35 replies to this topic

[Schtirlitz]

Not enough information.
To make a correct choise we need to know more.

Edited by Schtirlitz, 30 June 2012 - 01:58 AM.

[Telthalion]

I'll certainly try it both ways. I can't really say anything concrete until I've seen the effects in action, but at first glance I'm leaning toward the XL for both of my primary 'mechs.

In my Raven I'll probably be using speed and sneaky tactics as my primary defenses, the XL gives me more options. And more sting when I get behind someone.

In my Catapult I'll be trying to stay back out of the fighting as much as possible, so the extra tonnage for some speed and ammo could be nice.

[PoPuP]

even for a close in fight the extra armor is very helpful

[DerMaulwurf]

The loss in survivability is big, but I don't think there is much of a choice for lights and mediums.

But with heavy mechs and assaults, you already have enough tonange for weapons and armor and the tradeoff is too big to be worth it.

[Pvt Dancer]

No.

Armor can be maxed and then destroyed, guns take ammo, cause heat, or can get destroyed. There is probably a top speed (8/12) and just because your faster doesn't mean you can't be hit.

There are very few ways to die in this game, but the main way is having your engine destroyed via having your CT blown out (3 engine hits). I do not want to triple that chance that XL will give me of dying. It is just not worth it to me, and I consider it a sucker's bet.

There is no 'perfect' mech, everything has a cost, and XL's cost is just to high for what it gives.

[Pvt Dancer]

Future Perfect, on 30 June 2012 - 12:07 AM, said:

Isn't the XL engine the most beneficial to light mechs?

They have to rely on speed and mobility to survive so why not enhance that?

The typical mentality is that a light mech will die quick when fire is put on them. There is dying fast and then there is dying fast. A light mech can still survive with a torso gone,..... not if it has a XL engine. You can max out armor (old rule was 2x the internal structure, now it would be 4x with double armor), most light mechs can't support more guns due to a lack of hardpoints and things like heat sinks and additional ammo. Speed doesn't keep you from being hit and your not nessarrily considered a small target. Making a Scout easier to be taken out doesn't make it a better scout and there are other ways of getting faster if that is your purpose...

For example, a Commando's Engine is 5.5 tons. Going XL will save you 2.5 tons, rounding down. For a commando to go from 6/9 speed it has now to a 8/12 speed it needs a engine that is 8.5 tons. I would rather look at shaving off 3 tons elsewhere to increase that 5.5 to 8.5 (if this was my goal).

[Alizabeth Aijou]

Hell yeah.
I'll probably be piloting a heavy, so another 10 tons or so would be a nice help.
Up the engine to a 360, perhaps, maybe even turn the 'mech into a proto-Hawk-KU.
10 MLs with only overheat from movement (6/9/6)? You'll fear it, heck, even the Clans will fear it.

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A light mech can still survive with a torso gone,..... not if it has a XL engine.

And with a COM-1D it can barely hold together with one PPC hit to the front, and one from the rear will ruin whatever it hits. I wonder how the double armour works, though.

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For example, a Commando's Engine is 5.5 tons. Going XL will save you 2.5 tons, rounding down. For a commando to go from 6/9 speed it has now to a 8/12 speed it needs a engine that is 8.5 tons. I would rather look at shaving off 3 tons elsewhere to increase that 5.5 to 8.5 (if this was my goal).

Using an XLE would give you the speed and another ton to spare.
Going any other route would mean a decrease in armour or weapons, in addition to Endo-Steel and/or Ferro-Fibrous (FF doesn't have any real impact).

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Armor can be maxed and then destroyed, guns take ammo, cause heat, or can get destroyed. There is probably a top speed (8/12) and just because your faster doesn't mean you can't be hit.

Assuming MASC and Superchargers are in, you could see a LCT-1E Locust going as fast as 11/17(28), or 302.4 km/h. 12/18 if neither MASC nor Superchargers are in (198.4 km/h).

Edited by Alizabeth Aijou, 30 June 2012 - 03:36 AM.

[Thariel]

It all depends on the Devs and the answer so far has been: Losing 1 side torso will NOT cause you to blow up (so all the IS Mechs withXL will behave like a Clan Mech with XL, wonder what this will mean for Clan mechs? standard XL reactor with no critical slots in the side torsos?), so XL is no risk at all. and what means "cored" ? there is nothing like being cored alltogether. if you lose the whole center torso you're not cored but just plain dead and shattered to pieces. in all the videos i have seen there was no single mech with a hole in its middle and therefore dead.

So XL is an advantage only with no drawbacks.

[Haldricht]

It's purely a role decision for me. Command role or LRM boat and I'd probably go with it. Anything else, I'd probably avoid it. Since there are two side torsos, the ISXL actually triples the likelihood of engine death, more than that if you count reduced armor & internals on the side torsos. Very risky from a defensive perspective. Costly too!

[GrandGibbon]

Offcourse I would take the weight reduction of the XL engine. This allows for more weapons, and armor. With more guns one can detroy the cockpit faster.

[LanceKoth]

I will definitely consider it. I am willing to take the risk, to get a little more of everything. I will also try to by a skirmisher/scout.

[Joseph Calvert]

It all depends on your mech design, but definitly use the XL engine if it work for your mech load out.

[Bongo TauKat]

I stand with the "no" crowd. While XL is nice, too may times in tabletop have I lost a mech due to a TAC or destruction of a left or right torso. With clan mechs it is not as bad, but the attrition rate for IS Xls makes the mech just too damn vulnerable to a roll of the die.

[Infine]

I don't think Cicada makes any sense without XL.
Catapult and Awesome would probably benefit from an XL too. Cat needs more ammo. Badly. Awesome could use some speed buff (depends on how you are intending to play the mech). Trenchbucket could probably make a use of XL too.
But Hunchie, Atlas, Centurion - hell no. There's no way they can work with XL.

[Braedin]

i have a few heavy mechs i give xl's to. those are my long range sniper mechs. gives them and extra erppc and double heat sinks or alot more ammo for a gauss. or upgrade an ac to a gauss. as for my ground pounder slugging it out in the middle of the fray. ummmm hell no.

[Alizabeth Aijou]

Thariel, on 30 June 2012 - 03:54 AM, said:

It all depends on the Devs and the answer so far has been: Losing 1 side torso will NOT cause you to blow up (so all the IS Mechs withXL will behave like a Clan Mech with XL, wonder what this will mean for Clan mechs? standard XL reactor with no critical slots in the side torsos?), so XL is no risk at all. and what means "cored" ? there is nothing like being cored alltogether. if you lose the whole center torso you're not cored but just plain dead and shattered to pieces. in all the videos i have seen there was no single mech with a hole in its middle and therefore dead.

So XL is an advantage only with no drawbacks.

There's a difference between "blowing up" or being disabled.
The former most likely refers to what happens in MW4.
As for those vids: none of those variants have an XLE.

Edited by Alizabeth Aijou, 30 June 2012 - 08:52 AM.