Infinite Space Insights: Rebalancing a Hypothetical Sequel

Infinite Space Insights: Rebalancing a Hypothetical Sequel

As good as Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars is, I would not be surprised if its sequel turned out to be even better still. However, for this to happen, some of Sea of Stars' balance issues need to be addressed as follows:

• Currently, Gorgar's Garthan capital ship (one of the possible allies the player can encounter) may spawn even if the Garthans' home world (whose host star system is always a white F-type star, which is hotter than a yellow G-type star, but cooler than a bluish-white A-type star) and correspondingly higher Garthan fleet strength is not present on a randomly generated sector map. Preventing the Garthan capital ship from spawning  under such circumstances would thus make such a scenario more challenging by reducing the potential maximum attainable score, but on the other hand, would reduce "wastage" of fleet slots (of which there are six - four for capital ships and two for fighters). 
• Related to this, In Sea of Stars, it is possible to have a maximum fleet size of five vessels (three capital ships and two fighters) if the map contains Zorg and Muktian home worlds, but recruitable allies that fly Zorg and Muktian capital ships are absent in addition to the Damocles and Kestrel (both of which are quest-specific). while both the Zorg and Muktian fighters can be recruited from the map by visiting the systems where they are found (and in the former case, after transferring an item from your inventory to the mercenary owning said Zorg fighter). Preventing a Garthan capital ship from spawning as a recruitable ally under such circumstances would thus remove the possibility of potentially having too much dead weight on the player's roster.
• If any one of the Zorg, Muktian, and Calatian home worlds are present on a randomly generated map, the probability of negotiating an alliance with them should initially be 100%, by giving their respective allies a 100% chance of spawning on the map at the start of a game. To balance this out, such behavior should be incentivized by increasing the credit bonus earned through diplomacy.
• The probability of quest-triggering items, fleets, and discoveries spawning at the start of a game should be decreased from 100% to 20% or 25%, to reduce the probability of completing the corresponding quest and gaining its associated score bonus.
• If Esmerelda (who will steal a random item other than the Klakar Beacon from your cargo hold and deliver the former to the homeworld of a randomly selected faction, including your own, or your ship's towels if you have no such items) is present anywhere on the map at the start of a game, either or both of the only two items capable of capturing her (the Toy Robot and Lookout Frogs) must also be guaranteed to spawn alongside her, albeit in a different system from where she can be encountered in both cases. This makes it more likely for the player to earn her associated 500-credit bonus; to make this task even easier, both the Toy Robot and Lookout Frogs could grant the ability to detect Esmerelda's location on the map by marking it with a dashed blue circle (assuming the player has never previously encountered her), to allow the player to actively seek her out upon storing either item in their cargo hold. Neither item should be 100% guaranteed to spawn at the start of a game if Esmerelda is absent from the map, though, nor should they be able to detect other potential passengers (Phredd and Smetlov's Brain) - both of these rules are retained from Sea of Stars.

Hopefully, if Digital Eel (which has been the franchise's developer since the original game) were to ever consider developing an Infinite Space IV, they could (should?) at least examine the possibility of implementing at least some of these balance adjustments into the next installment.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 31: Low-Heat Timber Wolf Brawling

MechDB Misadventures, Part 31: Low-Heat Timber Wolf Brawling

With the Timber Wolf (Mad Cat) TBR-N(L) having recently being added to MechWarrior Online Legends as a Loyalty reward, I decided to explore some loadouts based on that chassis, including a few that utilize its full set of 8 OmniPods. After some deliberation, I came up with the following setups as potentially among of the most effective in their intended roles as close-range brawlers:

Above, from top: Two suggestions for close-range brawling builds based on the Timber Wolf TBR-N(L) loyalty variant. The former utilizes the Prime variant's arms to fit in two additional Clan Medium Pulse Lasers in place of two tons of surplus Clan SRM ammo, the Light Active Probe, and a half-ton of armor found in the latter's set of 8 build, thus trading heat efficiency and sustained firepower for longer range and extra alpha strike potential. The latter (which relies on the N variant's set of 8 OmniPods) lacks the extra pair of Clan Medium Pulse Lasers found in the former, but instead adds a half-ton of armor and a Light Active Probe in addition to two extra tons of Clan SRM ammo, with the regular Clan Machine Guns and their ammo swapped for Clan Heavy Machine Guns (with 1 ton of Clan HMG ammo for each), thus trading range for DPS output and heat efficiency while absorbing any excess mass.

Both builds are equally effective at close-range brawling - the choice is entirely yours as to whether you prefer stronger alpha strikes or greater combat endurance and heat efficiency. The Set of 8 build can also run Artemis IV-enhanced SRMs if you are willing to swap two tons of SRM ammo for the spare tonnage necessary for the resulting increase in accuracy. For a truly devilish mix of the two, however, you could take the former setup and give it the latter's Clan HMGs and Light Active Probe in place of regular Clan MGs, swapping out two Clan Double Heat Sinks to free up enough mass to make this change possible, and resulting in 66.6 damage per alpha strike, as shown below.

Above: This TBR-N hybrid build mixes elements of the first two to increase its maximum damage per second to 23.0, with a sustained DPS of 16.1 sitting between the 15.3 of the first suggestion and the 17.9 of the Set of 8 alternate loadout, while still fully utilizing its 12 tons of armor capacity and having enough spare mass for a Light Active Probe.

In short, the TBR-N(L), with its eclectic hardpoint mix, is just the ticket if you want a brawling Timber Wolf that doesn't use or even need Jump Jets in any of its OmniPods.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 30: All-Pulse Laser Brawlgoyles

MechDB Misadventures, Part 30: All-Pulse Laser Brawlgoyles

Due to having an oversized 400-rated Clan XL engine in a standard frame encased in Clan Ferro-Fibrous armor (of which it can carry up to 13 tons), the Gargoyle/Man O' War OmniMech in MechWarrior Online is generally best used as a relatively fast brawler, with a large number of smaller, lighter weapons instead of a few larger, heavier ones. With the introduction of the GAR-M(TSP) variant, this philosophy can be taken a step closer to its logical conclusion by combining its left arm with the C variant's right arm and the E variant's side torsos to yield 16(!) energy hardpoints. One suggestion using all of these hardpoints is as follows:

Above: Mixing the Gargoyle M's left arm with the C variant's left arm and the E variant's side torsos gives the 'Mech at least 16 energy hardpoints - filling them with a 50/50 mix of Micro and Small Pulse Lasers, while using 8 additional Clan Double Heat Sinks to absorb their heat load and spare tonnage capacity, creates a tough, yet fast brawler that can eviscerate anything in a close-range combat scenario, especially against slower targets.

Prior to the introduction of the M variant of the Gargoyle, one of the closest pure energy-based pulse laser brawl configuration to the one shown above was as follows:

Above: Before the GAR-M(TSP) debuted, this was closest we could get to a pure pulse laser-based brawling setup for the Gargoyle, and compared to the one above, it has longer range but is more heat-intensive, wiht only 20 heat sinks instead of 24.

There are other pure pulse laser-based builds based on this chassis besides these two, but the Small/Micro Pulse Laser-based one could well be one of the most effective ones MWO will ever see - as long as you leverage its 12.5 tons of armor and 81.0km/h speed to absorb or evade incoming fire while keeping your cluster of tiny little lasers trained on whatever victim is unfortunate to get in your sights.

Infinite Space Insights: Graviton Beams and Their Tabletop Counterparts

Infinite Space Insights: Graviton Beams and Their Tabletop Counterparts

The Graviton Disintegrator in the Infinite Space trilogy is a unique weapon - not for its characteristics, but for being the only beam-based (and thus non-projectile-based) weapon of any kind ever fielded by the Yellow Kawangi, with each of their Dreadnoughts carrying four such weapons (two up front and two more at the rear). Due to its immense firepower, it (along with the Nova Cannon, which the Yellow Kawangi also fit to their Dreadnoughts, albeit only one per ship) can only be acquired during normal gameplay by creating it from a Timeless Bauble, and even under such circumstances, you'll never be able to have more than one. However, in custom scenarios, it's possible to arm most capital ships with multiple Graviton Disintegrators for a massive increase in damage per second. So how does this weapon work? Let's find out.

As a medium weapon, it can be installed on any capital ship that has at least one universal, medium or large turret. Most factions whose capital ships do not have weapons as fixed equipment are fitted with these turrets as standard, with the Calatians being the sole exception. Their Dreadnought and Super Dreadnought are the only capital ships from that faction with these features, whereas Calatian Cruisers and Destroyers lack such turrets and are thus incompatible with the Disintegrator. However, the Calatians' near-exclusive focus on short- to medium-range combat makes their larger capital ships a good fit for a Disintegrator-based loadout; a Dreadnought or Super Dreadnought armed with one (or, in the latter case, two) of these Yellow Beams of Death (as the player base calls them) can be extremely dangerous to any target that ventures too close to it.

In terms of operating principle, the Graviton Disintegrator emits graviton particles to pull its victims apart through inducing an immense gravitational pull at the point of impact, causing the target to collapse under its own mass. This echoes how its Warhammer 40000 equivalent, the Graviton Destructor and Ruinator, works against small targets (although larger targets are generally immune), with Titan-scale Horus Heresy-era equivalents being potent enough to obliterate other Titans. Similarly, the Graviton Disintegrator is explicitly stated to not having any known defenses against it. This explains why it is inadvisable to attack a Yellow Kawangi Dreadnought at close or even medium range - the Disintegrators will simply tear up any ship that's close enough, so a long-range assault with multiple missile-based weapons (or even a single Nova Cannon or Cobalt Torpedo Tube) is the only viable option for countering such a massive ship without having to use a Limited Vacuum Collapser to overwrite it.

Above, from top: The Graviton Disintegrator in the Infinite Space trilogy may not have the range or availability of the Tachyon Ray Gun, but it is vastly superior in terms of damage per second.

The closest BattleTech equivalent to the Graviton Disintegrator (in terms of firepower) would be the Binary Laser Cannon. Essentially a pair of regular Large Lasers fused together (but weighing 9 tons instead of 10 for dual individual Large Lasers), it generated too much heat relative to the amount of damage delivered compared to a pair of Large Lasers. However, it became viable again after Double Heat Sinks reentered production following the distribution of the contents of the Helm Memory Core, and in MechWarrior Online it serves as a shorter-ranged, but lighter, alternative to paired Large Lasers.

Within the context of MWO, two Binary Laser Cannons (which are distinguished by their white beams) should be sufficient for most Heavy and Assault 'Mechs; some chassis can safely handle three, but four is generally overkill in terms of mass and cooling requirements. However, in the right hands, Binary Lasers can be even more effective than any other Large Laser within their range profile. A common strategy is to combine a pair of Binary Lasers with several Inner Sphere Extended Range Medium Lasers, thus providing a viable backup option and good range synergy.

Above: This Stalker STK-7D is a good example of a Binary Laser-based build in MWO, where the ER Medium Lasers serve as backup for its main armament - a pair of Binary Laser Cannons that complement the Medium Lasers perfectly in terms of range profile.

In short, Graviton Disintegrators may be among the rarest weapons in the Infinite Space trilogy, but they can be among the most potent in the player's inventory if they can acquire one, by performing a similar function to graviton-based weapons and Binary Lasers in Warhammer 40000 and BattleTech, respectively, as among the deadliest beam weapons (if not the deadliest) in their respective fictional universes.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 29: Using Component Armor to Absorb Unused Mass

MechDB Misadventures, Part 29: Using Component Armor to Absorb Unused Mass

Although MechWarrior Online does not (yet) support Component Armor, adapting it from the BattleTech tabletop game would be straightforward, since it only requires 0.5 tons of extra mass per critical slot for any component (except for the cockpit, which requires 1 ton per critical slot), and its ability for each affected critical slot to absorb a critical hit before being exposed would most likely be simulated by a per-slot durability buff. For example, adding Component Armor to a Medium Laser (which would normally weigh 1 ton and occupy 1 critical slot) would increase its mass to 1.5 tons. However, this upgrade costs 150,000 C-Bills for every critical slot that the resulting armored component occupies. In any case, for those that can afford it (in terms of spare tonnage and cost), it'd be a great way to use surplus mass for reducing critical hit probability.

Here's a simple example to show where component armor can be useful. This Jenner JR7-F has been configured as follows:

Above: This loadout for the Jenner JR7-F is a ton underweight - but that spare ton of mass can be used for component armor in some places.

Despite having a mass limit of 35 tons, this setup weighs 34 tons - 1 less than its maximum capacity in terms of tonnage. However, even though every critical slot on this loadout is occupied, we can still reach our 35-ton target by installing 1 ton of component armor. There are three main ways this armor can be allocated throughout the 'Mech:

• 0.5 tons for each shoulder actuator (to make each arm more difficult to blow off)
• 0.5 tons for each hip actuator (to make each leg less likely to fall off in the event of a critical hit)
• 1 ton for the cockpit (thus forcing any attacking unit to score two critical hits to destroy it)

All three of these options are as attractive as they are effective - the former two ensure that the 'Mech's firepower and agility, respectively, are less likely to be compromised while it's under fire, and the last of these improves the crew's chance of survival in any situation where its cockpit is more likely to be targeted directly. There's only enough spare tonnage for one of these choices, though, so you must choose carefully as to where you'll apply the 1 ton of component armor this loadout can carry. Just for fun, armoring every non-structural component (i.e., anything not occupied by its endo-steel structure or ferro-fibrous armor) on this loadout requires 15.5 tons of component armor - nearly half of the 'Mech's total mass, and 14.5 more than what it can safely carry.

In short, armored components may be heavier and more expensive (on a per-critical slot basis) than regular ones, but they can be useful in safeguarding against critical hits.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 28: Zombie Grasshoppers

MechDB Misadventures, Part 28: Zombie Grasshoppers

It didn't take long for me to revisit the idea of the Grasshopper GHR-5H as a true Zombie 'Mech (BattleTech slang for a BattleMech that carries energy weapons exclusively, along with a standard engine and enough heat sinks and armor to maintain an adequate level of survivability and sustainability) and add more firepower to it. The resulting loadout is as follows:

Above: A more lore-accurate take on my custom Grasshopper GHR-5H setup, now with a tabletop-accurate 280-rated engine for a bit more speed, and dual ER PPCs combined with five medium lasers to make it more of a bracket build (PPCs for long range, medium lasers for shorter ranges). Despite having one less heat sink, it's still a viable build under tabletop rules (I used an ASP to simulate a tabletop-sized Beagle Active Probe for this one, even though it requires one fewer critical slot and must be placed in the head under MechWarrior Online MechLab rules).

Taking the idea further, I could create a hypothetical GHR-5E variant that swaps the left torso AMS slot for a Guardian ECM slot, to accommodate such a system where the AMS once resided, and move the arm-mounted medium lasers to the center torso and head, thus forcing the Beagle Active Probe to be mounted in the right torso. The result has a narrower profile for all practical purposes, since the arms don't carry any equipment, although it runs hotter than the original quad-ER Large Laser build, so you'll need to manage your heat more efficiently to exploit its potential.

In short, although more heat-intensive, this Grasshopper variant proposal is not only faster, but harder-hitting, with actual headchopper potential - and nobody would want to underestimate those attributes when applied to any heavy or assault 'Mech.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 27: Patience, Grasshopper!

MechDB Misadventures, Part 27: Patience, Grasshopper!

I recently gave MechDB another try and attempted to create a loadout for the Grasshopper GHR-5H that would translate well to BattleTech tabletop rules, even though it might not necessarily be as effective in MechWarrior Online. Eventually, I came up with this all-energy setup with four ER Large Lasers (two per side torso), a standard Medium Laser in the center torso, 16 Double Heat Sinks (two of them in each side torso, and another one in each arm, to complement the 10 heat sinks built into its 270-rated standard engine), an AMS (Anti-Missile System) to simulate a Beagle Active Probe, four jump jets, and 13.5 tons of standard armor over an Endo-Steel internal structure, as follows:

Above: A proposal for a tabletop-friendly Grasshopper GHR-5H build I created in MechDB. While its relatively low combined alpha strike damage (41 points under MWO rules) and absence of melee functionality might make it ill-suited to the game, even when considering its excellent heat capacity and numerous quirks, its zombie status (bestowed upon it due to having a standard engine and an all-energy loadout, with a center torso-mounted Medium Laser as a backup weapon that remains usable even if both side torsos are blown off) and the more generous heat generation rules (such as the absence of MWO's heat scaling and Double Heat Sinks providing a 100% per-item heat capacity increase instead of MWO's 40%), when combined with hand actuators for improved melee accuracy, make it very annoying to face in combat, especially if you swap the AMS with a Beagle Active Probe to give it the ability to detect ECM-equipped units.

Under tabletop rules, this loadout can dissipate 32 heat per turn (2 per Double Heat Sink) while generating only 51 heat during an alpha strike (55 if jumping while performing such an action), for a net heat buildup of only 23 per turn, making alpha strike salvos more sustainable. A Grasshopper GHR-5H so equipped could serve as a highly mobile sniper or skirmisher, and could be more survivable due to carrying as much standard armor as a 70-ton heavy 'Mech can have (13.5 tons as opposed to the 13 found in the stock setup).

In short, for combining maximum durability and immense staying power with surprising agility during the Clan Invasion era, this customized Grasshopper GHR-5H is tough to beat on the tabletop, regardless of whether you fill the 1.5 tons and 2 critical slots of unused mass and space, respectively, with an Anti-Missile System or Beagle Active Probe. With a few tweaks to the loadout to make it better suited to the faster-paced gameplay style of MechWarrior Online, it can be equally effective there, too, if you're brave enough to trade durability for speed with the following setup:

Above: Swapping the 270-rated standard engine for a 325-rated Extralight (XL) unit reduces this Grasshopper GHR-5H variant's survivability somewhat, but increases its top speed frees up extra mass for the fitment of two more medium lasers; upgrading them (along with the single center torso-mounted one) to extended-range versions helps them synergize better with the four Large Lasers, which have been downgraded to regular items to improve heat efficiency. Also, with the presence of heat scaling in MWO and a milder 40% heat efficiency bonus for double heat sinks (as opposed to the tabletop game's 100%), the extra heat sink is much appreciated here.

There are many other Grasshopper variants in MWO that can run these exact loadouts, but the GHR-5H is one of the most (if not the most) flexible variant out there. So go ahead and try out some Grasshoppers if you get the chance - you won't be disappointed!

Hotshot Tales, Part 20: Showing No Mercy

Hotshot Tales, Part 20: Showing No Mercy

How would a "mercy rule" for Hotshot Racing (specifically, Barrel Barrage and Drive or Explode) affect gameplay? I've been pondering this question for a few years now, so here's how it could be implemented compared to the standard rules for both modes, in which the game will let the last remaining human player continue to drive until they run out of time, complete all laps, or are eliminated. While it gives that player a chance to survive as long as they can, I'll admit that even attempting to do so can be a challenge, especially on the more technical and/or narrower tracks. My proposed "mercy rule" removes that problem completely in two ways, as described below.

The first part of this rule deals with lapped traffic during a Barrel Barrage. In longer races, it is possible for a skilled human player to be the only finisher on the lead lap, if not the only one, period. However, any players who aren't on the lead lap (human or not) can still continue racing if they have time left to do so. Unfortunately, this can potentially result in them being hit, or even eliminated, by barrels placed by anyone who is on the lead lap. To avoid this problem, any players who are lapped should be given a small amount of time (probably 3, 5, or 10 seconds) to get on the lead lap, and will be automatically eliminated unless they do so within that time. This rule won't be implemented in Drive or Explode, in which it is impossible to finish a race a lap down on the leader due to its different rules.

The second part of this rule applies to both Barrel Barrage and Drive or Explode, and is much more direct in its approach. With the Mercy Rule on in those modes, if only one human player remains, and there are no bots (CPU-controlled players) left, the game automatically ends, granting an immediate victory to the sole survivor, without allowing them to drive all the way to the full race distance, and preventing them from having to avoid barrels or dropping below the minimum sector speed in Barrel Barrage and Drive or Explode, respectively. However, although it increases your chance of survival in such situations, it also prevents you from being able to humiliate the opposition even further by completing every lap as the last player standing.

If the "mercy rule" were to be implemented for both modes, it would have to be balanced by having the game award additional cash to the player for every lap completed (or at least reached) in those modes regardless of whether or not this rule was toggled on. Turning it on would thus deprive the player of those extra earnings if it were invoked during such a race, making it a matter of balancing risk with reward by giving the player a chance to play it safe and use it, or ignore it and attempt to increase their winnings. In short, it would be useful for less experienced players, but less so for more highly skilled ones, who would rather be brave and leave it off. Regardless, the idea should be something the developers should consider for the sequel - if such a thing were to be made.

Hotshot Tales, Part 19: Four Kills at Surf City

Hotshot Tales, Part 19: Four Kills at Surf City

It's very difficult to get four kills in a single Barrel Barrage race at Surf City (the most difficult track added in the Big Boss Bundle DLC to Hotshot Racing) while also surviving to the very end, especially if the race in question is 7 laps long (the longest possible distance), and even more so if the Expert class (the fastest one available) is chosen, but it can be done, although it takes a lot of skill, luck, and patience - and choosing the right car also helps. For this challenge, I chose Marcus' Carbon (the best Speed-class car, and the best car overall) to give myself the best chance of completing sectors within the notoriously strict time limits this track/class combination has to offer.

It took several hours and dozens of attempts for me to get what I wanted, but eventually I managed to pull it off for the first time in months, if ever. Here's how it happened:

Above, from top: A chronology of kills and the final result from a 7-lap Barrel Barrage at Surf City in which I not only got four kills (one each against Xing, Keiko, Mike, and Alexa), but survived until the very end.

Right from the start, I had to be very aggressive against the opposition (by carefully timing and placing my barrel drops to prevent my opponents from avoiding them), and it paid off. Xing (in a Sentinel) was the first to fall, bowing out after just two laps; on the next lap, I took out Keiko (in a Super F-90) and Mike (in an Athena) within the space of just a few seconds. For the next few laps, I mixed speed with precision, avoiding barrels while meeting the sectors' time limits as the opposition kept dropping like flies, until an opportunity for a fourth kill presented itself on the very last lap. Alexa (in a Stallion) was about to be lapped and at critical damage (20 health or less), having taken care of Viktor (in a Blade) a few laps earlier, so I matched her speed and placed a barrel I held in reserve right in front of her to finish her off. My attempt at a fifth kill was unsuccessful, as the last remaining opponent, Toshiro (in a Wild Line) was eliminated before I could catch up to him, but it didn't matter anyway; all I had to do was get to the finish line in time in one piece, and against all odds, that's exactly what I did.

Above: Some alternate angles of all four my kills in this chaotic 7-lap Barrel Barrage on Expert at Surf City (plus Alexa taking out Viktor) as shown during the replay.

In short, this was one of the most chaotic Barrel Barrages I've had anywhere in a long time, and it goes to show that the perfect storm of circumstances (>2 kills in 7 laps on Expert and completing every lap while also being the last man standing) for a Barrel Barrage on any track is very rare and difficult to achieve, but still possible with the right combination of skill, luck, and patience.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 26: BattleMaster IIC?

MechDB Misadventures, Part 26: BattleMaster IIC?

Although the BattleMaster IIC is not actually part of the canonical lore of BattleTech or MechWarrior, a recent update to MechWarrior Online has introduced a BattleMaster variant that's as close to it as you can get: the BLR-1GBc "Red Corsair", based on a Star League-era all-energy variant, but remanufactured with Clan tech. Being a pure energy 'Mech, it can run hot if you're not cautious, but it has no ammunition dependency or explosion issues whatsoever (unless you fit regular AMS and some ammo to feed it, and even then, integral CASE - Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment - in each component will mitigate the effects of AMS ammo detonations), which can be a big plus in long matches in which the risk of ammo depletion is highest. And as with the original BattleMaster, it has an engine cap of 400, allowing you to create surprisingly fast builds for its size, if you're brave enough - the fact that this is a Clan-tech variant (for which XL engines weigh less and require 1 fewer critical slot in each side torso) only sweetens the deal.

One of the possibilities resulting from this energy dependency is a quad ER PPC variant, reminiscent of the Warhawk/Masakari, but with each pair of ER PPCs placed in the side torsos instead of the arms. With a Clan 340-rated XL engine, it can match the Warhawk in speed, and fitting 24 Clan double heat sinks (including those built into, or externally attached to, the engine) gives it more than enough cooling as long as you fire them in pairs. Fit 16 tons of standard armor over an endo-steel frame, add a MkV Clan Targeting Computer, install a Clan Active Probe, and you're good to go.

Above: Emulating the Warhawk/Masakari WHK-Prime on the BattleMaster BLR-1GBC "Red Corsair" by fitting a MkV Targeting Computer and 24 Clan Double Heat Sinks in an Endo-Steel frame encased in 16 tons of Standard Armor creates a 'Mech that, though not as effective as its inspiration due to a lack of weapon-related quirks (or even secondary weapons), can still be a deadly sniper, and may actually be a better option in long battles due to its side torso-mounted dual ER PPCs (two per side torso) being placed high up on the 'Mech, and no ammunition dependency or explosion issues whatsoever.

However, it's also possible to turn this variant into a zombie 'mech by fitting a standard engine and an energy weapon of some sort in the lone center torso-mounted hardpoint. One suggestion with this in mind is as follows:

Above: An all-Pulse Laser zombie 'Mech loadout on the Red Corsair BattleMaster such as this one would be devastating at short to medium range, and crucially, it would remain a threat unless its center torso, head, or both legs were destroyed. Swapping the arm-mounted Medium Pulse Lasers for Small Pulse Lasers to save enough spare mass for a Clan Active Probe or Mk1 Targeting Computer (which would most likely occupy the free critical slot in the head) could be considered, if you want a more heat-efficient take on the same theme.

Using the Red Corsair as an ER Large Laser boat (with six such weapons in total, three in each side torso) with the largest targeting computer available (a MkVII unit) will also give unparalleled accuracy, but with slightly better heat efficiency than the quad ER PPC loadout, albeit with a lower maximum speed, as follows:

Above: Although slightly slower than the quad ER PPC build, the 6x Clan ER Large Laser Red Corsair build with a MkVII Targeting Computer is even more accurate, and easier on your heat gauge.

There are other loadouts that the Red Corsair can accommodate, but these are among the best known.

In short, the Red Corsair Legendary variant of the BattleMaster may not be an actual BattleMaster IIC, instead being closer to the Inner Sphere's Warlord (which also has an all-energy loadout, but weighs 5 tons less than the BattleMaster) in concept, but it takes some of the best bits of both 'Mechs and combines them into an ammunition-independent assault 'Mech that can fulfill many roles.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 20: SuperStarter

MechDB Misadventures, Part 20: SuperStarter

I've been intrigued by the possibility that Piranha Games will add the Supercharger as an optional item in MechWarrior Online. Currently, it is only available on the legendary Warhawk/Masakari variant, the WHK-K "Kasai", as fixed equipment on its center torso. Also, it works differently to its BattleTech tabletop counterpart, by merely providing a permanent top speed increase without affecting agility or acceleration, instead of being manually activated and causing direct engine damage in the event of a failed 2d6 roll, with an initial target number of 3 that increases by 2 for every successive turn until the device is deactivated, after which it decreases by 1 interval per turn. Finally, the MWO Supercharger does not cause damage to a 'Mech's engine while it is in use. If you want to find out more about how the tabletop equivalent works, click here.

Under tabletop rules, Superchargers always occupy one critical slot (which must be in the same location as a 'Mech's engine), either in the center torso (the only option for any 'Mech with a standard engine) or in the side torso (optional, but only if the 'Mech has a Light or Extralight (XL) engine). In addition, it, unlike Triple Strength Myomer (which MWO hasn't yet featured in its growing list of items), can be combined with Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry (which causes damage to a 'Mech's legs on a failed activation roll), and combining MASC with a Supercharger (with each device requiring its own activation roll) yields a much greater speed boost. So what would an Inner Sphere 'Mech with provision for a Supercharger be like?

To show you an example, let me give you this custom loadout for a Firestarter FS9-K:

Above: Here's the basis for our hypothetical Supercharger build - a Firestarter FS9-K - armed with six medium lasers. Its speed and low engine mass (14 tons for its 280-rated Inner Sphere XL engine, not counting that which is added through fitment of extra heat sinks) ensures that it can easily be made even faster with a Supercharger by replacing some of its equipment.

Using a 280-rated Inner Sphere XL engine (whose base mass is 14 tons) means that a Supercharger would weigh 1.5 tons after rounding up to the nearest half-ton, as per tabletop rules, and could theoretically be mounted on either the side or center torso locations. However, since all of its critical slots are already occupied, we'd have to replace the AMS and its ammo to do so, thus freeing up one critical slot for the Supercharger (and another one we may need later). Even so, it would certainly make an already fast light Firestarter 'Mech even faster still. Note that although 'Mech Superchargers always require only one critical slot, its mass can vary, being one-tenth of the engine's base mass rounded up to the nearest half-ton. This is less of a problem on a 'Mech whose engine requires less mass (but not necessarily space) when fitted.

What, then, should we do with the leftover critical slots? Suppose that, in addition to being compatible with a Supercharger, our Firestarter also had provision for eight jump jets instead of six. In that case, we'd remove the Target Acquisition Gear (TAG) and install two more jump jets to fill out both empty critical slots, thus yielding a jump distance equivalent to the Panther. If the Firestarter was instead capable of being fitted with MASC, we'd remove the extra heat sink on the engine and use the MASC (which would weigh two tons under tabletop and MWO rules) to fill the last two unused critical slots, allowing for an even greater speed increase (at the cost of a higher chance of component damage and reduced heat capacity) when both the MASC and the Supercharger are in use.

In short, the Supercharger as an optional item on Inner Sphere 'Mechs (and standard Clan 'Mechs) would be a great addition to the game, with its performance benefits nicely balanced with extra mass on heavier engines. However, for a MechDB implementation, it should be tweaked so that it cannot be fitted unless an engine of some sort has been fitted, and once that has been done, the MechLab will adjust the mass of the Supercharger accordingly depending on base engine mass (and even then, it must also occupy a critical slot in the same location as the engine, as stated above). It would be a shame to limit it to the Warhawk Kasai - there are many other 'Mechs that could benefit from it (at least in theory), and its implementation, if done right, would narrow the gap between MWO and BattleTech in terms of customizability.

Infinite Space Insights: Lone Wolf Frigate

Infinite Space Insights: Lone Wolf Frigate

Happy New Year to my fellow Infinite Space Explorers! My first Infinite Space trilogy-related post of 2026 will be about my first Sea of Stars playthrough attempt of the New Year. Here's how it went.

Above, from top: My first Sea of Stars playthrough of 2026 - a practice run for my next maximum difficulty attempt (as evidenced with the NPC strength and nebular area having been set to their minimum values - the highest settings for both are necessary for high score runs) - began like any other: after wiping out a Tan Ru fleet around that faction's home system and salvaging some of the high-end equipment stored there, I went on to deliver a Crystal Fish to the Tchorak, thus forging an alliance with them, before zapping two Garthan fleets with the advanced weaponry and technology I'd acquired.

In the early stages of this playthrough, I was lucky enough to trade for, purchase, or salvage enough high-end weaponry and starship technology to improve the overall combat effectiveness of my ship. However, a pivotal moment came when I decided to overwrite an entire cluster's worth of star systems using a Limited Vacuum Collapser I had acquired. On this particular playthrough, there were only four recruitable allies (one each of a Zorg and Muktian fighter, as well as one each of a Garthan and Terran capital ship - I'd convinced the former two to tag along, but chose to annihilate the respective systems in which the latter two were found after realizing I didn't need any help from either of those units), and two of them were in systems that were within the blast radius (as was the Garthan home system, which I'd successfully visited before I activated the LVC).

Above, from top: Shortly after finding the Brood Towers (which lured three Ravian fleets to Glory, the Terran home system - I would later annihilate every single one of them to complete the quest), I decided to overwrite six star systems on the far end of the map using a Limited Vacuum Collapser - and escaped to the Urluquai home system, where I tore apart the hostile fleet stationed there (and bought some highly coveted equipment after the battle for good measure). Two of the recruitable allies (out of four instead of the usual five) were found in the blast radius, and were rendered permanently unattainable due to the LVC detonating before I hired them (although I deliberately chose not to add them to my fleet due to the fact that, given the chosen game settings, I could take on the might of the Ravians with just my starting capital ship and nothing else).

Without the possibility of deploying additional capital ships in combat, the Terran capital ship I had started out with had effectively become a lone wolf, since its destruction would result in an immediate defeat - fighters are not counted as capital ships for gameplay purposes. However, I'd traded in that ship for a larger Terran frigate, which had an additional large turret and offered an extra equipment slot to boot. Even though it was slower and less maneuverable than the Terran corvette I was previously using, and also had less cargo space (8 items instead of 12), I decided that the extra firepower and defense was worth it when facing the Ravian fleets.

Above, from top: I swapped my trusty Terran corvette for a larger, more heavily armed and armored (though slower and less maneuverable) Terran frigate, fitted it with dual Multi-Missile Launchers (which I purchased from the Muktians home system, where I established an alliance with them by visiting it with a Muktian fighter in tow), and used it to eliminate all remaining Ravian forces. I later visited the Zorg home system with a Zorg fighter as part of my fleet to form yet another alliance, and used that system as a trading post, before mopping up other hostile forces using my frigate to complete the playthrough.

By the end of the game, I only had one capital ship (a Terran frigate armed with two Multi-Missile Launchers and a Tachyon Ray Gun, as well as a Sardion Optimizer, Plasma Coil Cloaker and Meson Lattice Shield for improved accuracy, stealth, and protection) and two fighters (a Zorg fighter and a Muktian fighter, both of which were armed with a Proton Blaster and carried one each of a Mnemonic Sequencer and Electron Matrix Shield - the most advanced equipment other than weapons and thrusters that can be fitted to regular fighters), but even with so few vessels in total, the sheer amount of firepower, technology, and defensive equipment was enough for me to take on any hostile fleet without any fear of defeat, especially since there was no chance of encountering a Yellow Kawangi dreadnought on this playthrough.

Above, from top: This game ended with only three ships in my fleet - a Terran frigate, a Muktian fighter, and a Zorg fighter - but I didn't deploy the latter two in combat at all (not that I needed to do so, given that my Terran capital ship had been sufficiently upgraded to win any battle with the right strategy and tactics), so the Terran frigate was effectively a lone wolf. However, the lack of capital ship support (or rather, the possibility of it) severely reduced my final score to a sub-20k value. Even on the highest possible difficulty, I would've struggled to attain the coveted promotion to Glory system president with this force composition unless I was really good (and/or lucky).

In short, my first Sea of Stars playthrough of 2026 was... weird, to say the least, given that I deliberately missed out on both chances to add any capital ships to my fleet (although the LVC detonation also wiped the Garthans' home system off the map), but by the end of the game, it didn't matter very much due to my sole capital ship being heavily upgraded to face whatever new threats it encountered. However, this was a very rare set of circumstances, so here's hoping that the other playthroughs in 2026 will generally be more normal, with all six fleet slots (two fighters and four capital ships) being filled most of the time, and staying that way by the end of the game.

Infinite Space Insights: Time for Fireworks!

Infinite Space Insights: Time for Fireworks!

As part of my last Sea of Stars-related post of 2025, here's a photo album showing off some highlights of my most recent session:

Above, from top: In my last Sea of Stars session of 2025, I set the NPC fleet strength and nebular area to their maximum values in order to maximize my score. I started out by forging an alliance with the tiny Calatians and tearing the Ravian fleet to shreds.

I'd chosen the High setting for both Enemy Strength and Nebular Mass, to make it as challenging for myself as possible, and indeed it was very difficult early on, but less so in the later stages.

Above, from top: Taking on the might of the Urluquai, Tan Ru and Tchorak fleets was the most difficult part of this attempt - I almost lost my Terran capital ship (which was the only such vessel in my fleet) to a pair of Tan Ru Decimators carrying the same Particle Vortex cannon as my own ship - but it survived, and I went on to thrash the Urluquai fleet, ensuring that I could buy a Sardion Optimizer and a Plasma Coil Cloaker for unmatched effectiveness.

Following these initial struggles, things got somewhat easier from there, although I still had to be alert to avoid defeat in future engagements.

Above, from top: Late in the playthrough, I rescued the Calatian castaways, recruited a Zorg helmsman, visited the Zorg home system, and destroyed Primordius - the last of which after I'd converted a Timeless Bauble into a Nova Cannon, which made combat much easier.

There was little left for me to do but mop up any and all remaining hostile fleets, in addition to upgrading every single ship in my fleet as much as possible - without having to trade them in for larger ones. I even captured the sword-shaped capital ship Damocles (whose Anti-Graviton Shunt would've otherwise been necessary to reach the wormhole around which Primordius orbited - I'd found another example of that item to fit to one of my other capital ships before then) and, by the end of the game, had fully upgraded that vessel as well.

Above, from top: The end of this game was, quite frankly, anticlimactic - I'd upgraded all four of my capital ships (including the Damocles) so thoroughly that I didn't need to deploy any fighters. Although not shown on this post, I'd maxed out my earnings still further by selling off every lifeform that I'd found at Gamma Station for three times their normal price.

By the end of the game, my fleet composition was extremely formidable - and it wasn't just my Terran corvette (armed with a Nova Cannon) that played a part; the Zorg corvette Kuti (which inherited the Particle Vortex Cannon I'd acquired earlier on after I created said Nova Cannon from a Timeless bauble) participated in the capture of Damocles, a much larger vessel that, like the Calatian destroyer Thunderbucket, could've been deployed in combat, but in the end, weren't actually needed, considering that my other capital ships could destroy an entire fleet on their own.

Above, from top: With a fleet like this, you have four different capital ships capable of taking on an entire hostile fleet on their own - and usually winning (or always, in the case of the Terran corvette and Prince Arcturus' Damocles), even against overwhelming odds. Although the Damocles cannot be used in a custom scenario, its loadout can be replicated using any capital ship with at least two large turrets.

In short, this playthrough attempt ended up being an undisputed success, even though it appeared doomed to failure at first. I was literally seconds away from having the entirety of my fleet annihilated, but after that, I'd learned a key lesson and adapted my tactics and strategy to make later battles less difficult. Making savvy trades later on also helped, especially when delivering lifeforms to Gamma Station for maximum profit. Here's to a Happy New Year 2026 for all you Infinite Space commanders!