20517 replies to this topic

[Khanahar]

Really hoping for the Firestarter. Was the most common enemy in MechCommander, and one of the three you started out with (others 2 COMs). One variant had two "Heavy Flamers" (8 tons apeice counting HS) and an SRM2. The other was a wannabe Panther, with a PPC, an SRM4, and a ML.

So little in common with the real 'mech, but such awesome memories. And if it sets stuff on fire, that's all I really wanted.

Would be great to add burnable objects along with the Firestarter, just like they added DFA with the Highlander <.<

Edit:
Oh, did I mention it was 30 tons? MC was a little liberal with 'mech tonnage. BZK at 45, CN9 at 55, JM6 at 70. There were some tacked on explanations as to why, but we weren't fooled: it was to differentiate tonnages in a game where every 'mech was an Omni. But it was still the best d*mn Mech game I've ever played. In my wildest dreams we get scenarios like that. Complex, realistic-feeling, with sane millitary objectives. [dreams...]

Edited by Khanahar, 26 May 2013 - 09:32 PM.

[Odanan]

Maverick01, on 26 May 2013 - 05:09 PM, said:

The developers should consider adding the Lancelot to MWO. This 60 ton heavy BattleMech has a lot of speed and firepower to bring to the table in a slender package. It would fill the role of a high speed raider at 97.2 km/h. Yes, this mech is an energy boat, but also has variants with ballistic hardpoints. This would be a very fun mech to pilot and we don't need another slow mech in the heavy category. Thoughts?

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/lancelot

Looks very good!
(but another "heavy scout" at 60 tons? With 3 identical variants of 4? And it can't even jump?)

[Odanan]

Butane9000, on 26 May 2013 - 07:16 PM, said:

Hrm...

What I think we'll get:

Light - Firestarter
Medium - Kintaro
Heavy - Guillotine
Assault - Banshee

I still think (and hope) the Dervish is more likely...

[ssm]

Butane9000, on 26 May 2013 - 07:16 PM, said:

Hrm...

What I think we'll get:

Light - Firestarter
Medium - Kintaro
Heavy - Guillotine
Assault - Banshee

My bets:

Light - Firestarter
Medium - Hoplite
Heavy - Guillotine
Assault - Cyclops

[Odanan]

ssm, on 27 May 2013 - 02:02 AM, said:

Medium - Hoplite

You know, the Hoplite would look amazing in the FD's hands, but the mech itself sucks. It is slow, underarmed (even if you double the hardpoints) with two identical variants and can't even jump. Not to mention it is virtually extinct in IS (except for a few with the Wolf Dragoons).

I wouldn't be surprised with the addition of the Kintaro (a slightly larger Trebuchet), just disappointed.

The Dervish, IMHO, is the only interesting 55 tonner (even if the variants are very similar). If you can't have a 55 tons Reseen, at least get a fast, crazy, jumper mech.

[ssm]

Odanan, on 27 May 2013 - 04:01 AM, said:

You know, the Hoplite would look amazing in the FD's hands, but the mech itself sucks. It is slow, underarmed (even if you double the hardpoints) with two identical variants and can't even jump. Not to mention it is virtually extinct in IS (except for a few with the Wolf Dragoons).
(...)

Artwork and design is why I think we'll get it next. Loadouts and variants can easily be balanced by hardpoints (one ballistic-oriented, one missile-oriented), engine caps and quirks.

We already have four roughly humanoid mediums, and I'm pretty sure FD will, as always, turn this 80's cheese into gold.


I agree that Dervish is potentially most effective of available 55 tonners, but for now I'll go with more variety in visual department.

[Strum Wealh]

ssm, on 27 May 2013 - 04:34 AM, said:

Artwork and design is why I think we'll get it next. Loadouts and variants can easily be balanced by hardpoints (one ballistic-oriented, one missile-oriented), engine caps and quirks.

We already have four roughly humanoid mediums, and I'm pretty sure FD will, as always, turn this 80's cheese into gold.


I agree that Dervish is potentially most effective of available 55 tonners, but for now I'll go with more variety in visual department.

However, no one outside of the Clans - not even the Wolf's Dragoons, the only group in the IS to actually field Hoplites in the 31st century - can build the things or spare parts for them.

By contrast, PGI has been fairly careful to select 'Mechs that are both not organization-restricted (e.g. no Dragoon-only or ComStar-only 'Mechs... thus far) and are reasonably (semi-)common across multiple IS powers.

As such, it seems highly unlikely that we would see the Hoplite as a 'Mech option in the near term (if ever).

[Phoenix Branson]

Do you guys think the Sentinel would be a good choice for the next medium BattleMech?

Edited by Maverick01, 27 May 2013 - 11:22 AM.

[Butane9000]

Maverick01, on 27 May 2013 - 11:03 AM, said:

Do you guys think the Sentinel would be a good choice for the next medium BattleMech?

I personally do. Though it has competition from the Clint in the 40 ton category. It also has competition from the Dervish and Kintaro because we know we're going to get a 55 tonner.

[Bishop Steiner]

Butane9000, on 27 May 2013 - 12:14 PM, said:

I personally do. Though it has competition from the Clint in the 40 ton category. It also has competition from the Dervish and Kintaro because we know we're going to get a 55 tonner.

The Sentinel would be good, but I feel the Assassin (SPEED!!!! and JJs) and especially the Vulcan would be much more useful.

[Odanan]

Bishop Steiner, on 27 May 2013 - 05:09 PM, said:

The Sentinel would be good, but I feel the Assassin (SPEED!!!! and JJs) and especially the Vulcan would be much more useful.

Vulcan is nice (fast, jumper, lots of hardpoints) but has only 2 time-wise variants (the 5M and 5S are produced after 3052).

(not to mention the Vulcan has that strange ugliness that becomes gold in the Alex Iglesias hands)

[Duke Blaine]

So I originally was going to just rant on how baddly I would want the Zeus battlemech. However, looked over the assult mechs that were 80-100. Saddly there are many great mechs that are 80 and 85 tons. Many used throughout the battletech world. There is no reason to feel like there needs to be an equal balance of weights on the battlefield.

A good mech is all in the design of the mech. The tonnage is simply the canvas on which to build. I can build a 50 ton Centurion that could out fight an 80 ton Thug any day. This should be obvious but I will end this with more thing, most of the good battlemechs are not 100, 95, or 90 tons.

Battlemaster, Longbow, Crockett, Shogun, Grand Crusader, Spartan, Charger, Striker, Zeus etc.
~No offence to those who like the Victor, (great mech I like the new look as well) but in the past games, I took the arms off and it was suddenly a tame mech. Many of these other mechs are better in many ways... other than the Charger (early years were not good to her). But anyway, rant is over.





- sep?/13: #6 assault mech? Good candidate: Banshee (It is viable, so why not fill the 95 tons spot? Cyclops is a good candidate too - Zeus and Hatamoto are unlikely because they are 80 tonners).

[Phoenix Branson]

As you can tell, I like to speculate on upcoming BattleMechs. What if PGI wants to add one Star League BattleMech from each category listed in TRO 3039? They already announced the Flea and Highlander, which takes care of the Light and Assault categories, respectively. That leaves Medium and Heavy Categories...

Medium: Kintaro (fills the tonnage gap). Only 55 ton SL Battlemech listed in TRO 3039.
Heavy: Lancelot (very fast energy boat). Black Knight & Flashman would overlap w/ Awesome.

• Star League
  
  • Light 'Mechs
    
    • THE-S Thorn
      
    • FLE-4 Flea
      
    • HNT-151 Hornet
      
    • MON-67 Mongoose
      
    • FLC-4N Falcon
      
    • HER-1A Hermes
      
    • HSR-300-D Hussar
  • Medium 'Mechs
    
    • STN-3K Sentinel
      
    • WVE-6N Wyvern
      
    • CRB-20 Crab
      
    • KTO-18 Kintaro
  • Heavy 'Mechs
    
    • CHP-2N Champion
      
    • LNC25-02 Lancelot
      
    • BMB-10D Bombardier
      
    • GLT-4L Guillotine
      
    • BL-7-KNT Black Knight
      
    • FLS-7K Flashman
  • Assault 'Mechs
    
    • THG-10E Thug
      
    • HGN-733 Highlander
      
    • KGC-0000 King Crab

Edited by Maverick01, 27 May 2013 - 08:31 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Odanan, on 27 May 2013 - 06:22 PM, said:

Vulcan is nice (fast, jumper, lots of hardpoints) but has only 2 time-wise variants (the 5M and 5S are produced after 3052).

(not to mention the Vulcan has that strange ugliness that becomes gold in the Alex Iglesias hands)

and a dang near impossible to hit profile with TINY side torsos.

[Der BruzZzler von Wiesndoof]

Oh yeah, the Vulcan is a bizarre looking mech and i'm curious how a FD redesign would look.

[SgtMagor]

of the heavies, you have laser boats, and 1 missile boat (Bomb). if there is gonna be another laser boat make it the Black Knight!, we don't need the bomber man, the Cat does the same thing and probably better.

[Strum Wealh]

Odanan, on 27 May 2013 - 06:22 PM, said:

Vulcan is nice (fast, jumper, lots of hardpoints) but has only 2 time-wise variants (the 5M and 5S are produced after 3052).

(not to mention the Vulcan has that strange ugliness that becomes gold in the Alex Iglesias hands)

The VT-5M makes its appearance in 3050, according to the Master Unit List.
The VT-5S makes its appearance in 3050, according to the Master Unit List.

Along with the VL-2T (introduced in 2777) and VL-5T (introduced in 2778), this gives the Vulcan four available variants.

[Der BruzZzler von Wiesndoof]

Congratz!
200 pages full of pure speculation and philosophy!

Carry on ...

[Strum Wealh]

Maverick01, on 27 May 2013 - 11:03 AM, said:

Do you guys think the Sentinel would be a good choice for the next medium BattleMech?

It's a reasonable and relatively easy to implement choice - most variants come stock with at least (and usually only) one of each weapon type, and hardpoint inflation up to the normal level for Mediums (generally 6-7 hardpoints) makes it a relatively simple matter to create "the energy variant", "the ballistic variant", "the missile variant", and "the all-rounder".

[Bishop Steiner]

The Birdeater, on 28 May 2013 - 02:46 AM, said:

Oh yeah, the Vulcan is a bizarre looking mech and i'm curious how a FD redesign would look.

Yeah, I think that Bizzaro Mech/Scarecrow is what will keep it interesting as a humanoid mech, especially with that hunched forward cockpit. I tried to do one in Alex's style, but would love to see his take:

mind you, I did it before the BJ-1X art was released, so the Flamer needs to change, but thought I got a decent feel for it. Would be a beast to try to poptart at long range, unless if the hit box between the arms and torsos have the dead space like the Centy does.

Edited by Bishop Steiner, 28 May 2013 - 08:45 AM.