50 replies to this topic

[Hans Von Lohman]

We have already seen this with the Atlas, one of the first, if not the first mech PGI made for their game.

Atlas now has customizable weapon models that swap in and out when you install a weapon.

Since the Project Phoenix mechs are coming out all at once for paying customers the fact that they're coming out each month for free players is sort of a window of opportunity for PGI. They're obviously already finished and ready for play, but since they're being dealt out one at a time there has to be some free time available for the art team guys at PGI.

I expect that the next few months will all be a Phoenix mech each month for C-bills, and then a hero of an existing mech that also means that chassis finally gets the visible weapon treatment as well.

That is my hope anyways. I don't like having some mechs have that feature and some not having it.

Edited by Hans Von Lohman, 10 October 2013 - 03:45 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Hans Von Lohman, on 10 October 2013 - 03:44 PM, said:

We have already seen this with the Atlas, one of the first, if not the first mech PGI made for their game.

Atlas now has customizable weapon models that swap in and out when you install a weapon.

Since the Project Phoenix mechs are coming out all at once for paying customers the fact that they're coming out each month for free players is sort of a window of opportunity for PGI. They're obviously already finished and ready for play, but since they're being dealt out one at a time there has to be some free time available for the art team guys at PGI.

I expect that the next few months will all be a Phoenix mech each month for C-bills, and then a hero of an existing mech that also means that chassis finally gets the visible weapon treatment as well.

That is my hope anyways. I don't like having some mechs have that feature and some not having it.

I would prefer they spend the time finishing up the UI2.0, CW and getting the Clans ready for launch.

[Carrioncrows]

Bishop Steiner, on 10 October 2013 - 03:59 PM, said:

I would prefer they spend the time finishing up the UI2.0, CW and getting the Clans ready for launch.

i agree with everything he said except for the clans, may they be 2-3 years out from this day forward and / also never.

Every Battletech game in the known universe goes down the toilet the moment the clans come out and balance goes to hell and eventually people just give up on the I.S. or developers give up on the game and wait 5 years to make it all over again.

I get that most people cut their teeth on the clans and it's apart of your childhood but i am just not on the Clan-wagon.

I prefer to enjoy my Inner Sphere, soo many more mechs with better design and more unique roles.

Edit: Also new catch phrase "Clan-Wagon" it's fun to say.

Edited by Carrioncrows, 10 October 2013 - 06:30 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Carrioncrows, on 10 October 2013 - 04:18 PM, said:

i agree with everyone he said except for the clans, may they be 2-3 years out from this day forward and / also never.

Every Battletech game in the known universe goes down the toilet the moment the clans come out and balance goes to hell and eventually people just give up on the I.S. or developers give up on the game and wait 5 years to make it all over again.

I get that most people cut their teeth on the clans and it's apart of your childhood but i am just not on the Clan-wagon.

I prefer to enjoy my Inner Sphere, soo many more mechs with better design and more unique roles.

If they would hit the official reset to 3039, I'd be OK. And the forum QQ would be delicious...... Wheres my Madcat! Wheres my Uziel, whine, sniffle cry.

That said, since they unfortunately ARE coming, I'd rather have them done right and have 4-16 Clan MEchs ready at inception. The "Invasion" would like mighty odd if they introduce 1 at a time, with either Clan units all made of the same mech or mixed with IS, ya know?

[Carrioncrows]

Bishop Steiner, on 10 October 2013 - 04:20 PM, said:

If they would hit the official reset to 3039, I'd be OK. And the forum QQ would be delicious...... Wheres my Madcat! Wheres my Uziel, whine, sniffle cry.

That said, since they unfortunately ARE coming, I'd rather have them done right and have 4-16 Clan MEchs ready at inception. The "Invasion" would like mighty odd if they introduce 1 at a time, with either Clan units all made of the same mech or mixed with IS, ya know?

I have no doubt there will be another founders pack. The Phoenix pack should fuel them for another year or so which they can use to make the clan pack.

So 6 months to a year before the "Clan-Wagon' is unleashed for purchase. They may even start pre-orders as early as December since that is just good marketing to slip it in just in time for christmas and then delivered in may since that's the next open slot for a mech to be released.

Locust - October
Shadowhawk - November
Tbolt- December
Battlemaster - Jan
Wolverine - Feb
Griffin - March
Flea - April
May - unknown

I guess I will have to wait on my Javelin, Vindicator and Grasshopper.

[Bishop Steiner]

Carrioncrows, on 10 October 2013 - 04:28 PM, said:

I have no doubt there will be another founders pack. The Phoenix pack should fuel them for another year or so which they can use to make the clan pack.

So 6 months to a year before the "Clan-Wagon' is unleashed for purchase. They may even start pre-orders as early as December since that is just good marketing to slip it in just in time for christmas and then delivered in may since that's the next open slot for a mech to be released.

Locust - October
Shadowhawk - November
Tbolt- December
Battlemaster - Jan
Wolverine - Feb
Griffin - March
Flea - April
May - unknown

I guess I will have to wait on my Javelin, Vindicator and Grasshopper.

and my Firestarter, Urbanmech, Enforcer, King Crab, etc.

[Biglead]

Boobies.

[Deathlike]

I think they will take their time updating the mechs, but only to add the modifiable hardpoints to existing ones that don't.

I don't think they are going to spend that much time adjusting mech scale (they have yet to do that to date, perhaps it was done in closed beta, but I'm not aware of that)... more likely to adjust hitboxes at best.

I had suggested this idea before, but seeing how as they are just going to spend more time on clan mechs, that would take up their time as well.

[General Taskeen]

Bishop Steiner, on 10 October 2013 - 04:20 PM, said:

If they would hit the official reset to 3039, I'd be OK. And the forum QQ would be delicious...... Wheres my Madcat! Wheres my Uziel, whine, sniffle cry.

Not sure why there should be a reset though. I'd rather they add Mechs from every Era and make Private Matching a priority for custom Era battles. That way there is fun to be had by all!

[Ghogiel]

It makes perfect sense for them to do that as far as we know no other mechs are going to be released in the next 4 months, those dev's certainly aren't going to be idle the whole time and they aren't going to suddenly get a degree level knowledge off C++ or network systems over night and work on that side of development.

[Jin Ma]

i'm guessing these upcoming months will have hero versions of catapult, jenner, and hunchback. along with added customization

[NRP]

I doubt PGI will invest much resources in revising existing mechs. It would take a lot of man hours, and there's just no money in it. Being Free to Play probably means they need to monetize everything they do. I know some people won't like it or understand it, but it is a business reality.

[Jin Ma]

Bishop Steiner, on 10 October 2013 - 03:59 PM, said:

I would prefer they spend the time finishing up the UI2.0, CW and getting the Clans ready for launch.

they have said somehwere they were going to work on the clan mechs now that thye are 4 mechs ahead. still i would like to see some updates to catapult, hunchie, cataphract etc etc.

[Gaan Cathal]

Jin Ma, on 10 October 2013 - 04:58 PM, said:

i'm guessing these upcoming months will have hero versions of catapult, jenner, and hunchback. along with added customization

I want my ******* Hero Raven. All those have sodding Founders {Scrap} already.

[Hans Von Lohman]

Bishop Steiner, on 10 October 2013 - 03:59 PM, said:

I would prefer they spend the time finishing up the UI2.0, CW and getting the Clans ready for launch.

????

Do you not know how software development works? CW and UI 2.0 don't have anything to do with 3D model making. Clans are a whole different problem as well, as for how to balance them and set their stats.

Again, none of that has anything to do with 3D art. It is like saying they need to fix your buildings plumbing because the car mechanics at the company are done and should be free to do that.

[Bishop Steiner]

Hans Von Lohman, on 10 October 2013 - 06:12 PM, said:

????

Do you not know how software development works? CW and UI 2.0 don't have anything to do with 3D model making. Clans are a whole different problem as well, as for how to balance them and set their stats.

Again, none of that has anything to do with 3D art. It is like saying they need to fix your buildings plumbing because the car mechanics at the company are done and should be free to do that.

Um, let's see. The CLANS WILL REQUIRE MODELS, OMG!?!?!?!?!?!?! Since, like they already said the reason they needed this gap was to do.... oh yeah everything I just mentioned.

[Gaan Cathal]

Hans Von Lohman, on 10 October 2013 - 06:12 PM, said:

Do you not know how software development works? CW and UI 2.0 don't have anything to do with 3D model making. Clans are a whole different problem as well, as for how to balance them and set their stats.

Again, none of that has anything to do with 3D art. It is like saying they need to fix your buildings plumbing because the car mechanics at the company are done and should be free to do that.

Whilst you're right on the whole, I think it's worth pointing out that PGI clearly don't consider the actual size, geometry or hitboxes of a mech when doing the balance phase of design, so the 3D artists can be getting on with an Awesome-sized Stormcrow irrespective of what the design team are doing.


That said, based on the release of the Boar's Head, I imagine we'll be seeing Hero+Weapon Morphs updates on existing mechs on a monthly basis ongoing, in tandem with new mech development.

Edited by Gaan Cathal, 10 October 2013 - 06:29 PM.

[Spheroid]

Gaan Cathal, on 10 October 2013 - 06:27 PM, said:

Whilst you're right on the whole, I think it's worth pointing out that PGI clearly don't consider the actual size, geometry or hitboxes of a mech when doing the balance phase of design, so the 3D artists can be getting on with an Awesome-sized Stormcrow irrespective of what the design team are doing.

The original Clan mechs were all done as full blown orthographic designs cica 1990. There really should be no surprises regarding scale between any of the sixteen Clan mechs.

[Gaan Cathal]

Spheroid, on 10 October 2013 - 06:44 PM, said:

The original Clan mechs were all done as full blown orthographic designs cica 1990. There really should be no surprises regarding scale between any of the sixteen Clan mechs.

Judging by the apparent canon size of some IS Lights, am I right in assuming that if this is followed, Clan Lights will be all sorts of DOA?

[Hans Von Lohman]

Bishop Steiner, on 10 October 2013 - 06:24 PM, said:

Um, let's see. The CLANS WILL REQUIRE MODELS, OMG!?!?!?!?!?!?! Since, like they already said the reason they needed this gap was to do.... oh yeah everything I just mentioned.

No, they don't. We're not getting the Clans anytime soon.