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# System prepended metadata

title: Boomerstation Battletech-style Mech Overhaul
tags: [In Development, White Sands]

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# Boomerstation Battletech-style Mech Overhaul

###### tags: `In Development` `White Sands`


*   Mechs require three basic components:
    *   Chassis
    *   Engine
    *   Equipment
*   Mechs have two basic fitting resources:
    *   Powergrid
    *   Tonnage
*   Mechs come in four basic classes
    *   Assault
    *   Heavy
    *   Medium
    *   Light
*   Chassis…
    *   ...Are printed in eight individual pieces
        *   Head
        *   Center Torso
        *   Left Torso
        *   Right Torso
        *   Left Leg
            *   Takes manipulators as parts to determine tonnage bonuses
        *   Right Leg
            *   Takes manipulators as parts to determine tonnage bonuses
        *   Left Arm
        *   Right Arm
    *   ....Determine limb structural health
    *   ....Have armor placed onto them before they are attached, determining the armor value
    *   ...Determine the tonnage capacity for that section
    *   Three different tiers of Chassis
        *   Titanium Steel = Titanium + Iron
        *   Plastanium Fibrous = Plasma + Titanium + Iron
        *   Crystalline Hexaferrum = Bluespace Crystals + Titanium + Iron
*   Engines…
    *   Are the heart of the Mech
    *   Type of plasma fusion reactor.
    *   Engine type determines power grid resource amount
    *   Determines base speed as well
    *   Each class of mech has its own engine type
    *   Should be limited to 1-2 for each mech class
    *   Should be a component that takes parts
        *   Cell - Gives -10%, -5%, +5%, +10% Power Grid per level
        *   Capacitor - Gives -10%, -5%, +5%, +10% Top Speed per level
        *   Micro Laser - Gives -10%, -5%, +5%, +10% Fuel Efficiency
    *   Mechs are NOT powered by straight energy/electricity
        *   Instead use equal parts plasma sheets and oxygen gas.
*   Equipment
    *   Weapons
        *   Three main types:
            *   Ballistic
            *   Energy
            *   Missiles
        *   Reuse some existing weapon types from base mechs (?)
        *   Weapons use powergrid and tonnage
        *   Energy weapons use more powergrid, generate more heat
        *   Ballistic weapons generate less heat, use more tonnage
        *   Missiles use more tonnage and powergrid, but generate no heat
    *   Utilities
        *   Standard shit like DNA lock (?), rename, etc all come standard
            *   Some way to remotely remove DNA lock/locally hack the DNA lock would be great.
        *   Heat sinks increase dissipation of heat but require tonnage
        *   Auxiliary power plant increases powergrid at the cost of tonnage and heat
        *   Tools like mining drills still apply, although just take tonnage.
*   Movement/Use
    *   Mechs move with a throttle instead of direct WASD
    *   W = Throttle up
    *   S = Throttle down
    *   Reverse at 1/3 max speed
    *   Limited cone of vision to the front of the mech
    *   Offset vision with ability to torso-twist 90deg left and right
*   Weapon Controls
    *   Borg-style icon tray with weapons
    *   Group each weapon by type by default
    *   Two modes of fire
        *   Group
            *   Fires all weapons in the category
        *   Chain
            *   Rotates through each weapon type
    *   Weapons can be grouped manually using UI
    *   Can only fire in cone of vision, meaning if you can see it you can shoot it
*   Build Interface
    *   Loadout screen similar to MechWarrior Mercenaries, but simplified
    *   “Try before you buy”
    *   Lets roboticists plan out their builds before investing material.
    *   Simulates all parts of the loadout in a drag and drop interface for equipment, dropdowns for chassis/armor/class/powerplant
    *   Should warn when a loadout is over capacity in a given category (powergrid, tonnage, heat generation etc)
    *   Note: TGUI makes this _reasonably_ easy but this could potentially be the most difficult part of the rework
*   Roadmap of development
    *   New Mech type addition
        *   Keeps existing mechs in place
        *   New Base Object
        *   Single class (light) of mech
        *   Single Power Plant type
        *   Focus on getting core mechanics working
            *   Heat
            *   Assembly
            *   Movement
        *   Two examples of each weapon type
            *   Port existing weapons
        *   Adds the ability to print new “MechLab” and “MechFabber” boards for making new mech loadouts and printing parts
            *   MechLab as computer board, MechFabber as machine board
            *   Not mapped in this phase, must be created manually
        *   Simple Hyperink-Only UI with limited functionality
    *   Existing Mech Parity
        *   Adds support for existing mech equipment in new system
        *   Replicates features like DNA Lock etc from existing mechs
        *   First iteration of MechLab full interface
            *   Focuses on…
                *   Drag/drop UI for equipment
                *   Printing in fabber of current loadout
                *   Persistent/synced console for all users looking at it
            *   Backend support for
                *   Any export to copy/paste format of mech loadouts
                *   Simulation of powerplant/tonnage/heat
                *   Statistics display
        *   Adds medium/heavy classes
        *   Adds chassis component material variants
        *   Adds medium/heavy powerplants
    *   Phasing out old mechs
        *   Remove older mechs from:
            *   Maps
            *   Bounties
        *   Maps in MechLab and MechFabber machines/consoles to robotics bays
        *   Adds any remaining equipment not already provided in parity
        *   Adds armor variants for mech chassis parts
        *   Adds Assault mech class + powerplant
        *   Adds variant power plants for each mech class
        *   Adds weapons until there are 3 weapons of every type with a niche
    *   Full replacement
        *   Any final features not included in roadmap are completed here
        *   Polish, balance, feedback response 
            *   not bugfixes, as those should happen continuously
        *   Full removal of old mechs from codebase.