A question regarding a speed, firepower & armor classification system.

[Neufeld]

I am working on a program that calculates how much weight a mech spends on the three different types of systems (speed, firepower and armor).

Now it is clear that:

Speed:
- Engine
- Gyro
- MASC
- Jump-jets

Armor:
- Armor
- Internal Structure
- CASE
- Defensive equipment (everything that contributes to defensive BV: ECM, probes, pods, AMS)

Firepower:
- Weapons
- Ammo
- Offensive equipment (C3, TAG, tarcomps)
- Heatsinks

However, there is one essential piece of equipment that I have a hard time to classify: The cockpit.
Any suggestions how I should class it? Right now I have it under mobility, due to the penalty from small cockpits.

[DarkISI]

A Torso Mounted Cockpit would qualify as protection, because it prevents pilot hits... ;)

But let me as a question: Why?
You can pretty much glean the same kind of information by opening a TRO. What is the advantage one gains from this program? (Not trying to stop you from doing it, I'm actually just trying to understand.)

[Neufeld]

A Torso Mounted Cockpit would qualify as protection, because it prevents pilot hits... ;)

But let me as a question: Why?
You can pretty much glean the same kind of information by opening a TRO. What is the advantage one gains from this program? (Not trying to stop you from doing it, I'm actually just trying to understand.)

Speed, getting a summary overview of all the mechs in the TRO in a few seconds is faster than considering each mech separately.

[mensa12345]

Man, if you don't have them memorized by now, you're in real trouble.  Besides, there's really no good way to reduce the designs to something "mathematical".  So many of them are role-dependant.  Also, most of them either intentionally suck, or they are appropriate "in story".  (Like the Vindicator, which is a decent mech, but really shines when you realize that the Cappellans couldn't build anything heavier than 60 tons).

[Neufeld]

Man, if you don't have them memorized by now, you're in real trouble.

Memorize every design?! There are thousands of mech variants! It might be doable for one or two TRO, more than that is just not realistic.