I'll put the story in a different thread. For now, this thread'll contain the new technology. Occasional spoilers ahoy.
Trimmed Engine
Introduced: 3036 Confederated Suns
Rules: Occupies 8 criticals -- 6 in CT, 1 in each side torso, but weighs only 7/8 that of a Standard fusion engine. In Vehicles, it occupies the same number of slots as a Standard engine. Otherwise follows all the usual fusion engine rules.
Cost: [10,000 * EngineRating * Tonnage / 75] C-bills (twice that of a Standard engine)
Multiplies Internals BV by 0.88
Desc:
Though much of the advanced technology of the Star League still eludes House scientists, the freshly-minted Davion-Liao realm is still able to spend considerable time and effort improving their abilities. An early product of this was the development of the Trimmed Engine, reducing the engine's weight by an eighth, at the cost of slightly enlarging the radiation shielding. The New Dallas Core contained some data on early experiments along these lines, which had never entered full production in the Star League era; eager to seize any advantage, the Inner Sphere realms of the 3030s put this incrementally-improved technology into immediate use.
Since the Clans arrived in 3056, the Light Engine and the reverse-engineered Extra-Light have largely supplanted the Trimmed Engine in many of the CSAF's 'Mech designs, since the cost-to-weight-savings ratio kept Trimmed Engines from being terribly useful on lighter 'Mechs. It does, however, still see use from time to time; Nissan and Magna in particular doubled down on production of Trimmed Engines in several weight classes in an effort to avoid the costs of retooling twice in one decade. Manufacturers have made especially heavy use of the Trimmed 225 and 260 even well after the introduction of lighter engines, largely due to the surprising glut of these two engines on the market.
Notes: There is literally no point to using this engine type below a 115 rating unless you're using Fractional Accounting rules. Up at higher engine ratings, though, those few extra tons help on otherwise-level 1 designs. Especially the extra 6.5 tons on the Charger.
Trimmed Engine Weights (with Standard engine for comparison)
Rating Std Trim
10 0.5 0.5
15 0.5 0.5
20 0.5 0.5
25 0.5 0.5
30 1 1
35 1 1
40 1 1
45 1 1
50 1.5 1.5
55 1.5 1.5
60 1.5 1.5
65 2 1.75
70 2 1.75
75 2 1.75
80 2.5 2.25
85 2.5 2.25
90 3 2.75
95 3 2.75
100 3 2.75
Rating Std Trim
105 3.5 3.25
110 3.5 3.25
115 4 3.5
120 4 3.5
125 4 3.5
130 4.5 4
135 4.5 4
140 5 4.5
145 5 4.5
150 5.5 5
155 5.5 5
160 6 5.25
165 6 5.25
170 6 5.25
175 7 6.25
180 7 6.25
185 7.5 6.75
190 7.5 6.75
195 8 7
200 8.5 7.5
Rating Std Trim
205 8.5 7.5
210 9 8
215 9.5 8.5
220 10 8.75
225 10 8.75
230 10.5 9.25
235 11 9.75
240 11.5 10.25
245 12 10.5
250 12.5 11
255 13 11.5
260 13.5 12
265 14 12.25
270 14.5 12.75
275 15.5 13.75
280 16 14
285 16.5 14.5
290 17.5 15.5
295 18 15.75
300 19 16.75
Rating Std Trim
305 19.5 17.25
310 20.5 18
315 21.5 19
320 22.5 19.75
325 23.5 20.75
330 24.5 21.5
335 25.5 22.5
340 27 23.75
345 28.5 25
350 29.5 26
355 31.5 27.75
360 33 29
365 34.5 30.25
370 36.5 32
375 38.5 33.75
380 41 36
385 43.5 38.25
390 46 40.25
395 49 43
400 52.5 46
Rating Std Trim
405 56.5 49.5
410 61 53.5
415 66.5 58.25
420 72.5 63.5
425 79.5 69.75
430 87.5 76.75
435 97 85
440 107.5 94.25
445 119.5 104.75
450 133.5 117
455 150 131.25
460 168.5 147.5
465 190 166.25
470 214.5 187.75
475 243 212.75
480 275.5 241.25
485 313 274
490 356 311.5
495 405.5 355
500 462.5 404.75
Improved Vehicular Grenade Launchers
Introduced: 3030 FWL
Identical to the standard VGL, but is 1 ton per launcher. However, this comes with the benefit of multiple shot capability, with 8 volleys per ton of ammo.
Light Gyro
Introduced: 3033 Confederated Suns
Rules: Occupies 5 slots in the center torso, but weighs 25 percent less.
Cost: [450,000 x Gyro Tonnage]
Tech Level: E
Improved Electronic Warfare Package
Introduced: 3035 Confederated Suns
Rules: Exactly the same as the Capellan EW package, but only weighs 4.5 tons instead of 7.5, and has a 4-hex range (for both its effects) rather than 3.
Desc:
The Improved Electronic Warfare Package incorporates a set of incremental improvements over the prototype technology pioneered on the Raven-1X and Cataphract-0X. Most of these were simply the natural result of a decade of relatively unhindered hardware development, though a key item or two was gleaned from the New Dallas Core. Overall, the unit's jamming and sensor capabilities were improved by roughly a third, while trimming about 40 percent of the weight.
Within a few years, the intermediate-tech electronics package itself was split into separate ECM and active probe components. The resulting Hound Probe and Protector ECM have become relatively widespread, thanks in large part to Hanse Davion's "fire sale" of 3042. Though the Star League-tech Beagle Probe and Guardian ECM have since supplanted these inferior technologies in many areas, the lower tech level of the Hound, Protector, and Improved Suite makes it far easier for secondary facilities to produce them, providing electronic warfare capability to even the Houses' garrison and militia units. Several Periphery manufacturers also produce these electronics.
Semi-Ferro Armor
Introduced: 3033 Free Worlds League
Rules: Occupies 14 slots, as per standard Ferro-Fibrous armor. Provides 16.96 points of armor per ton, as per Light Ferro.
Cost: [12,500 * tons of armor] (in between Standard and Light Ferro)
Tech Level: E
Desc:
Data on early prototypes of what would eventually become Ferro-Fibrous armor was present in the New Dallas Core. A number of R&D centers across the Inner Sphere set their minds to the task, coming up with new alloys and metallurgical procedures through trial and error. A small student team from the University of Oriente was the first to come up with a cost-effective process to produce an early version of Ferro-Fibrous, dubbed "Semi-Ferro Armor". Many larger, more prominent R&D centers were humbled by this, particularly NAIS, who had wasted half a year going down a blind alley. While it can only boast half of the benefits of the Star League's vaunted armor, and is just as bulky, Semi-Ferro armor is readily mass-produceable at only a minimum of additional cost over standard plating.
