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[Krath]

I've tried that, I suppose the computer has to be out of the mech before you can do that. I'm a derp.

Also to #5, you can press the * key to look at mechs/people like they were yours, seeing weapons, stats, etc. Though I don't know if that's considered cheating, and that's what you mean by 'loadouts'.

[Grimshot]

Yep, that was what I was looking for, thanks.

[kcwong]

I've tried that, I suppose the computer has to be out of the mech before you can do that. I'm a derp.

No it doesn't... I uninstall software from computers inside a mech all the time. Are you doing it in a safe location and with your character out of the mecha (i.e. inside spaceport)?

[Paul]

Another thing to look out for in custom mechs is additional weight reduction. It applies varying amounts of weight reduction to random components of custom mechs, so you can sometimes get super light components off them. Like I got a 0.5t class 5 computer off a custom Crown from a mission reward, and I have a pair of 1.0t class 4 batteries I snagged off custom Starwarrior BuruBurus.

As far as getting custom mechs, every patrol leader will have a custom mech and some missions reward a custom one - if you salvage a custom mech it doesn't get the salvage tag applied to it, so it's worth a lot too. They will all have a special name, but not all mechas with special names will have the weight reduction. For instance, the starter dungeon that rewards a mecha at the end gives you a special themed mecha with a custom name, but it doesn't actually generate as a custom mecha and doesn't get the weight reduction. On the other hand, the faction reward mechas you get for increasing in rank are always custom, and can have lightened components.

The upside to these lightened components is you can stick more things onto the mecha before hitting penalties to MV/TR, the downside is they cost more and thus add more to PV and cut your xp gain. But if you're trying to build a super mecha (especially if you want a decked out Dao Deoji) you probably aren't too concerned with XP gain anyway, since that mecha will have crazy high PV even without some small additions due to weight reduction.

My last game I made it a sort of hobby to collect lightened components off of all the custom mecha I've taken. I have a collection of super light batteries, heavy actuators, arms, legs, armor pieces, weapons, computers, etc. With Innovative talent (lets you add 5 extra points of complexity to every component) and all these light parts, you can build ridiculously well armed mechs without even dropping from 0/0 MV/TR.


In the end though, you don't even need a super mecha. With all the money selling the various custom mechas I'd captured I trained my skills so high that I could take any old mecha out and blast apart a well armed patrol group. With a high mecha gunnery and spot weakness (and sniper, which doubles the effectiveness of spot weakness), even a lowly mining laser from a Haiho can one shot Savins



Huh, for some reason I was thinking that * thing didn't work in combat, but I guess it does. The mecha infodex thing lets you see their equipment while targeting them though, letting you specifically target certain weapons and such - so still kinda useful.

[Grimshot]

Ran into an issue with installing targeting programs on a computer I looted. It works right with the Vadel inc software it came with, but when I uninstall that and try to install a +3 or +2 TV program it doesnt add to the targeting value. Is it something I'm doing wrong or is this a bug of some kind?

-Edit- Also, it may be worth saying that I did double check and made sure it was SV2 programs.

Unrelated, I'm now cruising around in a custom Phoenix I got as a reward, only -1 MV/TV then the warcry I was using. Much more durable then it (in part due to having class 4 and 5 armor when the warcry only had class 2). Also, has a lot of weapon mounting points and 2 class 2 heavy actuators and 1 class 4 heavy actuator already on it. It came with a nice single shot brutal gun (20x10) and a handy smoke launcher too. Only problem is it has a head cockpit, which leaves me with 75 less dp between me and death. Not to mention I have a bad habit of somehow confusing my head with a shield in fights it seems :\

[Krath]

So on my latest character I've gained a new appreciation for the Overload ailment.

I started wit Jack of All Trades and a Trailblazer. It's actually a surprisingly good mech. Taking the Mecha Infodex out of the computer and replacing it with a Vadel Inc targeting system put it at 0/0/+3, which is incredibly good. Even though both the Plasma Spear and the Particle Cannon both use energy, I never found myself running out. Opening up with the Particle Cannon to reduce MV/TR then finishing them off with the Spear worked like a charm.

Fastforward to now, I'm on Episode 8, I am now piloting a Crown with a Heavy Particle Cannon. It works excellent, weakening enemies for my partners to mop up. If anything gets close I have the Pulse Lance which does amazing damage + Haywire. My most skilled lancemate is riding in a Ramuh, he does fairly good. My less skilled lancemate is riding in a custom Argos I got from the main villain. It has a Glass Cannon and a Quark Gun, and enough missiles to be it's own Macross Missile Massacre.

It goes well. Overload is such a good status ailment and I can't believe I haven't noticed it before.

@Grimshot: Computers can only do so much if your mech is too heavy. Your mech might be hardcapped due to weight/mass limitations. Removing some equipment or limbs should make the computers raise MR/TV further. The cap is different for every mech apparently.

[Grimshot]

Thanks. Atleast the computer makes it as agile as the warcry was so I can't complain.

[Paul]

Hardcap? I've never experienced any hardcaps on mechs, except the universal 0/0. Even my huge Dao Deoji with a crapton of equipment is -2/0 due to the class 5 targeting software and class 3 mv booster software.

Are you sure it was a TR booster and not a speed compensator? Speed compensators add to TR against fast moving bots (technically reducing the penalty, but it's still extra TR), but it won't affect your mech's innate TR.

[Krath]

Hardcap? I've never experienced any hardcaps on mechs, except the universal 0/0. Even my huge Dao Deoji with a crapton of equipment is -2/0 due to the class 5 targeting software and class 3 mv booster software.

Are you sure it was a TR booster and not a speed compensator? Speed compensators add to TR against fast moving bots (technically reducing the penalty, but it's still extra TR), but it won't affect your mech's innate TR.

I've tried adding the +2 Maneuver upgrade to a computer once. It had a Vadel Inc Maneuver system installed previously, and the MV was about -2. After taking out the Vadel Inc and putting in the +2, it still equaled out to -2.

[Grimshot]

Oh, your right. I went back and checked and it said target compensation rather than just plan targeting. Dunno why I didn't realize there was a difference, thanks.

Two quick questions.

Can you stack the effects of 2 different targeting program types?

Just to make sure I understand right, the target compensation programs add to TV on any mech thats giving you a penalty (until it nullifies it) due to moving right?

[3]

Can you stack the effects of 2 different targeting program types?

No.

[Paul]

Can't stack two of the same type.

And yes, the target compensation just reduces the penalty - so it won't help if the target is sitting still. The penalty can get pretty big though. It's -1 every 20 DPR, so a mecha moving at 200 will have a -10 penalty to hit. Even with the class 4 compensator that's still a hefty -6.


Heres something I've noticed in a recent game - the penalty for more skills than you're normally allowed is only for increasing them with XP - training via money or skillXP from usage uses the unmodified amounts. So if you wanted to, you could increase your basic set of skills with XP (focusing on things that there isn't a trainer available for), then run and train all the other skills you want with money in order to get as many as you want. So, for instance, I could start with basic mecha combat skills and some of the hard to train ones (like intimidate, only police train that one - or code breaking, don't think anyone trains that one.) and get those up to 12 or so, then run out and train all the other skills - spot weakness, insight, repair, medicine, first aid, ranged combat, close combat, dodge, electronic warfare, etc - up with money. My cost for raising anything with XP would be huge, but as long as I had money (which, honestly, isn't that hard to get once you know how) I could get anything trainable up and have as many skills as I wanted without needing high knowledge or the polymath talent.

You could use most of your XP just improving stats. If you really wanted to go nuts you could raise one stat 20 points for 105k xp, or two stats 10 points each for 55k xp. Plus the costs of raising those early skills that you can't train, and you're not looking at a whole lot of XP left over to be training all your skills with anyway. And the notion of just abandoning raising skills with XP after a certain point starts looking more and more attractive. Especially if you eventually get a really badass mecha and stop grinding xp after about 100k anyway, thats the point where you'll have all your stat gains and talents and such.

I think my next char will be a "master of all trades" using loads of money for skill training I'll just reject the whole notion of max number of skills and learn everything



Btw, for anyone wondering about heavy actuators: Their effect on how much you can carry works like this:
(Total points of heavy actuators) / (Size of mecha). Max of 2. Divided by 2 to get the tons (each point is 1/2 ton).

So a size 4 mecha with class 8 heavy actuators gets the 1t bonus to carry weight. Size 8 would need 16 heavy actuators.

The size 4 would carry a max of 7.5(base) + 2(size/2) + 1 (actuators) = 10.5 per MV/TR penalty.

The size 8 would carry a max of 7.5 + 4 + 1 = 12.5 per MV/TR penalty.

Considering the mass of most of the heavy actuators, this gets expensive tonnage wise as the size of the mecha goes up. Assuming you buy the store bought + variants, the size 4 would need two +3s and a +2 at 0.5t each, so 1.5t of actuators to carry an extra 1t of carry weight per MV/TR penalty. Considering the overall weight of the mecha, that would let you get 0.5t extra if you hold 20.5t of carry weight, or 1.5t extra if you went with the -1 penalty and held 31t of carry weight.

The size 8 needs 16, which would be two class 5s at 1t each and two class 3s at .5t each. So 3t of actuators to carry an extra 1t of carry weight per MV/TR penalty. In this case if you didn't hold enough for a penalty (sticking to 24.5t carry weight) you would actually lose 1t of total potential weight. Going to -1 would break even on extra carried weight vs weight of the actuators. You would need to go beyond -1 penalty for carried equipment to make it worthwhile to install the actuators instead of just installing the equipment.

Plus in either case the extra mass on the mecha is going to be slowing you down.

Ofcourse the actuators also do other stuff - for every 10 points of them you get +1 throwing range, for every 4 points of them it makes melee weps do +1DC, and they also boost your mecha's walking speed (which can be useful if you're not in space). But if you're focused on mecha gunnery style weapons and your mecha doesn't walk, you only really want them for the extra mass they allow you to carry.

[Emong]

Does anyone know if the Scale tag still works in mech design files? And if the syntax has changed?

[3]

It still works. The syntax for scale is the same as far as I can tell (scale 0 personal, scale 1 suit, scale 2 mecha), but it's changed elsewhere since GH1.

Edit: Just had a particularly amusing fight wherein the final enemy managed to take out my last jets just prior to me destroying his mech, leaving me utterly stranded in space. First time I've had to use the eject key.

[beorn080]

Throw a mecha welding set in your mech if you have repair, and you can fix that.

Personally, I would love SF 1 mecha if they weren't just tiny SF2 mechs. There's no real sense that they are actually smaller except that they're a bit harder to hit.