Jump to content

The melee combat thread.


100 replies to this topic

#1 diznoid

    Member

  • Pip
  • 18 posts

Posted 31 October 2011 - 03:41 PM

First, as a lore geek, let me give a little background here so folks know why I felt like making this thread.

They've said we are all going to be playing as Inner Sphere pilots, and Inner Sphere pilots trained for melee combat to varying extents. Melee combat was especially useful in urban environments, which PRI apparently favor. There were even melee weapons built into a few mech designs (see http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Hatchetman note: sarna.net is an excellent battletech wiki, yall should use it).

So why is this important? Because the game takes place at the start of the clan invasion, and clan pilots clowns don't do melee at all. They don't practice it, they don't even build their mechs with the capability. Clan mechs are the gunboats, with arms that only face forward and are little more than gun mounts. IS mechs were in general more humanoid and flexible, with shoulder/elbow/wrist actuators and often had workable hands (like the Atlas). This gave IS pilots a nifty advantage, and given clan mech's superior firepower, they need whatever they can get. I died a little inside every time I saw an IS mech in MW1-4 with their arms rigidly stuck to their sides with hands pointed forwards; built on the same principle as a gunboat clan mech.

Now lets talk in terms of gameplay. Try not to hate me, Skyrim fans, but first-person melee usually sucks when playing as a humanoid character, and it would probably suck in a cumbersome robot. They've said they were making it first-person only and to make it feel like a sim, and that would leave few options for melee combat. They could make it complex so it fits with a simulation, but that would make controls difficult and need a ton of hotkeys. Or, they could make it so it's "press X to punch, Y to kick."; and maybe track the firing angles of arm-mounted weapons so a skilled pilot can fire the correct weapon while punching to put a laser into someone's chin, which sounds awesome to me. Throw in some nifty animations, and we could see some spectacular things on the battlefield. Simple melee gets the job done, and will keep people from walking into eachother and standing face to face in a "who can shoot faster" contest, as happened quite often on the allegedly much bigger maps in MW4.

So why make this thread? Because it seems extremely odd to make us all play IS pilots in smaller environments, including urban maps, without having any option for melee. So why, if we're playing the melee-capable factions on maps where we will inevitably be in close range combat, can we not at least some basic melee attacks?

Anyone agree/disagree or have more ideas for melee gameplay?

#2 yingjanshi

    Member

  • PipPip
  • Knight Errant
  • 22 posts
  • LocationKansas City

Posted 31 October 2011 - 03:44 PM

Yes. We definitely need to see some sort of melee capability.

#3 Autism

    Rookie

  • 3 posts
  • LocationKiev

Posted 31 October 2011 - 03:46 PM

Maybe just a simple melee attack that allows you to get some distance if you're in a close range fight

#4 Youngblood

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 604 posts
  • LocationGMT -6

Posted 31 October 2011 - 03:47 PM

And that's why you'll get punked when you get ambushed by an Axeman. :)

#5 Cybrid

    Member

  • PipPip
  • Knight Errant
  • 27 posts
  • LocationSweden

Posted 31 October 2011 - 03:48 PM

Unfortunately, the closest the Mechwarrior series of games ever came to close combat was the Death From Above move. While 60 tonnes of JJ-capable mech crashing down on a head is a serious hurt, any other form of contact damage was due to ramming. I for one would like to see some close combat capability, but I'm pretty much at a loss as how to get it properly integrated.
Then again, if that isn't an awesome way to justify having the Hatchetman included in the game, nothing is.

#6 Ilfi

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 576 posts

Posted 31 October 2011 - 03:52 PM

I'm going to be honest when I say that I will actually be a little let down if they add melee combat. It's in the lore, but only somewhat, and most of it is very early in the timelines. I just don't see MechWarrior needing that sort of thing.

#7 trycksh0t

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Elite Founder
  • 1,176 posts
  • LocationUmm...in a building..on a road. I think.

Posted 31 October 2011 - 03:52 PM

I'm on the fence with melee combat. IF they can get it implemented properly, I'll be more than happy to wreak havoc with a Hatchetman. However, getting it into a first-person MechWarrior would be an incredible feat, so I'm not holding my breath.

#8 S3dition

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Elite Founder
  • Elite Founder
  • 1,633 posts
  • LocationWashington, USA

Posted 31 October 2011 - 04:05 PM

Melee would make this the robot equivalent of MW or BF. The last thing I want in my mech simulator is knife kills.

#9 Youngblood

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 604 posts
  • LocationGMT -6

Posted 31 October 2011 - 04:06 PM

View Postfenixstryk, on 31 October 2011 - 03:52 PM, said:

I'm going to be honest when I say that I will actually be a little let down if they add melee combat. It's in the lore, but only somewhat, and most of it is very early in the timelines. I just don't see MechWarrior needing that sort of thing.


Doesn't make sense to me. Physical combat allows you tack on nice large groupings of damage, -especially- as the eras move on and you get more 'Mechs using Triple Strength Myomer, which allows a 'Mech to practically tear apart other 'Mechs with their limbs.

#10 noemi lefabre

    Rookie

  • 6 posts

Posted 31 October 2011 - 04:07 PM

Making melee well done would be very hard to do well. Personally I am on the fence on this one. I think it would be best to leave melee out.

#11 gregsolidus

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Legendary Founder
  • Legendary Founder
  • 1,352 posts

Posted 31 October 2011 - 04:07 PM

I would settle for ramming and leave it at that.

Edited by gregsolidus, 31 October 2011 - 04:08 PM.


#12 80sGlamRockSensation David Bowie

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Veteran Founder
  • Veteran Founder
  • 3,994 posts
  • LocationThe Island

Posted 31 October 2011 - 04:09 PM

No melee for 'mechs. DFA's Ramming, and BA claws are a different story, however.

#13 wanderer

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Civil Servant
  • Civil Servant
  • 11,152 posts
  • LocationStomping around in a giant robot, of course.

Posted 31 October 2011 - 04:19 PM

View Posts3dition, on 31 October 2011 - 04:05 PM, said:

Melee would make this the robot equivalent of MW or BF. The last thing I want in my mech simulator is knife kills.


You do realize that many Battlemechs are equipped with melee weapons naturally, along with being able to tear out a girder for old-fashioned head-smashings?

Heck, from the original tech readout we get the Hatchetman with...you guessed it, a hatchet. I've honestly got no problem with melee weapons being specialty weapons that "interrupt" normal fire while being used, but deal appropriate damage with no heat buildup. Of course, if you're not close enough, you whiff...and whiffed kicks can cause a fall. It's part of the whole charm of Inner Sphere piloting- we like punching, kicking, and ramming along with the pew pew pew.

#14 CycKath

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Legendary Founder
  • Legendary Founder
  • 2,574 posts
  • Google+: Link
  • LocationSE QLD, Australia

Posted 31 October 2011 - 04:24 PM

If they can get it to work, definitely for it. It was always a lack with the older games.

#15 dradiin

    Member

  • Pip
  • Moderate Giver
  • Moderate Giver
  • 15 posts

Posted 31 October 2011 - 04:25 PM

Umm Triple Strength Myomer on a Berzerker = dead assault in 2 hits. Course thats having very far out there technology added tot he game and i am sure there will not be TSM in the game anytime soon.

When it came to urban warfare the Berzerker with either MASC or TSM was a very scary image to see ducking in and out of buildings getting closer and closer till BAM your entire core is smashed out the back of your mech, that or your missing and entire side of your torso.

Melee fighting in any of the MW gams has been an after thought, while it is a very useful and viable tactic in the game. Why have arms and legs if you dont use them for combat use other then a weapons platform ? If thats the case and Melee is not used why bother with a Mech design ? would be more cost effective to just make massive tanks. Which there are those also in the game universe.

#16 mekredd

    Member

  • PipPip
  • 29 posts
  • LocationOne Clanner down, about a hundred more to go!

Posted 31 October 2011 - 06:00 PM

If I can't kick a guy's leg off and bash his cockpit in with it, I'm gonna be disappointed. Not, you know, surprised. But just a little bit brokenhearted.

****, some of the funniest (and most tense!) moments I can recall from playing battletech involved melee. It's such a huge part of close-combat maneuvering in the original game.

#17 Tyra

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Knight Errant
  • Knight Errant
  • 242 posts
  • LocationSin City

Posted 31 October 2011 - 06:13 PM

Yes please! Melee!

#18 SquareSphere

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,656 posts
  • LocationIn your clouds, stealing your thunder

Posted 31 October 2011 - 06:15 PM

I'd be really happy if the hatchet and axe men were finally in game and use to their fullest use, BUT I doubt it'll happen simply cause latency + melee = a bad time

Edited by squaresphere, 31 October 2011 - 06:15 PM.


#19 easy0n

    Member

  • PipPip
  • The Privateer
  • The Privateer
  • 29 posts
  • LocationTennessee

Posted 31 October 2011 - 06:15 PM

The Faq already stated NO MELEE

#20 el santo

    Member

  • Pip
  • 16 posts

Posted 31 October 2011 - 06:16 PM

Melee needs to be in, I think. Kicks are an important weapon in every mech's arsenal, but especially the light mechs. I wouldn't want to see the game to go totally Lyran in terms of weight categories.





1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users