15 replies to this topic

[mack sabbath]

So why is the Atlas our only 100 ton mech still? We keep getting all other weights, but never a Hero mech or ANY other mech that weighs 100 tons.

Has PGI dropped any hints as to if they are considering this at all?

[Josef Nader]

I'd kill for a certain 100 ton mech...

Spoiler

[mack sabbath]

Josef Nader, on 03 July 2013 - 05:04 AM, said:

I'd kill for a certain 100 ton mech...

Spoiler

LOL!

I'd settle for any 100 toner that doesn't look humanoid like an Atlas.

[MeiSooHaityu]

It does seem like the Atlas is one of the very few 100 ton Assaults in BT. Heck, my friends and I bought the table top starter kit because of MWO, and the Atlas is the only 100 ton Assault in that set (and brutal at that).

IMO, the Atlas is awesome because it is humanoid. It isn't just powerful, but the design plays head games with the enemy. Actually one of those definitive Battletech designs.

P.S. I don't play an Atlas, but I can appreciate it.

[SgtMagor]

I'd be happy with a Banshee 95tons.

[Lucky 7]

Josef Nader, on 03 July 2013 - 05:04 AM, said:

I'd kill for a certain 100 ton mech...

Spoiler

Yes please please

[Lyoncet]

I'd like to see the Annihilator, if for no reason other than to make base capping utterly impossible.

[Silchas Ruin79]

Cant wait for the clan 100 tonners! Dire Wolf would be great... If it doesn't get nerfed for being op. Don't think i'll ever see it but the Stone Rhino (Behemoth) is a decent, different looking assault mech as well.

[XX Sulla XX]

I think they want to figure out what to do with very hi alpha strikes first before adding any more 100 ton mechs. The atlas tends to limit pinpoint alpha strikes by the type of loadouts you can use. But other 100 ton mechs would let you do things like 3 AC20s.

[Shakespeare]

exactly. The Atlas usually doesn't bring as much firepower to the battle as a Stalker, or even a Highlander - the idea is to use those 100 tonnes to outlast the enemy through huge amounts of Armor and unending weapon salvos. Longevity is its biggest strength. The relatively limited weapon hardpoints makes it easier to build a heat-efficient mech.

Basically, a stalker brings so many guns that, if in a prolonged fight, you overheat, it was probably worth it. Overheat in an Atlas? You're doing it wrong.

[Spheroid]

They don't exist in the game because assaults were rare during the Succession Wars and their modern brethren have not been invented or don't have the requisite three variants to be added yet.

[Angel of Annihilation]

100 ton IS mechs:

King Crab
Imp
Annihilator
Marauder II

All very unique looking but massive boating platforms every one of them aside from the Marauder II which we won't see due to it being a Marauder.

King Crab stock loadout is 2 AC/20s, 1 LL and a LRM 15. This one actually would be the best choice because we already have several Dual AC/20, Dual Gauss platforms in the so it likely wouldn't break the current meta. Also very unique look.

Imp is my personal favorite because it looks like a big "Death Sphere" on legs but it has 7 energy and 1 missile hard point stock and we would definately see 6 PPC versions of it with enough heatsinks to cool them since it is a 100 ton mech.

The Annihilator is just ridiculous and would also break the game. I would have a total of 4 Ballastic hardpoints spread out over 4 different location plus has 4 energy hardpoints. You could probably have a Quad Gauss build on this plus maybe a PPC or two for good measure.....all firing on 10 DHS hehe. It is however SLOW with a capital SLOW at 32 kp/h, but Quad Gauss + maybe a couple PPCs would make up for that I am sure.

The Marauder II is the best fit for the game....However since it looks almost exactly like the Marauder and has the same name, Harmony Gold would have a cow if it was added.

[Sephlock]

Josef Nader, on 03 July 2013 - 05:04 AM, said:

I'd kill for a certain 100 ton mech...

Spoiler

[MeiSooHaityu]

Shakespeare, on 03 July 2013 - 08:27 AM, said:

The Atlas usually doesn't bring as much firepower to the battle as a Stalker, or even a Highlander...

Maybe, but I'm not 100% sure that is right. The Atlas tends not to be specialized in any one type of loadout (no energy, ballistic, or missile boat Atlas). It basically has some of everything. I think it feels like less firepower to some because they can't boat (and alpha) a lot of one high power weapon.

Not saying that is worse or better, just saying that I think it is harder to use to put down the big damage numbers because you have to manage many different weapon types (something most people don't want to deal with). Most want to "Fire all the Lazors!" or "Fire all the PeePeeSees!" and that is it, they don't want to fire an a few LLasers, couple SRM6s, and follow up with an A/C20...too much work LOL.

[mindwarp]

100t mechs are just incredibly rare in Battletech. Of the thousands of mechs available to the Inner Sphere, there's only a handful of 100 tonners. Up to 3067 we have the King Crab, Atlas, Imp, Marauder II, Berserker, Grand Titan, Devastator, Mackie, Pillager, Thunder Hawk, Annihilator, Fafnir and Vanquisher. And most of those are well out of the current timeline or don't offer enough variants to be in the game. The clans have even fewer 100t mechs - Daishi, Behemoth, Kraken, Kodiak and Scylla.

The 100t mechs are usually considered too expensive and inefficient - 90 and 95t mechs can often mount equivalent firepower and almost the same protection in a much cheaper package. And the fast 100t mechs are stupidly expensive - the Berserker costs an insane 32 million c-bills stock. As much as an entire lance of four high quality heavy mechs.

Don't expect many more 100t mechs - they're either out of the timeline or stupidly broken under MWO rules.

*edit* And you'd better hope the Kraken never makes it in the game. Its primary variant packs a whopping 10 AC/2's and 4 MGs.

Edited by mindwarp, 03 July 2013 - 10:21 AM.

[Angel of Annihilation]

MeiSooHaityu, on 03 July 2013 - 10:01 AM, said:

Maybe, but I'm not 100% sure that is right. The Atlas tends not to be specialized in any one type of loadout (no energy, ballistic, or missile boat Atlas). It basically has some of everything. I think it feels like less firepower to some because they can't boat (and alpha) a lot of one high power weapon.

Not saying that is worse or better, just saying that I think it is harder to use to put down the big damage numbers because you have to manage many different weapon types (something most people don't want to deal with). Most want to "Fire all the Lazors!" or "Fire all the PeePeeSees!" and that is it, they don't want to fire an a few LLasers, couple SRM6s, and follow up with an A/C20...too much work LOL.

Your on to something here that I have been saying for a while now. You don't have to boat to be effective. For example I have been dropping in the Atlas RC "trial" mech several times since yesterday and have just been totally dominating the matches I am in. I have a stupidly high 9.00 K/D ratio in it and averaging over 400 damage per match. Now I know that is because of some lucky matches and the K/D ratio it will/would drop if I ran in for 40-50 matches but that this just illustrates the an Altas with mixed weaponry can put out tons of damage and get the kills just as good as any other mech in the game.

However it does require more skill and effort than lining up quad PPCs and pulling the trigger or locking on and launching 100 LRMs at the target.

I mean lets face it, ease of use can most definately replace skill to increase effectiveness....at least up to a point.

Here is a great example. AK-47 vs M16. Both are just as effective as one another if you apply the "spray and pray" mechanic. In fact if you use this easy mode method of firing, you would be MORE effective with the AK-47 than the M16. However if you apply skill to the weapons, there is a huge difference. With proper aiming, the M16 is probably 10x more accurate at 300m thus much, MUCH more effective.

The point here is boating is like the AK-47, it is just really easy to boat up one weapon type, have one crosshair to line up on a target and then push the button to fire, therefore it is the easiest way to increase your effectiveness. Having to manage multiple weapon systems, with multiple aim points and diverse range profiles requires ALOT more skill but can easily be just as effective if not moreso than boating.