Typhon:BvB
Configuring Your Mech
On Typhon, hardware plays as much a role as the software. Knowing how to pick the right hardware for a mission is half the battle.
Chassis
Light or Heavy?
The heavy mech has been the workhorse of Typhon exploration since the very beginning. It can take a beating, it can carry a significant load and it has the biggest guns.
The light mech does one thing very well — it’s fast. It gets in, does its job and it gets out.
Drivetrain
Wheels
The most basic form of locomotion, wheels are the fastest form of locomotion for the heavy mech on flat, dry terrain. Each wheel can be controlled independently allowing bots to turn in place. Cannot drive over water, tends to get stuck in mud and performs poorly on ice.
Tracks
Tracks perform better on soft, yielding and irregular terrain, where wheels would get stuck or slide. Fastest form of locomotion for the heavy mech on ice and muddy terrain.
Legs
The most expensive form of locomotion, legs offer consistent speed over a variety of terrains and are best for obstacle-climbing. Cannot cross water or deep mud and perform poorly on ice.
Hover
The hover drive allows the mech to float a couple of meters above the ground and cross water and swamp-like terrain. It is the fastest drive for the light mech, but slower for the heavy mech. In addition, due to weight restrictions, hover mechs cannot mount missile launchers.
Weapons
If the best defense is a good offense, your mech is ready to offend. Aim carefully as weapons work on allies as well as they do on enemies.
Read more below for a look at offensive and defensive systems.
Beam Cannon
In its basic form, the beam cannon fires a beam of energy at a target, dealing damage by heating up the contact point. However, by varying the frequency, the beam can act as a magnetic containment field that delivers charged microscopic particles to the target, including acid and Gordian particles.
Missile Launcher
As the name implies, it launches a salvo of missiles at a target. Each missile does damage in a radius around its impact point. Have mechs launch more missiles per salvo and each missile does more damage. Regular missiles carry an explosive payload. Advanced missiles may carry different payloads, like acid or Gordian particles.
Shield Generator
The shield generator creates an energy field around the mech that absorbs 50% of damage. The field can be extended to provide defense for a larger area, albeit at the cost of less absorption.
Support Systems
Cloak
The cloak is an EM white noise generator that prevents enemy mechs from detecting anything in the covered area. As the source of the noise, the mech that engages the cloak remains visible. Other mechs in the coverage area that engage their own cloak will still be visible as the power output of the EM generator cannot be masked by another generator.
EMP Cannon
As the name indicates, the EMP Cannon generates a powerful electro-magnetic pulse that disables all enemy units in range for short period of time. As an added bonus, mechs are shielded against the EMP frequency used by their allies. Most native life forms are immune to EMPs, but it seems to have a disorienting effect on highly mutated ones.
ERS
The Emergency Repair System produces charged microscopic particles (known as Gordian particles) that can adhere to a mech’s surface providing temporary armoring for damaged mechs. The ERS requires an external delivery mechanism in order to deliver particles to other mechs, either a beam cannon or a missile launcher. In close proximity to a unpowered mech, it can also be used to deliver emergency power along with the repairs, restarting the downed mech.
Native lifeforms, being organic in nature do not benefit from Gordian particles. In fact, some of them find the particles highly toxic.
Power Pack
Every system on the mech needs power and having an additional power pack will reduce cooldown times on various systems.
