For me there are two factors that influence my opinions of the 'mechs - how good the design looks on it's own merits, and how much better it is that the original Battletech Technical Readout artwork. It's also interesting to see how different pilots prefer the looks of different 'mechs.
Light
Best: Locust - It's a fragile little beastie whose legs snap off if you hop off a pebble, but it looks great.
Worst: Commando - I feel like it's too short and wide, and has Popeye forearms.
Medium
Best: Griffin - captured the look brilliantly. Though it's hard not to pick the Hunchback and Cent as well.
Worst: Shadow Hawk. Flat, blocky, dull, not as cool as concept. Also too blasted tall. I get why the Treb tops a lot of ugly lists, but considering what they had to work with ...
Heavy
Best: Catapult. Obviously. Though they really need to fix it. I like the beaky nose option and wish we had gotten a non-Jester Hero K2 option with it. I think the Orion and Thunderbolt need an honorable mention - the Thud because it's a good adaptation, and the Orion because it's so much better than the TRO look.
Worst: Quickdraw. I mean, granted, they didn't have much to start with, but ... eww.
Assault
Best: Atlas. Great adaptation of the original concept; intimidating; huge, and a great walk animation cycle.
Worst: Banshee. It's just ugly and flat and less cool than it should be.
And I'll join the chorus pleading for the once beautiful Catapult to be restored to gracefulness.
Edited by Malleus011, 28 March 2014 - 08:05 AM.