Difference between revisions of "C3"

Latest revision as of 06:22, 21 September 2022

C3 is a highly advanced computer system that distributes Radar readings to any teammates in range.

C3 takes the user's radar and sensor information and distributes it to friendly units, augmenting and extending their radar. C3 is most often found on heavily specialized Light Mechs, like the Raven or Owens, but can be found on variants of a number of other units. In order to share information, units must operate in Active Radar Mode. This makes them a target while on the battlefield but they are rewarded with additional C-Bills as they wade through enemy infested territory, transmitting vital information back to their teammates. Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.

Note: C3 does not share enemy contacts that are equipped with stealth armor. C3 also reduces the benefits of passive radar mode. Normal passive radar reduces the user's radar signature by 750m. Assets with C3 only get a 500m reduction. This also means assets with both C3 and GECM get no benefit from passive radar mode and should remain active at all times except when covered by allied AECM.

C3 Master

Some assets come equipped with a C3 Master suite. The C3 Master suite doesn't just share its radar contacts with allies like normal c3. It can also see all other c3 radar contacts that other allies are sharing, regardless of range to that ally.

C3 in examples

Range

The range of C3 scales with that of its carrying unit's radar. So if a unit with standard radar is using C3, all friendly units within 1000m of that unit would be able to see its radar contacts and targeting information. Likewise, if the C3 unit were equipped with BAP or BHP, then friendly units within 1200m and 1400m, respectively, would be able to see that unit's radar contacts and targeting information.

Chaining

C3 data can be passed from one C3 unit to another C3 and then to regular (process called "chaining" or the "c3 network"). In this example all mechs have standard radar - it's range (1000meters) is marked blue - and a C3 unit.

The Player can see the radar data of both Recon A and Recon B thanks to the chaining method. However, Recon C doesn't share data with any unit, as no friendly units are within Recon C's maximum radar range, merely overlapping the radar bubbles will not share radar.

History

C3 was introduced in Beta 0.1.0, and at the time was available only on certain variants of the Raven and Cougar. With the release of Beta 0.2.0, additional light mechs got C3 units, as well as each C3 could now chain itself with another within range.

In the 0.4.0 release, the C3 was improved to show friendly units enemy NARC beacons. At some point before the release of Beta 0.7.1, C3 had been changed from having a static 1000m sharing range to scaling with its asset's radar range.

With the Community Edition 0.8.1 release, the C3 CBill reward was reduced by fifty percent.

Canon

Though C3 technically uses a master/slave network in which all units must equip C3 to share Radar, MWLL simplifies the process for gameplay's sake. Game C3 units are actually closer to BattleTech C3i - Improved C3 units being combined Slave and Master, but without the Target Acquisition capability like the regular C3 Master/Slave set a equipped with.

BattleTech Reference

IMPROVED C3 COMPUTER Introduced: 3062 (ComStar/Word of Blake) Also referred to as the C3i, the improved C3 computer system is ComStar’s answer to House Kurita’s technology—a “secret” that, apparently, was lost to the Word of Blake almost instantly upon its inception. Since then, this technology has spread across at least the Free Worlds League, and some data suggests even the Capellans may be employing C3i units of their own.
Though similar to the standard C3 in many ways, including its basic features of target coordination, the C3i can link six units together, rather than four. However, thanks to a more distributed system approach, the C3i sacrifices the ability to link multiple networks through a master computer node, and also loses the ability to mimic the TAG system.
The C3i is also incompatible with the original C3 system, but because of its more egalitarian nature, its members can function even while others in their group are blocked or disabled, as no single unit mounts a command module as such. While ComStar, the Word of Blake and the Free Worlds League have benefited from this system, along with our Combine “neighbors” and their own version, it is worth noting that the Clans apparently hold no interest in C3 technologies. This disinterest clearly stems from their own overdeveloped sense of personal honor, which precludes the notion of sharing a kill by using such technologies.

BattleTech Reference TechManual, p. 209, "Improved C3 Computer - (C3i)"

Usage

The following variants equip with C3: