| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
1 | BattleMech Information | What it means |
2 | Chassis & Model | This is the core identity of any given BattleMech, and is expressed as "Locust LCT-1V". The first being the name of the chassis type (which shall always appear similar in shape) and the model follows (which determines all the other data, such as their hardpoint setups and default equipment). |
3 | Class | The weight class of a BattleMech falls into four categories: Light, Medium, Heavy, and Assault. This class determines when in the initiative it moves (4, 3, 2, and 1 respectively). |
4 | Tonnage | This is the maximum tonnage of any given 'Mech design. You cannot deploy with more tonnage of weapons, equipment, and/or armor on the chassis than this. Note: There is a theoretical minimal tonnage which represents the weight of a BattleMech with all the equipment and armor removed, but I have not collected that data yet. |
5 | Hardpoints | Hardpoints are where you attach your weapons, and if you have no hardpoints of a type you cannot install weapons of that type on a BattleMech. What is listed are the four types of hardpoints (Ballistic, Energy, Missile, and Support) and the total number available on any particular model. Note: I have not listed the exact locations of these hardpoints on the 'Mech, as of yet. |
6 | Armor & Structure Values | Armor and Structure are the "hit points" of your BattleMech, showing how much punishment they can take before you start damaging their systems (Armor) and how much more damage it takes to put them down for good (Structure). You can always install more armor (so long as you have the open weight) but you cannot improve how much structure you have. Note: Much like hardpoints, the values shown here add up all the numbers from the eight hit locations, and are not changed to show each of the eight locations. |
7 | Weapons & Equipment | These are the default weapons and equipment installed on any given BattleMech model and give a good indication of what their role is. Newly-acquired BattleMechs will come with base forms of these weapons and equipment already installed. |
8 | Jump Jets | Every BattleMech has a maximum amount of Jump Jets which can be modified into their design; this is usually equal to the number of spaces they can move in battle. The first number is the default number of Jump Jets, while the second number is the maximum amount. |
9 | Weapon & Component Notes | What it means |
10 | Type & Manufacturer | This will show the weapon or equipment, as well as the name of the manufacturer by company. The manufacturer name doesn't appear important at first, but you will notice in the tables certain manufacturers seem to lean towards certain bonuses. |
11 | Class of Weapon | Each weapon falls into one of the four types of hardpoints, and the color of the cells will reflect what type of hardpoint they fit into. Ballistic weapons are blue, Energy weapons are green, Missile weapons are purple, and Support weapons are brown. Be sure you keep these in mind when determining what you want to load your 'Mechs with. |
12 | Damage & Stability | This are the two types of damage a weapon can do, "Damage" being straight damage to the armor and structure of another BattleMech, while "Stability" refers to how much the Stability Gauge fills up towards the "Unstable" state. |
13 | Heat | Every weapon generates heat when fired, and this is the total value of heat generated. If your Heat Sink capacity isn't up to the task, you will accumulate waste heat which will slowly edge your BattleMech into slowly cooking its insides or shutting down. |
14 | Tonnage | Weapons and equipment are balanced by weight, and because of this it is literally impossible for heavy weapons such as an AC/20 to be installed on things like the Locust. (If we ignore hardpoint availability, of course.) |
15 | Slots | Much like taking up weight, weapons and equipment also take up space in the form of "Critical Slots". Every BattleMech has a limited amount of space to install components, and if you don't have the necessary free slots you can't install the components. |
16 | Value | This is the stated C-Bill value of the weapon or equipment being looked at. This is almost never exactly what you will be paying to purchase it, or what you will be sold when selling it. It does remain, however, useful for gauging how valuable a component is. |
17 | Ranges | All weapons have a minimum range, an optimal range, and a maximum range expressed in meters. Be very aware of these when installing weapons, as you may inadvertently give yourself weapons which are too close-range to mesh well with other weapons. |
18 | Special Notes | When seeing a component with a + or ++ next to their names, this indicates a high-quality component which has special qualities to them. Some equipment such as Flamers or Heat Sinks have an effect on your performance or extra effects when fired. These are noted here, if they can be quantified. |
19 | Refire Penalty | Autocannons carry a "refire penalty" for being fired on successive turns, which is the trade for not requiring comparatively as much heat buildup from firing compared to lasers. |
20 | Vehicle Notes | |
21 | Armor & Structure Values | Much like with BattleMechs, armor and structure determines how tough a vehicle is to kill. However, the current values are approximated as the "Ramshackle" and "Shoddy" qualities stuck on vehicles in the early campaign game set the armor to 25% and 50% respectively. These numbers may change upwards as more is revealed. |
22 | Initiative Phase | Vehicles act on a specific Initiative Phase in each turn, which may not be related to their weight class. Please be aware this means you may not be entirely certain of what a vehicle is, until you actually see it. |
23 | Escort Missions | Escort missions have a convoy which must be escorted, comprised of APCs and potentially a Mobile HQ. These appear to be the only times such vehicles appear. |
24 | Building Notes | |
25 | Armor & Structure Values | Buildings have armor and structure, but mostly just structure to chew through; save for turrets. |
26 | Turrets | Turrets are armored weapon emplacements of varying types, with increasingly heavy weaponry as the difficulty rises. Be aware, they also can sensor lock if you are within range, permitting LRM-equipped enemies to fire indirectly. Turret Generator buildings may be present, and destroying them will also destroy the turrets; this is not guaranteed, however, as some missions have turrets with no dedicated generators to attack. |
27 | Base Defense | When defending a base, your buildings will potentially have their health increased to make it less likely you will fail outright. |
28 | Hiring Hall Notes | |
29 | Kickstarter Backer | There were several people who, through Kickstarter, were permitted to have characters inserted into the game. These are shown with an additonal purple rank tag next to their normal one. You will need above a certain amount of MRB Rating to hire these 'MechWarriors. They are not notably more powerful in general, but are slightly above the basic experience level as a rule. |
30 | Ronin | When you go into Skirmish mode, the limited pool of 'MechWarriors you are allowed to choose from are all predetermined what statistics and skills they have earned. These may be found randomly at Hiring Halls as "Ronin". You need a rating with the MRB of at least 200 before you can hire these. |
31 | Star System Notes | |
32 | Jump Distance | When travelling between systems, the Jump Distance of both systems determines the travel time. This number represents the distance from the Jump Point to the inhabited planet, so to figure travel time, add both Jump Distance numbers (and an additional 3) to figure how many days it will take to be between systems. Remember you cannot do any hiring or shopping while you're in transit, you must be in orbit. |
33 | Difficulty | The exact scope of this number I have yet to truly determine, other than it seeming to be a blanket adjustment to the global difficulty. As you progress, the global difficulty of the game will rise steadily, and this value seems to be a way of keeping some systems always tougher than average and some far easier. It will range from -2 to +3. |
34 | Tags | On the Star Map when you look at a planet it will have a bunch of gold text. These are the tags which influence events, store contents, mission contracts, and the like. It is important to note these, as you will often find better equipment in "Rich" or "Manufacturing" worlds. Uninhabited worlds will NOT have a market to purchase from, but they will still have a Hiring Hall and Contracts. |
35 | Contract Offers | These factions may offer contracts at your location, against other factions which are present (or pirates). You are not guaranteed to find contracts from these factions, so if you are looking to curry favor with one of them you may need to try over and over again. |