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Angel ECM (BA)
Detachable Weapons Pack (BA)
Disposable Weapons (BA / CI)
ER Pulse (BA)
Extended Jump Jets (PM)
Flechette Ammo (PM AC)
Mechanical Jump Boosters (BA)
Myomer Booster (BA)
ProtoMech Autocannon Armor-Piercing Ammo
Protomech Autocannons
Protomech Melee Weapon
ADVANCED GEAR (FORMERLY EXPERIMENTAL AND UNCHANGED ADVANCED EQUIPMENT)
HEAVY WEAPONS
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Bombast Laser
Handheld Weapons
HVAC 2/5/10
Fluid Gun
Mech Mortar 1/2/4/8
Re-engineered Lasers
Taser (BM)
TSEMP Cannon
TSEMP Cannon (OS)
Variable Speed Pulse Lasers
PHYSICAL WEAPONS
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Chain Whip
Lance
Spikes
Talons
Vibroblade
EQUIPMENT
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Actuator Enhancement System
Booby Trap
C3 Boosted Master/Slave
C3 Emergency Master
C3 Remote Sensor Launcher
Chaff Pod
Hargel (BM/CV)
Drone (Remote) Carrier Control System
Drone (Remote) Operating Systems
Dropchute (CV)
Inferno Fuel Ammo (Fluid Gun)
Inferno Fuel Ammo (Vehicle Flamer)
Mast Mount (VTOL)
Mine Dispensers (CV)
Minesweeper
Mobile Field Base
Mobile HPG
Recon Camera
Remote Sensors
Shield
ARTILLERY
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Artillery – Arrow IV
Artillery – BA Tube
Artillery – Long Tom
Artillery – Sniper
Artillery – Thumper
Artillery Cannons
Air-Defense Arrow
Artillery Cruise Missiles
Arrow IV Air-Launced (Non-Homing)
Arrow IV Missile (Homing)
Arrow IV Missile (Non-Homing)
Cluster Artillery (Arrow IV)
Cluster Artillery (Long Tom)
Copperhead Artillery Shells
Flechette Artillery Shells
Illumination Artillery / Arrow Missiles
Inferno IV Missiles
Laser-Inhibiting Arrow
Smoke Artillery / Arrow IV Missiles
Thunder (FASCAM) Artillery / Arrow IV
AMMUNITION
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Harpoon Missiles
Heat-Seeking Missiles
Incendiary LRMs
Mine-Clearance Missiles
Smoke Missiles
Swarm / Swarm-I LRMs
Tear Gas SRMs
Thunder LRMs
Tracer AC Ammo
Airbust Mortars (BM)
Anti-Personnel Mortars (BM)
Armor-Piercing (Shaped Charge) Mortars (BM)
Smoke Mortars (BM)
Chaff Grenades (VGL)
Incendiary Grenades (VGL)
Smoke Grenades (VGL)
Mine – Active (Land)
Mine – Command-Detonated (Land / Sea)
Mine – Inferno (Land / Sea)
Mine – Space
Mine – Standard (Land / Sea)
Mine – Vibrabomb (Land)
Coolant Ammo (Fluid Gun)
Corrosive Ammo (Fluid Gun)
Corrosive Ammo (Fluid Gun)
Flame ****** Foam Ammo (Fluid Gun)
Oil Slick Ammo (Fluid Gun)
Paint / Obscurant Ammo (Fluid Gun)
Water Ammo (Fluid Gun)
Anti-Ship Missile (Bomb)
Air-to-Air Arrow Missiles
Anti-Ship Electronic Warfare Missiles
Inferno Bombs
Light Air-to-Air Missiles
Thunder (FASCAM) Bombs
CONSTRUCTION OPTIONS
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Anti-Penetration Ablation Armor
Ballistic Reinforced Armor
Ferro-Lamellor Armor
Hardened Armor
Heat Dissipating Armor
Impact-Resistant Armor
Laser-Reflective Armor
Modular Armor
Patchwork Armor
Reactive Armor
Compact Heat Sinks
Laser Heat Sinks
Radical Heat Sink System
Cockpit Command Console
Armored Components
Large Engines (XXL Fusion)
MechWarrior Aquatic Survival System (MASS)
Void-Signature System
XXL Fusion Engines
Turret – Head (BM)
Turret – Quad (BM)
Turret – Shoulder (BM)
Armored Motive System (CV)
Escape Pod (CV)
Dune Buggy
Environmental Sealing (CV)
Flotation Hull (CV)
Fully Amphibious (CV)
Limited Amphibious (CV)
Vehicular Jump Jets
Quadvees
Superheavy Battlemechs
Superheavy Industrialmechs
Tripod Mechs
Tripod Superheavy Battlemechs
BATTLE ARMOR / PROTOMECH / INFANTRY-SPECIFIC
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C3 (BA)
C3i (BA)
Detachable Weapon Pack (BA)
Dropchute (BA)
Flare Mortars (BAGL)
Incendiary Grenades (BAGL)
Jump/Drop Pack (BA)
Laser-Reflective Armor (BA)
LB-X Autocannon (BA)
Partial Wing (BM)
Reactive Armor (BA)
Semi-Guided Mortars (BA)
Smoke Grenades (BAGL)
Smoke Mortars (BA)
Taser (BA)
Smoke Mortars (BA)
Glider Chassis (PM)
Magnetic Clamp System (PM)
Partial Wing (PM)
Quad Chassis (PM)
Ultraheavy Chassis (PM)
Beast-Mounted Infantry
Field Artillery
Field Guns
Infantry Armor
Mechanized VTOL Infantry
Specialized Infantry
XCT Troops
LARGE VEHICLES / SPACECRAFT
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Docking Hardpoint (collar)
Docking Thrusters
Energy Storage Batteries
Flight Deck / Helipad
Grav Deck
Landing Deck
Light Sail
Lithium-Fusion Battery
Naval C3
Naval Comm-Scanner Suite
Naval Tug Adaptor
Power Collector and Microwave Trasmitter
Satellite Imagers – Hi-Res, Hyperspectral, Infrared, Look-Down Radar
Standard Repair Facilities (Naval)
Mine Dispenser (Space)
Naval Autocannons
Naval Gauss
Naval Lasers
Naval PPC
EXPERIMENTAL TECH
Hargel II
Hargel III
Blue Shield PFD
Chameleon LPS
Collapsible Command Module
Electronic Warfare Equipment
Laser Insulators
Mass Driver
Reinforced Repair Facilities (Naval)
Null-Signature System
Sub-Compact K-F Drive System
Mine – EMP (Land)
Acid (AX) Missiles
Anti-Radiation (ARAD) Missiles
Bola NARC Pods
FTL Missiles
Magnetic Pulse Missiles
Tandem-Charge Missiles
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That looks like it took some considerable effort, Sartris. Well done and thanks for doing the legwork for everyone else's benefit.
I know it is a touchy subject, but between that list and all of the stuff that was already legal, I think it is time to start seriously considering retiring some of the old tech before the game hits the next era. Either that, or give up some of the advanced/experimental tech as deadend/unsustainable. Variety is the spice of life, sure, but its getting to the point where we have more types of lasers than some other games have weapons of any kind.
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I have thought for a long time that the equipment list needs a revision along with the mech lists. It's an interesting start. As mentioned by the poster above, how many types of large lasers do you need? Or how many revisions of the Bushwhacker or Warhammer with another name? Or how many active probes? It's a heck of a can of worms though that really gets into a boxed set or product line more in tune with the current point in the timeline rather than keeping the old one going through product support. No one will be happy. :)
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I've changed my opinion on weapon retirement now that we're getting into the mid 32nd century. As Clantech becomes more prolific in the inner sphere (and now that mixed tech designs are Standard tech), I'd like to see the rise of merged tech bases. Take the best from both and let the rest fade out of use - for example, the clan medium pulse would become the new standard while the IS med pulse and x-pulse would fall out of production entirely over time. This would actually go a long way in reducing tech bloat.
It's already starting to happen anyway
Number of canon variants with the following IS weapons since 3075 (of over 750 IS/Mixed Tech Mechs, Combat Vehicles, Support Vehicles, and Aerospace Fighters) Source: MegaMekLab's cache (i always delete the 'unofficial' .zip so those aren't included)
AC/2 - 5
AC/5 - 2 (one is a combat-modded industrialmech)
AC/10 - 3
AC/20 - 2 (none after 3078)
PPC - 13 (vs 75 ERPPCs, ~80 HPPCs, 68 SNPPC)
Large Laser - 8 (vs 70 ER Large and 27 LPL)
So since the height of the Jihad, the release of new tech is clearly reflected in design choices - IntroTech is largely being phased out (SL, ML, and MGs are still hanging on, but barely). The next logical step is to begin replacing the 3030s-3060s tech upgrades with their clan equivalents. It seems that this might alleviate one of the chief complaints I hear about playing in later eras - too much gear to keep track of.
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In retrospect... I am starting to wonder if making Clantech different from Lostech was a good idea. Sure, it made the Clans scarier at the time, but would the Invasion really have been less successful if they Clans had just shown up fully stocked with Lostech (plus omnimechs, their eugenics program, and Elementals)? The IS was still upgrading right? Wouldn't they have been defending with a patchwork collection of new and old?
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In retrospect... I am starting to wonder if making Clantech different from Lostech was a good idea. Sure, it made the Clans scarier at the time, but would the Invasion really have been less successful if they Clans had just shown up fully stocked with Lostech (plus omnimechs, their eugenics program, and Elementals)? The IS was still upgrading right? Wouldn't they have been defending with a patchwork collection of new and old?
Probably. But that's a decision with... twenty-five years of water under the bridge. Questioning decisions made in the 80s (and upon which most of the game universe is built) doesn't present many solutions - unless you want to completely tear down to the foundation and do a reboot (i don't). With the slow phasing out of the homeworld clans, it seems like a good idea to bring everything full circle under the same tent.
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Probably. But that's a decision with... twenty-five years of water under the bridge. Questioning decisions made in the 80s (and upon which most of the game universe is built) doesn't present many solutions - unless you want to completely tear down to the foundation and do a reboot (i don't). With the slow phasing out of the homeworld clans, it seems like a good idea to bring everything full circle under the same tent.
Completely agreed. I'm just... thinking out loud (or on-screen, as the case may be). The game doesn't need a complete reboot, just some spring cleaning.
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Thank you for the lists Sartris. O0
I can see some weapons fading from front line use. It happened before with the Clan and does seem to be happening now. But standard class weapons lingered on with the Clans for centuries. There's a lot more of them in the IS. I can't see them disappearing completely any time soon. I can see them being moved from one weapons list to another though.
For example going from the next Edition Total Warfare to Interstellar Operation's Alternative Eras as they move from the front lines to 2nd line and militia forces. They don't even have to change rules level. Sure the total list of weapons remains the same, but what changes is the focus on what's commonly used by which class of forces. List A Front line. List B Second line. There can be some mixing but usually the forces will use what's on a certain list.
That'd trim the list without bothering anyone, since everything is still available. It'd also be canonly accurate. The further from the front the lower tech the weapons.