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Humanoid Mechs Movements


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#1 Albatroz

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Posted 23 November 2014 - 01:21 PM

I don´t know about the rest of the players, but I really hate the way humanoid mechs moves. Almost all of them moves like toy robots, without any hip or shoulder movement to keep the balance. It´s even worse when they accelerate and begin to hop like a bunch of C3POs in fastfoward mode in the battlefield. It takes all the epicness out of the battles.

I think that the only two mechs with SOME level of swing are the Atlas and Hunchback. But even so it´s just a little.

Not to mention those ugly little light mechs like spiders and commandos and such running fast like hell with those arms glued to their hips like they aren´t needed to allow that speed and balance, specially on jumps.

What I really want to know: is there any plan on fixing that weird movement thing on most mechs?

I´m a really visual person. I work with this, so I think it´s much more important to a GAME the way things looks and feels than in the real life. So I don´t think it would be too much to ask to at least think about this, after all, this is a GREAT game, always improving and listening to its community.

Anyway, thanks for your attention and keep up the great work!

Edited by Albatroz, 23 November 2014 - 01:33 PM.


#2 Durant Carlyle

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Posted 23 November 2014 - 01:33 PM

'Mechs have multi-ton gyroscopes to keep them balanced during normal movement, including jumping. They do not need to swing their arms to maintain balance like us humans do.

Why do you think 'Mechs can have 20 tons of weapons on one side and nothing on the other? Not like us where we would have to stick our other arm straight out to the side to maintain balance with a heavy weight in one hand.

So no, there are likely no plans to make these multi-ton war machines walk around like a bunch of humans wearing armor.

#3 Albatroz

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Posted 23 November 2014 - 01:38 PM

View PostDurant Carlyle, on 23 November 2014 - 01:33 PM, said:

'Mechs have multi-ton gyroscopes to keep them balanced during normal movement, including jumping. They do not need to swing their arms to maintain balance like us humans do.


Not what I remember from any representation I ever saw, such as animes, movies, etc. Or even games like Mech Commander. Even if that´s true, it´s an ugly thing to look at. It would be nice some level of swing.

But thanks for the answer.

#4 Durant Carlyle

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Posted 23 November 2014 - 02:08 PM

Heh.

Animes aren't an accurate representation of anything. They are pretty much 100% artistic license.

The drawings in the Technical Readouts are the same -- most non-chicken-walker 'Mechs look like a human wearing armor.

There are no movies with BattleMechs in them, other than cut-scenes in the games. The cut scenes aren't accurate either -- usually 'Mechs die way too easily (one missile hit and BOOM). Generic robot movies don't count.

'Mech legs also have shock absorbers in them (there are blueprints around from the old days that show these), so human-like hip movement isn't necessary.

Besides, if they DID put in that movement, suddenly you'd have a problem with firing weapons. The arm swing animation would have to stop, aim accurately, and fire in a split-second every time the pilot pulled the trigger. That wouldn't look realistic either. Better to have the arms fixed in firing position.

#5 Albatroz

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Posted 23 November 2014 - 02:36 PM

View PostDurant Carlyle, on 23 November 2014 - 02:08 PM, said:

Heh.

Animes aren't an accurate representation of anything. They are pretty much 100% artistic license.

The drawings in the Technical Readouts are the same -- most non-chicken-walker 'Mechs look like a human wearing armor.

There are no movies with BattleMechs in them, other than cut-scenes in the games. The cut scenes aren't accurate either -- usually 'Mechs die way too easily (one missile hit and BOOM). Generic robot movies don't count.

'Mech legs also have shock absorbers in them (there are blueprints around from the old days that show these), so human-like hip movement isn't necessary.

Besides, if they DID put in that movement, suddenly you'd have a problem with firing weapons. The arm swing animation would have to stop, aim accurately, and fire in a split-second every time the pilot pulled the trigger. That wouldn't look realistic either. Better to have the arms fixed in firing position.


Well, accurate to what? I didn´t know there were REAL battletechs out there... But those robots I know exists, have similar human movement to keep balance.

But leaving that absurdity apart, I´m talking EXACTLY about art. I´m talking about visual representation in a fictional world with fictional war machines.

But I have to agree to the last part. It´s not easy. Although we can move hips and shoulder while keeping the aim, right? I´m not saying mechs should go running like men in armor suits (did I say that?). I´m talking about mechs looking less like toy robots hopping around the battlefield. That´s it! Get behind an Atlas for instance: look at his ass while he´s running. That´s what I´m talking about, swing! Look at hunchbacks´s shoulders too, how they swing from one side to the other: that´s it! It´s simple.

But if anyone says to me that it´s too difficult to do, ok, I understand. But pseudoscience: hell no, man!

Edited by Albatroz, 23 November 2014 - 02:47 PM.






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