11 replies to this topic

[Shadey99]

So I was thinking about the Flea and Orion (as well as other possible mechs) and I had some questions that I wondered about...

First why would anyone want a 20 ton, 97 kph mech with no jump jets...? That standard 120 engine is funny, do they even go that low at the moment? It also has no arms at all in canon, though It looks like the MWO interpretation in the concept art has 'weapon arms' which I guess are the FLE-17's MPLs.

The 'common' model the FLE-17 has MASC to get it to a more reasonable 128ish kph, but also has another issue... A pair of rear firing small lasers. Not only can we not see behind us in MWO, as far as I know rear firing weapons aren't even an option. Which makes me question how they plan to put it in game... On the upside 5 energy hard points

The FLE-4 does mount a LL, but is known for having no real armor and no MASC so it's speed maxes at 97 kph.

The FLE-14 is a 15 ton mech design... It could hit a whopping 150 kph without having MASC, but had a single ML and a single ton of armor... I can't imagine PGI would give us this guy... If so it's for the lulz...

The FLE-14 is viable... sort of... No MASC so 97 kph again with paired MLs, paired SLs, paired MGs, and a flamer.

People already complain about the Locust being useless, the flea is pretty much a joke (It was in TT as well). I'd take a Hornet first (Which is a 4 variant 5 tube missile carrying 20 ton, no masc though) or the Mercury (Which also has 3 variants and is a energy weapon mech, the 97 even runs MASC like the Flea but to hit 172 kph). Or the unseen Wasp or stinger would both work as well. The flea just seems like a strange choice.

[Bishop Steiner]

90% of "Stock" Builds suck compared to "Optimized" ones. And so do the other 10%.

Rear firing weapons get switched to the front, just as leg mounted ones get moved to the torso.

[Waking One]

What the bishop said, most stock builds suck anyway and weapons get moved. I reckon if tiny enough the 5 energy flea is going to be a gigantic pain in the *** (same for the locust when it comes out). Rest of them not so much.

[Bishop Steiner]

"the" Bishop?

Hmmm..... either I am getting infamous enough to merit being known as "THE", or someone thinks this is a title?

[Enervation]

I dont see how you wouldnt be famous with almost 6k posts. That and your art is pretty freaking awesome
I think the energy based, tiny and rocket fast Flea is going to have all the effectiveness of the small laser jenners, but with a much smaller target to drag your crosshairs over.

[Belorion]

Bishop Steiner, on 18 July 2013 - 06:31 AM, said:

"the" Bishop?

Hmmm..... either I am getting infamous enough to merit being known as "THE", or someone thinks this is a title?

A little more notoriety and you might move up to "The Steiner".

[Shadey99]

Yes... stock tends to suck, but... they do tell us what the hard points are/will be and the stock and the standard gear.

The FLE-17 has 5 energy hard points (2 MPL, 1 FLM, 2 SL) and the MASC gear (however that system will work in MWO).
The FLE-4 has 4 energy hard points (1 LL, 2 SL, 1 FLM).
The FLE-14 has 1 energy hard point (1 ML) and jump jets. Though I doubt we will see this one.
The FLE-15 has 2 ballistic hard points (2 MG) and 5 energy hard points (2 ML, 2 SL, 1 FLM).

It's also likely to have a low engine cap (Maybe equal to the Commando with it's 210, but probably less maybe a 180?). Then there is the armor, while the 17 does have 3 tons to match the 5S commando it was known to have paper thin armor (less than a locust) in all it's varients.

Something like the Mercury on the other hand:

MCY-97 offers 2 EHP (Energy Hard Points), MASC, and a BAP standard.
MCY-98 offers 4 EHP with no MASC.
MCY-99 offers 4 EHP with MASC.
MCY-102 offers a C3, MASC, and 2 EHP.

Or the Hornet:

151 1 MHP (5 tube), 2 EHP, & JJs.
152 1 MHP (4 tube), 2 EHP, & JJs.
161 1 MHP (5 tube), 2 EHP, & JJs. ES & FF standard.
171 1 MHP (5 tube), 1 AMS, 1 EHP & JJs. ES & FF standard.

It just seems to me like there were better options for a 20 ton... That's ignoring the Locust and it's dozens of variants even in 3050...

[Belorion]

The Flea is just gonna rock. Don't even pretend its not.

[Enervation]

I see your point with the mech selection, although for the Mercury i would like to point out only the 99 and the 102 are still in production, and it is on a production plant on Terra... meaning any lostech designs are going to be kept close to Comstar's chest.
The only other production plant that produced it was destroyed in the first succession war, and nearly all of the existing mechs were taken during the Exodus before that, so the Merc is effectively out for general consumption.

It's a similar story for the Hornet. A vast majority of the Hornets in use are part of the Wolf's Dragoons (a clan based mercenary group) and the only innersphere production plant is on Wernke; which (right now) only produces the 151. The 171 will not enter production for another year and the 161 is identical to the 151 (looks closely at the varient description, it's just fielded by the Wolf's dragoons), leaving the Hornet with a grand total of 1 varient.

All this information is availible on Sarna, feel free to check it out yourself.

[Shadey99]

Enervation, on 18 July 2013 - 07:41 AM, said:

I see your point with the mech selection, although for the Mercury i would like to point out only the 99 and the 102 are still in production, and it is on a production plant on Terra... meaning any lostech designs are going to be kept close to Comstar's chest.
The only other production plant that produced it was destroyed in the first succession war, and nearly all of the existing mechs were taken during the Exodus before that, so the Merc is effectively out for general consumption.

It's a similar story for the Hornet. A vast majority of the Hornets in use are part of the Wolf's Dragoons (a clan based mercenary group) and the only innersphere production plant is on Wernke; which (right now) only produces the 151. The 171 will not enter production for another year and the 161 is identical to the 151 (looks closely at the varient description, it's just fielded by the Wolf's dragoons), leaving the Hornet with a grand total of 1 varient.

All this information is availible on Sarna, feel free to check it out yourself.

True, by lore only the Dragoons fielded alot of Hornet's (Though the 171 from Wernke is a 3050 Federated Commonwealth design) and the Mercury was only really in the hands of the comguard (and they were not exactly 'open' at this time). Oh and btw the HNT-161 is much like a standard 151, but with FF, ES, and maxed JJs it's kind of like a bridge between the 171 and 151 with leaping like the spider 5V.

However their is nothing inherent in either design that would keep PGI from including them in the current era. Both appear in the 3050 Technical Readout (And 2750). Which btw is my source material, I have the original 1990's vintage TOs (2750, 3050, 3055, 3058).

I mean if we go by who fielded them in numbers the commando is fielded by the Federated Commonwealth, the Spider by the Free World's League, The Jenner to The Draconis Combine, and the Raven is House Liao. We'd have a much more complex game if we restricted who had what mechs... ^_-

Also I think the Black Knight would be a better 75-ton choice then the Orion, but I've said enough for now.

Edited by Shadey99, 18 July 2013 - 11:37 AM.

[Enervation]

Maybe we will see the Black knight appear later, i strongly feel that the 75 ton weight class is the strongest bracket and definately needs more than one mech. More so even than the "workhorse" 50 ton bracket which got 3 mechs (so far).

Edited by Enervation, 18 July 2013 - 05:04 PM.

[Shadey99]

Enervation, on 18 July 2013 - 04:12 PM, said:

Maybe we will see the Black knight appear later, i strongly feel that the 75 ton weight class is the strongest bracket and definately needs more than one mech. More so even than the "workhorse" 50 ton bracket which got 3 mechs (so far).

Well the classic mechs in the 'upper heavy' camp are the Marauder (75t), Warhammer (70t), & Archer (70t). I can make a Catapult fill the archers role (and even mirror the ARC-5R if I mount a XL engine), but I think people would pay for any of these three to play with. Also Shimmering Sword has been working with the current publishers of BT on updated designs for all 3 (At least the Maruader is already in use I believe). You can find the artwork on Deviant Art if you haven't seen it.

I know I'm crazy enough I'd drop $20 on a Maruader...Or an Archer... or a Warhammer... xD