MechCommander: Lostech - Release v031 file

NimoStar's

Mechcommander: Lostech

For 0.31 release

EXPLANATIONS

First off, due to some comments: No, not everything here is lostech. That is only the name of the mod, but it also aims to include advanced and experimental IS, Clan, and Periphery tech.

The mod doesn't stop in "adding stuff", tho, but also wishes to make MechCommander more varied, balanced and fun to play.
It is with this purpose that existing weapons are also rebalanced somewhat. For example, no weapon is an straight upgrade of another. Ultra ACs used to be pretty much straight upgrades of their AC counterparts; that is no longer the case. Even taking into account price differences, all weapons have now something to offer.

CHANGES IN THIS VERSION

(Graphics and UI)
- Added unique new graphics for the UI image of new weapons and equipment
(you need to take them off of 'Mechs that come with them to see it)
- Added descriptions to some equipment
- Changed descriptions of some modified 'Mechs

(New equipment)

- Added Warfare ECM
- Added EW Active Probe
- Added Lrg.Warfare Sensor
-- You can get them by buying a Raven-J
* This suite is based on the 3025 Capellan/Liao Electronic Warfare equipment and weights 7.5 tons in total. While much heavier than their standard counterparts, they are also cheaper due to the lower technology, and except the ECM can be put in any 'mechs, even assault ones, unlike conventional Advanced Sensors, Beagle Active Probe, and ECM. So your Atlas can mount a large, bulky sensor and Warfare Active Probe.
* IS ECM had to be overwritten, this is also why the warfare ECM still can't be put on Assault 'Mechs. However, despite its lower range, it has higher interference power.

(Equipment rebalance)
- Sensors now weight 1 ton as base
- Cockpit now weights 2 tons instead of 3 tons
-- This has the combined effect of letting you swap out the sensors for extra 1 ton, while not changing loadouts

(New Weapons)

- Added IS RAC/5 (medium range)
- Added Clan RAC/5 (long range)
- Added IS RAC/10 (short range)
- Added Clan RAC/10 (medium range)

- Added ER Medium X-Pulse Laser
- Added ER Small X-Pulse Laser

- Added IS Light Machinegun

- Added Dual Linked, Targeting Computer-Assisted Clan ER PPC
(this is probably the last weapon since I ran out of space in the list, but more listed remain to be added to mechs, vehicles and buy lists)

- Changed the non-canon IS Compact Medium Laser for the canon Chemical Laser. This one has limited ammo. Added ammo to relevant blueprints.

- Changed unused Clan Medium Laser (they still have the ER) for the ER Clan Micro Laser.

- Increased damage of IS large laser and IS ER large laser slightly

(Weapon rebalance)

- Consolidated all AC/2 into a single ammo type as to free more item slots (3 slots freed)
- Consolidating Ultra Autocannon ammo into Autocannon Ammo to free slots

- Rocket Launcher 20 ammo weights more proportionally (important for reloads, total weapon weight unchanged)
- Ultra ACs now deal less upfrint damage than their non-ultra counterparts, but recharge faster and are still lighter
(even tho being lighter is the opposite of canon, this is necessary to retain some loadouts)

- MRM nerfed since they were way too powerful (they are still good)

(Mechs)
Clan:
- Masakari custom variants replaced default ones
-- Masakari A uses 2 Dual Linked, Targeting Computer-Assisted Clan ER PPC and small weapons
-- Masakari W uses 2 HAG30, 2 Clan Arrow IV, 2 Heavy Med Laser, 2 Heavy Sml Laser
-- Masakari J uses 2 iATM-12, 2 Thunder LRM-20, 2 Plasma Cannons, 2 Hvy Sml Laser

- Uller custom variants replaced default ones
-- Uller A has 1 ER Large Laser, 2 Med Pulse Lasers, and 4 machineguns
-- Uller W has 1 Rotary AC/5, 1 ST/SRM-6, and 3 ER small lasers. It counts with ECM
-- Uller J has 2 Thunder LRM-15, 4 ER Small Pulse Lasers, and counts with Active Probe

IS:
- Atlas custom variants replaced default ones
-- Atlas A uses 2 Snub Nose PPCs, 2 MML-5, and 5 Inferno SRM-6
-- Atlas W uses 2 Heavy Gauss Rifles, two Capacitor Snub Nose PPCs, 3 machineguns and 3 small lasers
-- Atlas J uses 2 MML-9, two Capacitor Light PPCs, 3 Streak SRM-6 and 2 Machinegun Arrays

- Mauler custom variants replaced default ones
-- Mauler A uses 2 RAC/10, 2 RAC/5, 3 Light Machinegun
-- Mauler W uses 2 MRM40, 2 LBX/5, 2 Chemical Medium Lasers, 2 Machinegun Arrays
-- Mauler J uses two Capacitor Heavy PPC, one Thumper artillery, 3 machinegun arrays, 2 machineguns, 1 small laser
(unlike others, none of these Mauler variants are canon-baed)

- Jagermech custom variants replaced default ones
-- Jagermech A has 2 UAC/5, 2 UAC/2, and 2 Chem Lasers
-- Jagermech W has 2 UAC/5, 2 ER Large Lasers, and 4 Rocket Launcher 20
-- Jagermech J has 2 Thunder LRM-15, 1 large laser, and 2 medium lasers

- Hunchback custom variants replacing default ones
-- Hunchback A untouched since its loadout is pretty iconic
-- Hunchback W uses 4 Rocket Launcher 20s in addition to AC/20
-- Hunchback J is a canon variant that mounts 4 light PPCs; I added a machinegun

(Pilots)
- Added NimoStar veteran pilot [not really a good choice TBH unless you need very high sensors. You are better off with RiZzen ;) ]
- Added Reyna elite pilot
* two RiZzen made pilots are overwritten but are provided again with higher numbers. This is because I can't edit mission purchase files reliably.

(Vehicle Balance)
- Pegasus Light Scout Tank reverted from Large Pulse Laser to Medium Pulse Laser as in canon

(Fixed bugs)
- Ostensibly fixed some mech loadouts that could crash the game at the end of a mission when used by AI

- Plasma cannon didn't consume ammo even though it should
-- Corrected by being ballistic and type 1 hit
- Rocket Launcher didn't use ammo correctly and has unlimited (this is weird since it did use it right before)
-- Probably was related to having 301 weapon or to having hit number without hit type (showing hit numbers need hit types to use ammo at least)

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BATTLEFIELD NOTES FOR PLAYERS

- To use the new weapons, simply buy 'Mechs (or vehicles) that come with them. You can either use them right away, or, in the case of 'Mechs sell them and get all of the equipment (there is no RP loss compared to what would be buying them from list).

- You may think Rocket Launchers are a bad, meme weapon. 2 tons for 4 shots of 2.5 damage each, up to 10 damage total doesn't seem like the best offer. However, think again. Rocket Launchers fire very rapidly and can devastate your opponents if your pilot has good gunnery. Furthermore the ammo can actually be replenished at Repair Bays, with Refit Trucks, or with Ammo trucks. The last come suggestively packet with a single Rocket Launcher 20, though their aim is terrible. Be careful tho as they will explode and damage your nearby 'mechs. Rocket Launchers may even be the best weapon in the game, offset by the time it takes to reload which makes them less good in multiplayer, where you won't have unlimited time as you often do in single player missions. Rocket Launcher reloads are not infinite, however, so take care with conserving ammo.

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(Known Bugs)
(to fix) - Add Mechwarriors and Vehicles to netwarriors, etc. This only affects multiplayer.

- No more known, but take into account that Bugs do exist in Darkest Hours on some missions, which are not the fault of this mod.

(Former Bugs)
- Warfare ECM (and maybe Warfare Probe= don't actually do anything. This may be because they need to be listed as ECM in some part of the .exe, and putting them as ECM in the table isn't enough. Their range and so on are displayed properly by the UI, but they have no ingame effect, whether on the Raven or not. Regular ECM put in heavier 'Mechs by default still works whether IS or Clan, so it's en equipment problem, not a 'Mech problem. These other ECMs on heavier mechs can't be put back in if stripped, or destroyed, however.
* given how unlikely it is I can find or edit the machine code in the .exe so that the game recognizes more ECMs, the IS ECM could be made universal to the Clans too, or viceversa, and the freed one used to introduce the Warfare ECM, and same with the Active Probe
* The Active Probe is actually untested since it is to detect powered down mechs (and battle armor?),not to counter ECM, and I don't know any mission using them, and I can't make one without using Windows 98.
* According to the deactivated Turkina in repair bay, it may be that the Warfare BAP *DOES* work, however the test was inconclusive as it was only a small blip whereas the regular ravens showed a large one. More testing is needed. It makes some sense since the BAP is just another sensor. (Curious about what would happen to a Mech with BAP but no sensor, would it detect anything?)
** CONFIRMED WARFARE BAP WORKS. So just ECM is the problem.
* New sensors actually work, so the thing comes down to developers being lazy: "Oh so there's only two ECM? No problem, we don't actually read the tag and put their numbers directly in the exe", as oppossed to seven sensors (three IS, two Clan, two Vehicle)
* However, putting the Warfare ECM on the IS ECM slot would make it use the (separate) hardcoding of only being usable in Raven or Clan Light 'Mechs. Thus invalidating the description and obsoleting it (except for giving it longer range or a greater proportion -0.x- of sensor disruption). Sometimes you just can't win, can you?

(List)
** Mechs and Vehicles using Active Probe and ECM in their loadouts (only original Warfare ECM version doesn't work):

-- Uller W has Clan ECM
-- Uller J has Clan Active Probe
-- Hunchback W has Clan ECM
-- Loki J has Clan ECM and Clan Active Probe
-- Masakari J has Clan Active Probe

-- Raven A has IS Active Probe and IS ECM
-- Raven W has IS Active Probe and IS ECM
v-- Raven J has Warfare Probe, and (now working ex IS) Warfare ECM

v-- Striker Light Tank had (Unworking) Warfare ECM
-- Rommel Medium Tank has (Unworking) Warfare ECM
[The logical conclusion is to change the things that use Warfare ECM into using IS. Then make the Clan ones "generic", add them to Buy List, change the IS and vehicles that use the IS ones into Clan and fill the 0.5 ton saving for each equipment; then make the IS ones into Warfare ones, changing pictures as well. Then free the Warfare slots (except the sensor) for more equipment/weapons.]

(Possible Bugs)
- There is a "heap check failed" error at the end of mission, need to check profile files as these cause it (reason not known, suppose "not enough hardpoints used") - This was a mission with lots of IS enemies, so this is probably an IS mech design done before my current "don't remove component numbers" philosohy. Check changed IS mechs -such as awesome, catapult?- before continuing with them.
-- Catapults checked, didn't seem to be that
-- Ok, wasn't the awesomes either (unless it doesn't trigger on player models?); maybe some light 'Mech... like the Ravens
...Ok, either it wasn't the ravens or player models don't mater at all. I will try to find that mission again (MW_13?) and see if it crashes on lose with raven, catapult and awesome modifications disabled. If it does, it may be a vehicle.

(Pending)
- Make Clan vehicles use Clan weapons and variants, replace them in buy lists

- Make "Nil sensor" for 0 tons slot change. Regular sensors cost 0.5 tons (take from armor or *EXTRA* weapons only)
-- Thus Intermediate/Extended sensors take 1 ton, Advanced sensor 1.5 tons

- Many of the new weapons can't be gotten ingame since they weren't added to any loadout yet
- Make each pilot stats unique
X- Add myself as pilot using a "crew" voice and gasmask face, good in jumping and sensors unlike rizzen's ones

- Add descriptions for all new weapons
(only a few are present now)

- Missions take a lot to load. This is due to files not being packed. Know how to put files into .PAK, put them in and delete the rest when mod is released

- Add different pilots for Clan than for IS (move Timberwolf and RiZzen there for example, or just all orange-made portraits, then add and replace some)
-- This allows adding since no mission would be using clanpur currently, it would be for MP
-- IS would be all blue team including NimoStar and Reyna
--- Netpur would still be like it is now (with removed rizz pilots readded at the end but not effective) since it is mixedtech

- Change menues and UI
- Use my custom music for menu

(Unused but listed weapons & components)
- Tormentor PPC [image made but not listed]

- Extended LRMs 5,10,15,20 (IS) [Images made and listed]
- Streak LRMs 5,10,15,20 (Clan) [Images made and listed]
- Artemis LRMs 5,10,15,20 (IS & Clan) [Images made and listed]

(Used only on vehicles)
- Warfare Sensor

(Trying)
- Vehicles should be able to fix or ammo fill other vehicles.
- Change default colors. Blue and yellow may be for the wretched Davions, but Green and Gold will be for the glorious Capellan Confederation ;)

(Ideas)
- Add as "vehicles" drone Capellan mechs with robotic pilot (rip robotic voice from another game), crew always the same and named THE BROKEN (Flat stats)
-- Uses special "drone cabin" in layout, I have a place for it in list when this works
-- It's not enough to change chassis since they are incompatible and game crashes. It must be customized.
-- Could also make a vs THE BROKEN mission/campaign (CABAL style) but campaign editor requires windows 98 emulation O_o (problem: Crew escaping from vehicles (?)) but there is static defenses, mines and such...

- Fix color error in menu by making both involved palettes identical (perhaps not using "b UseBackPalette = T" or changing the T for the other one)

- Add Atlas II to Clans using Atlas base
- And see if other "IIC" versions
* Note that while I can hardly change the sprites, I can change the nameplates, descriptions, and the displayed schemes

(Weapon ideas that I ran out of space to implement)
v- Computer-Assisted Clan ERPCC (Would be only clan PPC variant)
-- ...well, I think I have a place for it... (Made dual so it fills two roles)

- Three inventory slots lefts (including zero)

- Computer-Assisted Medium and Large lasers
* Computer-Assisted (Or "targeting") weapons emulate having a targeting computer. They would use greatly extended short and medium ranges at the cost of 1-2 tons and crits (Short up to medium and Medium up to Long)
** They also gain the "streak" flag tho it is useless for energy weapons except as graphics (not for ballistics, though)

v- Chemical lasers (Changed from Compact Medium Laser)
- Demolition Bombs / HE Bombs (like Long Tom or Sniper cannon but short ranged. Crazy idea.)