178 replies to this topic

[Avimimus]

The 35 ton Specter would also be neat. Only comstar operates it during this period though.

It is an energy boat that automatically generates an extra ten heat in return for having the equivalent of ECM and some alpha channels (visual camouflauge system)... so it would be relatively balanced.

To keep it from being overused there could be a pentaly like 'no CBill earnings' for the pilot using it. After all - the design itself is lost-tech, so getting damaged would be ...well expensive enough that you wouldn't be using it for profitable Merc work.

[John Buford]

Personaly I would love to see the Valkyrie even though you would have to do some work on the hardpoints since there really arn't that may different varients. Not to mention an Energy and a Missle hardpoint only go so far. Also the Javalin and Hermes look promising.

[aniviron]

Avimimus, on 26 September 2013 - 12:18 PM, said:

The 35 ton Specter would also be neat. Only comstar operates it during this period though.

It is an energy boat that automatically generates an extra ten heat in return for having the equivalent of ECM and some alpha channels (visual camouflauge system)... so it would be relatively balanced.

To keep it from being overused there could be a pentaly like 'no CBill earnings' for the pilot using it. After all - the design itself is lost-tech, so getting damaged would be ...well expensive enough that you wouldn't be using it for profitable Merc work.

Lack of cbills is not a balancing mechanic. A lot of guys like me who have been around since closed beta and have long since stopped having empty mech bays are sitting on 300,000,000+ cbills. Personally, I would run this mech every game just to troll; hell, I could run it at a loss of 500k cbills/game and not care. It would still be brokenly good and not fun to fight against, and I would run it as often as I pleased.

[Strum Wealh]

Avimimus, on 26 September 2013 - 12:18 PM, said:

The 35 ton Specter would also be neat. Only comstar operates it during this period though.

It is an energy boat that automatically generates an extra ten heat in return for having the equivalent of ECM and some alpha channels (visual camouflauge system)... so it would be relatively balanced.

To keep it from being overused there could be a pentaly like 'no CBill earnings' for the pilot using it. After all - the design itself is lost-tech, so getting damaged would be ...well expensive enough that you wouldn't be using it for profitable Merc work.

There is also the in-universe rumor that the mercenary groups McCarron's Armored Calvary and Storm's Metal Thunder run Star League era Spectors equipped with the CLPS and NullSig systems.

Though, the other issue with the Spector (besides unrecoverable LosTech) is the dearth of variants circa 3050 - the Spector doesn't see production in the IS again until the SPR-5F is introduced in 3053, and the third common variant (the SPF-5T) isn't introduced until 3068.
As such, the Spector is probably going to be one of those 'Mechs that ends up being future content saved for one of the time-skips that the Devs have mentioned on occasion.

[Felio]

Could the reason for no hero Jenner be that there is a founder's Jenner, and they want to keep that unique?

Not that they've been particularly interested in keeping the founders happy. (I'm not one, not by a long shot, I'm just calling it like I see it)

[DEMAX51]

Felio, on 27 September 2013 - 01:55 PM, said:

Could the reason for no hero Jenner be that there is a founder's Jenner, and they want to keep that unique?

Not that they've been particularly interested in keeping the founders happy. (I'm not one, not by a long shot, I'm just calling it like I see it)

You've seen that there's going to be a hero atlas, right?

[Corvus Antaka]

isnt the Flea up next? and the locust?

[DEMAX51]

Colonel Pada Vinson, on 27 September 2013 - 07:35 PM, said:

isnt the Flea up next? and the locust?

The Locust is coming out on October 15, yes. The Flea has been "up" for about six months now.

[Khobai]

PGI hasnt released any new lights because quite frankly theres no point. Until they fix the speedcap issues theres no reason to release a bunch of new lights that are inferior to the Jenner in every way.

PGI also needs to implement role warfare better. For a long time now, lights have made mediums completely obsolete. Lights should be less effective at direct combat than mediums, and sadly that isnt the case. The role of light mechs should be primarily non-combat (scouting, spotting, capping, electronic warfare, etc...) and non-direct combat (i.e. harassing). Its quite frankly stupid that a Jenner completely outclasses most 50t mechs in a straight up fight.

Likewise mediums should be less effective at direct combat than heavies, but mediums should make up for that by being more versatile than heavies. That can be accomplished largely through the module system by allowing mediums to carry the most modules and the broadest range of modules (i.e. certain modules should be weight-class specific to help reinforce role warfare). Mediums should be able to perform almost any role in the game, although not nearly as well as other weight classes specialized in those roles.

Edited by Khobai, 27 September 2013 - 09:48 PM.

[MustrumRidcully]

Why would they add more light mechs?

What's the financial incentive for them? Both C-Bill and MC wise they are the cheapest mechs, but the development effort of a mech is independent of its tonnage. Why bother spending the resources on your weakest product when you can instead push more of the strongest?

[Avimimus]

aniviron, on 27 September 2013 - 01:53 AM, said:

It would still be brokenly good and not fun to fight against, and I would run it as often as I pleased.

Are you sure though? Wouldn't it be more like paying an extra ten heat for an ECM unit? I doubt it would be much of an advantage.

[zagibu]

Khobai, on 27 September 2013 - 09:22 PM, said:

PGI hasnt released any new lights because quite frankly theres no point. Until they fix the speedcap issues theres no reason to release a bunch of new lights that are inferior to the Jenner in every way.

PGI also needs to implement role warfare better. For a long time now, lights have made mediums completely obsolete. Lights should be less effective at direct combat than mediums, and sadly that isnt the case. The role of light mechs should be primarily non-combat (scouting, spotting, capping, electronic warfare, etc...) and non-direct combat (i.e. harassing). Its quite frankly stupid that a Jenner completely outclasses most 50t mechs in a straight up fight.

Likewise mediums should be less effective at direct combat than heavies, but mediums should make up for that by being more versatile than heavies. That can be accomplished largely through the module system by allowing mediums to carry the most modules and the broadest range of modules (i.e. certain modules should be weight-class specific to help reinforce role warfare). Mediums should be able to perform almost any role in the game, although not nearly as well as other weight classes specialized in those roles.

I completely disagree with everything you said. I think a missile based light could work well in the current game. Mediums are not outclassed by lights at all, they are much more durable and can do a lot more damage. I hate it when a game enforces role based combat through artificial limits. And maybe you should bring a few streaks if lights are such a big problem for you.

[aniviron]

Avimimus, on 28 September 2013 - 04:14 AM, said:

Are you sure though? Wouldn't it be more like paying an extra ten heat for an ECM unit? I doubt it would be much of an advantage.

In exchange for invisibility from radar and sight? If you think Spiders make people mad, this would create a heretofore unheralded rage.

[General Taskeen]

Avimimus, on 26 September 2013 - 12:18 PM, said:

It is an energy boat that automatically generates an extra ten heat in return for having the equivalent of ECM and some alpha channels (visual camouflauge system)... so it would be relatively balanced.

I believe you are speaking of the SPR-4F variant, with GECM, Null Sig, and Chameleon. It has null-sig/chameleon, which can be turned on or off by the user. When it is "on" the mech automatically runs around with 10 base heat activated for the Null Sig, and the Chamelon generates 6 base heat.

The other spector's just use GECM. Cool Mech though.

Edited by General Taskeen, 28 September 2013 - 12:16 PM.

[Khobai]

Quote

Mediums are not outclassed by lights at all, they are much more durable and can do a lot more damage.

Yeah except that they are. Lights are faster, more durable because of their smaller size and speed, much more mobile and maneuverable and better able to hit back armor, and in many cases a Jenner has comparable firepower to a 50T medium.

[FupDup]

Khobai, on 27 September 2013 - 09:22 PM, said:

PGI also needs to implement role warfare better. For a long time now, lights have made mediums completely obsolete.

Actually I'd say heavies did that to a greater degree because they are the same size as mediums or smaller, more armored, more powerful, and can still go at pretty good speeds.

Khobai, on 27 September 2013 - 09:22 PM, said:

Lights should be less effective at direct combat than mediums, and sadly that isnt the case. The role of light mechs should be primarily non-combat (scouting, spotting, capping, electronic warfare, etc...) and non-direct combat (i.e. harassing). Its quite frankly stupid that a Jenner completely outclasses most 50t mechs in a straight up fight.

I dunno about 50 tonners, but my 55 ton Kintaro laughs in the face of every light I meet unless I'm at really low health. Fighting lights with a Streaktaro is like slaughtering puppies.


Also, scouting can be done effectively by any mech going above 80kph, whether it be a heavy or medium. Lights are not any better at scouting than my K2 or Streaktaro, and scouting isn't even needed at all in most fights and doesn't pay a penny. Capping provides utterly pathetic rewards and also causes butt-hurt assault pilots to whine in-game and on the forums. Spotting also has pathetic rewards, isn't even necessary much of the time, and can be done by mediums and fast heavies as well. Electronic warfare can be done by any mech with ECM (which currently is mostly lights but that's besides the point). Harassment can be done at any range by any mech that has cover handy; this also is a feature not unique to lights.

Khobai, on 27 September 2013 - 09:22 PM, said:

Likewise mediums should be less effective at direct combat than heavies, ...

They already are. Mission accomplished.

Edited by FupDup, 29 September 2013 - 04:17 PM.

[zagibu]

Khobai, on 29 September 2013 - 07:49 AM, said:

Yeah except that they are. Lights are faster, more durable because of their smaller size and speed, much more mobile and maneuverable and better able to hit back armor, and in many cases a Jenner has comparable firepower to a 50T medium.

They are more mobile and thus take less hits. But IF they take hits, they go down fast. And they certainly don't have comparable firepower to mediums, because even IF they can mount the same firepower, they can't fire it as often, because they don't have the tonnage to have the same heat efficiency.

Edited by zagibu, 30 September 2013 - 07:21 AM.

[Mycrus]

PEEFsmash, on 24 September 2013 - 11:28 AM, said:

4: Only one Hero light (and it sucks).

Agree to the points except this... TDK ain't bad... You just need to be good to make it work...

[PEEFsmash]

Mycrus, on 30 September 2013 - 09:58 PM, said:

Agree to the points except this... TDK ain't bad... You just need to be good to make it work...

You could be good and make it workish, but if you are good you could make a Jenner work MUCH better.