9 replies to this topic

[Necromantion]

I was wondering if it would be possible to allow the 4x to be able to loadout the same max engine size as the other cataphracts or at least up to a 280?

This thing has less firepower than an assault mech even with the decent hardpoint assortment yet moves at nearly the same speed due to the 255 max engine size.

I understand that with the hardpoints available on the 4X are probably why you guys kept the engine size down however should a pilot decide to put a bigger engine in the mech anyways it wouldnt significantly boost the firepower beyond a well specced cata build of any of the other catapracts.

I love my cats and sadly despite loving the hardpoints on the 4x i just refuse to play it since the mech is so slow compared to my other variants.

Toss in your 2 cents people!

Edited by Necromantion, 24 December 2012 - 08:59 PM.

[Necromantion]

Sorry about locking to just poll - I hadnt posted a poll before and accidentally checked the "poll only" box

/Gestures - the floor is open now people.

Willy Sauerland had a great reply to me via pm if he doesnt post it on here i will for him.

[Shi no Kami]

Actually engine size are kept down because starting engine size dictates max engine size, and starting engine size in the 4X is dictated by Canon Mech Designs.
It works just fine maxing at 255. It still does 59kph, only marginally slower than the other Phracts.

[Peiper]

My cataphract does 80kph, only marginally faster than the 4 x.

Part of the reason, I believe, has to do with the metagame. The 4x has a great layout, hardpoint-wise, and if you spead it up, it would compete with the Ilya, and they wouldn't make any money from selling it. What I mean, by the metagame, is that they don't want any mech to be the best of all things or people would only play certain mechs. (They are failing at this with ECM equipped mechs, but are generally successful with the rest of them.)

HOWEVER

There is a great deal of ill-logic going on here. I think the Awesome is the best example. The 9M, which looks structurally identical to the 8Q, can fit a much larger engine inside and this makes no sense at all. The ONLY explanation is the metagame - game balance. I really, really miss my fast 8Q laserboat and I'm sure those who used to use fast laserboat hunchbacks really miss them too. The devs felt these mechs were overpowered with such speed possible. For the same reason, the 4X is as slow as an Atlas. I guess one thing that really bugs me about the Awesome (most of them), especially now with the Stalkers out, is that an 80 ton mech cannot go any faster than an Atlas. This was OK in tabletop, because it was cheaper to field an awesome than an atlas, and you had dropweight restrictions/scenario restraints that explained it. Here, the Atlas's have just as good, or better, hardpoint layouts than the Awesomes, similar performance characteristics, be can hold 20 more tons of armor, weapons, and heatsinks. So WHY would we take an Awesome when we get so much more in an Atlas or a Stalker?

But maybe they'll make a hero version of the Awesome. I vote for the Awesome 9Q. It's a little early in the timeline for it, but all the technology is already exists now. 4 ppc's, big engine and an ECM. Now, THAT would be a fun mech!

[Demos]

I'd like when the -4x could have the 280 engine (as a maximum) like the others models.

[Donas]

Its a balancing mechanism, as previously stated. best hardpoints? has to balance somewhere. may as well be speed since the weapons it can load up on have range.

My 4x goes 48kph, and thats WITH the speed tweak. LOL. and I'm fine with it.

It has a role, and if I remember that role, I'm successful in it. If I forget it, I'm toast. Its by no means a front line brawler. Its a second line, opportunistic ambusher, that also doubles as area denial. its too slow to survive long in a scrum, but thats fine. Its not its job. What it can do, is alter the shape of the battlefield by punishing anything that pokes its head out with a demoralizing hail of AC5 fire. More people back off of my 4x, than back off of my Atlas or Awesome. It just makes people nervous to have that much Autocannon fire pounding around their cockpit. They often feel quickly compelled to move.

I get jumped by a light mech? its trouble time. hitting lights with ac5's at close range is tough, even with 2 MLAS.

All that being said? I'm perfectly happy with the engine sizes it has available right now.

[General Taskeen]

Not all Mechs need speed to survive. Its better to practice without depending on high speeds.

[Phaesphoros]

The 4x arguably has the "best hardpoints". It's energy hardpoints are in CT and the missile launcher is in HD, ouch.
Overall, the hardpoints are similar to JM6-S, while the latter doesn't have the 1-crit-slot missile launcher (ohhhhh) but FOUR energy hardpoints in the side torsos (so you can fit in LL or bigger).

Also, the 4x has really low arms as compared to JM6. It's advantages are smaller cockpit hitbox and it doesn't have the elephant ears (side torso is harder to hit). Even though, you cannot reasonably mount something bigger than an XL255 if you have 4 AC/5. IMHO, it would be nice if it had a similar max speed as the JM6, so you can equip it with <= 3 ballistics and make use of the free pay load.

[Nathan Foxbane]

Need to fix your poll again. I can select multiple answers. Unless they do a quirk for the 4X it is very unlikely that it will have a larger engine cap. With the way the engine caps work, the smaller the stock engine on a 'Mech the lower its engine cap reletive to 'Mechs of the same weight with larger stock engines.