228 replies to this topic

[C E Dwyer]

curious to see what number of these will be out there, can count me out, until it hits a 50% sale, got bored waiting for a new IS, have clan to play with now

Edited by Cathy, 05 August 2014 - 11:13 AM.

[POOTYTANGASAUR]

Good job PGI, you had a chance at adding a good hero to a terrible platform and you totally blew it. You made the hardpoints terrible, visuals terrible (both paint and weapon mounting), quirks terrible. This mech can do literally NOTHING better than the other battlemasters. It is in no way unique, and in no way a smart or effective purchase. You had better make the next assault hero worth buying or else your reputation will somehow find a way to degrade further (la malinche is abysmal, same with boars head, and pretty baby).

[Kommisar]

For all those that keep beating the drum of: The Battlemaster was never about ballistics, it's an energy boat.

Yea, you are right. In table top, it was. Same with a lot of other mechs. In MWO, however, ballistics are... I don't want to say mandatory; because they are not. They are a huge draw. A big upside. More so than they have ever been in any incarnation of MW or BT that I know of. Ghost heat makes it even more so. Now, with the introduction of the Clans, they are even more valued as they are the thing the IS have over clan mechs.

Don't think I'm right? Okay. Then ask yourselves, if the Devs put out this guy for MC as a hero mech:

http://www.sarna.net...28BattleMech%29

How many do you see getting snatched up on the first day? 4x Ballistics, one in each arm, one in each torso, on a 95 ton mech.

[Chagatay]

LakeDaemon, on 05 August 2014 - 11:04 AM, said:

I can almost hear the discontent among the Seraphim no profanity christian unit rumbling about another hell-themed mech. It would be cool though at some point to have a new mech in an arch angel or sword of heaven theme.

<Battlemaster hears your cries and begins to dance and sing>

They say I don't belong
I must stay below alone.
Because of my beliefs I'm supposed to stay where evil is sown
But what is evil anyway?
Is there reason to the rhyme?
Without evil there can be no good,
So it must be good to be evil sometimes.

Up there,
there is so much room,
where babies burp and flowers bloom.
Everyone dreams, I can dream too.
Up there, up where the skies are ocean blue.
I can be safe and live without a care
live without a care
If only I could live up there.
I wanna live
I wanna live up there
Ooh baby, ooh
I want to live up there.

[Nightmare1]

Saxie, on 05 August 2014 - 10:47 AM, said:

Its the other way around. Tourmaline would be cooler, Frozen City would be hotter. The external environment temperature has less of an effect on this mech

I realize that. I was expressing a desire to see the opposite effect - one in which the environment has a greater effect on the Mech.

Reread my post.

[Juvat]

I would have bought this if thematically it would have been the antithesis of the "Firebrand" but as it sits it will never reside in my mech bays. GG PGI.

[Dawnstealer]

[Bizarre Jay]

you gave it ferro-fibrous instead of endo steel, you should really give ferro some sort quirk

[B L O O D W I T C H]

To bad, that we're 5 years to early for the red corsair to show up. Nice paintjob, though.

[Iron Mouse]

Drooool!

[Tiamat of the Sea]

Kommisar, on 05 August 2014 - 11:22 AM, said:

For all those that keep beating the drum of: The Battlemaster was never about ballistics, it's an energy boat.

Yea, you are right. In table top, it was. Same with a lot of other mechs. In MWO, however, ballistics are... I don't want to say mandatory; because they are not. They are a huge draw. A big upside. More so than they have ever been in any incarnation of MW or BT that I know of. Ghost heat makes it even more so. Now, with the introduction of the Clans, they are even more valued as they are the thing the IS have over clan mechs.

Don't think I'm right? Okay. Then ask yourselves, if the Devs put out this guy for MC as a hero mech:

http://www.sarna.net...28BattleMech%29

How many do you see getting snatched up on the first day? 4x Ballistics, one in each arm, one in each torso, on a 95 ton mech.

You've missed my point at least, probably that of anyone else you're arguing against as well.

My point is that it's silly to piss and moan about a Battlemaster hero being introduced without ballistic mounts. There are already plenty and enough hero 'mechs with ballistic mounts- there's no need to take a 'mech that was never supposed to be about ballistics in the first place and give it said mounts.

Whether or not ballistics are desirable or a draw, it isn't sensible to base a hero variant of a Battlemaster on them, and it isn't necessary to include them on such a 'mech. Yet it's being complained about as though the 'mech is useless without ballistics, or it's crazy not to have put it on there.

Bizarre Jay, on 05 August 2014 - 11:39 AM, said:

you gave it ferro-fibrous instead of endo steel, you should really give ferro some sort quirk

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Battlemaster

Find it on this page. The design has ferro-fibrous. Remember, PGI is attempting to be true to the canon material where applicable for 'mech design.

[Koniving]

Now the percentage of the 50% heat transfer quirk aside...
Fitting the environmental sealing was impossible, sadly. Even if I converted it to a Omnimech. So it was impossible to test to see if it had similar results. (This is on something I was saying several pages back on this thread about seeing if environmental sealing would do something similar on tabletop).

Anyway, I'm actually glad that we got our Hellslinger. It's an actual canon mech of notoriety.
"BLR-1GHE BattleMaster HellSlinger
This Star League Era variant removes the Machine Guns and SRM launcher and their ammunition. The SRM launcher is replaced by three Streak SRM-2 launchers with a single ton of ammunition. Two forward Medium Lasers are removed, and an extra PPC is mounted in the left arm. Sixteen Double Heat Sinks keep the 'Mech cool, and the 'Mech's armor is upgraded to Ferro-Fibrous armor. An extra half ton of armor is also installed."

Rare, but common enough to be acceptable in some numbers on the same field.

Since I'm one of the ones that threw this at NGNG, I'll be buying one in the near future.. Though anything beyond 25% better/worse of anything is always questionable (in regards to the external heat transfer).

Edited by Koniving, 05 August 2014 - 12:45 PM.

[DAYLEET]

The paintjob in the mechlab looks even more awesome. Im really happy to see more shiny with the new hero mech.

[Kommisar]

Quickdraw Crobat, on 05 August 2014 - 11:43 AM, said:

You've missed my point at least, probably that of anyone else you're arguing against as well.

No. I got your point. I was just pointing out why you have so many players going "eh" to a mech that lacks ballistics. The Stalker was very much the same way. An energy/missile platform. But it got a hero mech with a ballistic slot. It quickly became very popular and is now, arguably I'm sure, considered by many to be the best Stalker chassis.

My whole point in all of this, in the end, is that I find it telling of the current state of the game that ballistic slots are so valued in a mech. I'm not particularly happy with this state, mind you. I think the Devs have over-nerfed energy weapons through heat in their round-about, indirect as they can effort to nerf to the PPC. Which did very little to nerf the PPC and just put the hurt on the other energy weapons. But that is a whole other post and subject.

So, I didn't miss your point. It's a valid fluff and lore based opinion. As for sales and combat effectiveness in MWO, however, lack of ballistics means it takes one on the nose.

Edited by Kommisar, 05 August 2014 - 11:57 AM.

[Artur Valour]

The Hellslinger looks scary... My only regret is that I saw it here on the forums first and not in game. My jaw probably would have dropped at the site of this thing in game, and I would have been a little scared to attack it. Can't wait to face one on the battlefield!
Will probably pick one up once I am through playing with my Clan Mechs.

[Perilthecat]

Aaaaaand

Another hero that the hard-core seraph kiddies can't (won't be able to) pilot.

Whelp, dedication to the cause or whatever.

[Tiamat of the Sea]

Kommisar, on 05 August 2014 - 11:53 AM, said:

No. I got your point. I was just pointing out why you have so many players going "eh" to a mech that lacks ballistics. The Stalker was very much the same way. An energy/missile platform. But it got a hero mech with a ballistic slot. It quickly became very popular and is now, arguably I'm sure, considered by many to be the best Stalker chassis.

My whole point in all of this, in the end, is that I find it telling of the current state of the game that ballistic slots are so valued in a mech. I'm not particularly happy with this state, mind you. I think the Devs have over-nerfed energy weapons through heat in their round-about, indirect as they can effort to nerf to the PPC. Which did very little to nerf the PPC and just put the hurt on the other energy weapons. But that is a whole other post and subject.

So, I didn't miss your point. It's a valid fluff and lore based opinion. As for sales and combat effectiveness in MWO, however, lack of ballistics means it takes one on the nose.

Ah. It seemed like you were arguing that it should have had ballistic slots, not that ballistic slots would have made it more popular.

[Kommisar]

It's a fine line, I suppose. If they (PGI) wanted it to really sell, then, yes, it should have had a ballistic slot. Heck, if they had added one (or two) ballistic slots up in those high shoulder mounts we would be looking at a new strong meta contender mech. It might have replaced Misery over night. As it is, it will end up much like the Lupe or Pretty Baby. Some will buy, we will see a few for the next week or so, then they will reside in the back mech bays.

Personally, I would have loved a Battlemaster with 2 high mounted ballistic slots. As an IS pilot, it would become my clan-buster mech of choice. At the same time, I disagree with how the Devs have made ballistics; with their low heat, good range, front loaded damage, and enough shots per ton of ammo to not be a real issue; to be so much more valuable than energy weapons.

[M3 SABLE]

LakeDaemon, on 05 August 2014 - 11:04 AM, said:

I can almost hear the discontent among the Seraphim no profanity christian unit rumbling about another hell-themed mech. It would be cool though at some point to have a new mech in an arch angel or sword of heaven theme.

Hhahahahahahhahhahaahahhhahhahhahahahhahahah

I just found that Firebrand bashing on the forum

Man I can't believe that is real

[merz]

its worth noting that this quirk is a prelude to the vindicator, which receives a huge bonus to environmental dissipation.