199 replies to this topic

[Mott]

5th Fedcom Rat, on 20 August 2014 - 09:26 PM, said:

I don't think I've ever lost an arm on a blackjack. Ever. Enough that I'm comfortable mounting an Ac/20 as my only weapon with no backup lasers.

Yeonne Greene, on 20 August 2014 - 09:45 PM, said:

I lose side torsos all the time in Blackjacks (torso twisting FTW), but losing only the arm is a rare occurrence indeed. The arms are weak, but also tiny and a silly spot to focus when it would take you almost as short a span of time to just blow out a torso section.

Same. The Boomjack is quite solid. And i've never been stripped to just lasers remaining. In fact, i've been considering playing with an AC20 only and tons of ammo like FedCom's build, just cuz...

Can't say enough good things about that little mech.

[Koniving]

Khan Hallis, on 20 August 2014 - 08:32 PM, said:

Didn't know (or see anything) about Rodney.

Also if tabletop... 4 (heat of MPLs) * 6 (number of MPLs) is 24 across ten seconds. It'd have no problem in basic tabletop. It's with the advanced rule heatsink taxing that he'd have trouble, though.

With 20 heatsinks, if he fired the 6th MPL within 10 seconds he'd breach the heatsink limit (with walking) just enough to melt 1 to 2 heatsinks and screw himself the rest of the way.

Though... honestly I've seen nothing on this mechwarrior. It reminds me of the entry for the Muromets or the X-5, were it was just tacked onto Sarna after the fact.

I do know it definitely started with Danielle's mech, as I kinda pushed pretty hard for that one. I suppose just another LRM-20 + AC/20 wasn't very "Oh yeah we'll totally do it" for an Atlas when we already had 2 just like it.

[Bront]

Mott, on 20 August 2014 - 09:26 AM, said:

WTF?!

Seriously, the regular variants get the exact same engine caps as the BJ... more and more i'm buying into the QQing that PGI is just swapping skins.

Why can't one 45 ton mech be allowed to have completely different engine caps than another? When the hell is PGI going to grasp the fact that "balanced" does NOT NECESSARILY MEAN "equal"?

Ugh. Just..... ugh.

Engine caps are decided on based on stock engine size, which is why you get similar engine caps when you get multiple mechs in the same weight class.

Sadly, 45 tons is the realm of slow mediums. The only notable faster 45 toner was the Phoenix Hawk, which was such a good design there wasn't much of a need for a rival (Reasonably fast, JJs, decent firepower at different ranges, reasonable heat management, honestly a rarity among some of the initial mechs) Most 45 tonners went 64 KPH. Why? No clue.

[N a p e s]

Bront, on 21 August 2014 - 06:37 AM, said:

Sadly, 45 tons is the realm of slow mediums. The only notable faster 45 toner was the Phoenix Hawk, which was such a good design there wasn't much of a need for a rival (Reasonably fast, JJs, decent firepower at different ranges, reasonable heat management, honestly a rarity among some of the initial mechs) Most 45 tonners went 64 KPH. Why? No clue.

Maybe they were just small enough to be mostly meant for urban combat. In that environment speed isn't as important. Whatever the reason it doesn't help them much in MWO.

[MauttyKoray]

I love all the QQ about mediums. I'm running the Vindi stock and have averaged about 350-400 damage a game with only a handful of deaths. I also pilot Kintaro and Hunchback (more once I get the CBills) and can get plenty of damage out with them as well. The biggest thing is that the slow Mediums are support mechs for the most part.

My vindi stands behind/around the side of heavier chassis and 'adds' in its damage to whatever the guy is shooting at. Or I'll be taking shots on targets to keep their heads down and away from whoever I'm near.

[Bront]

Napes339, on 21 August 2014 - 06:41 AM, said:

Maybe they were just small enough to be mostly meant for urban combat. In that environment speed isn't as important. Whatever the reason it doesn't help them much in MWO.

Without the standard TT rules in front of me, it also may be the at least 6 ton difference in engine weight between the 180 and 235. 6 tons is a lot of space in a 45 tonner.

Edit: it's 4 tons in TT. That's still 10% of the mech. Then again, with a PPC, the Vindicator didn't need to go fast.

Edited by Bront, 21 August 2014 - 07:07 AM.

[DAYLEET]

Wow i do bad in St Ives Blue, locust with Highlander movement archetype bad(that's how bad i am in it, not saying thats how it is). But none of this will matter when the 1AA come next week, i already know it will be part or my favs and i needed 2 others to grind it and a hero mech with a bitchin camo is always a good way to grind lol.

[N a p e s]

DAYLEET, on 21 August 2014 - 10:37 AM, said:

Wow i do bad in St Ives Blue, locust with Highlander movement archetype bad(that's how bad i am in it, not saying thats how it is). But none of this will matter when the 1AA come next week, i already know it will be part or my favs and i needed 2 others to grind it and a hero mech with a bitchin camo is always a good way to grind lol.

Indeed the 1AA should be pretty fun with all that extra speed but I'm actually looking forawrd to the 1X a bit more. Triple MGs in our face!

[IraqiWalker]

Napes339, on 21 August 2014 - 11:03 AM, said:

Indeed the 1AA should be pretty fun with all that extra speed but I'm actually looking forawrd to the 1X a bit more. Triple MGs in our face!

Speaks to my soul

[LT. HARDCASE]

Played it enough to unlock basic and have enough saved to immediately unlock elites when possible. You can do well once you've accepted the role of second-line, support mech. People tend to completely ignore the Vindi when heavier game is around, allowing you to focus fire and rack up damage. But if your assaults and heavies get rolled early, you're in for a bad day, so things can get really feast or famine in the pug queue..

Best match was 700 dmg 3 kills, done with a LPL, 2x ML, and 2x SRM6A.

Overall I really enjoy the mech, can't wait for the 1AA and 1X to drop for c-bills.

[Strum Wealh]

Koniving, on 21 August 2014 - 05:35 AM, said:

Didn't know (or see anything) about Rodney.

Also if tabletop... 4 (heat of MPLs) * 6 (number of MPLs) is 24 across ten seconds. It'd have no problem in basic tabletop. It's with the advanced rule heatsink taxing that he'd have trouble, though.

With 20 heatsinks, if he fired the 6th MPL within 10 seconds he'd breach the heatsink limit (with walking) just enough to melt 1 to 2 heatsinks and screw himself the rest of the way.

Though... honestly I've seen nothing on this mechwarrior. It reminds me of the entry for the Muromets or the X-5, were it was just tacked onto Sarna after the fact.

I do know it definitely started with Danielle's mech, as I kinda pushed pretty hard for that one. I suppose just another LRM-20 + AC/20 wasn't very "Oh yeah we'll totally do it" for an Atlas when we already had 2 just like it.

The loadout is inspired by Danielle Rondema's 'Mech.
But, Rondema died in the Battle of Misery in 3028.

Van Kleven and the Boar's Head were mentioned in the original TRO 3025 (but not in TRO 3025 Revised, which lists no notable pilots), but the loadout of the Boar's Head was not described.

Moreover, most of the other notable Atlas pilots are known to be dead by 3049 - Vasily Cherenkoff (also listed in the original TRO 3025) died in 3034, Ian Davion died in 3013 (listed in TRO 3039), and Aaron DeChavilier (also listed in TRO 3039) died in 2801.

This left Rodney Van Kleven & his named 'Mech versus Kathleen Heany (mentioned in TRO 3039) & her unnamed 'Mech as the remaining timeline-approptiate lore-based choices - with the later being noted for being unpopular with her followers and "a proponent of the 'old school' of Lyran warfare" (e.g. favoring frontal assaults & sheer overwhelming power) & the former being well-liked but brash and terrible with heat management.

So, PGI basicaly slightly-tweaked the popular Rondema loadout and attributed it to Van Kleven's Boar's Head.

[IraqiWalker]

Kevjack, on 21 August 2014 - 02:40 PM, said:

things can get really feast or famine in the pug queue.

That's the pub queue in a nutshell

[Ahja]

Wait... Why would anyone pay RL money for this mech now? This seems to me a great example of the disconnect that this company has for the people who love this franchise. The sad thing it seems is PGI that you will have lost you core fan base by the time you all get over your need to create something of your own. It makes me wonder why any of you got on board this project it the first place? This would have been great a year ago but now? Wake up and make something the player base needs and give me something to say great job PGI. Just a hint BT/MW?

[IraqiWalker]

Ahja, on 21 August 2014 - 10:43 PM, said:

Wait... Why would anyone pay RL money for this mech now? This seems to me a great example of the disconnect that this company has for the people who love this franchise. The sad thing it seems is PGI that you will have lost you core fan base by the time you all get over your need to create something of your own. It makes me wonder why any of you got on board this project it the first place? This would have been great a year ago but now? Wake up and make something the player base needs and give me something to say great job PGI. Just a hint BT/MW?

The hell are you talking about?

As far as mediums go, this is a great second line mech. One of the great Capellan Mediums of all time, and the hero is drenched in the BT lore.

Hero mechs are not supposed to be OP, or meta. They are supposed to have some flavor, and be based on lore when possible, plus give a different feel for the mech, while retaining it's original concept.

[Cimarb]

IraqiWalker, on 21 August 2014 - 11:19 PM, said:

The hell are you talking about?

I would say that was a toll post, but sadly I do not think it was...

[BlackDrakon]

This Vindicator is huge, completly out of scale for a 45 tons mech. I thought u learned with the Quickdraw....

[SgtMagor]

don't think ill be doing a lot of killing or be a good pilot in the Vindi, but its one of the few Heros I actually had fun using the first time I tried it. kind of thinking I'll be a liability to my team using the mech, oh well just have to try the best I can.

[LT. HARDCASE]

BlackDrakon, on 22 August 2014 - 08:01 AM, said:

This Vindicator is huge, completly out of scale for a 45 tons mech. I thought u learned with the Quickdraw....

But it's barely taller than a Blackjack or Cicada, and is way smaller than a Griffin.

[MauttyKoray]

BlackDrakon, on 22 August 2014 - 08:01 AM, said:

This Vindicator is huge, completly out of scale for a 45 tons mech. I thought u learned with the Quickdraw....

Height =/= Mass. Something heavier doesn't mean it will be taller. This can actually be seen very well with the cataphract, as its 'short' for its tonnage compared to others near the same weight, however the mech is thick, wide, and chunky. The 'mass' or majority of the weight comes from the mech's bulk and not its height. The vindicator isn't very thick in any particular area for a medium (including the legs) and thus has a fair bit of height to it, however isn't particularly out of its height range for mechs of similar weight and distribution of it.

[MauttyKoray]

Just some concerns I have that I hadn't seen addressed anywhere.

1. Will the left arm be shortened to look more like the concept art? (it looks super ugly right now all elongated)

2. Will the standard Vindicator variants have a missile door since they won't have the dual missile hardpoints?

3. Will the hitbox for the dome be fixed and no longer register as front CT no matter where you shoot on it?

Also,

4. Will the cockpit startup sounds be fixed for the MC/CBills release?

5. Will the Vindicator's shadow be fixed/visible?

Edited by MauttyKoray, 25 August 2014 - 09:17 AM.