4 replies to this topic

[Bounty Dogg]

I've noticed that people have been complaining about the fact that Clan Configurations will work really similarly to IS Variants. While I agree about that, it took me some time to come up with the reason it was distressing to me. Then it hit me: I'm going to be paying full mech price of 3 'mechs.....for 1 'mech and a bunch of spare parts?? That was....disturbing to me. I decided a long time ago, though, that if clan tech came out in a way I could enjoy, I would buy it, since I plan to be here for a while.

But I can understand the arguement, so after some thought, I came up with an idea that might make the clan purchase process more palatable. Enter my idea:

The Configuration Bay. (The Config Bay for short.)

The way it works is thus: When you purchase an OmniMech, you get the mechbay its in, and all its Prime configuration parts. When you purchase an alt. configuration, instead of a whole mech (which I think the system explained will work a little like this anyway), you get a 'technically' smaller bay called a config bay. The Config Bay functions similarly to a mechbay save two differences:

1. The Config Bay holds all equipment and weapons for its specific config. That includes arms torsoes, and shoulder pods (where applicable.). The CT and legs are whats swapped between bays.

2. Since, when you buy a Config Bay, you don't get a full 'Mech, Config Bays cost LESS than Mechbays.

This is the part where the other side of this arguement cringe a bit and possibly say this isn't fair. I ask that you consider the following:

In BattleTech lore, OmniMechs were designed for the highest lvl efficiency possible. In a society that had very little space and resources to offer its inhabitants, a place-for-everything-and-everything/ONE-in-its-place society has developed. I could see Clan Jumpships having large compartments for full 'Mech storage, then smaller compartments for Config equipment stored, thereby allowing space to be saved as needed.

Also, from a financial standpoint, The clan 'mechs will cost more than than their IS counterparts in MC terms as well. While the only lore examples we have to go on is the listed prices for Clan 'mechs in the various readouts, a comparison of MC costs for clan mech packages and its IS weight counterparts show that clan mechs will cost nearly or more than twice their IS counterparts. While this is, in my mind, fair, it does leave a little room for the arguement that Clan 'mechs are expensive. This is where, I think, Config Bays can play a great stop gap.

Since you're not buying a full mech with a Config purchase, you can let the config bay be cheaper, but still have it cost enough so that clan tech is still an expensive choice. Also, this gives clanners an incentive discount in the long run, as purchasing a Config bay for future configuration releases will always be cheaper than buying a full out 'mech. This also saves the player from having to buy a full out 'mech to be able to set up their own custom configurations (not to be confused with custom weapons loadouts). You buy a bay, store the config components you want in there, then save it. Then, when ready, move the CT and legs to the new custom config bay, and voila! New Omni config.

Its still a rough draft of the idea, but I think this would be beneficial to have for the clan side of things, allowing PGI to give the clanners a bit of a discount on the equipment while still making it extremely expensive.

[Nothing Whatsoever]

I had a similar idea. With the current details, getting the biggest package is gonna add 24 mechs and mechbays.

Since the base omni is gonna be the same for the three each; it would be better to have one base omni for each instead, so going to 8 mechs and mechbays.

[El Bandito]

I can get behind this idea. Clans need to retain their uniqueness as much as possible.

[Bounty Dogg]

Praetor Shepard, on 21 December 2013 - 04:41 PM, said:

I had a similar idea. With the current details, getting the biggest package is gonna add 24 mechs and mechbays.

Since the base omni is gonna be the same for the three each; it would be better to have one base omni for each instead, so going to 8 mechs and mechbays.

That's almost, line for line, the same idea I had. you beat me to it . Though I would include the Head/Cockpit with the CT and Legs, as it seems that that would also be one of the kept pieces between configurations.

@El Bandito: I agree, Clans need to keep as much as possible the flavor that makes them the Clans, while still bending to balancing efforts in this game.

[Reitrix]

I'm OK with how the Command Chair post explained the use of Clan 'Mechs. I actually kind of like the system.

Naturally will need to see it in effect before final judgment.

Under PGI's system, players can buy a config that has a loadout or Hardpoint layout that suits them, rather than an Omni, then run about buying the pods they want.
It's possible that the alt configs could have different sized Engines or armor values and such to differentiate them.

As to saved configs in bays, I remember a while back someone asking if we could have the ability to save loadouts to make it easier to switch between loadouts on any given 'Mech, and the answer was that UI2.0 could/would have this functionality. Which would render your Config Bays a little pointless.