#battlemech equipment survey

[vanvelding]

If you have opinions about BattleMech equipment, here's your chance to voice them.

[linuxgamenews]

BATTLETECH: Urban Warfare coming in June

Urban Warfare is the new expansion coming to BATTLETECH in Linux, Mac and Windows PC games. Thanks to Paradox Interactive and Harebrained Schemes. Since they are unveiling details for the next big thing. Which is due to hit BATTLETECH this summer. Pre-orders are live now on Steam, GOG, Humble Store and Paradox. Urban Warfare brings 'Mech combat to the cityscapes of 3025. With electronic warfare. Also large scale building destruction. Including environment mechanics. There are even new enemy units and more. Since the urban view will become a battlefield, June 4th. City combat is center stage in this expansion. While introducing new street features. Such as blocked lines of sight. Since this includes indirect damage rules. And all sorts of new ruin. So weigh the hazards and benefits. But do so before going into urban battle. Since explosions, floods and more await. With new urban challenges with returning lost tech. Such as new ‘Mechs, vehicles. More encounters and flash points. Also Urban Warfare takes the BATTLETECH experience to gritty heights. Check out the trailer below to get taste.

BATTLETECH: Urban Warfare Announcement (Linux, Mac, Windows PC)

“Urban Warfare delivers one of the biggest 'Mech combat player fantasies there is. Fighting it out on the streets. And rooftops of epic sci-fi cityscapes,” said Mitch Gitelman, Co-founder of Harebrained Schemes and Game Director of BATTLETECH. “The truth is, we've wanted to build city combat settings and gameplay for years. So we're thrilled to be finally bringing this experience to BATTLETECH.”

Features:

Urban Warfare - Street brawls introduce new tactical gameplay. Creating more challenges as ‘Mech combat evolves. Going from wide open natural landscapes. All to the way to huge urban sprawls. So now every building in the new urban biome is fully destructible. And you’re never far away from a new line of sight. Or the defensive cover of high rise rubble. Empty explosive fuel trucks. Destroyed coolant exchanger buildings. And even broken electrical transformers. These also disrupt targeting. Which really changes the battle as you go.

Electronic Warfare - The return of the lost tech. Which forever changes the 31st century battlefield. ‘Mechs equipped with Electronic Counter measures (ECM). Which also affect nearby friendly units. Providing cover from enemy targeting systems. These also resist indirect fire. Meanwhile, ‘Mechs equipped with Active Probe. They reveal, locate and target enemy units. Those that would normally be hidden.

BattleMechs and Enemy Vehicles:

Two New BattleMechs - The experimental Raven 1X sports an advanced electronic warfare package. While combining ECM and Active Probe systems. Doing so in a light weight component. The Javelin blends both speed and firepower. Which also has close range knockout power.

New Flashpoints - A wide variety of new branching short stories. These all link together in mercenary missions. Including crew conversations. Plus special events and critical choices. And also rare bonus rewards.

Three New Enemy Vehicles - The Tank sports a variety of weapons. So you can fight at all ranges with speed and agility. The Packrat is a battlefield support vehicle. This is equipped with the testing version of ECM. Also the Rotunda is a survey vehicle. It's impressive, due to its prototype version of Active Probe.

New Encounter - Attack and Defend is a challenging new mission type. Where your warriors must destroy an enemy’s base. Working to stop a steady stream of attackers. Doing so before they can beat your forces. And also knock out your employer’s base.

BATTLETECH: Urban Warfare is available for pre-order now. Priced at $19.99 USD. Pre-order on Steam, GOG, Humble Store and Paradox. And it's also part of the BATTLETECH Season pass.

[vanvelding]

Last Call for Battlemech Equipment Survey Round 5

I've posted a few of these, but this is a last call for Round 5. I believe I've got 8 Rounds planned total. And then...well, who knows?

It's a survey asking which BattleTech equipment or class of equipment you generally prefer.

Survey 5-1: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJPrkwIhGeBuT97nV3r1OF6XXy4gzW-x35FytgTGQ2Y7xaqw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Standard PPC versus Standard Fusion Engines

MRMs versus Improved Advanced Tactical Missiles

Shield versus Anti-Penetrative Ablative Armor

'Mech: "SLAM" Society LAM

Survey 5-2: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdX2sX95cIc6jFbGyC60u9EsXldzb9ea4uyITyoNvdL5aemiw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Pulse Lasers versus ER PPC

CASE versus basic C3 systems

Re-Engineered Lasers versus 'Mech turrets

'Mech: Freelancer FLR-11

Survey 5-3: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdUjn3fWy8c47oL0MyAHPl1DiV4Gs3azMV3ySspkV0lbObaIA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Artemis V versus Double Heat Sinks

Supercharger versus RISC Pulse Laser Module

Bloodhound Probe versus Nova CEWS

 Strange match-ups to be honest, but that happens.

'Mech: Teniente

Survey 5-4: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeR71ite0K-HuacWTCQ7RJiTjClaMQHbDJ0sPxOLRfMW01EBw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Light Fusion Engines versus Gauss Rifles

Targeting Computers versus ER Pulse Lasers

Heavy Gauss Rifle versus Reactive Armor 

'Mech: Elite ELITE-1

Survey 5-5: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfG1b2c_6VLL5MoNoBv_v5BVkuL7sqTeGi_uxwbXfV1iA5wWg/viewform?usp=sf_link

TSM versus Hardened Armor

AC special munitions versus Artillery special munitions

Angel ECM vs Guardian ECM

These matchups are determined by the results of previous rounds, so these coincidental match-ups are just that.

'Mech: Facehugger FCH-1A

Survey 5-6: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEZbFaeI2RwIhEIouOe1apAsCiTw68BblvNWo1oMAFkvvoeA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Standard versus Streak SRMs

Heavy Lasers versus iHGR

Standard ACs versus Plasma Rifles

'Mech: Shinedown SHDN-13

[vanvelding]

I'm doin' more surveys about BattleTech equipment. Hardened Armor versus TSM. Machine Guns versus mechwarrior aquatic survival systems. Ultralight 'mechs versus MMLs.

[vanvelding]

The BattleMech Equipment Survey: Round 1

Some pieces of Battletech equipment are better than others. Sure, you've got good all-rounders and solid niche equipment, but some stuff just doesn't cut the mustard.

Sure, it's subjective, but I trust the wisdom of the masses on shit like this. I'm always of the opinion that everyone with less [FANDOM] knowledge than I have is a scrub and everyone with more [FANDOM] knowledge is just waaay too into it, but I know I'm full of shit.

So I've prepared a series of polls which ask you, your friends, and anyone else who has a subjective opinion--"In your subjective opinion, which one piece of equipment out of two is better?" I set up a Swiss-Style Tournament and have randomly generated pairings. I considered seeding, but I'm not familiar with a lot of newer equipment. Randomness would be better than a poor seeding.

A few notes:

All equipment is Inner Sphere, except for Clan-only equipment which is listed as [Clan].

Groups of equipment are listed as plural while individual equipment is singular. For example, "standard autocannons" includes AC/2's, AC/5's, AC/10's, and AC/20's, while "Heavy Gauss Rifle" includes just the Heavy Gauss Rifle and not the Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle, which is listed separately. There are some exceptions for equipment like Spikes.

I've included some standard equipment (standard fusion engines, standard heat sinks). On reflection, I think that was a bad idea, but I expect them to land somewhere at the top. There are enough pieces of equipment (about 200) that I don't feel they will either sully the responses or require the addition of other standard equipment (cockpits, gyros).

Initial polls were 10 questions long and shared via Reddit. Response was negative so I cut them back to fewer polls of 20 questions to mollify folks who felt negatively about it. That seems to have worked and subsequent posts have been met with more positivity.

Polls are below.

Poll I: This poll was done via Survey Monkey and is no longer available for votes.

Poll II: RISC Hyperlaser vs Snub-Nosed PPC: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjeTdEfPYLtAKpEsPMQVZ9bswkqDtZxkpHFhbqqpayqCzZvw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Poll III: MRMs vs iNARC: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScV9tbz6EKoromqOfvaxV5Rsk8f51M8PGNomurByN06b3ej1g/viewform?usp=sf_link

Poll IV: Heavy PPCs vs Superchargers: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIpjhMe06e8zOm3jPqvDH6Ixr-QdU107eFoXT0hl56Ok02Lg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Poll V: Laser Heat Sinks vs Talons: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdp5cTvfEX74lyuj0PGslH2be7VFrKGiiDtnaDaTcP5F-BJoQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Poll VI: MMLs vs AES: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYJbVo8j1lF7EFU284lb18TpQ88CxZ9nCiIZ5hMGDwDpp3xw/viewform?usp=sf_link

On Friday, all polls will be closed and I'll turn the votes into a win-loss-tie record for each match up. Then I'll feed it into my automated Swiss Tournament Excel spreadsheet and generate the next round. Winners will be closer to other winners, and victims of bad match-ups will get a chance to return to their correct places.

I'll prepare for another two weeks of MWF 20-question polls on Reddit for Round II.

Why? Why do all of this? I could reply with Yahtzee Croshaw's plea that "history needs to know which is best," but honestly I already have some ideas about what I'm going to do with this data. Hopefully it amuses more than me, but rest assured; if it amuses just me, I'll be fine with that.