Designing tips required

[Thorgrim]

Notice that each location has a size factor. So adding 1mm in the LOT for example will take less weight than adding 1mm in the CT. The location sizes are in the guide. So sometimes you may not be able to add that mm to the CT, but it might fit in the LOT. The LOT is the smallest location next to the head.

Oh, and fortunately armor repairs are relative to APs and not mms, so those unused mms could be costing you a lot over time [:D]

[Sleeping_Dragon]

ORIGINAL: Thorgrim

So, considering that if the engine blows your jock dies, shouldn't you *always* have your engine location maxed out? [&:] [;)]

Are you baiting me?... I believe you are[:'(]

Well.. I'll bite[:D]

The maxed out armor over the engine isn't a good rule-of-thumb because here you're starting to talk about a CONSIDERABLE amount of tonnage. On a recon the tonnage differnence between a 'normally' armored engine location and a maxed out engine location is probably in the 1.0 - 1.5 ton range (quick guestimate) That's alot. You spend that much wieght maximizing APs over the engine and you'll start having noticable defficences in other areas that in the long run that could cause you more defeats and jock deaths then a weaker armored engine would ever have.

The 'general rule' for the head armor works because in recons the wieght difference between a Vincinium head and a Dularoy head is what.. 0.1-0.2 tons. Not a huge deal.. that little of an amount of wieght shouldn't cause noticable faliure in a design. So, if I can move around that small of an amount of wieght and it not significanly effect the design... may as well put it where it could prevent to most 'guarenteed' damage (no head = dead jock), Heck, your engine might not explode... yea right [:D]. Also with the engine location armor... it will have more total APs then the head (almost always, but when it don't there will be other 'protections' like engine in the CBT) and you'll be more likely to have more time to see the hole forming and react and plan accordingly.

BTW, 99.9%, that's 1 in every 1000. Is that designs, or recons (that's where this applies)? I think it's a "little" more than that... either way. IMO.

Alright I'll give you that, maybe 99%[:D]

[Sleeping_Dragon]

ORIGINAL: Thorgrim

Notice that each location has a size factor. So adding 1mm in the LOT for example will take less weight than adding 1mm in the CT. The location sizes are in the guide. So sometimes you may not be able to add that mm to the CT, but it might fit in the LOT. The LOT is the smallest location next to the head.

This is very important! It especially comes into play with titans with large HRs and heat reducing armors. Say you have a titan with HRs all over the place, but only have enough 'free wieght' to put 'heat-friendly' armor over 2 locations. As far as heat disappation calculations are concerned it don't matter which 2 locations, you'll get the same improved heat dissipation rate. Wieght-wise it's a whole 'nother story! 30AP of armor for the LoT wieghts ALOT less then 30APs in the CT. So if you're going to use a heat-friendly armor (that wieghts more) you want to use it on the area that takes less to start with. It can save you quite a bit of wieght.

Example:
LoT= 30APS = 2 tons 'normal' armor (numbers aren't right but it makes math easiler)
CT = 30APS = 4 tons 'normal' armor

heat friendly armor wieght 25% more then 'normal' armor

so for the LoT 2.5 tons for heat-friendly armor
for the CT 5.0 tons for heat-friendly armor

If you can only change one of these 2 locations to heat friendly armor then you'd want to change the LoT since it only increased the wieght by 0.5 tones whereas if you would have changed the CT it would have increased your used wieght by 1.0 tons. Don't matter which one you change as far as the actual heat reduction benefit goes.. but the wieght makes a big difference.

There are ALOT of things that have to be taken into account when thinking about this like limitations on # of slots, armor bulkiness, and different APs at the locations your looking at changing to the new armor. GENERALY speaking (and there are ALOT of exceptions). start using heat efficent armors in the CBT, then the LoT, then the Legs, Arms, L and R torsos, then the CT last. Just remember that there has to be a HR in the location your thinking about using heat efficent armor on, don't do no good to put Millinia in the CBT when there isn't a HR there! The reason you see alot of titans use Millinia on the legs is that it's fairly high up on the list and ALL titans have HRs in the legs.



OK... those 2 post took a while to write....... my luck and they will have disappeared by tommorow morning

[william19k]

Oh, and fortunately armor repairs are relative to APs and not mms, so those unused mms could be costing you a lot over time

Not sure I understand this, wouldn't those unused mms be saving you money since you wouldn't have to pay to repair them? Or are you saying that the mms that don't actually grant you any extra AP are costing you more money in repairs?

[Thorgrim]

I'm saying that fortunately they are not [;)]
The formula for calculating armor repair costs uses APs, not mms. So, even if you have excess mms, they won't be counted for repairs. They probably should, but they aren't. Hence, fortunately [:)]

[Thorgrim]

ORIGINAL: Sleeping_Dragon

ORIGINAL: Thorgrim

So, considering that if the engine blows your jock dies, shouldn't you *always* have your engine location maxed out? [&:] [;)]

Are you baiting me?... I believe you are[:'(]

Well.. I'll bite[:D]

Yep, I am. [:'(]

I'm also talking about close-by engine explosions, and 'damage titan' mission events, and charge damage, etc, where damage can really pile up on the CT (in big lumps) contrary to the HD (3x as often).
But this is all academic. In the battlefield, all calculations go down the drain [X(]

[Thorgrim]

ORIGINAL: Sleeping_Dragon

As far as heat disappation calculations are concerned it don't matter which 2 locations, you'll get the same improved heat dissipation rate.

I was hoping Kai would have had the time to implement location mods to heat dissipation too, but unfortunately that was not possible. Maybe someday.

[Thorgrim]

ORIGINAL: Sleeping_Dragon

For me... my jocks will take every single AP they can get... I've walked away from too many battles with only 1 AP (internal+external) left in the head.... titans don't need sunroofs

Where... did... those... techs... put... that... damn... red... button?!
[:D]

[Mordred]

Talking about heads, i read life support belongs into the head. However you can fit it to different locations. How will that affect performance or what dangers will result from this if i fit it somwhere else ?

[Thorgrim]

It's usually put in the head because it's the location with the lowest chance to be hit on a titan. That's 5%, as opposed to 15% for CT/CBT (depending on the facing of the target relative to the attacker), and 13% for the side torsos. Damage to the LS may result in nasty effects for the jock, hence trying to shield it as much as possible. It's not just the destruction of the bodypart that one must keep in mind, but also internal damage from either concussion or mesons. Other than that, no other effect.

[Coyote27]

Random notes of no particular relevancy, and probably already stated earlier in the thread....


It's generally not a good idea to mount flamethrowers in the head, especially when facing mesons.

If I am using a small engine I prefer to put it in the CBT, mainly because meson damage to the engine can cost you the game with one shot. That and it's not as likely to get holes burned through it by plasma guns while you're dodging into range. Unless you try dodging through quicksand anyway