These help to disipate the massive amount of heat generated by the combat operation of your mech. Double heat sinks are twice as efficient but take up more critical spaces. The more heat sinks a mech has, the faster it is able to dissipate heat and remain functional in combat. Normally IMP engages opponents in the zone on ICE Maps. No heat sinks are normally required unless the weapon systems installed on your mech generate an excessive amount of heat (i.e. 3 ERPPC's group fired on an ICE Map will require heat sinks to prevent your mech from shutting down or going critical and exploding). When engaging the enemy on Maps other than ICE Maps, you will need to install the appropriate number of heat sinks to avoid shutting down or going critical and exploding. Please see our information section on heat management and actual weapons system testing for further information.
Jump Jets:
These allow the mech to use their limited rocket power to make short flights over or across terrain obstacles. You should take the max allowable number and they should be installed in the legs.
Anti-Missile Systems (AMS):
The AMS is a rapid fire machine gun that is capable of automatically tracking, engaging and destroying incoming missiles. The max allowable number should be installed for all battle types where missiles are allowed. The exception being that your mech is very fast (+100 KPH) and you are able to evade missiles effectively. These must be installed in the torso locations or they will not function. They will appear with no ammunition listed beside that incorrectly installed ams unit.
Artemius IV Fire Control System:
This component improves a mechs targeting capability, enhances the tracking capability of any missile weapon fired and gives missiles limited terrain-following ability. You must install this system in each location that you have installed missiles (including NARC) for it to work correctly. Any missiles fired from a location where this component is not installed will not have these benefits.
Beagle Active Probe (BAP):
This doubles the range of your mechs active radar to 2 kilometers and allows the detection of shutdown mechs. Since the max range of all mech weapon systems is 1K, this is more or less useless junk.
C3 Computer:
This stands for Command/Control/Communications Computer. It aids in interfacing the battle computers of any allied mechs so equiped. For our purpose, this system is useless junk.
Electronic Counter Measures (ECM):
This reduces the effectiveness of the enemy's long-range sensors and scanning equipment. It nullifies the effects of BAP, Artemius IV, NARC Missile Beacons, Targeting Computers, Streak Missiles, and the C3 Computer. It has no effect on TAG. This should be considered mandatory equipment and is usually installed in one of the torso locations.
Myomer Acceleration Signal Circuitry (MASC):
This increases the speed of your mech by about 25% and since speed is life, it should be considered mandatory equipment. It is best installed in one of the arms and once engaged, it need not be turned off. In the event that the arm containing the MASC is lost, only the ability to turn this system on and off is lost. The system itself (i.e. enhanced speed) will continue to work properly until your mech is destroyed.
NARC Missile Beacon:
This is a modified missile launcher that fires a pod equipped with powerful homing beacons. Any missile fired at an enemy unit with a NARC Beacon attached has an increased chance to hit due to the pod's homing beacon. You need only install one of these on your mech and should only installed in mechs used for battle types where missiles are allowed. Even though these are in fact a missile and are located in the weapons section of mechlab, they do no damage what so ever.
Targeting Computer:
This enhances the accuracy of all mech weapon systems. It calculates the lead factor necessary to hit a moving target and tells the relative direction that the target is travelling. A secondary targeting reticle is displayed as a small circle on the HUD. Be careful when grouping dis-similar weapons because each weapon has it's own velocity and thus it's own lead angle. The target computer will take the average of all different weapons grouped together to compute the lead angle which will yield an inaccurate lead angle. This should be considered mandatory equipment and is typically installed in the head.
Target Acquisition Gear (TAG):
This is a spotting laser that must be fired and held on the target for it to function correctly. If a target is sucessfully "TAGGED", within a few seconds an incoming Arrow IV artillery missle will be in-bound from your dropship in orbit. Unfortunately, the target must remain totally stationary for this to be effective as the artillery missiles are actually homing in on the map location where the target was standing and not the target itself. It is very heavy in weight, takes up many critical spaces and takes a very long time for this laser to recharge. So even though these are in fact a laser of sorts, they are located in the equipment section of mechlab and do no damage what so ever in and themselves. Rather it is a spotting mechanism for an orbiting weapons platform. Enough said... this is just more useless junk for our concerns, since no target we will engage remains totally stationary.
Cellular Ammo Storage Equipment (CASE):
This vents damage from ammo explosions outward and prevents damage transfer to to adjacent locations. It weigh's nothing and takes up zero critical spaces, so it should be considered mandatory and installed in every location on your mech. IMP also uses the CASE as a place holder when forcing certain weapon fire patterns. Please see our tactics section for more details about weapon fire patterns.
Heads Up Display (HUD):
This is your mech's targeting, tracking and equipment status systems display that is visible from the 1st Person cockpit perspective. Leave this on unless you are totally suicidal.
WEAPON SYSTEMS
BALLISTICS WEAPONS:
Autocannon:
These utilize a fast-loading, near-continuous fire mechanism which fires high-velocity, armor-penetrating rounds over great distances. The lighter the autocannon, the greater the range, but the smaller the punch. Heavy autocannons , as a result, have a devastating short-range punch. There is also a substantial amout of recoil and heat associated with the larger caliber rounds.
LB-X Autocannon:
These utilize cluster munitions (much like a shotgun) which fragment into several small sub-munitions causing damage to multiple hit locations. They cause more damage than AC's and UAC's, but at a significant increase in weight, critical spaces used and a slower reload time. There is also a substantial amout of recoil and heat associated with the larger caliber rounds.
Ultra Autocannons:
These utilize a very fast-loading, near-continuous fire mechanism which fires high-velocity, explosive armor-piercing rounds over great distances. The lighter the ultra autocannon, the greater the range, but the smaller the punch. Heavy ultra autocannons , as a result, have a devastating short-range punch. This weapon has greater ranges than the normal autocannons, but also weighs more and takes up more critical spaces. There is also a substantial amout of recoil and heat associated with the larger caliber rounds. The UAC20 are the C5 battle type weapon of choice.
Machine Guns:
These are light autocannons that are capable of delivering a high number of low caliber rounds in a very short period of time. The individual damage is not high, but if a target can be kept in the stream of bullets, significant damage can be done. They do not generate any heat, weigh very little, reload very quick and require a minor amount of critical spaces.
Guass Rifle:
These use magnetic rail gun technology to fire a slug at very high velocities over very long distances. These were designed for zero gravity combat as they have no recoil. They also generate very little heat as a result of the fact that there is no explosive charge which propels the projectile. They are slow to reload, take up many critical spaces and weigh a considerable amout.
ENERGY WEAPONS:
Lasers:
These are direct-energy weapons capable of cutting through armor. There are 3 sizes: small, medium and large. The size reflects the amount of damage done per shot and the range (i.e. large lasers fire greater distances, cause more damage, take more time to recharge, weigh more and occupy more critical spaces). There are 3 variations: regular lasers, pulse lasers (which generally suck in the zone because they have a greater duration of fire time which must be kept on the (moving) target for any significant amount of damage to be done) and extended-range (ER) lasers (which are capable of firing over great distances). The ER version are the C1 battle type weapon of choice.
Particle Projection Cannon (PPC):
These fire high-energy proton or ion bolts that can severely damage it's target, but also generate a huge amount of heat when fired. Extended-range (ER) PPCs fire shots at a longer range than standard PPCs, but generate even more heat. These have a slow recharge rate, but take up relatively small amounts of critical spaces and have an average weight.
Flamer:
These are basically a high-energy flame-thrower which increase the internal heat of a targeted mech and can cause a substantial amount of damage if the target can be kept in the stream long enough. When a substantial number is used (16max), this weapon will also typically kill the pilot before the mech is substantially damaged, resulting in salvage of the mech. It can also cause the enemy mech to shutdown rendering it harmless until it cools enough to restart the reactor. They tend to cause targeted mechs with missiles and ammunition to explode as a result of the increased internal heat. They do not generate any heat, weigh very little, reload very quick and require a minor amount of critical spaces. These are also a C1 battle type weapon of choice, but because they are in fact more devestating at point blank range than 2 UAC20's... many times they are not allowed in C1 engagements.
MISSILE SYSTEMS:
Long Range Missiles (LRM):
These long range (800 meters max) missile launchers fire missiles that have limited target tracking capability. They are accurate, but lack turning capabilities. These have a minimum range of 90 meters. If they hit before they have travelled their minimum range, they will not explode, although they may do slight impact damage (splash damage). The effectiveness of this weapon is dramatically increased with the use of the NARC Missile Beacon and the Artemius IV Fire Control Systems.
Short Range Missiles (SRM):
These direct-trajectory missiles are more powerful than LRMs, but are only accurate at short ranges (360 meters max). The effectiveness of this weapon is dramatically increased with the use of the NARC Missile Beacon and the Artemius IV Fire Control Systems.
Streak Short Range Missiles (SSRM):
These direct-trajectory missiles are more powerful than LRMs and have a smart targeting system that prevents them from being fired unless they are locked on. They are accurate at short and medium ranges (480 meters). They are called streak because if the first missile hits the target, all the mssiles fired from that particular launcher will hit as well. The effectiveness of this weapon is dramatically increased with the use of the NARC Missile Beacon and the Artemius IV Fire Control Systems.
