44 replies to this topic

[Hit the Deck]

This is an SLDF Royal Unit variant and thus it should be special! In TT it's noticeably better than the 732 but at the same time still keeps the original flavour. So how PGI should keep this upcoming variant interesting you ask? By inflating its hardpoints? That would be a no brainer.... Maybe adding an ECM! I doubt it. Double AMS? Meh.... I think I know what would make it special without feeding the power creep: make it so that it can mount a 350 engine! And thus it should have:

RA: 1x ballistic
RT: 3x energy
LT: 1x missile
LA: 1x missile
3x JJ
Max. engine rating: 350

It then can run up to ~70kph and have similar agility to a Warhawk (but not the firepower!!!). Sadly it would still not be able to trade punch with some of its kind (Assaults) from a distance and its short ranged jab is weaker but it would be more agile. Maybe add a JJ or AMS mount just because.

What do you think? How should PGI make the 732b?

Edited by Hit the Deck, 18 April 2015 - 05:33 AM.

[Metus regem]

Well the 732b, was more or less a 732 with 10 DHS, rather than 12 SHS... It also packs 1t fewer SRM6 ammo with an extra ML.... So something we can already make in MWO with the standard 732....

As to make it different, why not give it a max engine of 400...

[Hit the Deck]

Metus regem, on 18 April 2015 - 05:41 AM, said:

.
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As to make it different, why not give it a max engine of 400...

With the same hardpoints that I've suggested?

[Metus regem]

Hit the Deck, on 18 April 2015 - 05:44 AM, said:

With the same hardpoints that I've suggested?

I'd do:

RA: 3B
RT: 4E
LT: 2M
LA: 2M
6JJ

Edited by Metus regem, 18 April 2015 - 05:50 AM.

[Alistair Winter]

I like the upped engine rating, but honestly I feel like the Highlander suffers tremendously due to ballistics being in a bad place. A single ballistic on an assault mech feels very weak, especially on the Highlander which is basically forced to carry all three weapon groups (energy ballistic, missiles) in order to get any kind of respectable firepower. AC20 and 2UAC5 works well on the Highlander. A single ballistic is very meh. It's hard to get optimal synergy between all the different weapons.

I love the Highlander, but I'm not sure I would buy a 5th C-bill variant unless it could carry the AC20, given the current state of the game. If the ballistic weapons were buffed, it would be a different story.

[Yosharian]

[Fate 6]

Alistair Winter, on 18 April 2015 - 05:52 AM, said:

A single ballistic on an assault mech feels very weak

Welcome to the Crab/Dire Wolf power creep

[Alistair Winter]

Fate 6, on 18 April 2015 - 06:19 AM, said:

Welcome to the Crab/Dire Wolf power creep

I think the quirkening is a bigger factor. Mechs like the Highlander and Victor can't boat anything, so they fall behind mechs that either have insane quirks (e.g. Hunchback and Dragon) or that have enough hardpoints to min-max ad infinity with insane DPS. The laservomit builds like Thunderbolt and Banshees are probably the worst offenders in this regard.

The King Crab and Dire Wolf don't have amazing quirks, but they do have power creep in the form of hardpoint inflation. So they can boat UAC5s and AC20s very well.

[Rebas Kradd]

Alistair Winter, on 18 April 2015 - 07:17 AM, said:

Mechs like the Highlander and Victor can't boat anything, so they fall behind mechs that either have insane quirks (e.g. Hunchback and Dragon) or that have enough hardpoints to min-max ad infinity with insane DPS.

Same problem as the Atlas. But unlike the Atlas, these are mechs with jump jets, and therefore should have mobility as their advantage and personality in combat.

[Widowmaker1981]

Fate 6, on 18 April 2015 - 06:19 AM, said:

Welcome to the Crab/Dire Wolf power creep

A single non AC20/Gauss ballistic was always weak on an assault mech.. at least for as long as ive played it has been..

[kapusta11]

I don't care about new variant, how about we fix the existing ones first?

[1453 R]

Wait wait wait wait wait.

Somebody let me know where we're getting a new Highlander? I have seen no such announcements. What'm I missing?

[CantHandletheTruth]

Alistair Winter, on 18 April 2015 - 07:17 AM, said:

The King Crab and Dire Wolf don't have amazing quirks, but they do have power creep in the form of hardpoint inflation. So they can boat UAC5s and AC20s very well.

Common Crab builds use 4 hardpoints, 6 at most.

[Deathlike]

Alistair Winter, on 18 April 2015 - 05:52 AM, said:

I like the upped engine rating, but honestly I feel like the Highlander suffers tremendously due to ballistics being in a bad place. A single ballistic on an assault mech feels very weak, especially on the Highlander which is basically forced to carry all three weapon groups (energy ballistic, missiles) in order to get any kind of respectable firepower. AC20 and 2UAC5 works well on the Highlander. A single ballistic is very meh. It's hard to get optimal synergy between all the different weapons.

I love the Highlander, but I'm not sure I would buy a 5th C-bill variant unless it could carry the AC20, given the current state of the game. If the ballistic weapons were buffed, it would be a different story.

The Highlander-732b does not lose its lower arm actuator (that is only for the 733C), so it's never going to field 2 UAC5s.

However, there is some likelihood to inflate the ballistic hardpoint and get dual AC5 dakka going. The alternative is to have a 4th Energy hardpoint. There's no good reason to put in another 732-clone by inflating the missile hardpoints... even if it is to a different section.

Edited by Deathlike, 18 April 2015 - 12:32 PM.

[Telmasa]

Gauss Rifle, two LPLs//triple LL/two PPCs(erppcs maybe?), two SRM6s, with the perfect setup to corner poke (range to the right, brawl to the left).

Sounds like it'd be a fine mech, to me.

[Gas Guzzler]

Telmasa, on 18 April 2015 - 03:06 PM, said:

Gauss Rifle, two LPLs//triple LL/two PPCs(erppcs maybe?), two SRM6s, with the perfect setup to corner poke (range to the right, brawl to the left).

Sounds like it'd be a fine mech, to me.

Except we already have that in the 732. Its just okay.

[Hit the Deck]

Metus regem, on 18 April 2015 - 05:49 AM, said:

I'd do:

RA: 3B
RT: 4E
LT: 2M
LA: 2M
6JJ

Holy power creep batman!

I would like my Highlanders to be more "viable" but certainly not like this

Deathlike, on 18 April 2015 - 12:28 PM, said:

The Highlander-732b does not lose its lower arm actuator (that is only for the 733C), so it's never going to field 2 UAC5s.

However, there is some likelihood to inflate the ballistic hardpoint and get dual AC5 dakka going. The alternative is to have a 4th Energy hardpoint. There's no good reason to put in another 732-clone by inflating the missile hardpoints... even if it is to a different section.

I've been thinking about this but Heavy Metal already has 2B and 3E so I don't agree if 732b would have similar hardpoints by adding a single ballistic hardpoint, moreover if the dual ballistic hardpoints aren't in the same place! It would straight obsolete the other variants because of the ability to mount dual Gauss.

733P has 4E and 3M so 732b could have 1B 4E 2M and be somewhat different. The question is, where would we like to place the 4th energy hardpoint? If 732b *doesn't have* a lower arm actuator, I'd like very much that they put the energy hardpoint on the right arm so the RA could have 1B and 1E then you can put the AC10 or Gauss + (ER)PPC combo on the same arm (RA). But this treatment will ake the 733C less unique.

BTW I still think my original suggestion to be the most fitting because it doesn't introduce a noticable power creep.

[zagibu]

1E in the right arm for 1M less sounds good.

[One Medic Army]

CantHandletheTruth, on 18 April 2015 - 08:24 AM, said:

Common Crab builds use 4 hardpoints, 6 at most.

Yeah, but you get to pick witch 4.

4B, or 2B+2E being the most common. If you want to run smaller E weapons you can go 2B+4E, or even 1B+4M for an atlas style face punch alpha.

More hard points really gives more options.

[Rear Admiral Tier 6]

Gauss + 4 LPL,whats a powercreep