Odanan, on 22 October 2012 - 03:18 AM, said:
I don't think the devs care much for the tonnage and maybe they will skip some.
Comparing the Blackjack with the Vindicator, I think the Blackjack is more likely. It would be a mini-sniper when the Vindicator would be only another medium brawler.
Like Adridos said, Vindicator is not a brawler but it's more of a general-purpose mech that is capable of performing many kind of combat roles in the battlefield with a various degree of successes. It is neither better nor worse as a medium mech, it's just as good as other existing IS medium mechs when it comes to the hand of a competent player.
Vindy's default variant has a PPC for sniping, LRM-5 for indirect fire support, ML and SL for close-in engagement, 9-ton of armor is a decent durability for a medium mech (at least slightly better than the Centurion default variant which armor is 8.5 tons). Not to mentioned it has a jump-jets too.
Since the Vindy is a jack-of-all-trades mech, it is an ideal mech of choice for a cannon fodders. You bring it for scouting, flanking, supporting other mechs etc. It maybe a weak mech in your eyes, but the Vindy can be an effective mech when played in numbers, and is very effective in community warfare as it involves co-op gameplay.
Say... do you guys think the Vindicator's concept is identical to the concept of USSR's and China's expendable front-line foot soldiers that are able to form a various assault formations in the battlefield?