Site Frontier:Orbital Requests

From BattletechMUX

What are Orbital Requests?

Orbital Requesting is an ability that you have starting at rank 2, improving in power and scope as you advance. Orbital Requesting basically consists of you calling up to an orbiting fleet, giving them the command to drop certain things on your location to assist you on the battlefield.

The Specifics

Orbital requests are done through the command interface, which is the front-end to various unit management and control systems. You may view this interface in-game by typing command.

To get a list of requestables simply type request while in a unit. To request a unit simply type request <package> where <package> is the first word on each line that's in bolded white on request.

If you look at the request command, you'll see that there are rank requirements for each requestable, a C-Bills charge, and a cost in command points. You must meet all three of these requirements (Meet the specified rank, have the needed amount of spendable C-Bills, and have enough command points).

Note: In order to issue an orbital request, your faction must own a base that is within 30 (?) hexes of your location.

The Orbital Drop Process

When requesting a package to be orbitally dropped on you, there is some room for variation where the requestable will actually land due to the rough nature of Orbital Dropping. For this reason, it's good to try to plan ahead and only request things when you have a good 10-20 hex radius around you that is mostly accessible terrain and clear of enemies.

Hex Offsets 

When orbitally requesting a package, it will land within 15 hexes of your location. Which of those hexes within a 15 hex radius of you it will land in is a mystery until you see it falling from the sky.

Crashing 

Orbitally requested units are thrown out of the side of an orbiting ship, which is a rather unrefined art. You really never know how fast the requested object will go, if it will spin and tip in the air, etc. As a result of this, sometimes you're going to see one of your requested units smash right into the ground and leave a big smoldering crater. This is the risk you take when requesting things.
As for ways to prevent crashing, try to find a nice open clear or paved area for your requested units to land on.

Baddies! 

It's inevitable that some day one of your requested units will be shot down before it even reaches the ground if you request things around enemies. Units falling from the sky are enclosed in a Drop Cocoon that shields them on landing impact. If this gets blown away, then you'll get to watch as your requested unit plummets onward towards the ground with no protection.

You're going to want to make sure that you keep an eye out for automated defenses such as relays, generators, and ground turrets in addition to your pilot-manned enemy units.

Control 

Once your requested unit has arrived, your going to need to command them. The AI Radio Reference is available in-game as 'airef' and also documented here.