31 replies to this topic

[auniqueid]

whats the point? I have one from the resistance package, or some package. It's top speed is the same speed as my crab, and its only 35 tons... what niche does this mech fill?

[Serpieri]

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Panther

[Wintersdark]

Jimbobbob, on 26 March 2015 - 06:44 PM, said:

whats the point? I have one from the resistance package, or some package. It's top speed is the same speed as my crab, and its only 35 tons... what niche does this mech fill?

There is no way you'll get a King Crab going as fast as you can get the Panther going. Tweaked with max 250 engine, it'll go 127kph, which is more than fast enough to be effective.

[Lynx7725]

In Lore, stock? Well, in lore we don't have that many factories churning out mechs, the Panther is one of those which is still in production, so that's a big sell point.

Secondly, in lore, big mech-on-mech combat isn't the norm; small skirmishes with limited mechs is. And the Houses are not likely to deploy heavies and assaults without a correspondingly valuable objective to achieve. A Panther is lightweight enough to be expendable, and packs enough punch to be respectable, and when deployed in larger numbers, sufficiently annoying.

MWO represents a non-normal slice of Inner Sphere military. It doesn't talk that much about the economics underpinning that forms the backdrop of the story, nor does it go into the "normal" military usage of Mechs. What it does is pew pew and giant stompy robot. PGI managed to do a good job of making the Panther viable in this context.

[Bishop Steiner]

And if we are comparing stock, no, your King Crab is not as fast as your panther, as last I checked, 64 kph was still faster than 48.......

[Lynx7725]

Eh, a stock King Crab can practically catch a stock Panther enough to land AC40 shots, so I'm not too hung up on the maths. If the Panther takes the AC40 shots, it's... messy.

[El Bandito]

Jimbobbob, on 26 March 2015 - 06:44 PM, said:

whats the point? I have one from the resistance package, or some package. It's top speed is the same speed as my crab, and its only 35 tons... what niche does this mech fill?

In lore Panther was the premier IS PPC poptarting Light. Since we do not have sized hardpoints in MWO, that role can be filled with any other Lights with JJs and energy point. Sucked out the whole Panther persona.

Edited by El Bandito, 26 March 2015 - 06:57 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Lynx7725, on 26 March 2015 - 06:53 PM, said:

Eh, a stock King Crab can practically catch a stock Panther enough to land AC40 shots, so I'm not too hung up on the maths. If the Panther takes the AC40 shots, it's... messy.

if a PNT lets a KGC into ac40 range it deserves whatever it gets. Of course, that's assuming the Krab can hit it. Little bugger is rather nimble.

El Bandito, on 26 March 2015 - 06:55 PM, said:

In lore Panther was the premier PPC poptarting Light. Since we do not have sized hardpoints in MWO, that role became moot.

In lore, there was no poptarting.

[FupDup]

Bishop Steiner, on 26 March 2015 - 06:56 PM, said:

In lore, there was no poptarting.

Well, since JJs gave a big to-hit penalty, it's implied that you could fire while jumping...otherwise why would it be harder to aim if you were only on the ground when you fired?

[El Bandito]

Bishop Steiner, on 26 March 2015 - 06:56 PM, said:

In lore, there was no poptarting.

Fine then. Jumping PPC Light. Not like it was impossible to do.

Edited by El Bandito, 26 March 2015 - 06:58 PM.

[Tarl Cabot]

For the Innersphere, stock mechs are stock mechs, made/repaired with available resources, no XL engines, no FA/ES, no DHS, no max armor. Most mechs, be a light/med/heavy/assault, had their movement speed set at either 3/5 or 4/6 movement.

Quote

four Lexington Lifter jump jets split between both legs for a total jumping distance of 120 (30m hexes x4) meters, >

I really wish PGI would redo jump jets, to get closer to canon in movement and to cut out the bunny hopping abuse.

Edited by Tarl Cabot, 26 March 2015 - 07:15 PM.

[Lynx7725]

If MWO has a game mode which mimics the raiding wars between the Successor Houses, where the limit might be 4 to 8 mechs a side with a limit on heavies and assaults (I dunno... 2 at most? Total, not each weight class), or even by cost of mech.. hmmm..

In such a game mode, a stock Panther becomes quite usable as it can act in the role it is designed to -- a trooper mech meant to be used in the main line. It's small, it's main weapon is in the arm so it can shoot out from cover easier, it can continue to hold a line against similar forces for some time.

[Bishop Steiner]

FupDup, on 26 March 2015 - 06:58 PM, said:

Well, since JJs gave a big to-hit penalty, it's implied that you could fire while jumping...otherwise why would it be harder to aim if you were only on the ground when you fired?

because you just landed a 50 ton walking brick? Tell you what...go shoot a gun standing still, then jump over a fence and shoot the moment you land and tell me what is more accurate.

Since to be able to fire at all, you have to end your movement with valid LoS, that kind of defeats the purpose of potarting.

[Tarl Cabot]

El Bandito, on 26 March 2015 - 06:58 PM, said:

Fine then. Jumping PPC Light. Not like it was impossible to do.

Quote

The Panther also proved itself a deadly urban combatant, using its mobility to easily navigate the more restricted space of a city environment and take out heavier opponents from rooftop sniping perches with its main weapon. Lyran MechWarriors eventually took to nicknaming the 'Mech the "Alley Cat" for its propensity to conduct dark alley-way "muggings.

Bishop Steiner, on 26 March 2015 - 07:06 PM, said:

because you just landed a 50 ton walking brick? Tell you what...go shoot a gun standing still, then jump over a fence and shoot the moment you land and tell me what is more accurate.

Since to be able to fire at all, you have to end your movement with valid LoS, that kind of defeats the purpose of potarting.

Using Solaris rules a mech could fire in the midst of jumping.

Edit. I keep forgetting that part... grr.. fixed though!!!

Edited by Tarl Cabot, 26 March 2015 - 07:16 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Tarl Cabot, on 26 March 2015 - 07:09 PM, said:

The Panther also proved itself a deadly urban combatant, using its mobility to easily navigate the more restricted space of a city environment and take out heavier opponents from rooftop sniping perches with its main weapon. Lyran MechWarriors eventually took to nicknaming the 'Mech the "Alley Cat" for its propensity to conduct dark alley-way "muggings.

chief, you really gotta work on your copy/paste meta.

Use the "paste as plain text" option...I just can't read that mess. Sorry.

[auniqueid]

calm down guys.. I'm compring stock speed of the panther to my modified crab, which I have up at 64kph.
I'm just wondering whether to sell the panther for c-bills or spend some time working on it --- really my first reaction was that this was another urban-mech type.

Edited by Jimbobbob, 26 March 2015 - 07:21 PM.

[Foxwalker]

Bishop Steiner, on 26 March 2015 - 07:06 PM, said:

because you just landed a 50 ton walking brick? Tell you what...go shoot a gun standing still, then jump over a fence and shoot the moment you land and tell me what is more accurate.

Since to be able to fire at all, you have to end your movement with valid LoS, that kind of defeats the purpose of potarting.

Last I checked, humans don't have gyros. LOL. But seriously , it is a game. To be more percise, 2 games, each with different rules.

PGI has done a great job here, making these mechs close to their original specs but also viable (in most cases). My hat is off to them.

Edited by Foxwalker, 26 March 2015 - 07:23 PM.

[Foxwalker]

Jimbobbob, on 26 March 2015 - 07:20 PM, said:

calm down guys.. I'm compring stock speed of the panther to my modified crab, which I have up at 64kph.
I'm just wondering whether to sell the panther for c-bills or spend some time working on it --- really my first reaction was that this was another urban-mech type.

I have seen some do quite well with them. They seem viable and tough, but most likely will not be a competitive mech. But, friends of mine that have them are having fun with them.

[Bishop Steiner]

Jimbobbob, on 26 March 2015 - 07:20 PM, said:

calm down guys.. I'm compring stock speed of the panther to my modified crab, which I have up at 64kph.
I'm just wondering whether to sell the panther for c-bills or spend some time working on it --- really my first reaction was that this was another urban-mech type.

All I can tell you with any mech...modify it with parts you got lying around and try it. If it doesn't click, sell it. But I would not keep or sell anything based on the opinions of the Forums. Might Ask them for build suggestions, but only you can decide if it's worth keeping.

But I don't see what kind of baseline you were hoping for, comparing a modified Krab to a stock Mech.

Foxwalker, on 26 March 2015 - 07:22 PM, said:

Last I checked, humans don't have gyros. LOL. But seriously , it is a game. To be more percise, 2 games, each with different rules.

PGI has done a great job here, making these mechs close to their original specs but also viable (in most cases). My hat is off to them.

You might want to look into the function of the inner ear.

Also, last I checked people didn't have to try to stop inertia on huge multi-ton metal limbs packing multi-ton weapons.

But hey, it's a Gundam. *shrugs*

[crustydog]

Thinking back, when the Panther first came out, it might have been the only light mech with a heavy weapon. (not including the Urbie, of course...) This required a smaller engine, hence the jump jets for mobility. It was designed to kill other light mechs, but also to provide support against heavier mechs. The common Kurita line trooper lance at this time became three Panthers and a Dragon. There were other twenty ton mechs beside the Locust (one medium laser + two MG's) at that time. Stingers, for example, were quite common...lightly armed and armored.. one medium laser + srm 2 pack or something. Spiders had a pair of medium lasers? The Valkyrie had a medium laser and a LRM 10 pack...

Even the Phoenix Hawk - a 45 ton medium, came with a large laser, a pair of mediums, and a couple of MG's.

Also, the Wolfhound of Kell Hounds fame was specifically designed to hunt down Panther mechs with a top speed of 95 Kph vrs the Panther's top speed of 65 Kph. All of this was before the XL engine, pulse lasers, endo steel, etc.

Comstar was just the phone company.

And the Atlas was undisputed King of the Field.