20517 replies to this topic

[Marauder3D]

I got to admit, I'm starting to feel pretty pessimistic about seeing any more of the Classics. No movement by PGI, HBS or even Catalyst Game Labs.

Pretty disappointing finish to the legal troubles.

[Valdarion Silarius]

Will9761, on 02 October 2018 - 07:59 PM, said:

I don't know if we will ever see the Rifleman IIC. As Russ's wording is a little vague. He said PGI can continue to use "Classic BattleTech" designs, so it is unclear if we will ever see a Rifleman IIC at all.

I wouldn't throw in the towel just yet. They could be saving the announcement for the classics as a way to draw more people into Mech 'Con 2018. Although, I would expect them to primarily focus on IS classics like the Crusader and such if that is what was originally planned. Even though I'd wished they just came out up front with the truth if they were going to release more classic IIC's.

Edited by Arnold The Governator, 03 October 2018 - 08:29 AM.

[Sereglach]

Will9761, on 02 October 2018 - 07:59 PM, said:

I don't know if we will ever see the Rifleman IIC. As Russ's wording is a little vague. He said PGI can continue to use "Classic BattleTech" designs, so it is unclear if we will ever see a Rifleman IIC at all.

Marauder3D, on 03 October 2018 - 08:02 AM, said:

I got to admit, I'm starting to feel pretty pessimistic about seeing any more of the Classics. No movement by PGI, HBS or even Catalyst Game Labs.

Pretty disappointing finish to the legal troubles.

Arnold The Governator, on 03 October 2018 - 08:29 AM, said:

I wouldn't throw in the towel just yet. They could be saving the announcement for the classics as a way to draw more people into Mech 'Con 2018. Although, I would expect them to primarily focus on IS classics like the Crusader and such if that is what was originally planned. Even though I'd wished they just came out up front with the truth if they were going to release more classic IIC's.

Firstly, PGI stated shortly after the lawsuit concluded that they have their mechs locked in well in advance. Again, if they lock out about 3 months in advance (1 quarter, typical development plan for most gaming companies), and July was just a few days away from being announced, then when the lawsuit ended in late June, it would require that with July's announcement, August, September, and October would already be locked in. Therefore, the absolute earliest that you'd see anything from PGI would be November. At that point, as Arnold points out, they'd likely just save the announcements as hype for Mech Con 2018; and have multiple mech announcements then.

HBS only JUST announced their own first mech to be fully developed in house; and that was the Hatchetman. They would have been working on that for months in advance, especially since they really didn't have a full fledged mech-art pipeline. In order to make the impending October expansion deadline, they probably were working on the Hatchetman, along with the Crab and Cyclops, well before even the lawsuit ended. Considering how dependent they are on PGI for mech art assets, and their first in-house mech was melee focused, then I wouldn't expect much from them for a while. I know they had the Warhammer and Marauder "near ready", but that was pre-melee and before a lot of tech refactoring in their engine . . . those mechs might need to be completely redone from scratch.

Lastly, Catalyst Game Labs, or CGL, are far and beyond the slowest moving out of the bunch. On the other hand, they already had far more redone classics before the lawsuit hit than PGI had done. One of the adamant pieces of evidence that the companies have free reign on the classics is the fact that, despite CGL's default in the lawsuit, HG went for full dismissal with prejudice vs. CGL when CGL had a great deal more artwork done than PGI had mustered.

In reality, if HG had anything to stand on, then they would have only given CGL a pass on the same chassis that PGI had created, if they used PGI's artwork. However, CGL also had artwork for the Ost series, Wasp, Stinger, and Valkyrie. None of those PGI had done. In addition, they have their own unique versions of the Phoenix Hawk, Marauder, Warhammer, and Archer. None of that artwork matched PGI's work; and HG, if they had anything to stand on, could have attempted to hold them at the default. However, HG had nothing, and as such were forced to let CGL go in order to "avoid confusion" on the degree with which the case had ended.

After all, the agreed upon language for the release after the lawsuit was,

Quote

Piranha Games will continue to use the “classic” BattleTech designs

That's not "the classic designs we've already made" or "the classics already done by PGI and CGL", but "the 'classic' Battletech Designs" . . . as in . . . all of them. HG admitted they have nothing and were forced to run away with their tail between their legs.

It's just a matter of time. Give it time and have patience. Again, I'd suspect that Mech Con is going to be where we're going to see more about the classics. After all, Mech Con also puts CGL, HBS, and PGI all in the same place at the same time; and what better time to sing, "Ding! Dong! The Witch is Dead!" and, "Joy to the World, the Classics have come!" then at Mech Con? On the other hand, if we see something sooner, then all the better, right?

[Marauder3D]

Your well reasoned, patient outlook has no place on the internet, sir!

NO PLACE, I say!

#ihopeyouareright!

[FLG 01]

TheArisen, on 02 October 2018 - 05:10 PM, said:

Pinion? Haha, only if you want to piss off the clans.
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Pinion

I think you may be underestimating the unit. It's a 45t BattleMech and the Clans only have two 45t Omnis.

The Pinion with an XL255 is marginally slower than the Shadow Cat, has no fixed equipment and more tonnage for weapons (19.5 vs 16). Now this tonnage can be well used for laser vomit due to seven energy HP, and none of the 40t or 45t Clan Mechs can do that. The Mech also has a bulbous torso and short, stubby limbs which is good for volumetric scaling.

Of course, it is a rather boring unit but I would not call it bad.

[TheArisen]

FLG 01, on 03 October 2018 - 10:46 AM, said:

I think you may be underestimating the unit. It's a 45t BattleMech and the Clans only have two 45t Omnis.

The Pinion with an XL255 is marginally slower than the Shadow Cat, has no fixed equipment and more tonnage for weapons (19.5 vs 16). Now this tonnage can be well used for laser vomit due to seven energy HP, and none of the 40t or 45t Clan Mechs can do that. The Mech also has a bulbous torso and short, stubby limbs which is good for volumetric scaling.

Of course, it is a rather boring unit but I would not call it bad.

Yeah it's not too terrible and it does seem to have decently high mounted weapons so it could be decent. I'm just sure that quite a few players would not be too excited for it.

[FupDup]

Whammer IIC incoming: https://mwomercs.com/warhammeriic

All variants look good, my only disappointment is that there aren't going to be any C-Bill variants with ballistics. Definitely too many missile variants that will all end up the same (but probably viable at least).

Edited by FupDup, 03 October 2018 - 02:41 PM.

[FLG 01]

80t BattleMech is a good choice for the Clans, even if I had preferred the Phoenix Hawk IIC.

[Odanan]

FLG 01, on 03 October 2018 - 02:41 PM, said:

80t BattleMech is a good choice for the Clans, even if I had preferred the Phoenix Hawk IIC.

Wow, it looks VERY good!

Arnold the Governor, the next Clan heavy must be the Rifleman IIC!

[Marauder3D]

If I wasn't IS only, I'd be needing to clean my shorts.

1. It is gorgeous.
2. It is a 'Classic'
3. Hope is reborn. Someone should do an Obama Hope Meme, with that mech in the middle of it.

Cheers all!

[Pariah Devalis]

I'm glad to see it. However, I wish they did a tech substitution and replaced the WHM-IIC-10 with essentially the WHM-IIC-5. Just substitute the HAG-20's for UAC10's and you're golden. It bothers me that the only way to get a ballistic WHM-IIC is to shell out real money, now and forever, because they only gave that to the hero. Had we the WHM-IIC-5 (or the UAC10ified version of it), we'd still get 2B4E as well as a unique (and useless) 1M head hardpoint, with the arm lasers of the hero swapping place with the ballistics. The key important differentiation being that the IIC-5 would eventually be available with C-Bills, while the hero never will be.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 03 October 2018 - 03:33 PM.

[Shadowomega1]

Looks like they took a little inspiration from Gipsy Danger for the shoulders, and mixed the Dark Age Reseen and mixed it with the NuSeen Warhammer.

*No one can see me but I am smiling Ear to Ear right now seeing this beauty finally get a NUseen and in game in a few months.

[Will9761]

After seeing the Warhammer IIC make a return I bought it as an FU towards HG. It does feel good to see a Mechwarrior 2 mech again. Hopefully the Rifleman IIC will come in as well.

[Shadowomega1]

Will9761, on 03 October 2018 - 04:49 PM, said:

After seeing the Warhammer IIC make a return I bought it as an FU towards HG. It does feel good to see a Mechwarrior 2 mech again. Hopefully the Rifleman IIC will come in as well.

Likely in two months.

[Sereglach]

Well, I was off by a month (but being at the tail end of "lockdown", they very well could have changed it), but hey, at least now we have a 100% guaranteed answer that PGI, CGL, and HBS can reimagine and use whatever classics they want.

I look forward to next month's IS mech.

EDIT: I'll agree that while the Warhammer IIC looks gorgeous, they really should have replaced the 10 with the 5. It could have put that ballistic variant to great use.

Edited by Sereglach, 03 October 2018 - 05:44 PM.

[Odanan]

Crusader next month?

[Valdarion Silarius]

I'm 100% ok with the Warhammer IIC coming first. Now, I hope that PGI takes the extra time to put detail into the Rifleman IIC. Only two missing now from the MW:2 series is that mech and the Firemoth.

[Bishop Steiner]

Hmmm...the forearms... remind me of that one Warhammer design from the Art Re-Skin thread from ...back in like 2012 or 2013.

Edited by Bishop Steiner, 03 October 2018 - 09:24 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

[Jay Leon Hart]

Would have bought the Canis. Need me some Ballistic options for a Clan 80 tonner. Oh well, wallet saved, glad some people are happy at least.

Shame this almost confirms we're not seeing any IS OmniMechs any time soon, with all the IICs & "Classic" chassis that are no doubt going to come over the next year or so. Oh well, money saved is good, too.