0
An exception to this pattern seems to be the Catapult. Numerous changes have been made, but the discussions continue. At this point, I suspect both the community and PGI have little interest in radical alterations. Consequently, we are left trying to smooth out the remaining dissatisfaction without fundamentally changing the 'Mech.
The recurring issues with the Catapult appear to be divided into two categories: "It's too strong with dual heavy ballistic weapons" and "It's too strong when converted to a brawler". There is some overlap here with the AC/20 builds, but I think it would be more productive to consider the issues separately.
Heavy Ballistics:
I have really only come across one idea to deal with this issue that strikes me as potentially acceptable to most people involved. That idea is an extension of what has been done with the K2 Catapult's arms, where the size of the section changes based on the weapons carried inside. In a similar fashion, the profile of the side torso sections of the K2 could change if larger ballistic weapons are carried.
If we use other MWO 'Mechs as a reference, only the AC/20 and Gauss Rifle seem to warrant an 'oversize' section (Hunchback's Shoulder, Yen lo Wang right arm, etc), where carrying the larger weapon requires an enlarged section compared to lighter ballistic weapons on other variants. On this basis, it seems reasonable to apply a similar arrangement to the side torso sections of the K2. The gun barrel protruding from the side torsos by default could be enlarged and/or altered when an AC/20 or Gauss Rifle is carried. This would make a 'heavy ballistic' K2 more visually distinctive, as well as granting a marginal reduction in the difficulty of targeting the side torso sections, without any change to the K2's performance characteristics on paper.
Brawling:
The complaint in this area boils down to this: The performance of the Catapult chassis grants an inappropriate advantage when what is intended as a long-range support 'Mech is used as a close-range brawler. The ability to mount a decent size engine on all variants, and Jump Jets on some, provides speed and agility that serve well in close combat. In addition, the good torso twist speed and extremely wide torso twist range allow the Catapult to keep its weapons on target longer, which is very useful at shorter range.
An idea recently occurred to me that, ironically, is almost a complete inverse approach compared with the previous topic. Without making any physical changes to the Catapult 'Mech, some tweaking of its statistics could alleviate some of the problem without significantly impacting its canon role.
Now, it makes perfect sense to me that the Catapult would have a wide torso twist range, as this would allow a stationary Catapult to provide fire support to the majority of the battlefield without changing position. Consequently, finding a justification for a reduced torso twist range is difficult. Instead, I would suggest changing the rate of torso rotation, so that the torso twist is slower. This would have a minimal impact at long range, only becoming a notable hindrance up close, where the Catapult is not meant to excel. Similarly, a reduction in the (non-torso) turn rate for the Catapult would make it less able to compete with brawlers such as the Dragon for maneuverability while 'dog fighting'.
The Catapult, being designed from the ground-up as a support 'Mech, would not be balanced for maximum maneuverability or rapid reaction, so this is compatible with canon. This also fits well with the developers' stated goal of making the performance nuances of different chassis more meaningful.
Thoughts?
Edited by Renthrak, 24 November 2012 - 02:06 AM.
