NetMech Mech Lab, first glimpse

[Skyfaller]

I was merely referring to a mech lab. We can make new mechs by editing BWD's. For the second part of my mod, I will try to create an Imp by mixing an Urbanmech's torso and arms with an Atlas' hips and legs. With a new mech lab, we might be able to configure our own mech creations and use them in e.g. NetMech. We also would be able to enforce classes such as C1...C6, which I always confuse.

You know we're not able to make new WTB's yet - while I can produce such files and display them in MechVM, MW2 will not render them. This was discussed here. AFAIK, it's the last thing stopping us from inserting new mechs into MW2. Even so, we would need to texture the models.

We can easily add new chassis to MechVM. You have seen the Saggittaire, Hauptmann and Viper. I have models for the Timber Wolf, Mad Dog and Fenris that need some more brushing-up.

[Skyfaller]

Functionality of the MechLab is now implemented, but export is missing, and I need to make a decision. MW2 deviates from BattleTech in the calculation of heat sinks weight. While under BT rules, (engine rating / 25) heat sinks do not take criticals, and ten heat sinks do not take tonnage, whereas in MW2 this was somehow changed. However, Titanium and perhaps also Mercs does use official BT rules for calculating heat sink tonnage. This is one of the reasons why mechs created with different editions of MW2 are incompatible (the other reasons are different numbers for equipment and different way of storing the number of heat sinks). I would like to use BT rules, but this has the problem that any NetMech configs would have to be checked for compatibility with MechVM, and some would have to be changed.

My decision is to use official BT rules for calculating the weight of heat sinks. Then, all mechs created with MechVM are compatible, regardless for which edition of MW2 they were created. I do not foresee problems with using these mechs with NetMech, once the shell is ready. The only problem is the incompatibility with existing NetMech configs.

Please let me know how you feel about this change.

[MG_Man]

I don't know, I've always associated NetMech with normal MW2, that is, all the configs from there.

I think, you should make a different shell for Mercs/Titanium that does the official BT rules. The reason being, there's a seperate MercsNet anyway, so why not do it again?

EDIT: Or perhaps some game option to use 'official BT rules' instead of MW2 rules. This would be set before players are able to choose their mechs, and therefore, separate these differences regarding heatsinks.

Anyway, here's my real burning question. Will the new replacement shell for netMech at least LOOK like the old shell? Or will it just look like MechVM?
No offense, while MechVM is very functional, it's just kind of...ugly. Perhaps you can use some of it's features to display the graphics from the PRJ file at least?

[Skyfaller]

With reprogramming the NetMech shell, I am aiming to preserve as much of the original look as possible. Just look at the screenshot in this thread.

The changes incurred by the difference in heat sink rules are minimal, and can usually be fixed easily by adding or removing a few heat sinks. I'd much rather get rid of this once and for all than having options and supporting them forever (options are inconvenient, easily forgotten, and simply a pain). But I'd be happy to hear more opinions.

[Sir MMPD Radick]

Atm I would say go for the Battletech rules and forget the weird heatsink rules in mech2 that there is a minor issue in the long run.

[MG_Man]

I guess BT rules then.

It shouldn't be too hard to go through my old mechs and re-do them anyway.