MechDB Misadventures, Part 4: Comparing Fixed Equipment in BattleTech and Infinite Space

MechDB Misadventures, Part 4: Comparing Fixed Equipment in BattleTech and Infinite Space

In the BattleTech universe, OmniMechs (a more modular type of BattleMech pioneered by the Clans, and later developed in the Inner Sphere) are known for being generally more customizable than other BattleMechs, albeit with some restrictions. Mainly, their core components (engine, armor, structure, and any other equipment on the chassis) are all fixed equipment and cannot be removed or replaced. I'll use this customized Timber Wolf/Mad Cat (based on the S configuration's center torso) as an example.

Above: An example of a customized loadout for the Timber Wolf/Mad Cat S in MechWarrior Online, showing all fixed equipment slots (7 each for Clan Endo-Steel Structure and Clan Ferro-Fibrous Armor spread out across the chassis, plus 1 fixed Jump Jet Class III in the center torso). This fixed equipment cannot be removed from any location on the OmniMech, limiting the amount of critical slots that can be used for weapons and equipment.

As you can see, having fixed equipment on an OmniMech reduces the amount of free space available for installation of whatever weapons and equipment you want to install on it, thus forcing you to get creative with your loadouts so that they're not too bulky (in addition to not being too heavy) for the build. There is, however, one notable exception: the Executioner/Gladiator "Sovereign", which lacks the MASC found in other variants, has only one Class 1 Jump Jet in each leg (whereas other variants have two such Jump Jets in each leg), and downgrades the engine from a 380-rated XL unit to a lighter, but less powerful, 285-rated XL item, thus reducing its speed and mobility, but freeing up more space and mass for weapons, equipment, and heat sinks. It should be noted that the Executioner EXE-B-C(LGD) "Sovereign" was created specifically for MWO, and hence is not found the original BattleTech tabletop game.

Above and below: Two examples of custom configurations based on the Executioner/Gladiator, showing how much less mass is reserved for fixed equipment on the "Sovereign" Legendary 'Mech compared to other variants. Most Executioner variants have a 380-rated Clan XL engine weighing 27.5 tons (not counting additional mass from filling its heat sink expansion slots), 4 Class I Jump Jets (weighing 2 tons each, for a total of 8 tons reserved for Jump Jets), and a Mk IV Clan MASC weighing 4 tons, for a total of 39.5 tons of fixed equipment (not counting fixed critical slots reserved for its Clan Ferro-Fibrous Armor or additional engine-mounted heat-sinks), as shown on the customized EXE-M build below. The "Sovereign" build shown above, however, only has a pair of Class I Jump Jets (again weighing 2 tons each) and a 17.5-ton 285-rated Clan XL engine (but no MASC) as fixed equipment (a more modest 21.5 tons, excluding the solitary additional engine-mounted heat sink), thus trading speed and agility for additional space and tonnage (6 critical slots and 18 tons, to be precise) that you can invest in weapons and other equipment. The upshot is that the customized Sovereign is slower, but better suited to long-range combat (with fewer, but heavier weapons), whereas the EXE-M is a faster, more agile brawler that relies on a larger number of lighter, shorter-ranged weapons.

In contrast, Inner Sphere and Clan standard BattleMechs can swap between engine, armor, structure, and heat sink types freely; using a lighter, bulkier type of armor or structure will cause dynamic slots of the corresponding type to appear on the MechLab. Even if all critical slots have been filled, these slots are not fixed, and can be freed up by downgrading to a heavier, less bulky type. Inner Sphere Stealth Armor is an exception: it requires not only a Guardian ECM Suite, but also occupies 2 free critical slots in every component of a 'Mech (except for the head and center torso), while weighing the same as Standard Armor.

Above: Standard BattleMechs (such as the Stone Rhino SR-6 shown above) can switch freely between engine types and ratings, as well as different armor, structure, and heat sink types; in the case of the former two, using a lighter type will cause dynamic slots to appear in the MechLab (except for Inner Sphere Stealth Armor, which requires 2 free critical slots each in every component other than the head and center torso, without adding or removing weight), and switching back to a heavier type will remove some or all of these slots.

My observations about fixed equipment in MechWarrior Online (and, by extension, the BattleTech tabletop game) reminded me of how the Infinite Space trilogy handled a similar issue. In Weird Worlds (and its sequel, Sea of Stars), all weapons on Tchorak and Ravian vessels (such as the former's Lava Bomb and the latter's Proton Claw) are treated as hardwired fixed equipment that cannot be replaced. However, these are the only examples of fixed equipment within the entire franchise, since  other equipment in Tchorak and Ravian ships is never subject to this restriction.

Above and below: Throughout the entire Infinite Space trilogy, Tchorak and Ravian ships are the only ones in the series whose weaponry is hardwired fixed equipment that cannot be removed or replaced, unlike those of other factions' ships. However, any and all other equipment installed on a Tchorak or Ravian ship (such as thrusters, shields, etc.) can be replaced or removed.

For all practical purposes, however, this rule only has an effect in the Combat Simulator mode, since you can't control (or even acquire) a Tchorak or Ravian ship in normal gameplay, where these factions can only be encountered as part of NPC fleets.

In short, rules regarding fixed equipment in BattleTech and Infinite Space are meant to make the game more balanced, by limiting your ability to customize builds based on certain units; however, they also encourage creativity by giving you a chance to work around these restrictions, and even turn them into strengths if you can do it right.