- jul?/13: #6 light mech? Good candidates: UrbanMech (one of the most wanted mechs in the game, tough it is more of a joke) or Firestarter (the Firestarter is the best remaining light mech, but it is another 35 tons).
- ago?/13: #6 medium mech? Good candidates: Clint, Vulcan, Dervish (all fast, jumping mechs), Kintaro and Vindicator.
- sep?/13: #6 assault mech? Good candidate: Banshee (It is viable, so why not fill the 95 tons spot?). The Cyclops is also a good candidate (a very electronics-oriented mech). Zeus and Hatamoto are more unlikely because they are 80 tonners and are very similar to the Orion/Victor and the Awesome, respectively.
- ?/?/14? (some months after launch): probably one Clan omnimech of each weight class, maybe with some sort of Founders program. Read this.
IMPORTANT: Mechs need at least 3 canonical and time-wise variants to be in the game (at least for now).
Follow up Light candidates:
Spoiler
It's simple: if they want to appease the fans, the choice is UrbanMech. If they want a good, playable Light mech, the choice is Firestarter.
UrbanMech. Pros: the most common, iconic Light mech in IS, the infamous underdog would have a massive positive response from the Community (at least until people start playing with it); it can also have a IIC variant. Cons: bad, bad mech; uniform variants with ballistics+energy weaponry (like the Spider, of the same tonnage); without speed to make it survive a single alpha strike; PGI will need to adapt the current engine system.
Firestarter. Pros: very good weapon loadout and lots of variants. Cons: another 35 tonner.
Follow up Medium candidates:
Spoiler
The Medium bracket is full of hard choices:
Kintaro. Pros: 55 tons, fast Medium mech. Cons: one more Medium mech without jumpjets; missile boat with very homogeneous variants; could overshadow the Trebuchet.
Dervish. Pros: 55 tons, fast, jumping Medium mech. Cons: uniform variants, somewhat similar to the Quickdraw.
Vindicator. Pros: very common, jumping mech, with mixed weapon loadout. Cons: too slow for a 45 tonner.
Vulcan. Pros: very unique profile, very fast, jumping Medium mech. Cons: uniform variants and except for the jump jets, quite similar to the Cicada (a mech of the same tonnage).
Clint. Pros: very fast, jumping Medium mech with a possible IIC variant. Cons: similar to the Cicada in weapon loadout.
Sentinel. Pros: very fast. Cons: mini-Dragon; can't have jumpjets; uniform variants; weapons quite similar to the Cicada (a mech of the same tonnage).
Wyvern. Pros: jumping Medium, can have a IIC variant. Cons: slow, uncommon, ugly and uninspired mech, with uniform variants.
Hoplite. Pros: 55 tons, unique profile. Cons: bad weapon loadout (and similar, but inferior to the Hunchback); another slow Medium mech; extremely uncommon.
Follow up Assault candidates:
Spoiler
Assault mechs left:
Banshee. Pros: one of the very few 95 tons ever. Common, faster assault, enough variants, could use a redesign, never appeared in a MW video game. Cons: 3 awful variants (including the primary) and hardpoints difficult to balance (but the Spider got in, so anything can happen).
Cyclops. Pros: common, faster assault, enough variants, command mech. Cons: we have a 90 tonner already and primary variant too similar to the Atlas and (somewhat) to the Highlander.
Zeus. Pros: very common, iconic mech, faster assault, several variants (though not all very different), "Reseen" Battlemaster. Cons: lower end assault (and another 80 tons), very similar to the Orion in weapons, tonnage, role and looks.
Charger. Pros: "scout" assault mech (with speed over armor and firepower), promising looks. Could be later "upgraded" to the Hatamoto-Chi. Cons: some poor stock variants (including the primary) with shameful stock firepower and armor for an assault mech - but nothing the mech lab wouldn't fix. The all-energy variants would overlap the Awesome (which is of the same tonnage).
Hatamoto-Chi. Pros: iconic and fan favorite mech (who doesn't fall for this giant steel samurai?), faster assault and lots of variants (some are not too much different though). Cons: same tonnage and variants with similar hardpoints of the Awesome. No low-tech variants.
Annihilator. Pros: ultimate ballistic boat. Cons: not enough variants (?), another 100 tonner; absolutely restricted to a few with the Wolf Dragoons; 4x Gauss Rifles variant could be too powerful for the game.
Mauler. Pros: balanced ballistics boat (needed for the assault class); iconic, gorgeous. Cons: not enough variants (barely 2 time-wise variants).
King Crab. Pros: very unique looks, ballistic platform, Alex Iglesias already made some sketches of it. Cons: rare, very few variants (barely 3, if you consider the KGC-010), rare, same tonnage of the Atlas (I think they won't put another IS 100 tons mech so soon) and by the MWO rules, the AC/20 (splitted between the arms and side torsos in TT) can't fit in this mech's arms.Ask the Devs 34 said there won't be a feature to split weapons, so the King Crab probably won't make it to MWO.
Battlemaster. Pros: the reseen is in the new Battletech’s logo; a command mech (several variants have command console) that would shine in the role warfare; iconic mech and a fan favorite – to finally play with it in a MW game would be quite nice. Cons: energy boat (as the Awesome); huge cockpit; but the most important: maybe the devs won’t use any of the Reseen/Unseen at all (see text below).
Variant analysis for the remaining IS assault mechs:
Odanan, on 25 March 2013 - 09:49 AM, said:
The (+X) indicate suggested additional hardpoints.
The variants in italic are iffy variants that maybe should not get into the game.
And sure, the number of modules is just a guess (made to balance the variants).
Iffy variants:
- Banshee BNC-3Q, with all (ballistic) hardpoints concentrated in one torso would be probably awful.
- Zeus ZEU-6Y has one experimental weapon (Binary Laser Cannon), so it will only be in the game if the weapon is added.
- Charger CRG-1L have the same all-energy loadout as the CGR-1A1 and should probably be left out.
- Cyclops CP-10-HQ has actually a Collapsible Command Console. This equipment could be replaced by a standard Command Console, but the mech would have some spare tonnage. The variant could be replaced by the more common and less problematic CP-10-A-DC.
- Hatamoto HTM-27T is too similar to the HTM27U - a reason for not having it.
There is a possibility that classic mechs like Marauder, Warhammer, Wasp, Locust, Battlemaster, Wolverine, Longbow, Rifleman, Crusader, Stinger, Phoenix Hawk, Shadow Hawk, Archer and Griffin will never make into the game. That's because these mech designs (called "Unseen") can't be shown anymore in any Battletech game due to legal issues. They could, however, appear redesigned (the "Reseen") - but we don't know if the devs will do this in the near future. More discussion about the Unseen/Reseen here.
WARNING:
MW4, MW4:M and MWLL players (AKA "new gen")
The Timeline
January, 2013 = January 3050. Most of the MW4 and MW4M mechs will not be in the game because they will exist only in 10 years or more. Uziel, Thanatos, Hellspawn, Argus, Osiris, Chimera, Fafnir, Mad Cat MK II and other favorites may never show up in this game (It's like wanting a F4 Phantom in a WW2 game). Off course, if MWO is a huge success and continue alive in 10 years or if they do some time leaps...
The Clans invade the Inner Sphere proper in March, 3050 (that's March, 2013 for us players). So, there is a possibility that their concept arts start to appear any moment. UPDATE: it looks like the Clans will take much longer to be introduced in the game, according with this interview.
Hunchback IIC (medium) -> they hinted the coming of this mech in the Hunchie video. [0:36 - Pros: Has a giant cannon on the shoulder. 0:39 - Cons: Doesn't have 2 giant cannons. 0:44 - (yet)]
(there are very few other time-wise, non-unique and non-unseen IIC mechs. They are: Guillotine IIC, Clint IIC, UrbanMech IIC and Wyvern IIC). More info here.
These mechs could count as variants of the IS mechs, for XP purposes (as they don't have 3 time-wise variants on their own).
(Speculation) Clan Hero Configurations: (to name a few)
- Fire Moth Aletha
- Kit Fox Phelan Wolf
- Timber Wolf Aidan Pride
- Executioner Vlad Ward
- Dire Wolf Widowmaker, or Prometheus, or Hohiro
Soon in game: (now roughly 1 new mech per month, but hopefully speeding up)
- Quickdraw, heavy mech (18th June - confirmed)
- Victor (July - confirmed)
- Flea, light mech (delayed to August?)
- Orion, heavy mech (delayed to October?)
- upcoming hero mech for Sarah - Raven or Jenner (July?)
There are some custom configurations in canon that could fit in MWO. Suggestions:
Spoiler
Paula Trevaline's"Lady Death" Orion (unknown Orion variant - could have some weapons/hardpoints changed to make it a hero)
-------------------------------------- Yovnne Morticia's "Lurch" Orion (unknown Orion variant - could have some weapons/hardpoints changed to make it a hero)
-------------------------------------- Kerensky's Orion (Some sources say it was an ON1-K, but it's actually a custom ON1-K variant)
LA 1e (1 medium laser)
LT 1e, 1m (PPC*, SRM4)
CT
H
RT 1b (gauss)
RA 1e (1 medium laser)
*originally Snub Nose PPC, but the technology is lost now. Could be a "hero weapon" or the devs could just replace it by the regular PPC by dropping a ton of Gauss ammo. Full explanation here.
-------------------------------------- Jenner JR-7K Samuli (XL Engine, Ferro Fibrous) (not much different from the other Jenners - lots of extra jump jets could be interesting though)
LA 2e (2 medium lasers)
LT
CT
H
RT
RA 2e, 1m [probably 2m] (2 medium lasers, LRM15)
-------------------------------------- Jenner JR-7K Grace (Endo Steel, Ferro Fibrous) (the NARC missile tube would be awful for all those missile hardpoints)
LA 1e (medium laser)
LT 1m [probably 3m] (NARC)
CT
H
RT
RA 1e (medium laser)
-------------------------------------- Dragon Yoriyoshi DRG-2Y (the Dragon has already 2 heroes)
LA 1e (medium laser)
LT
CT 1m, 1e (srm4, flamer)
H 1e (small laser)
RT
RA 1e [probably 2e] (large laser)
We have now seen the Atlas, Catapult, Hunchbak, Jenner, Dragon, and Commando in action. So I guess the Centurion is probably in as well, but I don't think we've seen that one yet. Can't wait to see the Awesome.
Looking at the trend, I'd say that the next one should be either a light or medium mech.
The last one was a medium, rather my guess would be on a light or heavy. Probably favoring the heavy since they mentioned that they expect the battlefield to be mostly mediums and heavies with sprinklings of lights and assaults, so more choices in medium and heavy might make sense there.
We have now seen the Atlas, Catapult, Hunchbak, Jenner, Dragon, and Commando in action. So I guess the Centurion is probably in as well, but I don't think we've seen that one yet. Can't wait to see the Awesome.
I don't remember seeing the Commando in any official or leaked videos... but maybe I'm wrong.
Since, according to your projections, the next mech will be released on July 4th (America's independence day); I think the next mech should be the most American mech ever made – the AMC Javelin!
Erm... I mean, the Javelin!
Problem with this is that I think at the current time there's only the Prime variant with 2 SRM6s, and one with 1 SRM6 and 4 Med Lasers (and we've already got the Jenner). Another one comes out in the next year or so that has an SRM6 and 2 Streak SRM2s. I'd still like the prime variant though to give it a couple of LRM5s and make a light support mech.
Thanks for the catch with the timing. Much better than the many random guess threads.
Thry've stated clearly they want mediums as the most prevalent on the battlefield, so I think there will be more mediums than others, but sadly, in this era, the best mediums are almost all Unseen.
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