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MWO BattleMech Scale



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#1 GrimJim

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 05:44 PM

I know when new 'Mechs have been debuted they are simply placed on the (sweet) background Alex painted, but it does make me scratch my head when it comes to scale.

How much smaller is the MWO Commando to the Atlas? Or other scouts like the Jenner for that matter. By trying to compare by head = cockpit, one would think the Jenner and Catapult are the same size!

#2 Steel Raven

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 05:57 PM

Posted Image

#3 Psydotek

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 06:06 PM

The way I try to imagine it is that the AC/20 on the Atlas and Hunchback are about the same size and use that as a reference point. This would suggest that the Hunchback is probably only as tall as the Atlas' chest and maybe 75% as wide...

#4 HanaYuriko

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 07:22 PM

View PostPsydotek, on 24 February 2012 - 06:06 PM, said:

The way I try to imagine it is that the AC/20 on the Atlas and Hunchback are about the same size and use that as a reference point. This would suggest that the Hunchback is probably only as tall as the Atlas' chest and maybe 75% as wide...


Some fluff text states that the Atlas is 16m tall. The average height of any given 'mech is 10m tall. The Hunchback could be 8-10m tall so you're right on the mark. But possibly for the wrong reasons.

I used to try to determine 'mech size by its cockpit. But then the problem there is it's difficult to really tell how much of the cockpit is actually the control center and how much is extra stuff. It's also the same tricky problem when comparing weapon sizes. The LRM10 on a Centurion is incredibly small when compared to the LRM 10 on other 'mechs. Plus with different artist depictions, it's difficult to gauge the bore size of any ballistic weapon to get an accurate benchmark. How much of that AC is the weapon, and how much is the armor jacket/cooling system/etc.? Lastly there's he 'mech shape. Is the bent knee of a bird-legged 'mech the same height as a straight-legged humanoid design? ie. MadCat/Timber Wolf vs Loki/Hellbringer are both possibly 10m tall. Or how about the cockpit forward designs of a Jenner compared to the humanoid forms of a Javelin and Commando? Then there's the Spider with its tall, long, spindly legs. A design that suggests it might be 10m to 12m tall, but incredibly skinny like a 16 y/o guy that just went through a growth spurt. Or the 20t Locust that's supposed to actually be 10m tall. The same height as a 3050 Clan Heavy Omnimech.

#5 Damocles

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 07:35 PM

great reference image Steel Raven.

#6 DaBlackhawk

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 07:40 PM

yes by scale there one should be taller then other but the artest controls the size in the end

#7 DRevD

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 07:59 PM

View PostSteel Raven, on 24 February 2012 - 05:57 PM, said:

Posted Image


The scale for these mech is pretty spot on. Basically a doubling of mass translates to ONLY a 20-30% increase in height for human like objects.
This is assuming similar densities and geometry. All 4 of these mechs have the same human-like geometries and we can assume all mechs have roughly the same overall density.

Edited by DRevD, 24 February 2012 - 08:04 PM.


#8 Outlaw2

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 08:38 PM

Father and Son

Posted Image

#9 Mautty the Bobcat

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 08:47 PM

By Outlaw's overlay of the commando on top of the atlas...I would assume its safe to say that looking at an atlas while in a commando will leave you staring at the bottom of its center torso if you got right up on it.

#10 Damocles

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 08:58 PM

View PostMautty the Bobcat, on 24 February 2012 - 08:47 PM, said:

By Outlaw's overlay of the commando on top of the atlas...I would assume its safe to say that looking at an atlas while in a commando will leave you staring at the bottom of its center torso if you got right up on it.

Why yes, and the Jenner would be a bit shorter I believe.

#11 Jhereg KnT

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 09:14 PM

View PostSteel Raven, on 24 February 2012 - 05:57 PM, said:

Posted Image

what publication does this come from ?

#12 BarHaid

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 09:27 PM

View Post=Outlaw=, on 24 February 2012 - 08:38 PM, said:

Father and Son

Posted Image

Yup. I got just about this same result by opening both pics and just placing them next to each other on the screen. Using my analog method I got the top of the Commando's head just barely above the Atlas' AC/20. The Commando is lo and behold about one quarter the mass of the Atlas! Looks like someone's drawing everything to scale. ;)

#13 Orzorn

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 10:47 PM

View PostBarHaid, on 24 February 2012 - 09:27 PM, said:

Yup. I got just about this same result by opening both pics and just placing them next to each other on the screen. Using my analog method I got the top of the Commando's head just barely above the Atlas' AC/20.

Makes me hope to hell that they have melee so I can watch an Atlas squash a Commandor or Jenner like a bug.

Quote

Looks like someone's drawing everything to scale. ;)

Indeed. It should be a quit the frightening experience to round a corner and come face-to-chest with an Atlas.

#14 Outlaw2

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 11:06 PM

BTW, I had to shrink the commando to 85% of its height in the concept art. That would make the commando 65-70% of the Atlas's height, which is more or less proper scale.

The commando was the first mech that was clearly way out of scale, and probably done so for display purposes.

Edited by =Outlaw=, 24 February 2012 - 11:08 PM.


#15 Saurok

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Posted 25 February 2012 - 12:05 AM

View PostJhereg_KnT, on 24 February 2012 - 09:14 PM, said:

what publication does this come from ?


TRO 3039, page 303.

#16 Qman

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Posted 25 February 2012 - 12:32 AM

View Post=Outlaw=, on 24 February 2012 - 08:38 PM, said:

Father and Son

Posted Image


Thanks for taking the time to do that. i was wondering about size ....

#17 Polymorphyne

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Posted 25 February 2012 - 12:45 AM

Someone oughta line all of the concept mechs up in scale, smallest to largest.

#18 Morashtak

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Posted 25 February 2012 - 07:18 AM

View Post=Outlaw=, on 24 February 2012 - 08:38 PM, said:

Father and Son
(<snip> because I find it annoying when someone re-posts a picture immediately after the OP. ;))


Thanks Outlaw.

For a sense of scale it looks like FD is attempting to keep like weapons and/or their enclosures the same size regardless of the 'Mech's tonnage. Good on ya', FD! Really gives one an impression of the vast size difference between these two.

#19 BarHaid

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Posted 25 February 2012 - 09:00 AM

View PostLongsword, on 25 February 2012 - 12:45 AM, said:

Someone oughta line all of the concept mechs up in scale, smallest to largest.

As a matter of fact, that's just what I requested on the Fan Art forum. I'm too buzy/lazy/incompetant to do it myself.

#20 DRevD

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Posted 25 February 2012 - 09:22 AM

View PostBarHaid, on 25 February 2012 - 09:00 AM, said:

As a matter of fact, that's just what I requested on the Fan Art forum. I'm too buzy/lazy/incompetant to do it myself.

Its easier to do with mechs with similar geometry such as the atlas, cent, commando and hunchback (human-like geometry). You just have to consider that the Hunchback and Atlas are bit bulkier even for their size, so would lose some vertical height. And the Cent is a bit smiler and would gain the some vertical height. Of course it will be in comparison to something, which I'd use the commando as the baseline the others are judged on.

It gets trickier with the Dragon, Catapult and Jenner, even though all 3 have somewhat similar geometries (big "nose") The Jenner has small arms so you have to account for that. The catapult has the huge missile rack cubed arms.The Dragon is squatting down low in the concept art.The real problem is then comparing them to the other 4. It'd be a pain in the A to do for sure.

Edited by DRevD, 25 February 2012 - 09:23 AM.






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