Auren_Shiro
12/05/05 07:50 AM
24.34.100.170
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What do you think would be the next advancement in Mech STRUCTURAL technology, i.e. Endo-Steel, etc?
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Cray
12/05/05 08:16 AM
147.160.136.10
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Quote:
What do you think would be the next advancement in Mech STRUCTURAL technology, i.e. Endo-Steel, etc?
Solaris VII mechs in TR:3055U and MWDA seem to implement a number of L3 'mech options. Among those is the "composite structure" option. That gives half weight like endosteel, but uses no crits. Instead, composite structures take double damage. It's available in MaxTech.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Auren_Shiro
12/05/05 02:59 PM
24.34.100.170
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I know about that, but AFTER 3067/Jihad?
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Cray
12/05/05 03:04 PM
147.160.136.10
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Quote:
I know about that, but AFTER 3067/Jihad?
The tech advances after the Jihad seem to be to turn some 3067 L3 gear into 3130 L2 gear. Therefore, the popularization of composite structure would constitute an advance.
If you're interested in 3130 L3 gear, I'm not sure. Maybe the IS gets Clantech while the Clans...well, the Clans basically haven't advanced since the 2900s with the exceptions of a few new weapons in the 3060s. I wouldn't be surprised if Clan state of the art was stalled at 3067. They're not big innovators even by the sluggish tech innovation standards of the BT setting.
Then again, the setting as a whole isn't very innovative. There's very little difference between battlemechs of 2475 (e.g., L1 classic battletechs) and those of 2775 and those of 3025. The Star League did spike above the average in the 2700s, but it's 2750AD units were far from exceptional and its L2 technology was rarely well-used.
The Inner Sphere saw a smooth technological increase between 3020 and 3050, but that was very little true innovation - it was just a recovery of tech lost between 2787 and 3000AD. The Inner Sphere then saw a more dramatic tech recovery between 3050 and 3067 that outpaced the old Star League, but that was only because it was (mostly) copying Clantech or applying Clantech in new ways.
About the only real, dramatic innovation in BT was the Clans' "Golden Century" (2800-2900, IIRC) where they turned a lot of Star League L2 tech into Clantech. Even so, it's not a very impressive innovation compared to, say, 1900-2000AD. And then the Clans just sat on their advances for 150 years as their culture and warmaking stagnated.
The post-Jihad era reduced mech production and military research as a typical post-war demilitarization/reconstruction thing. There wouldn't be a lot of innovation.
So, IMO, the advanced structures of 3130 would not be exceptionally advanced beyond those of 3067, which isn't a bad thing. Some Clantech and L2 IS tech turned classic L1 combat on ear - like DHS. Structures that free ever more tonnage for weaponry further endanger game balance.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
Edited by Cray (12/05/05 03:16 PM)
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Karagin
12/05/05 04:11 PM
80.76.250.43
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Don't Protomechs use something like this as well?
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
12/05/05 04:30 PM
147.160.136.10
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Quote:
Don't Protomechs use something like this as well?
You know...I just don't know. Protomechs are something I avoided for years, so I'm unfamiliar with much of their fluff.
It sounds reasonable, though.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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