A slight change in armor distribution.

[Charistoph]

Something that always seemed a little weird to me with the advent of advanced armors is they don't really do anything to directly change the maximum amount of coverage available to a certain section.  While lightening the burden does allow for more armor to be installed, it only helps if you haven't already maxed it out.  Changing out an Atlas' or Dire Wolf's armor to Ferro-Fibrous won't really change the values it has, it just reduces how much the armor weighs, or sometimes what.

Now sometimes more advanced armor will change how the damage is taken, such as Hardened Armor, but that's not exactly the same thing I'm talking about here.

Now, I'm not saying I've figured out how to do this, but what if each limb or section had a set amount of weight of armor could be carried instead of a certain number of hit points that it carried?  For example, a 100 ton mech's frame will allow for 2 tons of armor to be carried on its arms, while the 75 ton Orion can carry a 1 1/2 tons of armor, just to start off the brainstorming.

Of course, this doesn't allow for the fine differences between the maximum armor that a Orion's chassis and a Zeus' chassis currently can carry, and I think that fine distinction is why the current system was set up and hasn't really changed.

The current build system is a little backwards starting with end mass first and working upward from there, but then, there is no downside to having all Mechs of a class use the same skeleton mass, but underbuilding it, such as having a Locust and a Panther having the same skeleton, but under-armoring and under-gunning the Locust to keep it at 20 tons vs over-armoring and over-gunning the Panther's 35 tons.  Obviously speed would be another factor, but it's not like drop weight is anything but a self-imposed limit.

Apologies if I seem to be rambling, but what changes in armor distribution do you think would be good for the game?

[idea weenie]

So a form of armor-reinforcing structure that is capable of handling more armor than usual, meaning each point of internal structure can support 1 more point of armor?  I.e. the torso locations and limbs can have up to 3 pts of armor per pt of internal structure, and the head can have up to 4 pts of armor per pt of internal structure.

Perhaps this upgrade can be selected for some locations and not others (and nearly everyone will want it for the Head).

Maybe make this be stackable so you may only have the original 3 pts of Internal structure, but you slapped on enough armor supporting ability that the head can take a Gauss round without penetration.  That could explain the Atlas.

This should have some tonnage requirement so players don't just say "I'm going to slap two tons of armor on the head"

[Daryk]

Doesn't Modular Armor already sort of let you do this?   ???

[Charistoph]

So a form of armor-reinforcing structure that is capable of handling more armor than usual, meaning each point of internal structure can support 1 more point of armor?  I.e. the torso locations and limbs can have up to 3 pts of armor per pt of internal structure, and the head can have up to 4 pts of armor per pt of internal structure.

Perhaps this upgrade can be selected for some locations and not others (and nearly everyone will want it for the Head).

Maybe make this be stackable so you may only have the original 3 pts of Internal structure, but you slapped on enough armor supporting ability that the head can take a Gauss round without penetration.  That could explain the Atlas.

This should have some tonnage requirement so players don't just say "I'm going to slap two tons of armor on the head"

Let's see if I get this right.

As an example, all Light Chassis have the same armor carrying-capacity, roughly the same as a Locust, Wasp, etc, but then you can reinforce the chassis to carry more armor, the level of reinforcement whether your armoring up to a Panther's capacity or pick and choose so that a Jenner might have heavier torso reinforcement, but can only have its legs and arms armored like a Locust?

[Talen5000]

Short of adding an armour-piercing mechanic, the simplest way to implement your idea would be to design all Mechs using the 16 points per ton armour as normal.

And then, once everything is set, simply increase the number of armour points by the Advanced armour multiplier. Your mech carries the a same mass of armour, but gets more protection.

[idea weenie]

Let's see if I get this right.

As an example, all Light Chassis have the same armor carrying-capacity, roughly the same as a Locust, Wasp, etc, but then you can reinforce the chassis to carry more armor, the level of reinforcement whether your armoring up to a Panther's capacity or pick and choose so that a Jenner might have heavier torso reinforcement, but can only have its legs and arms armored like a Locust?

You would also have to change the mass of the internal structure as well.  I.e. a light internal structure might be 2 tons, and only provide the equivalent of a Locust's Internal Structure diagram.  By adding more 'armor-supporting structure', you can put on more armor than a Locust could normally handle, at the cost of heavier internal structure.  Additional internal structure could also be installed and would be cheaper on a points per ton basis compared to armor (i.e. you might get 16 pts per ton for armor, but 32 pts per ton for IS), but if you are taking hits on Internal Structure you are also losing equipment and soon to lose that location anyway.

The fun part is that as you add more armor and structure to the Mech you are likely changing the Mech's total mass, so you have to remove some other stuff, or put in a heavier engine which then adds more mass needing a larger engine aso.

Fun stuff

[Charistoph]

Short of adding an armour-piercing mechanic, the simplest way to implement your idea would be to design all Mechs using the 16 points per ton armour as normal.

And then, once everything is set, simply increase the number of armour points by the Advanced armour multiplier. Your mech carries the a same mass of armour, but gets more protection.

Why would an armor-piercing mechanic be needed any more than now?

And yes, it would be a value by the half ton as it is now, unless we're willing to go to quarter amounts.

You would also have to change the mass of the internal structure as well.  I.e. a light internal structure might be 2 tons, and only provide the equivalent of a Locust's Internal Structure diagram.  By adding more 'armor-supporting structure', you can put on more armor than a Locust could normally handle, at the cost of heavier internal structure.  Additional internal structure could also be installed and would be cheaper on a points per ton basis compared to armor (i.e. you might get 16 pts per ton for armor, but 32 pts per ton for IS), but if you are taking hits on Internal Structure you are also losing equipment and soon to lose that location anyway.

The fun part is that as you add more armor and structure to the Mech you are likely changing the Mech's total mass, so you have to remove some other stuff, or put in a heavier engine which then adds more mass needing a larger engine aso.

Fun stuff

Well, reinforcing the chassis would cost mass, as it does now, but instead of reinforcing all of the chassis by way of using the target mass, you would only reinforce the chassis where you wanted to have more armor.

Of course, such a concept could be progressed to carrying heavier weapons, like say the UrbanMech's AC/10

[Col Toda]

Reinforced Internal structure does not increase Maximum Armor . Using Hardend Armor effectively does and Laser Reflective armor conditionally does thats it . 20 percent total mass of the unit is about max armor with standard armor  . So hardened is 40 percent total mass . Various forms of Ferro Fibrous armor is for when you can't afford the 20 percent mass but want close or max armor anyway .

[Daryk]

Endo-steel is how you make up armor tonnage difference.  You get more tons that way...  ^-^