Welcome to the MechWarrior 3 Weapons Module Read-Me, Version 2.47 update (as of 5/17/2018)
My desire for a 'MechWarrior game has always been to enhance the simulation aspects first and foremost. And it works out perfectly that these are mainly the aspects of the game I have been able to enhance. Certain of these aspects of the weapons in Mech3 were left unfinished, or simply not done right, in my opinion. A lot was left out of Mech3, I hope people will enjoy the enhancements I have worked so long and hard on. If these things could've been done back in 2000 or so, maybe we would've gotten a few more years out of MechWarrior 3 multiplayer popularity.
Here is a list of changes for version 2.47: updated 5/17/18
Here is a list of features and descriptions for this module:
Basic weapons enhancements/changes
Lasers: shoot like the old Mech3 pulse laser but for a much shorter duration, and damage happens over time held on target. New sound effects and visual effects added. Impact sounds, impact visuals.
The cool thing about this is that when doing "damage over time" on a moving target it gets harder to get the full damage of the laser on your target, so since non-er lasers have a much lesser "hold" time, it's easier to inflict full damage on what you're aiming at than with "ER" lasers. The basic premise is ER lasers have increased range and damage with the sacrifice of increased hold time....it makes perfect sense, and it's so lucky that this was possible in Mech3 and Pirate's Moon. This idea makes it tempting to choose non-ER lasers over ER's in certain situations.
Pulse Lasers: basically a rapid-fire "machine-gun" laser; Mediums fire at twice the rate of Large. Same new effects, visuals and sounds to impacts.
UPDATED: Although this was a great idea for a while, I've switched back to a more rapid version of the old style 'Mech3 pulse lasers, and they're working out great!
ERPPC's: Faster velocity (more accurate) New visual animation and effects, New firing sounds (thunder) new impact sounds. 25% damage within 100 meters
Flamers: Faster velocity (more accurate) slightly longer range, new impact sounds (like what you hit is on fire)
Gauss: Faster velocity, louder firing sounds, new impact visuals, new flyout texture (tried to imitate the mech 4 gauss)
AC's, UAC's:
AC's and UAC's fire HEAP rounds, which stands for High Explosive Armor Piercing, which is why they have explosion visuals added and splash damage (although it's only 1-2 meters)
*Changed to the single-shot mode. Faster velocity, and velocities vary depending on slug size..smaller is faster, same with recycle times. UAC's are always half the recycle time of their AC counterparts (twice the firing rate) Explosion impacts;, new impact sounds and visuals added.
Differences between AC's and UAC's:
--AC's have slightly longer range generally, due to the original stable nature of the design
--AC's have faster velocity and are more accurate than UAC's
--AC's hit harder than UAC's
--UAC's have twice the fire rate of AC's
**With all autocannons the recycle rate (rate of fire) gets faster with the lighter classes, while the ratio of twice the fire rate for UAC vs AC remains constant.
LBXAC's: Faster velocity, new impact sounds/visuals enhanced, firing sound more like a giant "shotgun".
Machine Guns: Faster velocity, faster rate of fire, new firing sound, new impact sounds,
SRM's: Faster velocity, no other changes
StreakSRM's, no changes
LRMS: Slightly faster velocity, no other changes
TAG laser: shorter aquisition time, shorter recycle time, which enabled multiple use in multiplayer games. Damage added so that AI enemies now choose to use the TAG. Also, NARC beacon added to TAG, yes this is canon I looked it up.
New weapons written over old
IS Small laser changed to Snub-nose PPC
IS Pulse laser changed to Heavy PPC with capacitor
LBXAC2 changed to H.A.G. 30, the clan's answer to the heavy gauss, a "gatlin" style gauss rifle which comes in sizes ranging from 20, 30, and 40
LBXAC5 changed to IS Light AC2
AC2 changed to Sniper Artillery Cannon
AC5 changed to Heavy Gauss Rifle
SRM2 changed to ATM 12
StreakSRM2 changed to Arrow IV Cluster missiles
NARC changed to RAC5
All ballistic weapons, including mguns, now make craters in the ground like the missiles do
All weapons, starting with their canon damages and then adjusted based on the weapon characteristics (ex., RAC5, because of its nature had to be adjusted down because it was more powerful than a UAC20 the way it shoots so fast, and there are a few others) were brought down in damage level by 15%, except for lasers because the new way they fire adds a large difficulty level. The 15% damage drop was done for the following reasons: Mech3 has always had a great defensive aspect to piloting a mech, and a lower damage level allows more time to enjoy these aspects of the game. I took this idea from Mech4, where instead they added durability to the 'Mechs armor, which I could not do in Mech3.
In multiplayer AND singleplayer this will have the effect of extending gameplay. When combined with the enhanced AI in the other modules this makes the game more enjoyable.
New stock 'mech configurations/changes
Where certain 'mechs only had a Primary stock configuration, I have added their other stock configurations based on weapons availability and the era.
Also, "Tribute" stock configs were added representing the preferrences of some of the veteran MechWarrior 3 multiplayers from the old days, and also some tribute configs for friends who have passed away. I dedicate this mod to all of them.
Vehicle configurations and changes
Bulldog: 1 UltraAC2, 1 Machine gun; moves at a very slow rate of speed, is harder to destroy, highly armored.
Harrasser: 2 SRM6, very fast and manueverable, no more armored than the APC.
Striker: StreakSRM4, LRM15; Moves a little faster than the bulldog...like a normal vehicle, mid-armored.
APC: 2 Machine guns; Moves a little faster than the striker, but easy to destroy.
Turrets
All SRM2 turrets upgraded to SRM6 or Streak6; Gauss turrets fire at a faster rate; LRM turrets are LRM20; LBX turrets are UAC2; ERLarge Laser turrets fire Large Pulse;
UltraAC turrets fire UAC10; Medium laser turrets fire Large Laser; Small laser turrets fire Medium; PPC turrets fire Heavy PPC; Boss turrets (op1m3, the turrets that come out of the ground) fire LRM20; The choppers fire different weapons as well...the game considers them turrets.
Visual effects
Some visual effects that actually exist already in the game were not implemented, so I implimented them. Laser impacts visuals were hit or miss originally, and there are many impact visual that I added to weapons to enhance the game..these are visuals normally used in other aspects of the game, such as generic explosions and so forth. Again, Lasers burn black smoke when they hit...As stated above, adding the crater effect to all the ballistic weapons not only made sense but adds a great visual to the game. Machine guns craters are very small, but the real reason for using it here was the amount of dirt that gets kicked up from the machine guns....it actually looks how the ground would look being hit by a minigun.
Sound effects
Sound effects are a big deal in this mod. I felt that this was where Mech3 and all Mechwarrior games were sorely lacking. Laser impact sounds existed originally in the files but were not implemented by the devs. I used them and added a subtle "burning" sound to them. There are new Laser firing sounds, and new Pulse laser firing sounds...New Machine gun firing sounds...Flamers originally did not have an impact sound...and well, if you walk by a burning object in the game after an explosion you will hear that it's burning...so why not when a flamer hits something? Machine guns and AC's sound differently when hitting a 'Mech as opposed to anything else...PPC's should sound like thunder because they are essentially lightning guns, and they should sound different everytime because lightning does that...lightning is never exactly the same and neither are the air molecules it hits, so naturally it sounds different each time...'Mechs are not silent, they make noise when they walk because they are giant machines...when they bump into each other should the noise be just a big "clunk" or should metal scraping metal be part of that noise? Do jumpjets make a silly whirring noise or do they sound like rockets? Should AC's sound like 5 drums being hit or like a scary cannon? So all these changes and more were done.
My desire for a 'MechWarrior game has always been to enhance the simulation aspects first and foremost. And it works out perfectly that these are mainly the aspects of the game I have been able to enhance. Certain of these aspects of the weapons in Mech3 were left unfinished, or simply not done right, in my opinion. A lot was left out of Mech3, I hope people will enjoy the enhancements I have worked so long and hard on. If these things could've been done back in 2000 or so, maybe we would've gotten a few more years out of MechWarrior 3 multiplayer popularity.
Here is a list of changes for version 2.47: updated 5/17/18
- Bushwacker primary + other mechs weapons groupings corrected for better AI heat management
- Bulldog, SRM4's taken off because when firing on un-even terrain splash damage occurred too often
- "hold time" differential changes on lasers; ER vs non-ER, this creates a new weapon dynamic which makes physics sense: IS lasers, not having extended range, are able to function and fire faster and cause their damage over less time, resulting in less damage spread and more damage focus. ER Lasers, having the advantage of extended range, sacrifice performance aspects in these respects...more hold time/skill required resulting in damage being spread more and focused less. If you fired on a 'Mech standing still, the ERlaser damge would still be more than the IS laser, but if the target is moving it's a different result...less damage because it's not as focused because of the hold time required. This effect is not a part of Pulse Lasers, hence another dynamic difference between the two types. Hold time has been increased as of 2018.
- All lasers have been given new and better textures and sounds
- Several missing effects textures have been added in from the files in Pirate's Moon, most noticeable will be machine gun impacts
- Machine guns have again been tweaked to be less OP and have more visible animation
- IS med laser fire sound corrected
- New Pulse laser firing sound
- Added screen resolutions for HUD, compatible with teleguy's multi resolution patch. If you use his patch and this mod, DO NOT INSTALL HIS READER FILE
- New custom Stock Mech varients, and several have been reconfigured to be less OP in the latest updates
- Several custom stock mechs will be added which will basically be imitations of battlemechs that don't exist in 'Mech 3 as a way of showcasing the new weapons, such as the version of the Champion variant loaded out like the Rifleman.
- Turret weapons adjustments
- added "soundsL" file
- "TARGETING *mech Name* has been implemented
- Updated descriptions in read-me
- Instant action debrief dialoguesCOMING IN NEXT VERSION
- tweaked heavy gauss impact visual so it's a little less over the top
- tweaked LRM's with less turn so legs get hit less often during a dodge move; have since been tweaked with more turning but not as bad as before
- tweaked Pulse lasers to generate appropriate heat so as not to be OP
- tweaked flamers to impart less heat, also made them less of a hack weapon
- toned down Arrow IV Cluster missiles--they were way too powerful in the previous mod. Now they act more like LRM's and less like Streaks
- many weapon impact sounds were turned down as I thought they were too loud. I may change this later after more testing in multiplayer
- turn down volume on IA briefing music
- added un-crouch sound to startup sequence at beginning
- added weapons tables to this read-me, with more weapon characteristics explanations, specifically effective/accuracy range vs stated range, and range/damage drop-offs on lasers
- added "mission conditions" to each loading map during campaign WORK IN PROGRESS, WILL LIKELY SHOW UP IN FINAL CAMPAIGN MOD
- Sniper Artillery cannon was given faster velocity to make it a more viable weapon
- RAC 5 was given more heat, less damage, faster recycle so as to make it less OP
Here is a list of features and descriptions for this module:
Basic weapons enhancements/changes
Lasers: shoot like the old Mech3 pulse laser but for a much shorter duration, and damage happens over time held on target. New sound effects and visual effects added. Impact sounds, impact visuals.
The cool thing about this is that when doing "damage over time" on a moving target it gets harder to get the full damage of the laser on your target, so since non-er lasers have a much lesser "hold" time, it's easier to inflict full damage on what you're aiming at than with "ER" lasers. The basic premise is ER lasers have increased range and damage with the sacrifice of increased hold time....it makes perfect sense, and it's so lucky that this was possible in Mech3 and Pirate's Moon. This idea makes it tempting to choose non-ER lasers over ER's in certain situations.
Pulse Lasers: basically a rapid-fire "machine-gun" laser; Mediums fire at twice the rate of Large. Same new effects, visuals and sounds to impacts.
UPDATED: Although this was a great idea for a while, I've switched back to a more rapid version of the old style 'Mech3 pulse lasers, and they're working out great!
ERPPC's: Faster velocity (more accurate) New visual animation and effects, New firing sounds (thunder) new impact sounds. 25% damage within 100 meters
Flamers: Faster velocity (more accurate) slightly longer range, new impact sounds (like what you hit is on fire)
Gauss: Faster velocity, louder firing sounds, new impact visuals, new flyout texture (tried to imitate the mech 4 gauss)
AC's, UAC's:
AC's and UAC's fire HEAP rounds, which stands for High Explosive Armor Piercing, which is why they have explosion visuals added and splash damage (although it's only 1-2 meters)
*Changed to the single-shot mode. Faster velocity, and velocities vary depending on slug size..smaller is faster, same with recycle times. UAC's are always half the recycle time of their AC counterparts (twice the firing rate) Explosion impacts;, new impact sounds and visuals added.
Differences between AC's and UAC's:
--AC's have slightly longer range generally, due to the original stable nature of the design
--AC's have faster velocity and are more accurate than UAC's
--AC's hit harder than UAC's
--UAC's have twice the fire rate of AC's
**With all autocannons the recycle rate (rate of fire) gets faster with the lighter classes, while the ratio of twice the fire rate for UAC vs AC remains constant.
LBXAC's: Faster velocity, new impact sounds/visuals enhanced, firing sound more like a giant "shotgun".
Machine Guns: Faster velocity, faster rate of fire, new firing sound, new impact sounds,
SRM's: Faster velocity, no other changes
StreakSRM's, no changes
LRMS: Slightly faster velocity, no other changes
TAG laser: shorter aquisition time, shorter recycle time, which enabled multiple use in multiplayer games. Damage added so that AI enemies now choose to use the TAG. Also, NARC beacon added to TAG, yes this is canon I looked it up.
New weapons written over old
IS Small laser changed to Snub-nose PPC
IS Pulse laser changed to Heavy PPC with capacitor
LBXAC2 changed to H.A.G. 30, the clan's answer to the heavy gauss, a "gatlin" style gauss rifle which comes in sizes ranging from 20, 30, and 40
LBXAC5 changed to IS Light AC2
AC2 changed to Sniper Artillery Cannon
AC5 changed to Heavy Gauss Rifle
SRM2 changed to ATM 12
StreakSRM2 changed to Arrow IV Cluster missiles
NARC changed to RAC5
All ballistic weapons, including mguns, now make craters in the ground like the missiles do
All weapons, starting with their canon damages and then adjusted based on the weapon characteristics (ex., RAC5, because of its nature had to be adjusted down because it was more powerful than a UAC20 the way it shoots so fast, and there are a few others) were brought down in damage level by 15%, except for lasers because the new way they fire adds a large difficulty level. The 15% damage drop was done for the following reasons: Mech3 has always had a great defensive aspect to piloting a mech, and a lower damage level allows more time to enjoy these aspects of the game. I took this idea from Mech4, where instead they added durability to the 'Mechs armor, which I could not do in Mech3.
In multiplayer AND singleplayer this will have the effect of extending gameplay. When combined with the enhanced AI in the other modules this makes the game more enjoyable.
New stock 'mech configurations/changes
Where certain 'mechs only had a Primary stock configuration, I have added their other stock configurations based on weapons availability and the era.
Also, "Tribute" stock configs were added representing the preferrences of some of the veteran MechWarrior 3 multiplayers from the old days, and also some tribute configs for friends who have passed away. I dedicate this mod to all of them.
Vehicle configurations and changes
Bulldog: 1 UltraAC2, 1 Machine gun; moves at a very slow rate of speed, is harder to destroy, highly armored.
Harrasser: 2 SRM6, very fast and manueverable, no more armored than the APC.
Striker: StreakSRM4, LRM15; Moves a little faster than the bulldog...like a normal vehicle, mid-armored.
APC: 2 Machine guns; Moves a little faster than the striker, but easy to destroy.
Turrets
All SRM2 turrets upgraded to SRM6 or Streak6; Gauss turrets fire at a faster rate; LRM turrets are LRM20; LBX turrets are UAC2; ERLarge Laser turrets fire Large Pulse;
UltraAC turrets fire UAC10; Medium laser turrets fire Large Laser; Small laser turrets fire Medium; PPC turrets fire Heavy PPC; Boss turrets (op1m3, the turrets that come out of the ground) fire LRM20; The choppers fire different weapons as well...the game considers them turrets.
Visual effects
Some visual effects that actually exist already in the game were not implemented, so I implimented them. Laser impacts visuals were hit or miss originally, and there are many impact visual that I added to weapons to enhance the game..these are visuals normally used in other aspects of the game, such as generic explosions and so forth. Again, Lasers burn black smoke when they hit...As stated above, adding the crater effect to all the ballistic weapons not only made sense but adds a great visual to the game. Machine guns craters are very small, but the real reason for using it here was the amount of dirt that gets kicked up from the machine guns....it actually looks how the ground would look being hit by a minigun.
Sound effects
Sound effects are a big deal in this mod. I felt that this was where Mech3 and all Mechwarrior games were sorely lacking. Laser impact sounds existed originally in the files but were not implemented by the devs. I used them and added a subtle "burning" sound to them. There are new Laser firing sounds, and new Pulse laser firing sounds...New Machine gun firing sounds...Flamers originally did not have an impact sound...and well, if you walk by a burning object in the game after an explosion you will hear that it's burning...so why not when a flamer hits something? Machine guns and AC's sound differently when hitting a 'Mech as opposed to anything else...PPC's should sound like thunder because they are essentially lightning guns, and they should sound different everytime because lightning does that...lightning is never exactly the same and neither are the air molecules it hits, so naturally it sounds different each time...'Mechs are not silent, they make noise when they walk because they are giant machines...when they bump into each other should the noise be just a big "clunk" or should metal scraping metal be part of that noise? Do jumpjets make a silly whirring noise or do they sound like rockets? Should AC's sound like 5 drums being hit or like a scary cannon? So all these changes and more were done.