36 replies to this topic

[Uziel Tesshin]

I'm gonna say yes. Mainly because I haven't seen the AxMan in a game before. Plus you can still fight when you run out of ammo or your weapons are disabled. But to balance this, melee attacks aside from axes/clubs can do damage to the attacker as well as being a bit tricky to master.
What's your take on this?

[CaveMan]

Maybe. Depends on how it would be implemented. I don't want an axe that fires like a gun.

[Zephemus]

I'm going to definitely say yes to this one, I'd love to see an Atlas run around with a gigantic sword or something.

Maybe more of close range combat maneuvers like ramming, kicking or stomping since not all mechs have anthropomorphic arms,

[Caldrin]

Gonna have to say no no this, never played the mechwarrior tabletop game so dont know whats in it or anything.. but when it comes to the PC games I cant remember there ever being any melee combat and i think it should stay the same in this.

Mechs having big axes and swords just reminds me too much of some kind of *** catroon and i really hate those..

Sure ramming another mech to try and knock it over could be a good tactic but of course that would damage you as well..

[Victor Shields]

Yes. It was part of the BT lore as a valid strategy against Clanners. Mech factories designed mechs around this and House Kurita and Steiner took this arms race a step further.

I agree it should not be a 'gun' but more of a 1 melee attack per round (whatever that is going to be). If they add solaris type match modes then even more so please!

This also allows a 'purchase' option for players to unlock or quickly access melee type mechs.

Shields

[Hagan]

I'll say yes, eventually. Thing about hand to hand combat is that it takes a few seconds to maneuver and swing the mechs arms/weapon in order to build up momentum and power to damage/penetrate armour. This should definitely be a a mixed mechanic (In game skill and personal skill) to use, let alone master and something that is uncommon amongst mechwarriors.

In the city scape, close ranged fights they are hoping for it would be ideal, but when using weapons like axes it should be noted that if you mis-judge the attack you could end up burying the weapon into a building rather than a mech by accident, delaying its recovery and your maneuvering for several seconds whilst you rip it out of the rubble.

Just a thought.

[Stormwolf]

I say yes, I can't believe that people would pass up the chance to pilot a Hatchetman or Axman.

They'd also somewhat level the playingfield against Clan mechs.

[milz]

Definitly a YES!
Of course no one wants to see some Atlas' fencing with giant swords looking like dumb Power Rangers Mega zords...but it schould be possible to get advantage of sneaking up behind some bigger Mech with your e.g. Scout.
Pushing someone down a steep hill should result in big damage...i mean there is a lot of kinetical force in a fast moving body of 75 Tons!!! If you kann knock on of the bigge ones over, their own weight should result in big damage to the arm he fells on for example!

And if you got an Atlas hammering his fist onto the cabin of a Madcat or so, should this be fatal as well.

So:
Melee YES, Big fencing stuff NO - Instant Knife kills like in CS 1.6? Only if a super weight mech stomps on a scout ore something like that

[CaveMan]

My big concern with melee weapons is if Triple Strength Myomer is implemented it could break the game. Imagine everyone running around with 7/11 60-tonners dealing enough damage with a hatchet strike to bash in the other guy's cockpit in one go.

[ice trey]

I think we've touched on this many times.

Do we want it? Yes, for the most part.

Is it possible to do it without making it feel clunky or tacked-on? I doubt it.

Would we want it as a gameplay element if it were clunky and badly done? I can at least speak for myself when I say "No". If they can make it feel natural to the keyboard + Mouse layout, than sure. If it's something clunky like "Press V or F11", then I'll be glad if we do without.

[Twilight]

If it's coded and implemented right? Yes.

Melee should not become a one hit kill mechanic like in Modern Warfare or Battlefield games. The reason for this is it completely invalidates brawling range mechanics when an Excalibur can jump-jet forward and "hit you with his sword".

To be honest? I'd like to see contextual situations, depending on the battlemech one is piloting, where an option becomes available to perform a melee attack. (Think Deus Ex, for example.) For an Axeman, it may be press action key to swing your axe, for a Warhammer, it may be an option to ram it's PPC into the torso of a mech and fire a point blank shot, or ram it's shoulder into another mech. The system could take the speed of the battlemech currently being piloted, the speed and mass of the other battlemech, and the skill scores of the pilots to determine the hit and damage done, up to a certain cap. It should also be based on the weight of the mech - an Atlas punching a cougar, for example, should do more damage than a Valkyrie punching an Awesome.

Either this, or moving the pilot into a third person view to coordinate the use of a melee weapon, such as an Axe or Sword.

This, and actuated arms which interact with the environment around it, would take intense codeing and testing to implement properly, but would be an interesting addition and a welcome and refreshing mechanic.

[Hagan]

At the very least there should be an impact mechanic.

If an assault mech moving at flank speed rams a stationary mech of similar or lower weight, there should be some sort of knock back or staggering mechanic due to the impacts. Same for light mech pilot s who run head long into buildings because they misjudged a turn, etc.

As long as they have at least that in, then Close Combat is at least an option for a later update.

[Kynlore]

Absolutely not. Not a fan of mechs with melee weapons.

[Black Sunder]

Only those mechs who had melee weapons to start with should have them as they were designed for them. Melee weapons should take damage for every hit they give and eventually not be useable anymore.

[RangerRob]

Yes please.

TT damage system works. Damage done based on weight of the mech. Give all physicals a global cool down just like weapons.

Punch...wait for cool down...Kick...wait for cool down...hatchet....wait for cool down...etc.

Keep their DPS roughly the same as an equivalent weapon. Atlas Punch = Inner Sphere PPC. Hunchback Punch = IS Med. Laser.

I think of Physicals like gravy for the dinner. Not the main course...but adds to the meal.
Even on mechs that have Hatchets or Swords...you are going to have to work to get close enough to use the thing.
Chances are you could do more damage with that same tonnage with ranged weapons over the same period of time, that it takes for you to close with your opponent.
Besides...the only one that will close with you is another Hatchet/Sword armed mech...most everyone else will throw it into reverse and try to drop you on the your way in.

Edited by RangerRob, 08 November 2011 - 06:48 AM.

[Zakatak]

I support Axman!

Also, physical damage should not only be done by "melee weapons". If a 70 ton Thor jumps from a high cliff and lands on a Jenner at 86.4kp/h, then the result should be a mech with broken legs and another with a smashed cockpit.

Edited by Zakatak, 08 November 2011 - 06:47 AM.

[Adridos]

Yes, but just on those specified mechs. It won't fit on a Daishi, or Commando. Just those two as a speciality for IS lovers, because Clans get all the good gear. But they would have to make it balanced to the top notch, so there won't be something as Hatchetman is OP, or that melees are useless. It is a bit hard to implement, so I would only consider it as a bonus in the weeks before Clan invasion and only if they can fullfill my reqiurements, which means, it will probably stay just as a suggestion.

Edited by adridos, 08 November 2011 - 07:09 AM.

[Hunter McGee]

Maybe should have made this thread a Poll.

YES YES YES on melee, it's in the rules, always has been but the previous versions of the game and designers were to scared to incorporate it, or maybe the actual computer technology wasn't there. Now it is!

And for those of you not wanting to use melee, then don't. But why should you ban the rest of us from using it just because you don't want to.

As for me, I plan on putting an axe in the left hand of my EXT Exterminator as soon as I can. (If the Exterminator is in game.) Freddy Kreuger, Jason, and Michael Meyers have nothing on me.

[Red Pins]

Its gonna need work. Mind you, it could be really fun. But worrying about fast mechs with TSM and axes is a no-brainer. As long as they follow canon, the Hatchetman and Axman are the only mechs available at the time - both Lyran/Fedrat or FedCom.

[Joseph Mallan]

Rarely used a Physical weapon. I would use a Mace over an Axe. Love the bashing damage!

Edited by Joseph Mallan, 08 November 2011 - 07:42 AM.