FupDup, on 12 November 2013 - 02:28 PM, said:
We currently don't have any assault mechs that can mount ballistics in separate limbs--namely things like dual Gauss or AC/40. The Mauler would mix things up quite a bit.
Except for the point that the only
Mauler variant that mounts ballistics in the limbs is the
MAL-3R, which isn't available
until 3062 (with PGI's answer to questions #13 and #43 in
ATD 50 showing that they are still using the BattleTech timeline to determine which 'Mechs and weapons are available in MWO); all of the other
Maulers (and the not-
Maulers, the
Daboku and the
Linesman) only mount energy weapons in their arms & house their ballistic hardpoints in the side-torsi (together with the missile launchers).
Additionally, the
Mauler doesn't have three in-timeline
variants (which is a necessity for MWO's current pilot tree system) until 3060, so it's not likely to be implemented unless and until PGI executes an in-game time-skip (or changes the pilot tree system to something that doesn't require leveling up three separate variants).
Moreover, PGI had the chance to do a multi-ballistic assault with the
Victor (as the
VTR-9A would have had at least one ballistic hardpoint in the Right Arm (together with no Lower Arm Actuator) and at least one ballistic hardpoint in the Left Torso, and the
VTR-9A1 would have had at least one ballistic hardpoint in the Right Arm (together with no Lower Arm Actuator) and at least one ballistic hardpoint in each side-torso (for the MGs moved up from the legs, as was done for the
CDA-3C)), and (probably deliberately, IMO) did not take it - which, IMO, is telling.
As an additional option, PGI could implement the
Hatamoto-Chi:
- HTM-27T - x2 PPCs (one in each arm) & x2 SRM-6s (one in each side-torso)
- HTM-27U - x2 PPCs (one in each arm) & x4 Medium Pulse Lasers (two in each side-torso)
- HTM-27W - x2 PPCs (one in each arm) & x1 AC/5 (in the Right Torso)
- the Hero Variant modeled on Daniel Sorenson's personal Hatamoto-Chi loadout (with all of the "prototype" equipment replaced with the normal versions) - x2 LB 10-X ACs (one in each arm) & x2 SRM-4s (one in each side-torso)
All variants have Lower Arm Actuators in both arms, and all variants have a Hand Actuator in the Right Arm.
None of the variants aside from the HTM-28T (not available until 3059) are jump-capable.
All of the standard variants come with a 320 STD Engine, Endo-Steel skeleton, DHS, and CASE.
The Sorenson variant comes with a 320 STD Engine, Endo-Steel skeleton, SHS, and CASE.
Thoughts?