1726 replies to this topic

[Malleus011]

So I went and checked out the new Catapult upgrades. Proper Autocannon barrels on the K2's at last. Updated PPC barrels. Nice.

Unfortunately, they also 'fixed' the A1, and I mean fixed like you do to your pets. If you add extra missile launchers over the first, it adds extra missile launchers to the outside of the missile box. Use three LRM5s? Sorry, only 5 tubes fit under the armored cover. The rest make your arms wider and taller ... with extra external launchers. Three SRM4s? Same problem ... only 4 tubes fit under the cover. A 15 and two streaks? Yeah, couldn't fit those extra tubes under the cover either. Does the box get smaller if you mount a small main launcher? Hell no, it's just as huge for an LRM5 as an LRM15.

It's not a little, slim add-on launcher either. It makes the arms gigantic.

I mean, really now. The A1 was tough enough to pilot already; with all six hard points being M and clustered in each arm. But now to add oversize novelty 'ears' to an A1 that actually uses those hard points ... that's just mean.

It seems reasonable to me than 15-20 tubes should fit under the armored box cover. Why was this even messed with?

[Devin Takkar]

Well...that's just stupid....but I would love to see a pic of this idiocy.

[BP Raven]

It's worse than that, the box is the same as the larger one fitted to the C4, and C1 now has the same box despite only having one launcher hardpoint per arm. Plus the lid now doesn't open as far (it never did on the C4) which doesn't look as good imo.

[BP Raven]

Here you go, the lower rack is a single row if you fit an SRM or LRM 5 there...

Edited by BP Raven, 05 November 2013 - 03:10 PM.

[BP Raven]

Side view:

[Malleus011]

I hadn't noticed the increased C4 sized box launchers on the C1. *sigh*

I mean, seriously now. The Catapult is already big for a 65 tonner; it's wide from front and side aspect, it's easy to shoot in the head. Did it really need BIGGER missile launching arms?

Edited by Malleus011, 05 November 2013 - 03:19 PM.

[Otto Cannon]

*Facepalm*

Edited by Otto Cannon, 05 November 2013 - 09:39 PM.

[BP Raven]

On the plus side, the new PPCs look good, and mounting them in the side torso looks really slick. Nice also to see a dedicated flamer model, for what they're worth...


PPC and AC2




Flamer and UAC5

Edited by BP Raven, 05 November 2013 - 03:26 PM.

[FupDup]

[Malleus011]

Yes, the K2 is cosmetically improved, and I'm happy about that. The A1 even loses the un-unsed laser mounts in the torso, which is a nice cosmetic tweak.

I'm really unhappy about the changes to the C1 and A1 missile launchers, which harm the 'mechs gameplay.

[Praehotec8]

Sorry, the new "additions" look awful. Even forgetting the balance changes, just the appearance of them is terrible. The extra missile racks look tacked-on, like poor aftermarket work. I could live with PGI making the size of the "ear" boxes change depending on the number of missiles inside, but adding missiles outside of them looks horrid. I wish we could have them change this.

[Devin Takkar]

God, this looks even worse than I imagined. Does it mess up your salvo if you're firing all your launchers at once? Because the cover only has to open up for one of them?

[BP Raven]

Devin Takkar, on 05 November 2013 - 03:28 PM, said:

God, this looks even worse than I imagined. Does it mess up your salvo if you're firing all your launchers at once? Because the cover only has to open up for one of them?

Strangely enough, no. It seems to wait for the doors to open before it lets them all go, although it might have negatively affected the spread. It's been so long since i drove a splatcat that i can't make a fair judgement, but they do scatter somewhat.

[Ghogiel]

BP Raven, on 05 November 2013 - 03:13 PM, said:

Side view:

You can improve that slightly by making the 10 fit in the big box. Then the smaller 6 will be atatched to the bottom instead of the 10. It's still goof as hell imo.

should be order dependent, like getting PPCs to mount in the high torso position instead of low position on a BLR or QKD. Put the 10 on first.

[zazz0000]

Ugh dammit ppl, see what happens when u don't buy enough MC?

And to answer a previous question, when shooting with bay door closed, all launchers will wait for the doors to open.

[Alistair Winter]

Oh, God, it's worse than I thought. I didn't really want to start a whole thread about this, because 90% of my threads are already about how I get annoyed by details such as this, but seriously.

• New PPC arms look worse than before
  
• New laser arms look worse than before
  
• My Catapult C1 and C4 now has the wider, A1-style missile battery, which makes it look worse than before (also easier target).

And now this... Just one more reason to leave my CPLT in the mechbay and get back to being a light mech pilot.

Edited by Alistair Winter, 05 November 2013 - 03:47 PM.

[Roosterfish]

My A1 now looks like it has CB radios strapped under it's already huge 'ears'.

Good job on making a heavy mech that is larger than some assaults even larger. If you're gonna make me even bigger than a 85 ton Stalker at least give me the armor to make up the difference.

Yes, Fup Dup my new ears hang low and they wobble to and fro.

Edited by Roosterfish, 05 November 2013 - 03:50 PM.

[BP Raven]

Ghogiel, on 05 November 2013 - 03:39 PM, said:

You can improve that slightly by making the 10 fit in the big box. Then the smaller 6 will be atatched to the bottom instead of the 10. It's still goof as hell imo.

should be order dependent, like getting PPCs to mount in the high torso position instead of low position on a BLR or QKD. Put the 10 on first.

Yes it does, but that isn't the point here.

Also just noticed, if you have a launcer with more than 6 tubes in the second slot theres a second rail on the torso side of the box, making it even more bulbous. Put an SRM 2 or 4 in the 3rd (underslung) and it blanks off a number of tubes.

Edited by BP Raven, 05 November 2013 - 03:49 PM.

[Guchion]

Have to admit, not sure why 3x SSrm2's dont fit in the a1's boxes...

Other than that the K2 looks better and I dont mind huge LRM rack being bolted on the side.

Weirdest bit though... take 3 LRM10s on a a1's arm. One get split to either side of the main launcher, it looks eh odd?

[BP Raven]

Alistair Winter, on 05 November 2013 - 03:46 PM, said:

My Catapult C1 and C4 now has the wider, A1-style missile battery, which makes it look worse than before (also easier target).
And now this... Just one more reason to leave my CPLT in the mechbay and get back to being a light mech pilot.

I quite like the new guns, so i'll leave that point, but it was always the C4 that had the big boxes since it came with LRM 20s, the A1 was visiually identical to a C1 as they both come stock with LRM15s.