154 replies to this topic

[Sephlock]

People keep saying the Hunchie is an urban fighter, and I get that. I know that people's eyes naturally are drawn to the asymmetrical body of the Hunchie and that they are filled with an overwhelming urge to rip off my hunch... I know that I have to either lurk amongst buildings or pop-snipe (like jump sniping, but with no jump jets) with a gauss rifle (no llas, since the Hunchie's lasers are almost universally too low on the body).

But...



I just want to spend... one day.... out there.....

Please, help the Hunchback...

Edited by Sephlock, 15 April 2013 - 01:35 PM.

[Paula Fry]

[HammerForge]

Not going to argue if you want to give Hunchies a boost, but be careful what you are asking for. I love my 4G with the AC20 and stock engine. Yeah, she's a slow mover, so I stay behind the Assaults till the furball begins, then I move out from their shadow and unleash the big gun. But you need to keep your wits about you, this is not a lady that like to wade out into the middle of a large battle, skirt the sides, use buildings, mountains or even other mechs as cover, and hit hard when you have a target. It amazes me how often I seem to become a priority target when the other team realizes just how much a AC20 hurts.

[5th Fedcom Rat]

The hunchback (all variants taken together) is the worst medium mech in the game. I only got into them because I dig their look. In battletech lore, it's supposed to be a brawler but it's far too squishy in this game for that. Parts start falling off it if someone looks at it the wrong way.

People say you need to play it right by shadowing an atlas yada yada etc. Fact is, ANY mech can do that and be successful. More successful than a hunchback. If I shadow an atlas in my Jager or Phract, we'll beat any atlas + hunchback combo we encounter with a minimum of paint loss on our side. Same if I shadow an atlas in my trebuchet or cicada (because those have the speed and survivability to get behind the thing the atlas is shooting at, unlike the hunchback).

I measure a mech's value based on whether I can solo half the enemy team (4 mechs) alone and win. I've done it in most of my mechs. Don't think it's possible in my hunchbacks which die so easily yet unlike a light don't have the speed to get in or escape.

I've mentioned in other threads that the obvious, easy to implement buff for the hunchbacks is to up the maximum armor levels off all variants (except maybe the 4SP). Allow it to carry heavy mech levels of armor, especially in the torso. This will allow it to better fill its intended lore role of close-range urban slugger mech. With extra armor, XL engines become viable (why are they viable in a cataphract but not a hunchback?).

To summarize: armor is the way to make the hunchs stand out from faster mediums/lights. The armor of a heavy mech in the package of a medium. THAT would be a 4G/4H/4J/4P worth owning.

.

Edited by 5th Fedcom Rat, 15 April 2013 - 10:37 PM.

[King Arthur IV]

i feel that the hunch needs alil love. it might have to do with the fact its the slowest in its class.

edit:
after reading some other opinions, armor could also be a factor because as it stands its armor is nearly equal to some of its class counter parts.
slow and nearly same armor = i pick the others to play.

Edited by King Arthur IV, 15 April 2013 - 10:05 PM.

[Corbon Zackery]

Hunchbacks are fine based on play I did tonight it looks like aim-bots are back in full swing. Just a rumor based on tonight's buggie gameplay.

[White Bear 84]

IMO the only currently viable variants are the 4SP and 4P, otherwise the hunch just offers a disadvantage in relation to other mechs... ...id rather stick ballistics in a catapult!

[Solis Obscuri]

I love my Hunchies, but the enormous hitbox in the one side torso that holds almost all of the armament is a bit of a liability in all models but the SP.

I also think that damage transfer through the destroyed side torsos is bugged in the Centurion, and that makes the Hunchie seem disproportionately worse by comparison.

[Bromineberry]

5th Fedcom Rat, on 15 April 2013 - 09:41 PM, said:

I've mentioned in other threads that the obvious, easy to implement buff for the hunchbacks is to up the maximum armor levels off all variants (except maybe the 4SP). Allow it to carry heavy mech levels of armor, especially in the torso. This will allow it to better fill its intended lore role of close-range urban slugger mech. With extra armor, XL engines become viable (why are they viable in a cataphract but not a hunchback?).

To summarize: armor is the way to make the hunchs stand out from faster mediums/lights. The armor of a heavy mech in the package of a medium. THAT would be a 4G/4H/4J/4P worth owning.

I always wondered, why PGI gave every mech in the same weight group the same max total armor. Yes, sometimes the distribution changes from mech to mech, but in the End, every medium mech that weighs 50 tons has a maximum armor of 338.

[ego1607]

Yes, hunch needs a bit of improvement. Perhaps not even a boost in speed as much as in maneuverability and even size reduction. As it is, it's just too fragile for a brawl and too slow for hit and run. Only thing you can do is hide and pop a few suckerpunches before someone notices you and smokes you.

[Noesis]

I would say most Mediums have been slightly undervalued as per the applied engine restrictions. Hopefully with the improvements with host state rewind initiatives it may allow a rethink on the engine values for them.

I'm more of a mind at the moment that the Dragon can in most cases be a more preferential Mech choice atm as a result.

[Errant Variable]

I'm of the mind that the ballistic Hunchbacks are weak due to the overall weakness of 12 crits of ballistic weapons. An AC20 is mean, but not as outright terrifying as it was when the mech was designed.

Conversely, the 4SP is a consummate brawler, and the 'bazooka of doom' effect from the 4P makes it an excellent murderbot (5 kills 3 assists 600 damage in my last match, above average but not horribly so, and definitely piloting under the influence.) (average 316 damage/match and 1.4 KDR if you think that is relevant, and I'm not a great pilot)

tl;dr AC20 and Gauss should be more evil. The Hunchback, in and of itself, is pretty OK. Also we need a Hollander.

[ego1607]

Errant Variable, on 16 April 2013 - 03:02 AM, said:

I'm of the mind that the ballistic Hunchbacks are weak due to the overall weakness of 12 crits of ballistic weapons. An AC20 is mean, but not as outright terrifying as it was when the mech was designed.

Conversely, the 4SP is a consummate brawler, and the 'bazooka of doom' effect from the 4P makes it an excellent murderbot (5 kills 3 assists 600 damage in my last match, above average but not horribly so, and definitely piloting under the influence.) (average 316 damage/match and 1.4 KDR if you think that is relevant, and I'm not a great pilot)

tl;dr AC20 and Gauss should be more evil. The Hunchback, in and of itself, is pretty OK. Also we need a Hollander.

If AC20 was more evil, then dual AC builds would get ridiculously evil.

Edited by ego1607, 16 April 2013 - 03:08 AM.

[sC4r]

would be nice if they made mechs a bit different in roles they are supposed to do like ehm:

centurion: fast-legged striker/ light hunter
trenchbucket: jump firesupport/ fast light hunter
hunchback: more armored, heavy weapons platform/support for larger mechs

like lets not stick every mech to same armor values... or at least make differences in armor distribution
take a look at cent and hunch... now ask yourself which one of them could have more armor on torso and which one on arm?
hunch with its pinky arms wouldnt have that much in them... but in that RIDICULOUS torso i would expect much more armor than now

[Denno]

In my fatty I would almost rather fight 2 Hunchies than 1 broken hitbox Cent or jumping Treb.