You'll be able to do battle with more than just weapons in Mechwarrior Online - the new game is going feature a mess of electronic warfare options.
To say we are keenly looking forward to Mechwarrior Online, to be released some time this year, is a bit of an understatement. I've already reserved our pilot's name, gotten together with some mates to form a mercenary lance and I'm generally re-immersing myself in Battletech lore in preparation for the launch. And now, with news of just how in depth the electronic/information warfare side of the game's going to be, we're starting to think about just what kind of role we want to play on the battlefield.
A new blog entry on the Mechwarrior Online site goes into some depth on how the whole ElInt side of the game is going to work. Each mech will have a modules board, apparently, where different modules can be unlocked and plugged in, and how you choose your modules will greatly affect your role on the battlefield.
Target information is now exclusively Line of Sight/Detection (LOSD). Simply put, if you, a teammate or support unit can’t directly see or detect a target using a module, that target is invisible. Target information decays rapidly. This means if you lose LOSD, you will lose all knowledge that target’s position and current status. Details about a target are not inclusive, and is now layered based on the type of modules and BattleMech you are piloting. The concept helps emphasizes using specific `Mech and Module combinations to gain and share enhanced targeting information.
Target information is now exclusively Line of Sight/Detection (LOSD). Simply put, if you, a teammate or support unit can’t directly see or detect a target using a module, that target is invisible. Target information decays rapidly. This means if you lose LOSD, you will lose all knowledge that target’s position and current status.
Details about a target are not inclusive, and is now layered based on the type of modules and BattleMech you are piloting. The concept helps emphasizes using specific `Mech and Module combinations to gain and share enhanced targeting information.
In other words, having the biggest mech with the biggest guns will mean nothing if you don't have someone capable of lighting up targets and telling you where the enemy is. This makes us think of the synergy between scouting light tanks and artillery in World of Tanks, only in much, much more depth.
And not only will there be different detection devices to explore, but each will have multiple modes of operation, and opposing mechs will even be able to combat your electronics packages with counter options. There's just going to be a whole world of EW happening behind the scenes of the game, in a depth that we've really not seen before in game like this.
For more info, check out the MO blog.
Issue: 137 | June, 2012