Titian Design: Best Electronics

[DrGrieve]

I was wondering what the more exerienced designers (essentially anyone since I've just started) out there thoughts were on the various pieces of electronics you can choose between.

I was wondering what optionals were worth the sacrifice of armor / weapons or upgrading other electronics.

Scanners / ECM / BC / DCS / Shield / Flares

Jump could be included as well.

What ones do you like / always include?

[firestorm]

i'm no expert (every design i've made has failed) but absolutely any titan needs a BC and a scanner at least. without those two, it can be difficult to find, let alone hit your enemy.

as for the others... well, i geuss it depends on taste and the size of your titan. a recon or a light doesn't really have the room/energy for a shield, and flares are kinda pointless unless it can find a good perch because it'll just outrun the flares. But the bigger titans, particularly assaults, are slow and big enough that they can handle a shield and flares actually have some use. (besides, when you move that slow and are that big of a target, you can use something to make the enemy miss.) Of course, stuff that big can take a few hits, so it's not really as nessacary. (you know, i really ought to figure out if i'm spelling that right...)

[LarkinVB]

Since CC will not get to hit penalties without a BC I made an interesting recon design without the computer called Wolfpack.

In all other cases a BC is a must.

[Thorgrim]

Not having a BC also means your lock times will increase exponentially. I always use the best BC possible.

In WS, shields are more dynamic, you can choose their level of operation when you activate them. ECMs are also better, reducing your opponent's VH. DCS are faster in repairing, so they're better too.

It really depends on what you want from the design, and how much armor you have to sacrifice for the gains you'll get.

Jump has a multitude of benefits, like speed, spotting, gaining high ground, crossing hazardous terrain, DfA, more heat effective displacement in Hell,...

[Coyote27]

I like to use the best comp I can fit in, scanner 3 or better, and either a shield 1 or 3. Normally I use just a minimal ecm and occasionally add a minimal dcs system. Generally I only bother with flares if the titan is meant to sit back and blast from medium-long range.

[rosary]

I always put in at least flare 1 because it looks cool in the game. A nice little animation. Missiles look good too.

I almost always put shield in if it will fit. I like that animation too.
The sound is also pretty nice when the shield is hit and makes a very nice sound combination with the Black Ray Gun, Tesla Bolt, EMP, or Cold ray gun.

I guess these aren't quite the reasons you were interested in.
I like seeing the animations and listening to the sounds. When playing TOSWS I really recommend playing a 4 way duel, one human, 3- computer. If the other titans are not visible the audio gets pretty intense. It sounds like a raging battle is going on just over the hill. Also with The Crownd soundtrack it is very enjoyable.

I recommend setting music to low {its still pretty loud}, ambient to medium or high, sounds effects to medium or high and you'll get a very nice audio mix. I then usuall press ';' to get rid of the overlying hex markers for a nice 3D looking terrain. If you're used to the 2D hex look well you're in for a big surprise. TOSWS looks surprisingly great. However, the 2D hex look is still an option for those that have grown attached. They look good too.

You might want to reread this post in a couple of weeks after you get TOSWS.

Here's a little gif of a titan coming at you.

[TitanFodder]

The most direct anwser to your question is that it depends on the class and role of the titan.

But since that's pretty vague, i'll tell ya this:

You can only sacrifice flares, but you have to hide from Guided Missiles then. Another option is not to install an ECM but you'll regret this the moment someone scans you and starts picking off your thinnest bits. Finnaly you can ditch the cumbersome DCS and pray that you:

a) don't bump into the Ancient Mariner
b) don't get your computer fried(by, let's say the Ancient Mariner)

Ditching a scanner is an idea i once had until i was told that a jock gets lots of experience that way.

Hope that helps
georg

[tarendelcymir]

The two pieces of equipment I use least often are the DCS and flares. While they're both extremely useful in their way, I find that the situations needing them come a little less often than the situations requiring scanners, battle computers shields, ECMs and Jump Jets.. If I have the room, I'll definitely use DCS and flares, but if I have to sacrifice something, it's generally going to be one of those two.

[Thorgrim]

Notice that a DCS is also a money-saver in custom team play. Damaged equipment is expensive to repair in the factory. By repairing it in battle with a DCS, you can save huge amounts of cash over time.
Also, engine hits are nasty cause they reduce power output *and* they "bleed" heat (effectively reducing your heat dissipation capability). A DCS is a blessing in those situations.
And titans that are heavily dependent on ammo should have one of these. They really help in preventing ammo explosions. I always try to put one in missile boats.

As to flares, if they are timed correctly to deploy when you enter the new hex, that's 7 hexes protection against GMHs you gain. Since GMHs have a min range, and recons and lights are fast, they are very effective IMO. Especially since they're generally very light and take minimal space.