Hail Mechwarriors, Crankwerk, with some input from Michael, recently authored an article on the fundamentals of Mech construction in MechWarrior Online. This guide is actually pretty decent for both new and veteran players alike. [h=2]Introduction[/h]A BattleMech is a complicated machine; millions of moving parts, dozens of intricate and integrated weapon systems, heat exchangers, electronic circuits, life support systems, fusion reactors and many other complicated systems. Customizing one of these behemoth death machines is no simple task either. Many newer players get confused with what they should focus on as the sheer number of options available to them overwhelms them. This guide have been written as an informative introduction more than a "step by step" manual on how to customize your Mech, rather illuminate some areas of focus that you may want to consider when customizing your Mech. [h=3]Breakdown of Terminology you should know:[/h][TABLE=class: cms_table, width: 500, align: center] [TR] [TD]Alpha Strike[/TD] [TD]Is the Mechs direct damage potential in one salvo.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Impulse[/TD] [TD]In MWO it is the shake you experience when hit by a weapon with this statistic[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Chain Fire[/TD] [TD]A fire rotation going through all weapons in a weapon group from top to bottom[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Heat Sink[/TD] [TD]Is a component that adds to your Mechs total heat level, also affects your heat dissipation.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]HPS[/TD] [TD]Heat Per Second - how much heat is generated in a second[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Heat Dissipation[/TD] [TD]The Mechs ability to move out the heat of the machine, so you do not overheat.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [h=2]Step #1 the All Important One: To Create the Intent of theBattleMech[/h]Famous last words of Lance of Commander Harvey “H.E.A.T” Specter before the Battle of Norwich Prime; “Well, boys, I reckon this is it - Mech combat toe to toe with the Steiners’. Now look, boys, I ain't much of a hand at makin' speeches, but I got a pretty fair idea that something deuced important is goin' on back there. And I got a fair idea the kinda personal emotions that some of you fellas may be thinkin'. Heck, I reckon you wouldn't even be human bein's if you didn't have some pretty strong personal feelin's about Mech combat. I want you to remember one thing, the folks back home is a-countin' on you and by heavens, we ain't about to let 'em down. I tell you something else, if this thing turns out to be half as important as I figure it just might be, I'd say that you're all in line for some important promotions and personal citations when this thing's over with. That goes for ever' last one of you regardless of your race,clan, color or your creed. Now let's get this thing on the hump - we got some pilotin' to do. Into the breaches.” Maneuvering in on the Steiner Scout party getting the surprise on them in his newly outfitted Atlas AS7-DD , he ordered his brave men to fire and opened fire and heard this all fatal message as firing: Tssssh, female metallic voice saying... “Shutting down, Overheating. “ Kablam “All System Critical…” As many of us, the famous Lance Commander decided to put in to many weapons in his Mech, not considering or having a plan of composing his BattleMech. Now there is many other ways to fail in your initial Mech design, there is many other ways to fail horrible before even your piloting skills comes into play Pilot! To overcome these challenges you should adapt a design philosophy, to help you build it, ask some questions should be asked, answered and evaluated. [h=3]The Pilots Combat Style[/h]If you are designing for another pilot or yourself, ideally you are going to attempt to adjust it to his style of play,to help you determine yours or other individuals combat style, ask, answer and evaluate these simple questions. -Is it unsubtle, brute force? -Do you prefer to hang back and not directly engage? -Do you like long range, brutal area of effect shelling? -Perhaps you are looking for a more subtle, controlling type of force? After considering those questions above and evaluated them you should have a clear outline on what your own or the one you are designing for play style is. If in doubt, you might want to ask a fellow pilot. Then you should pilot and put it to the test in a Rent-A-Mech-Wreck that this is indeed your combat style. [h=3]Decide the Purpose for the Mech Build[/h]This have to be done early, as it will affect the rest of your philosophy. Pilot these questions will help you move forward and shape your Mech into the Machine God you want it to become. -What role should the Mech fulfill on the battlefield? Command Mech, Skirmisher, Recon, Scout, Observer, Direct Fire Support, Indirect Fire Support, Protector, Tank Assault, Generalist and or so forth -What Mech Category can do this role? (Light, Medium, Heavy or Assault) Things to consider when evaluating Mech Category, does the Mech class within the category have space, sufficient speed, profile, etc. to do the tasks it has to fulfill within the role or roles it will take on the battlefield of the galaxy Now pilot sit down and think about what your needs are in accordance to this! Some of the best MechWarrior’s are not people with the best reflexes or the best knowledge of game mechanics or even the best builds. They are the best because of one simple reason -foresight! They sat down and planned what they wanted to do, worked the numbers, crunched the data and all that jazz. They did not just slap any and every gun on there and went hunting for people. There are literally dozens of questions more you should and perhaps need to ask yourself and put down. Keep track of it because it will be the clay from which you build your masterpiece of death and destruction. As you have completed this part pilot, this will become your design philosophy! This will dictate your next steps; aligning your philosophy with the beast that is the Mech, you are going to pilot on the battlefield. [h=2]Step #2: Align Mech Philosophy with That Sexy Beast in the Shop[/h]Now , now, pilot calm down, show some impulse control! The process gets harder, you need to steer the philosophy that you have created with your chosen role, weight class and combat style, hopefully in the process aligning it so you are able to pilot that sexy new Atlas AS7-DD with that gorgeous Pin-Up girl paint job you saw in the Steiner Academy Showcase Booth. Nevertheless, that would be getting ahead of ourselves here, there is a few simple considerations to be had keeping previous choices in mind. -How do you want to deal damage? DPS, Alpha Strike or in the middle -Weapon Type preference? Ballistic, Missile, Energy or a Combination -With two other answers from previous in mind, which weapons fits the bill? As you have now outlined DPS or Alpha Strike and/or selected types of weaponry that you prefer. You should consult a chart and write down weapons that fall within desired -Do you need Utility? Tag, Impulse, Command Console, etc. - this might be a requirement to fulfill your role but might also consider for added survivability or grievance to your opponent -Do you need Speed? To survive, scout, maneuver, etc. Now pilot, you are ready to pick your shiny new Mech. It will terrorize the battlefield, but only if you keep to the considerations in accordance with your design philosophy, speed, weaponry choices, etc. as you pick a proper Mech variant such as the new shiny Atlas AS7-DD! Before going into the shop check if a Rent-A-Mech-Wreck(Trial Mech) version is available of the Mech variant that fit the bill, so you can test out the Mech before potentially wasting hard-earned C-bills. Step #3: Building the Beast - From the Outside In! Next part is simple pilot; you insert your desired load-out in the Mech chassis you have selected in accordance to the design outline you have already made as your philosophy. As this outlines the Mechs purpose, intent, goal, and even arsenal. Now sit back and look on what you got, pilot do not despair it might look messy. Firstly, you should streamline it and to help you do so, some pointers been made to help you along. Heat Dissipation What you need is dependent on if your focusing on Alpha Strikes, Quick Damage Over a Short Time Frame or Damage Over Time ( DPS ). Now if you are DPS focused you need a high heat dissipation meaning you need to find space for quite a bit of heat sinks to start you of I would argue aim for 1.4-1.6, adjust after play style. If previous one, the number can be lower but should be over 1.1 ideally. Engine Size You most likely aimed for a large engine for best possible speed and twist rate, how low can you go before it affect your intent ( design philosophy ) while upping your damage contribution. Armor How much armor is needed to do the job outlined by the intent created, do the build need more, or can you lower it to make room for more heat-sinks, ammo, etc. Upgrades Endo-Steel Structure: Do I need to drop weight? Can I spare 14 Critical Structure points Ferro-Fibrous Armor: Armor and/or Drop weight? Can I spare 14 Critical Structure points. Double Heat Sinks: Do I have room to keep same level of Heat Dissipation and save weight? Do I need to save weight, yet keep same Heat Dissipation, etc. Modules You have few slots for modules and adding a command console uses quite a bit of weight, so considerations to make before buying one, does it add something to the purpose, mission of the Mech.
Step #4: Evaluate & Test What Works;Not Necessarily the Shiny New Gauss Rifle Mk.1337! Now Pilot, there is a sexy new Mech there, with a new wet paintjob sitting in the Mech Bay, but it is not finished just yet. I hope that pilot; you have not done as I have done many times. I look at a Mech and say "Damn, that Centurion looks badass! Ooh that shiny Gauss Rifle Mk.1337 and that Shiny new Streak SRM 6 -I'll build my machine out of that". Well guess what - It does not always work out that way, most often not at all. You need to pick the right chassis and weapons for the job. So if you been paying attention pilot you should not be anywhere near what I have fallen victim to many times. Therefore, there are a few considerations to keep in mind when you evaluate your mech -Is it True to the Design Philosophy? Did you stay true to the intent, purpose that you had in mind, if not is it better suited for a different role/task or more versatile. If you cannot argue more pros then cons, back to scratch. -What does it bring to the Battlefield? Simple you outlined it already, does it deliver above and beyond. -Does it need support? If yes, does the pro out-weight the cons of having the Mech supported -Can you maintain this shiny hunk of a Machine deity? If answer is no, consider buying in some backup materials to run it el-cheapo… As you have evaluated and optimized the Mechs performance a bit more, it is time for you to pilot your creation with the intent to test it out. For testing, I will outline two that gives different results. Method #1 involves using a pre-made group. Drop with a group of players that you know extremely well and fit your Mech in to its purpose built role. See how she does with people supporting you. This is a great indicator on how your mech will fair in team-based matches where your teammates and you communicate well and each have a role and function. This is kind of warfare is what MechWarrior is all about. Method #2 involves the sloppy world of PUGing it. Drop with a random PUG group and see how your Mech does on its own. I say on its own because you will not get nearly as much support from other PUGs as you would from a well-organized and communicating team. Do 10 matches of each and track your progress. Not so much your wins and losses, Track things like your kills, your assists, your damage dealt, your damage and repair costs received, things like that. This will give you a good idea of what is working for the Mech and what is not. You can also then adjust things, as you need to having seen how it functions in a real world environment. Everything can be made to look good on paper! Conclusion Overall if you dear Mech pilot have followed these few steps, you should have a good capable Mech, most likely out performing most other Mechs out there. It should only be down to your own capabilities now. Step #5 Min/Max: Cranking the Last Drop of Power Out of the Machine God Now for some pilots, having a Mech better than most does not just cut it, they want a Machine God, to achieve this we will try to help you on the way so you can create the Machine of Legends. First, slap yourself pilot, wake up a bit - you do not know everything there is to know about Mech piloting, if you did you would not be here. Use the tools available in this millennium, capitalize on sources as this one MechSpecs, throw out the ego for a bit and discuss your build with others. Evaluate their input and compare it with your experience piloting your machine. What does it add to it and were can it be taken next. Now, let us move on to the next bit, you want to Min/Max your Mech, understanding the meaning is essential; in short Minimize your weakness while maximizing your strengths. In MechWarrior Online it is not as straight forward as it might appear, consulting different forums, discussions conducted there should be your main source after your own data or baseline data derived directly from the game. Also you should give up any silly notion that energy/ballistic/missile weapon are only way to go, it will steer you off into the deep end, there is just raw damage output, that matters either in Direct Damage or Damage over time, while reducing downtime in form of Heat Dissipation. However, do not forget the intent of your build and disregard the power of utility weapons and equipment, quite a few Min/Max do and cannot for the life of them understand what went wrong. Changing your load-out accordingly should put you in a good start towards maximizing your build and minimize your build weaknesses. However, this needs to be in line with your play-style and in accordance design philosophy to optimize overall performance -this is not as straightforward process.
