I have modified some of it to reflect current standards, where applicable it is in blue.
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Panther
post Aug 4 2005, 01:33 AM
Post #1
Rank: Khan
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This thread is for the foreknowledge of all MercNet players. You may post other comments regarding this here as well, including your questions.
- Weapon Classes used in MercNet Class 1 (C1) - All energy weapons are allowed only. No missiles or projectiles are allowed.
Class 2 (C2) - All energy weapons, projectiles and non-lockon missiles are allowed only (for example, SRMs are allowed, but not SSRMs).
Class 3 (C3) - All weapons except illegal weapons (see below) are allowed.
MACL/MAUL/MNCL - This rule only applies to league play for the old leagues MACL/MAUL. No more than 2 racks of lock-on missiles are allowed, and no more than 2 tons of ammo per rack are allowed. All other weapons except illegal ones are allowed. Non-lockon missiles do not count (ie. you can put as many non-lockon missiles as you want).
- Known Illegal Weapons Arrow IV
Torpedoes (hack)
Nukes (hack)
- MercNet/Netmech Abbreviations & Terminology LWR - Launch When Ready. Used in a game room by the host to indicate everyone to launch whenever they are ready.
C1/C2/C3 - The different weapon classes. Normally stated by a host at the entrance of all players, or of each player if they come in at different times.
Chatwarrior - A derogatory term used to refer to players who prefer to chat instead of fighting. Hardly used anymore.
Hails - It is used for greeting a person into a room. Also equivelent is Hailz.
<S> - Salute. Equivelent to welcome.
GG - Good game. Used at the end of any game to indicate goodwill and sportsmanship to other players who played with you.
GL - Good luck. Self-explanatory; used at the start of a game or right before you launch.
GH - Good hunting. Also used at the start of a game or right before you launch; self-explanatory.
JJ - Jump-jets.
In - Say this once you have successfully launched into the game.
Drop - Commonly used as a term for "launch" or a game.
Dropped - It could mean that someone/some people have dropped into a game (ie. launched), or it could mean that someone has dropped from a game (crashed from MercNet).
Heat bug - Known bug that allows you to fire way into the red even after you have reached the critical point of heat control.
Overburn - The process of taking one's mechs into the very critical heat zone by firing continuously even though you have been in the red for some time. This is mainly to kill one's enemy at the expense of one's life. Thanks to the heat bug, overburning sometimes pays off.
Armor bug - Certain mechs may have one or two armor points knocked off certain parts at the start of a game right after you have launched. Once you go back into mechlab, you will see that the armor allocation is short of one or two armor points even if you are sure that you had put full armor allocation in that part before. This is the armor bug and was frequent in 1.1 with mechs 70 tons and below. No one has yet reported to have seen this bug recently.
JJ bug - This one occurs in the following way: the faster your computer, the slower the jets recharge. It is now subject to individual computers though, it seems.
Legging - A form of shooting where you aim for the opponent's legs. This is sometimes seen as dishonorable in certain units/Clans but is generally accepted as a way of fighting. Certain mechs are more prone to legging (back-legged mechs) than others.
Legged - This means that you have been under the fire of a mechwarrior who used the legging technique. If you are legged, your leg or legs have suffered serious damage, or you may already have lost one leg.
- Online abbreviations for dummies LOL - Laugh Out Loud.
LOLOF - Laughing Out Loud On Floor.
BRB - Be Right Back.
BBL - Be Back Later.
AFK - Away From Keyboard
ROFL - Rolling On Floor Laughing.
LMAO - Laughing My Ass Off.
ROFLMAO - Rolling On Floor Laughing My Ass Off.
Roffle - Corruption of ROFL-LOL. If you say that out, it turns out something like "roffle".
Own/Owned/Ownage - Commonly used as an expression like "you were owned", meaning you were beaten very badly.
Pwn/Pwned/Pwnage - Corruption of above term.
- Combat Etiquette The host must launch last after choosing your mechs. This is because it seems to be more stable that way (old tradition from way back when).
If you are not the host, please say "lit" after you have launched as a mark of courtesy. But if you are the second last person to launch, please refrain from doing it as it may screw up the launch process (hardly seems to do so now though) if the host launches just as you type in "lit" and hit Enter.
At the start of a game, say "in" as a courtesy to tell others that you have launched successfully into the game. Otherwise, you might have dropped from the game and the other players would not even know.
During a game, if a mech shuts down, it is the pilot's own damn fault. Shooting at it is not a crime, but it is honorable to let the pilot startup again.
If a pilot regens and you happen to be in range, do not fire at the pilot until he has started moving. This is basic courtesy.
If you are leaving a game, please inform everyone else.
When you leave, return to Pilot's Lounge first (not click Quit, but press back). This is important for battles. If you are going back to Kali, please state so.
- Weapons & Equipment There are only certain weapons that you really need to use in MercNet. You can exclude all other weapons. You will find out that they are superfluous in the course of playing over a long time on MercNet.
Necessities
Medium Pulse Lasers (MPLAS)
The singular most important weapon in the game, the MPLAS has been powered up in the Mercs version. It hits for the same kind of damage as an Extended Range Laser (ER Laser) in the actual realistic Battletech universe, yet retains the same rate of fire as an actual pulse laser. This makes it the most practical and most dangerous weapon up to 430 meters (its maximum range). The basic C1 configuration is based on 3 of these, one in the head, and two in the center torso.
Long Range Missiles (LRMs)
In a C3 game, these are what you can consider using as backups from range. Sometimes when your heat level is already in the red, consider firing this to finish off that opponent who is red all over and probably needs just one or two more hits from a MPLAS to finish him off. LRMs come in batches of 5, 10, 15 and 20. Normally a smart pilot would take just one rack of LRM10 or LRM15 and have one or two tons of ammo, depending on his configuration, mech tonnage, as well as fighting style of choice. They are indispensable in battles.
Anti-Missile System (AMS)
The AMS is also the system to have in any C3 game. It may be crap when a whole bunch of missiles come at you, but even having several missiles taken out could mean all the difference in combat. The normal tonnage is at least 3 tons of ammo for the AMS, but most pilots put more than that in a mech. You only need one system of AMS. Any more than that and you are wasting valuable crits.
Jump-Jets
Without these, you are going straight to hell if you get legged. JJs are vital to survival. With the unrealistic piloting of JJs in MercNet, you can virtually stay in one spot in the air, or move around to throw off the enemy's lag aim in the air and still hit him. 3-4 are a normal number to have, and they are normally put in the legs. Be warned about the JJ bug. JJs normally recharge at a slower speed than previously, but this is now subject to individual computers.
Armor Allocation
In MercNet, you have to add armor points before you can allocate them. Please allocate full armor points to any part of your mech. For the torso, there is a front/rear ratio of armor points, to indicate front and rear armor points. You should of course allocate a lot of armor to the front and lesser to the back. The exact ratio is left up to the individual mech and pilot.
Engine
"Speed is life. You go slow, you die." Sergeant "Dead-Eye" Unther mentioned these words. However, on a heavier mech, this is not always true. It is good to have a fast mech, but can you control it? So, work out the speed you want your mech to be at, a speed which you will be comfortable with while in combat. This is no easy task. It may take a very long time to figure this one out. XL engines are preferred for their lighter weight even though they take up more crits.
- Optionals Large Pulse Laser (LPLAS)
There are pilots who take these into battle to maximise the range of their offensive power. One or two will suffice. It is not advised in urban missions.
Small Pulse Lasers (SPLAS)
Less heat and less damage output than the MPLAS, you can consider putting these as a little more damage, though they just waste valuable crits. You can however consider putting these if you are left with 1 ton and 1 crit at least.
Short Range Missiles (SRMs)
These missiles do not lock on, but are useful if you have a whole host of them along with a NARC beacon (see below).
Inferno Short Range Missiles (Infernos)
Inferno missiles create heat instead of damage. They are considered non-lockon missiles and are therefore under the SRMs category.
It is dishonorable for clanners to use this weapon in Battletech.
Inferno Streak Short Range Missiles (Inferno streaks)
These are considered under the lockon missiles rule.
It is dishonorable for clanners to use this weapon in Battletech.
Streak Short Range Missiles (SSRMs)
These are subject to the lock-on missiles rule, so they are not advised to be used. You can however, consider them in place of LRMs if you wish to have short-range offensive power.
NARC Homing Beacon (NARC)
A NARC missile is advised if you want to have a host of SRMs. AMS takes it out easily however, so you have to learn to "hide" your NARC in a flight of missiles. NARCs work as homing beacons for any kind of missile. They take up valuable tonnage and crits so are usually ill-advised.
Flamer
The heat factor is something that everyone has to watch, so with a flamer, it shoots the other pilot more easily into the red. However, in Mercs, a flamer can backfire and hit the firer with it, so be wise in using these. A flamer's maximum range is only 50 meters. Normally, a pilot who wants to use flamers take only 1 or 2 of these into battle.It is dishonorable for clanners to use this weapon in Battletech.
- BattleMechs Mechs in MercNet are not the crucial consideration like they were in the newer versions of the simulation games like MW3 and MW4. Normally, they are chosen based on their profile, tonnage, and any bugs that might come with them. Crits are an optional factor and will not be discussed here.
Below is a list, as well as a description, of the more common Clan mechs that are used in games and league play. I will not include a list of mechs that are considered to be weak. You can ask about those and people can reply about them easily.
The mechs are in ascending order from tonnage, and I will only begin at 65 tons.
Hellbringer
Tonnage: 65
Profile: With its arms, the Hellbringer has a pretty wide profile, but without the arms, the Hellbringer becomes a straight line at 400 meters or so. Even up close, the relatively slimmer profile allows it to escape shots that are in a wide arc. The head is off to one side. The legs are normal.
Known Associated Bugs: Armor bug (no longer evident)
Description: It is the most commonly used mech, both for its low tonnage and profile. The Hellbringer is a force to be reckoned with at its tonnage in MercNet, especially in lower tonnage battles.
Summoner
Tonnage: 70
Profile: The Summoner has a common torso but different-sized arms. The right arm is easy to snag off but the left is harder. The torso is easier to hit however than the Hellbringer. The head is off to one side, and therefore a headshot is also not easy. The legs are about the same as the Hellbringer's.
Known Associated Bugs: Armor bug (no longer evident)
Description: The preferred mech of choice for 70-tonners, the Summoner can store a bit more of weaponry than the Hellbringer. Its relatively wider torso is really not much of a factor when you can pilot well.
Grizzly
Tonnage: 70
Profile: The Grizzly has a barrel extending from its left arm, making that part easy to snag off. The torso is relatively common-sized, but a little slimmer. The legs are a well-known target, even though they are slimmer than both the Summoner's and the Hellbringer's. The head is in the center.
Known Associated Bugs: Leg bug (no longer evident)
Description: One can consider this mech to be an option for a league battle at 70 tons max. The Grizzly can hold its own with its relatively slimmer-than-usual torso, but risks getting legged easily. As a support mech it can be pretty powerful.
Gargoyle
Tonnage: 80
Profile: Humanoid in shape, the Gargoyle has a wider-than-usual torso, and the head is very visible. The arms are small, and the legs are big. The armor it can wield is the only thing that can protect it adequately.
Known Associated Bugs: None
Description: The Gargoyle is powerful for its tonnage but risks getting easily killed with a headshot. It can pack quite a bit of armor and can be considered as an option for the Executioner (see below) if the tonnage does not permit an Executioner to be used.
Naga
Tonnage: 80
Profile: The Naga has missile racks for its arms but is squat in profile and easily hit.
Known Associated Bugs: None
Description: The Naga is hardly used, but one can consider it as an option for a support mech at 80 tons if the Gargoyle is not appealing.
Executioner
Tonnage: 95
Profile: Humanoid in apperance, the Executioner has a bigger head than most. It has a slimmer profile to compensate for this. The arms are small and the legs are big.
Known Associated Bugs: None
Description: The Executioner is the preferred mech of choice for assaults. It packs amazing armor for its size and tonnage, and it can comfortably host two racks of missiles, AMS and pack MPLAS in it for quite a bit of firepower, whilst keeping below the heat limit.
