Nathan Foxbane, on 22 September 2013 - 12:40 PM, said:
I would use a Jenner for different things. Just because it is a jump capable light does not mean it does the same things. I would use the Panther to say escort Hunchbacks and Catapults, where a Jenner would be wasted potential in that role. Yes the Jenner has more hardpoints if you assume PGI will not add any more to the Panther than just the single energy and missile it needs for a stock build. And yes you can build it to do just what the Panther does, but why use a Jenner for that role? You have lobbied for the Urbanmech, why should the Panther get neglected? By your justification both are about equally useless. Does not mean people will not find a way to make them any less fun... or dangerous.
Jack Gallows, on 22 September 2013 - 12:42 PM, said:
We're scraping the proverbial bottom of the barrel.
'Mechs are going to be added to the game that aren't optimal due to how PGI lets us use the 'mechbay. It's an arms race like how it was before, with only a few things added. Max Engine Size and ECM are the two things that dictate usefulness now if a 'mech isn't at the VERY top of it's weight class. Huzzah for diversity if all anyone can think about is how to top a Jenner or Raven. Why add more 'mechs even if they aren't the super min/maxed variants everyone else uses?
My list incorporated 'mechs I'd like to see in game. We have a very generous spread of machines already and any of the 'mechs I'd listed would fit into the game even if they aren't better then X or Y 'mech. PGI doesn't add them based on that assumption either so don't go telling me a 'mech doesn't fit in the damn game just because it's hardpoints/equipment don't throttle another design already in game. It's not the 'mechs fault, it's PGI's and that's not going to change.
Screw the bloody 'mech lab and give me some 'mechs we don't normally see in Mechwarrior games! Give me designs that might be fun in other ways then just being the absolute out of the box superior because of how borked mechlab is.
We're at the point they can add whatever they want, it's mostly an aesthetics game now.
Or maybe, we can continue to try to push for the change needed to make all mech shave distinct roles and thus usefulness?
Why would I as a consumer, push for a unit that is extremely limited in role (the Panther) when I can use the same money (IRL or otherwise) to purchase a Mech (the Jenner) which can do any role the Panther can AND a variety of other roles?
The Urbanmech I push as something of a joke, although it is iconic enough, that even in the current Meta, as a totally useless design, ti would sell. But it would also be useless. Lights without speed are dead lights. Thus, a Panther is a wasted "escort" when I can cut it to piece with a Jenner. (Since an escorts job is to protect it's charges from lighter threats that it can't handle). The Reason the Hunchback and others are viable in that role is they actually carry enough armor, and significantly more firepower than the faster Light threat.
You do nothing to refute the point I was making, in that your attempt to promote the Weight Matching as making it viable is a joke. I want these mechs in the game too. But I want an actual reason to play them, and NOT handicap my team in the process. I would love to see all mechs in this game. I would love to see them all have an actual ROLE in the game.
The current Mechlab implementation does not make that a realistic occurrence.
You want the Panther in the game Jack? SO do I. Know how to make it work? SImple. Sized hardpoints mean no Jenner can pack a PPC. The Panther can. Armor caps mean that the Jenner can't carry as heavy of armor as a Panther. Bang. Panther has a role now. Same with the even better armored Wolfhound. And the Jenner still has a role, just no longer as the "do everything but pack ECM" wundermech it is now.
Having mechs JUST to have them is sadly pointless for PGI to pursue as a business if they can't generate revenue with them. Mechs for "fluff fun" as much as I would like them as a fan of the IP, will not drive revenue, in all but the rarest of cases (such as possibly an Urbanmech) , in a competitive FPS game, which PGI has delusions of this being.
Edited by Bishop Steiner, 22 September 2013 - 01:23 PM.