47 replies to this topic

[Firelizard]

Toldor, on 27 June 2012 - 09:16 AM, said:

You can built your mech with a lot of weapons and so on, but if you don't have the big engine, it will just walk around with 20km/h and reacts like a sitting duck.

Or you can do what I plan on doing (assuming the CAT-C1 has the same internal layout as in TT); swap in a 325XL engine, endo-steel internals, a couple extra tonnes of ammo for the LRMs and an extra jump-jet. Zoom zoom ^.^

[Voyager I]

Founder's Catapult can still mount twin PPCs. It has energy mounts in the side torsos for medium lasers. Strip those out and cut back on LRM racks to free up some weight, and you're in business.

[Derek Icelord]

627, on 27 June 2012 - 09:18 AM, said:

i'm curious if there will be an Arrow IV system for the missile hard points...

No official word, as of yet. However, my gut feeling is "no." The Arrow IV system measures its range in map boards where other 'Mech mounted weapons are measured in board hexes. In a video game, that translates to between 3.8 and 4 kilometers (depending on if you measure the 16x17 board long- or short-ways). For perspective, LRMs have a maximum range of 630 meters (not counting optional extreme range rules).

[$imon Osis]

627, on 27 June 2012 - 05:52 AM, said:

Hi everyone,

is it possible to customize the founders mechs to another version? For example the Catapult comes as A1: 2x LRM15, 4x MedLasers - can I change this loadout to the K2-variant with 2x PPCs instead of the LRMs?

the C4 has a 1 missile hard point in each pod 2 energy hard points in the CT an 1 energy hard point in the LT and the RT

the A1 has 2 missile hard points in each pod and 2 energy hard points in the CT

and both come with jumpjets

the founder Catapult is the C4 NOT the A1.......

[xxx WreckinBallRaj xxx]

627, on 27 June 2012 - 05:52 AM, said:

Hi everyone,

is it possible to customize the founders mechs to another version? For example the Catapult comes as A1: 2x LRM15, 4x MedLasers - can I change this loadout to the K2-variant with 2x PPCs instead of the LRMs?

The answer to this is no, because your Founder Catapult variant will have missile racks, which can only slot missiles, not energy weapons. You would have to buy a different Catapult variant that had energy compatible limbs instead of the missile racks, but by doing so you would not have your Founder C-Bill bonus because it will only be on the Founder Catapult variant. You will be able to edit your variant, but you won't be able to change what type of weapon can go into the hardpoints on that variant. In this case the Founder Catapult only has missile rack limbs. You won't be able to slot PPCs there. The good news is that the other Mechs in our Founder list(If you got Legendary like me) are more versatile in their hard points. You could probably easily slot a PPC on a Hunchback or Atlas if you dropped the AC20 to free up some weight. The issue would afterwards would probably be your heat. They currently have a mixed arsenal, if you drop guns for more lasers you will have more heat issues.

Edited by Bluten, 27 June 2012 - 09:38 AM.

[Voyager I]

Simon Osis, on 27 June 2012 - 09:32 AM, said:

the C4 has a 1 missile hard point in each pod 2 energy hard points in the CT an 1 energy hard point in the LT and the RT

the A1 has 2 missile hard points in each pod and 2 energy hard points in the CT

and both come with jumpjets

the founder Catapult is the C4 NOT the A1.......

If you want to get obsessive about it, it's actually the C1.

[Firelizard]

Simon Osis, on 27 June 2012 - 09:32 AM, said:

the C4 has a 1 missile hard point in each pod 2 energy hard points in the CT an 1 energy hard point in the LT and the RT

the A1 has 2 missile hard points in each pod and 2 energy hard points in the CT

and both come with jumpjets

the founder Catapult is the C4 NOT the A1.......

Those are the weapons equipped, not the total hardpoints available. In the mechlab video, the Hunchback had a few more hardpoints than equipped weapons. In the leaked video the Jenner had one more CT missile hardpoint than it was using. So from these I can assume that a larger mech like a CAT would have more than 1 missile hardpoint per pod. Most of my theoretical designs I'm running through Solaris Skunk Werks go on this theory. (So much empty space inside that thing. Like it was designed for an XL engine!)

[Glythe]

627, on 27 June 2012 - 05:52 AM, said:

is it possible to customize the founders mechs to another version? For example the Catapult comes as A1: 2x LRM15, 4x MedLasers - can I change this loadout to the K2-variant with 2x PPCs instead of the LRMs?

No. They have said that you can't change the hardpoints. Weapons will be restricted by hardpoints or else you would NEVER buy another catapult if you had the founder version. The point of the grind in this game is to play a mech until you lock different variants that better suit your needs (in terms of hardpoints).

The Founder catapult is a missile boat and it while you can modify it you probably can't turn it into the double PPC variant because the arms probably do not have an energy weapon mount (because they have missile mounts).

This is all according to what we have been told.

[Firelizard]

Glythe, on 27 June 2012 - 10:15 AM, said:

The Founder catapult is a missile boat and it while you can modify it you probably can't turn it into the double PPC variant because the arms probably do not have an energy weapon mount (because they have missile mounts).

*fires up Solaris Skunk Werks* Rip out the old weapons, switch to an XL engine and double heat-sinks. One PPC each LT/RT (which have energy hardpoints as the MedLas were there), and an SRM-6 in each weapon pod plus a couple tonnes of ammo for close encounters.

It's not THE PPC variant, but it could work.

Edited by Firelizard, 27 June 2012 - 10:38 AM.

[Viper69]

Solaris 7, a machinegun mech destroys almost everything. No heat and really long range.

[LesIzmore]

I think they are just going by the "book" values on slots available and you can put what you want where it will fit within the set weight values for a given chassis.

[Falcor]

Does anyone know how much customization freedom we'll have on our mechs? I know were limited to hardpoint types, I'm not looking to turn one variant into another. But I look at the founder mech variants, and honestly they don't really appeal to me. But it would be entirely different, if we could swap out for XL engines, endo-steel, and double heat sinks, change our armor, etc... it would be a game changer.

But I'm not clear if we're able to change those things... has there been any confirmation?

[Tristher]

Am I the only one who remembers that someone mentioned a catapult variant in a video of actual game play that ppcs? And it shot the Atlas?

[Fl3tcher]

Kobold, on 27 June 2012 - 08:55 AM, said:

Am I the only one annoyed that Russ referred to them a "prime," given that they are not omnimechs?

The first production / standard model of any battlemech is called "Prime" as in First. It was in use long before Omni Mechs appeared.

[Falcor]

Tristher, on 28 June 2012 - 04:21 AM, said:

Am I the only one who remembers that someone mentioned a catapult variant in a video of actual game play that ppcs? And it shot the Atlas?

Lord no, every other post I see referring to the catapult in any way, is in reference to the almighty K variant, with twin ppc's.

[Lord Exalted]

the hard pt system doesnt allow for that but you can get the vareint using the unlock able xp pilot tree which allows the Kata with ppcs to be used

[Zorob]

Maybe it is just me but does changing from standard to endo-steel chasis might be able to give you this ability to change your hard points. I know in the TT game you could do that as a retro kit but it cost a buttload of C-Bills. Maybe they will offer this as a choice in customizing your mech along with the engines.

[ScrapIron Prime]

Even if you keep the same hardpoints, I'm willing to bet it will still be a metric crap ton of c-bills to customize the mech.

That aside, here's the formula for a PPC catapult with the C1 variant that is the founders mech....

Removing the 2 LRM's and ammo nets 16 tons, plus 4 more for taking off the medium lasers is 20 tons. The most basic configuration involves mounting 1 PPC in the Right Torso, 1 PPC in the Left Torso (total of 14 tons thus far) and putting an SRM 4 (with 1 ton ammo) in each arm. This results in a machine with 15 heat sinks and 10 tons of armor, so it's rather lackluster.

The next level up the customization scale involves Endo Steel and Double Heat Sinks. If you have access to these and can afford them, Endo Steel nets you 3 more tons to spend, and you can crib 1 additional ton by paring down to 14 double heat sinks. This allows you to upgrade to SRM 6 racks in the arms and bump the armor up to 12 tons.

For those that like, can find, and can afford XL engine technology, you could swap out it's regular engine for an XL engine of the same size, which would free up another 6.5 tons. You could add 2 medium lasers in the center torso, an ECM pod, another double heat sink, and perhaps upgrade the SRM pods to Artemis Fire Control (if it's implemented in game, not sure that it is). Or alternately, you could bump the engine up to a 325 XL (and a slightly larger gyro) and gain a mere half ton, but increase the mech's ground speed to 88kph.

Lots you can do with a mere prime configuration, and my ramblings are just suggestions. Nearly anything goes if it fits in the hardpoints.

Edited by ScrapIron Prime, 28 June 2012 - 05:52 AM.

[Schtirlitz]

All usual customization rules are applied to Founder's mechs.

[Viper69]

You mean I cant weld a Jenner to the back of my Atlas?