Python46, on 02 August 2012 - 02:49 PM, said:
given the mobility of the lights and meds, the sparsity of armor on the back of an atlas and the extremely slow speed a 100 ton mech moves at, the atlas will not rule the battlefield any more than it did in any of the books, or in the TT. lights and meds that can jump will simply jump over and behind an atlas and core him from behind. in that way, it's going to be similar to what you see in WoT, with tier 10 heavy tanks and tier 9 TDs. yes, they are deadly from the front, but from the rear, they are very vulnerable, and their mobility, in most cases, renders them easy targets for the faster, more agile tanks. even the lower tiers are able to pen rear armor on the top heavies. so the game will self-regulate, simply because there will be good pilots in smaller mechs who know how to use them and know the weaknesses of the assault mechs, which, in every case, begins with the back. and keep in mind, also, the all mechs have weak head armor. 9 points, unless they've changed that, so the head, especially that big dome atop an atlas, are particularly vulnerable to frontal assault.
regardless, a lot of starter players will pick a heavy or assault mech, because they can take more punishment, in frontal assault situations. that's just the nature of learning a new game. if you don't know how to play it, you take something that gives you the best survivability, most of the time, and most people see 100 tons as survivable. they will learn the hard way, if they rely on it too much.
The only problem of thinking MechWarrior and battletech is like WoT (World of Tanks) is this:
1. It is possible, from day 1 to get on an assault 'mech.
2. 'Mechs do not have different types of armor rating to prevent lighter 'mechs from hurting them. In general, they have more armor - but not always stronger armor (this is pre-clan and pre-3050). 1 medium laser will damage a 25 ton light (like the Commando) with the same damage as a 100 ton Atlas. The only difference is that the 100 ton Atlas has the potential to absorb more damage since it can afford to put more armor on itself than a small 25 ton Commando, for instance.
3. As you pointed out, rear armor and head armor is still weak. A huge slow moving 100 ton Atlas will not be able to manuever as fast as a nimble light mech (like the Jenner or Commando). So a good light pilot can kill a 100 ton 'mech.
4. In WoT, some tanks were OP - over powered with their gun design, shells, and armor thickness. All battlemechs are more or less equal in Battletech and MechWarrior. Light 'mechs can, in theory, carry the same type of weapons as an assualt. They are only limited by weight and internal critical space. A 25 ton Commando will find it vertually impossible to field a Gauss Rifle (Since Gauss Rifle has a weight of 14 tons and you need atleast 1 additional ton for the ammo - if not more for multiple shots). While an Atlas has no problem outfitting a single Gauss Rifle with multiple tons of ammo for the weapon.
2
), and I'm thinking of buying one of the Founder's Packages for MWO.
