195 replies to this topic

[CloudCobra]

So i was watching the class vids and was wondering what is the point of taking a med mech like the Hunchy? I can take a Catapult get the same speed and I would have more tons of payload to play with. The guy in the vid didn't even seem to have a good answer for why one would take med mech. He said they are work horses in the cannon but thats not a real resson to roll one in a multiplayer game. Lights can spot, Heavies can snipe or brawl Assaults will be great at base def, but why a med mech? I guess i main point is I can't think of a role for a med that wouldn't be better served by another class.Thoughts?

Edited by CloudCobra, 29 May 2012 - 06:43 PM.

[Tryg]

The reason the medium mechs were the workhorses was that they could be kitted out to work in any of those roles, and for far less then the cost of a larger machine.

[Koshiro Wraith Michaels]

Mediums are something of you jack-of-trades Mech, they've still got some speed, so they can do some counter-scout work, while having more (or larger) guns than the light class, and are a little bit more survivable than the lights as well. I kind of see them as insurance against over-specialization.

[CloudCobra]

Yeah get why they were in the cannon but with two of them being the same speed as the heavies why would one take a smaller mech that isn't even faster?

Edited by CloudCobra, 29 May 2012 - 06:52 PM.

[Rodney28021]

the Medium mech will have more armor and firepower than a light mech while having a faster speed than the heavy and assault classes. so you would use them for hunting scouts and running to the flanks of opposing forces.

[Skylarr]

The biggest reason should be cost. It will all depend on your starting cash. if they say you can pick one mech of any tonnage thn most wil pick the Heavies, assualt and lights.

What they should do is limit your starting cash. Lets ay 10M. Now if you take that assault you and if you keep losing fights you will be forces to sell its damaged chasis and buy a light. or you could buy a light and a med. Maybe even do a little modification and have cash to support you if you have some bad stretches of combat.

[Davers]

CloudCobra, on 29 May 2012 - 06:48 PM, said:

Yeah get why they were in the cannon but with two of them being the same speed as the heavies why would one take a smaller mech that isn't even faster?

This is how I feel too. Medium mechs were built because of cheaper costs than the bigger mechs. But economics won't be a real issue in game compared to the 'real life' of the BT universe. Unless getting a faster torso twist is going to be crucially important.

[Mr G]

well besides preference, the fact that a smaller frame is easier to hide behind terrain and harder to hit at range and the multi-role capability, (which the announced standard heavy mechs don't have without customization) I would say the skill trees. The medium mechs will probably have different skill trees than the heavies and lights which should help them fill the gaps in a unit better then they do now and give you certain incentives in certain situations to play a medium over a light or heavy.

[Koshiro Wraith Michaels]

USUALLY they're not that slow, but when they are, it's because it's something like the Hunchback with has a colossally painful gun, but is able to bring it to bear against targets without the crawl of an assault chassis. Remember, there's a lot more mechs than what's been shown, both in universe and likely in the game as well, especially as time passes and they add more.

[Mal]

CloudCobra, on 29 May 2012 - 06:48 PM, said:

Yeah get why they were in the cannon but with two of them being the same speed as the heavies why would one take a smaller mech that isn't even faster?

Most medium 'Mechs are faster than Heavies..and definitely faster than Assaults.

[Flawless]

The Hunchback could take out a Catapult no problem. I see it as a challenge to take a lighter medium mech. Plus the Hunchback fills a very specific roll but other mediums will be fasters.

Edited by Flawless, 29 May 2012 - 07:02 PM.

[Anubis132]

If cash (or drop weight/BV/etc.) isn't a factor, then I would assume that both medium and heavy 'mechs would go nearly extinct. Thanks to the mechlab, one could modify an assault 'mech to fill any role a medium or heavy could, and then some.

I'd actually be more worried about the heavies; I have a feeling that some medium 'mechs could be outfitted to be insanely fast and act as scouts, while heavies may not have this capability and could therefore easily be replaced by assault 'mechs.

I know people hate when parallels are drawn to World of Tanks, but, if cash isn't a factor, then the battles will be like the WoT clan matches, where there are no limits to what you can bring, so everyone brings their biggest, baddest tanks. The difference is the mechlab; in MWO, you can just upgrade the engine on an assault 'mech if you feel like playing a medium or heavy.

[Protection]

I made a post about a solution to this issue (encouraging more light and medium mechs), but it didn't get much attention.

http://mwomercs.com/...035#entry292035

[UncleKulikov]

Koshiro Wraith Michaels, on 29 May 2012 - 06:45 PM, said:

Mediums are something of you jack-of-trades Mech, they've still got some speed, so they can do some counter-scout work, while having more (or larger) guns than the light class, and are a little bit more survivable than the lights as well. I kind of see them as insurance against over-specialization.

And for matchmaking, they reduce overall battle value of a lance.

[Allen B Caldwell]

Medium Mechs as stated cost less or should. They also would be classed as Line mechs. performing most the General duties. Scout hunting and such... Just my 2 Cbills.. I am hoping the load out of Mechs gets bigger. still hoping for. the Unseen...

[shortpainter]

About the slow mediums, don't forget you can switch out engines in this game. You can make a Centurion run faster if you want by tweaking the load out.

[Roland]

Based on BT, generally a reason to take a medium mech is because it's cheaper. In terms of pure speed in the tabletop game, you COULD take heavy mechs like the Hellbringer/Loki, which could outrun most anything, but it was an expensive chassis. Also, while heavy in terms of firepower, at only 65 tons it wasn't that heavy.. it didn't carry a ton of armor.

In terms of mechwarrior, the reasons for mediums get more pronounced, because overall maneuverability comes into play.

While you might have a heavy chassis that can match a medium in terms of top speed, it's not likely to be able to turn, or twist its torso as fast.

When you're actually piloting a mech, those kinds of things matter a lot. Being able to get around an enemy and bring your guns to bear on him first can be a critical game changer in terms of who wins the engagement.

[FenixStryk]

A Medium's strength is in the fact that it has the speed to scout, and the power to brawl, all in the same package. No other chassis has the capacity to a) keep up with Lights, and b) down Heavies and put up a good fight against Assaults, all at the same time. Lights don't have enough firepower to do anything useful, and Heavies+ are too slow to move quickly.

In short, Mediums are the perfect blend of speed and strength that a Commander would want to go for.

Edited by FenixStryk, 29 May 2012 - 07:17 PM.

[Cruxshadow]

Tryg, on 29 May 2012 - 06:43 PM, said:

The reason the medium mechs were the workhorses was that they could be kitted out to work in any of those roles, and for far less then the cost of a larger machine.

Consider Mediums to be the standard mass produced combat vehicle where Heavies on up due to cost aren't as common. PC pilots are not your common everyday grunt pilots. They are more like Nobelmen Warriors paying for their own gear so they can use whatever they want/afford. :-)

[Rizartha]

Medium Mechs are more of a trooper mech making up the bulk of just about every military force be they a house unit or a merc unit. Most are designed with an eye towards supporting a lance however there are some specialized units out there. They have enough speed and manuverability, usually from jump jets, to force the enemy to respond to you if used right or counter and enemies actions and enough firepower that even against assault mechs they present a real enough threat to be taken seriously.