23 replies to this topic

[Navy Sixes]

Dear Art Staff;

Is there a reason that mechs with hand-actuators in the same arm as a weapon slot can't be designed with cool guns in their hands? The Wolverine and the Battlemaster were both conceived as carrying guns, but it looks like you've given them forearm attachments instead. What's up with that?

I know it would be a little more work on the front end (but easier in the long run since you could use those guns for any mech to which it would apply), but since there's absolutely no in-game advantage to having a hand-actuator sucking up an arm slot, couldn't we at least get an aesthetic bonus?*

Other than that little thing the art is awesome right down to the Awesome! Thanks and keep up the good work.

*as far as the WVR, give us the hand-held gun. You can keep the ammo purse!

[Goose]

Teh Powers That Be, over in table-top, had long ago decided that the hand-held thing was one of Disharmony Gundus' better excuses to **** with us, so Catalyst avoids it for the most part …

I know they have a few units doing so, but they are all "Exceptions Proving a Rule" sort'a builds, showing why it didn't "take off" as a shtick in-universe …

Edited by Goose, 11 November 2013 - 02:04 PM.

[focuspark]

Better yet, can we remove all hand actuators and just put hard points there?

[Escef]

The 6X/6T variants of the Axman are known for handheld weaponusage, as well as the 8X/8P Quickdraws.

[Nothing Whatsoever]

Would be nice for melee weapons too, once that gets worked on.

[Sephlock]

Escef, on 11 November 2013 - 02:47 PM, said:

The 6X/6T variants of the Axman are known for handheld weaponusage, as well as the 8X/8P Quickdraws.

Is that a Covenant Carbine?

Also, if they do this, I want to have "Mjolnir" written on mine, since other players will be unable to pick it up.

(In fact, when a certain game had a DlC gun, I had hoped that the peons would be unable to pick it up, and had planned to write "Mjolnir" on the gun barrel, since I couldn't fit the full inscription).

[Ryvucz]

Kind of like how they moved weapon hardpoints from the legs to arms/torsos.

Because they can/engine/design restrictions, etc.

[Escef]

Ryvucz, on 11 November 2013 - 06:58 PM, said:

Kind of like how they moved weapon hardpoints from the legs to arms/torsos.

Because they can/engine/design restrictions, etc.

I can't think of any mech in MWO that had leg mounted weapons in TT.

[Firewuff]

Because it was always a dumb idea. Why build a complex hand when I can just bolt it on

[xengk]

Escef, on 11 November 2013 - 02:47 PM, said:

The 6X/6T variants of the Axman are known for handheld weaponusage, as well as the 8X/8P Quickdraws.

That is 16 crit slots(2 hand) to hold 1 gun.
That better be one mother of an AC/20.

Didn't handheld weapon require special myomer?


This of course will encourage more "CoD with robot" views.

[Escef]

xengk, on 11 November 2013 - 10:18 PM, said:

That is 16 crit slots(2 hand) to hold 1 gun.
That better be one mother of an AC/20.

Didn't handheld weapon require special myomer?


This of course will encourage more "CoD with robot" views.

It's zero crit slots. And zero tons towards the mech's maximum tonnage. But probably the Light AC5 handheld cannon. Keep in mind that it also mounts a 325XL engine, a pair of Thunderbolt15 launchers, and 4 ER MLs.

[Navy Sixes]

Firewuff, on 11 November 2013 - 09:38 PM, said:

Because it was always a dumb idea. Why build a complex hand when I can just bolt it on

Same reason you'd build a 50ft. tall walking humanoid robot when you could just build a tank? Don't get all practical on me now...

[Durant Carlyle]

Escef, on 11 November 2013 - 10:45 PM, said:

It's zero crit slots. And zero tons towards the mech's maximum tonnage. But probably the Light AC5 handheld cannon. Keep in mind that it also mounts a 325XL engine, a pair of Thunderbolt15 launchers, and 4 ER MLs.

Yeah, see this kind of effed up stuff I don't agree with. It's basically a 71.5 ton half-azzed OmniMech. I say 71.5 tons because it's 65 tons for the 'Mech and 6.5 tons for the various "hand-held" weapon kits, some of which include extra armor and heat sinks.

Hand-held weapons, whether ranged or melee, should always take up critical slots and tonnage. Not sure why they introduced those effed up no-weight/no-crit rules. Hand-held weapons are good for anime, not for BattleTech.

Tycho von Gagern, on 11 November 2013 - 11:32 PM, said:

Same reason you'd build a 50ft. tall walking humanoid robot when you could just build a tank? Don't get all practical on me now...

BattleMechs can get places a vehicle cannot, by virtue of the humanoid motive systems.

[Navy Sixes]

Durant Carlyle, on 11 November 2013 - 11:39 PM, said:

Hand-held weapons are good for anime, not for BattleTech.
BattleMechs can get places a vehicle cannot, by virtue of the humanoid motive systems.

There's nowhere a mech can go that a cruise missile can't. Now you come back with a place that a mech can go that a cruise missile can't. Then I come back with another way more practical weapon system that can. We can do this all day.

You don't want mechs carrying weapons, I get that and you're entitled to your opinion. Just don't try to claim some sort of logical high-ground; we're talking some pretty flimsy, impractical, and totally awesome sci-fi, here! Obviously mechs with articulate hands are "good for Battletech," so many of them over the decades have been designed with them. It follows that they gave them hands to carry something, doesn't it? Mechs are made for warfare, aren't they? I think it's therefore perfectly reasonable (and more importantly wicked f*$ing cool) to give them guns to carry.

I thought I made it very clear I wasn't talking about any game-changing mechanics. I was talking about artistic concepts that I think would give the mechs more character and are more consistent with canon, regardless of what you feel is or isn't "good for Battletech."

Edited by Tycho von Gagern, 12 November 2013 - 02:08 AM.

[Mechteric]

Hand actuators are clearly meant for picking up trees and fallen mech limbs and clubbing your enemy with them.

[Zarlaren]

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Large_Shield
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Sword

Now we got melee mechs gladiator style.

Edited by Zarla, 12 November 2013 - 08:05 AM.

[Bhael Fire]

Anything that distances Mechwarrior/Battletech from the image that 'mechs are "giant robots" instead of walking tanks and/or load-lifters is fine with me. I've never liked the overtly anime-inspired aspects of BT.

[Strum Wealh]

Escef, on 11 November 2013 - 07:20 PM, said:

I can't think of any mech in MWO that had leg mounted weapons in TT.

The CDA-3C Cicada had its MGs in the legs in TT, but they were moved up to the respective side-torsi for MWO.

There was the thought, for a time, that the VTR-9A1 Victor would be implemented similarly (that is, moving the leg-mounted MGs up to the respective side-torsi), which would provide a C-Bill purchasable triple-ballistic 'Mech (at least one ballistic hardpoint in each side-torso, and at least one ballistic hardpoint in the 2-actuator Right Arm) to rival the Ilya Muromets.

[Shadey99]

Escef, on 11 November 2013 - 07:20 PM, said:

I can't think of any mech in MWO that had leg mounted weapons in TT.

The first one that comes to mind for me is the http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Gunslinger which as I recall had twin rear mounted MPLs in the legs.

Edited by Shadey99, 12 November 2013 - 10:45 AM.

[Escef]

I stand corrected on the Cicada's MGs, I had forgotten they were leg mounted. The Victor 9A1 and Gunslinger are NOT in MWO, so neither contradicts me. Leg mounted weapons are rare in TT, and the only ones I normally can think of are the Gunslinger and Crusader.