121 replies to this topic

[Sjorpha]

I think it's kinda appropriate that clan mechs are "soulless".

Genetically engineered soldiers in brand new optimised high tech machines, it doesn't exactly spell "soul" does it?

Aging is the only form of life inanimate objects have, thus old and flawed things will always seem more alive.

Speaking of which, visual aging and tearing of mechs would be a cool feature. Imagine actually seeing if a player have played a lot in a mech.

Edited by Sjorpha, 12 May 2015 - 02:13 AM.

[Ursh]

The Ilya Muromets has soul. The Cicadas have soul. The dragon has soul. I should probably sell the rest of my many IS mechs though, because they're just empty shells that mean nothing to me. I can barely tell the difference between a panther, vindicator, and enforcer at a glance, because they pretty much look the same.

Clan mechs have soul, because real people covet them. They're not some hand-me-down from dear old dad, clan warriors spent their entire lives earning their mechs.

[TheCharlatan]

Paigan, on 12 May 2015 - 12:50 AM, said:

1.) Do you realize you make a blank line after almost every sentence? Mental disorder?

2.) Extremely highly subjective to the brink of total nonsense.
You personally have strong emotional association with some IS mechs but not with Clan mechs. That's okay. But that doesn't mean that Clan mechs are objectively "soulless" in general.

I could write pages about Clan mechs' souly-ness:
- Look at the kit fox. It looks like a super cute cat. "I can haz ECMs?"
- Adder. Sneaky little tiny-direwolf.
- Stormcrow. It actually looks like a (featherless) chicken running around. Hilarious! Albeit a very deadly hilarious chicken
- Timber Wolf: No explanation needed. It's THE iconic mech of all Battletech
- Warhawk: One word: Wubhawk. Need I say more?

Soulless... pah! Subjective emotional short-sighted babbling...

If anyone needs my, I'll be in my Kit Fox, hazing ECMs.

1: it's just to have more order. Used to not do it, people complained. I hope it dosen't make me look mad.

2: of course it's subjective! It's a forum. I'm happy that you like your clan mech, they just don't give me the same vibe. I don't expect that everyone agrees with me, it's just to chat about the game we love.

Isn't it just fun to discuss about what we like and what we don't? Like when you watch a film and discuss it with friends?

[Alistair Winter]

Senor Cataclysmo, on 12 May 2015 - 01:40 AM, said:

I couldnt disagree more! I think theyve totally nailed the functional, spartan look for clan cockpits, and I really like that little nod to the lore. Look at how the IS mechs all have nice black dashboards and comfy looking seats, while the clan mechs are all bare metal and mesh and exposed cabling. The IS cockpits look like luxury car interiors, the clan cockpits look like warmachines or construction equipment. All the mechs have similar levels of control doodads in them, but the IS ones have nice button housings and light up switches. Clan controls dont have the same fit & finish.

It makes sense, too. In the lore IS mechs were often much more spacious and luxurious than clan mechs, some even had amenities like chemical toilets.

Huh. You're absolutely right. I just looked through most of my Clan and my Inner Sphere mechs, and the IS cockpits look a lot more polished. I'd compare them more to a modern attack helicopter cockpit, personally, while the Clan cockpits are considerably simpler and rougher.

I guess I just misremembered this because I was expecting Clan cockpits to look a lot more fancy and high tech when the Clans were first released, so this disappointment just stuck with me. And since I use my Clan mechs on a separate account, I've never done a side by side comparison before. Thanks for pointing it out, you've increased my appreciation for the game assets in MWO.

That being said... I would still like to see Clan cockpits with that Soviet-era blue cockpit paint

[Johnny Z]

When Omni mechs are fairly balanced then their pilots can have some pride piloting them and with that comes soul.

At the moment many Clan players pilot their easy mode mechs in shame. "Yes I am piloting a streak crow and those 4 IS lights I just shot down easily without even aiming had it coming, after I take a shower Im going to the corner to hide my shame"

So yes as it is now a few Clan mechs have no soul.

By the way Omni mech cockpits are great. They may make a pass of all cockpits some time as a graphics update but they are frst rate as of now.

Edited by Johnny Z, 12 May 2015 - 03:00 AM.

[Paigan]

TheCharlatan, on 12 May 2015 - 02:43 AM, said:

1: it's just to have more order. Used to not do it, people complained. I hope it dosen't make me look mad.

2: of course it's subjective! It's a forum. I'm happy that you like your clan mech, they just don't give me the same vibe. I don't expect that everyone agrees with me, it's just to chat about the game we love.

Isn't it just fun to discuss about what we like and what we don't? Like when you watch a film and discuss it with friends?

Yes, yes, it's a forum to discuss and all that.
However, some topics are so trivial and obvious nonsense that they are really not worth being discussed at all.

Example:
I could say "I think all people with blue eyes are dumb. What do you think?"
That would be utter nonsense.

Exactely the same with "I think some mechs are super cool, while others are soulless."
Obvious nonsense. At best it's a subjective opinion with no general relevance at all.

Sometimes, it's really good to think for 5 cents before creating a thread.
But that's just my opinion

Edited by Paigan, 12 May 2015 - 03:07 AM.

[bad arcade kitty]

Johnny Z, on 12 May 2015 - 02:52 AM, said:

"Yes I am piloting a streak crow and those 4 IS lights I just shot down easily without even aiming had it coming, after I take a shower Im going to the corner to hide my shame"

have you played a streakboat yourself? firstly, a fully undamaged light would need like 3-4 alphas to kill, 2 lights would probably kill the crow and those speed demons need a direct counter after all and secondly fighting a heavy armored mech with it is just a some kind of comedy, they eat ridiculous amounts of damage, like me with 5 ssrm-6 and a 2 lrm-20 2ll timber recently killed each other, i literally overheat shutdowned 3 times despite chain fire, i did 800 damage that game and like 500-600 ate that timber

if anything it's firestarter pilots should wash their shame... their only grace that firestarters need more skill than a streakcrow

Edited by bad arcade kitty, 12 May 2015 - 03:24 AM.

[Johnny Z]

bad arcade kitty, on 12 May 2015 - 03:24 AM, said:

have you played a streakboat yourself? firstly, a fully undamaged light would need like 3-4 alphas to kill, 2 lights would probably kill the crow and those speed demons need a direct counter after all and secondly fighting a heavy armored mech with it is just a some kind of comedy, they eat ridiculous amounts of damage, like me with 5 ssrm-6 and a 2 lrm-20 2ll timber recently killed each other, i literally overheat shutdowned 3 times despite chain fire, i did 800 damage that game and like 500-600 ate that timber

if anything it's firestarter pilots should wash their shame... their only grace that firestarters need more skill than a streakcrow

I run a commando with 3 IS Streak SRM's 2'. I feel like Im cheating when i run into other lights. Streak Crows run multiple CStreak SRM 6's with long range. I have no doubt at all about how powerfull a Streak Crow is vrs lights or mediums. My Cicada is lucky to survive 2 salvos. My Commando is also luck to survive 2 salvos and so on.

Any Inner Sphere mech with a IS XL is fodder for a Streak Crow. One hit through armor on RT or CT or LT or RL or LL and its over.

This is a tad over the top but it makes the point. Streak Crows are the worste because even an IS fast light has little chance of surviving an encounter with one even if they run at first sight at medium range because they are so fast and CSSRM has fair range. Bad combination.

The Firestarter would be able to do decent damage to the Storm Crow before going down if they decided to fight but wouldnt have a chance of winning. Not with equal pilots.

Edited by Johnny Z, 12 May 2015 - 03:40 AM.

[ZhaLinth]

Sure as hell some of my mechs have soul, be it IS or clan.

For me it's about the glorious battles of the past and fond memories of crushing the enemy beneath the heels of my beloved war-machines.
I can't look at Kate (a Nova) without having those memories pop up in my mind.
And I'd rather by a new mech then change her loadout.
Omnipods? I'd rather delete her.

[Johnny Z]

ZhaLinth, on 12 May 2015 - 03:40 AM, said:

Sure as hell some of my mechs have soul, be it IS or clan.

For me it's about the glorious battles of the past and fond memories of crushing the enemy beneath the heels of my beloved war-machines.
I can't look at Kate (a Nova) without having those memories pop up in my mind.
And I'd rather by a new mech then change her loadout.
Omnipods? I'd rather delete her.

Good point have to name the mechs with great names. My Commando is named Sting and is yellow and black.

Edited by Johnny Z, 12 May 2015 - 03:43 AM.

[bad arcade kitty]

>My Cicada is lucky to survive 2 salvos.

it's underarmored then
cicada like jenner usually needs 3 alphas

firestarter may need 230+ damage to kill. i recall a duel of my completely undamaged crow vs a slightly damaged starter, he chewed out my leg and forced overheat (because 4 alphas it's overheat on terra terma and when your leg is being chewed out you don't think of the chain fire... at least i don't) before died, does it sound right when a light fights its direct counter 20 tons higher and doesn't even try to hide from salvos and still saws off his enemy's leg

and firestarter doesn't even look cool, just some overpowered doll for spoiled is light pilots

Edited by bad arcade kitty, 12 May 2015 - 03:53 AM.

[TheCharlatan]

Paigan, on 12 May 2015 - 03:06 AM, said:

Yes, yes, it's a forum to discuss and all that.
However, some topics are so trivial and obvious nonsense that they are really not worth being discussed at all.

Example:
I could say "I think all people with blue eyes are dumb. What do you think?"
That would be utter nonsense.

Exactely the same with "I think some mechs are super cool, while others are soulless."
Obvious nonsense. At best it's a subjective opinion with no general relevance at all.

Sometimes, it's really good to think for 5 cents before creating a thread.
But that's just my opinion

I understand your point, but if this were a forum discussing people, and i created a thread about: "people with blue eyes feel cold to me" i don't find anything wrong with it. I actually had that discussion with my friends IRL (one of my friends said that, not me, i already seem crazy enough with my mad blank lines ).

It's highly subjective, and you cannot come to an agreement, but it might be fun to think about other people opinions, even if they are weird, rather than just answering "that's stupid, stop thinking that."

Also, are forum threads really that precious that i have to create only "ultimate threads"? I am having fun reading the various answers (yours too), and i hope i'm not alone.

[Johnny Z]

bad arcade kitty, on 12 May 2015 - 03:46 AM, said:

>My Cicada is lucky to survive 2 salvos.

it's underarmored then
cicada like jenner usually needs 3 alphas

firestarter may need 230+ damage to kill. i recall a duel of my completely undamaged crow vs a slightly damaged starter, he chewed out my leg and forced overheat (because 4 alphas it's overheat on terra terma and when your leg is being chewed out you don't think of the chain fire... at least i don't) before died, does it sound right when a light fights its direct counter 20 tons higher and doesn't even try to hide from salvos and still saws off his enemy's leg

and firestarter doesn't even look cool, just some overpowered doll for spoiled is light pilots

I wont argue with you here those are valid points. The Firestarter is the most OP light in the game and it does have some chance vrs the most Op medium in the game.

Storm Crow still OP. Please nerf.

Edited by Johnny Z, 12 May 2015 - 04:02 AM.

[Raggedyman]

TheCharlatan, on 12 May 2015 - 12:45 AM, said:

Just look at the Hunchie: it's just lusting for a fight.

Yes, because Sexyback.

As for the rest of it: yeah, they have a very different aesthetic but it's one I can dig. There are one's from IS and Clan I think are all that, and one's from both that I think would look better with a paperbag on them.

[Jon Gotham]

It's funny, people in real life often feel that way too. I watched an episode of dogfights, where an Israeli fighter ace Giora Epstein made a similar comment, he used to fly Mirage III's and got converted onto the F-16. He said the F-16 with it's fly-by-wire just didn't feel the same, like he couldn't "feel" the airframe anymore like the Mirage.
I do agree with you though clan mechs just don't "do it" for me like my IS ones do.

[SnagaDance]

In BattleTech lore IS mechs are often centuries old, and many of them are privately owned, even those in the official state military!!! (basically Bring Your Own Tank) It's only with the recovery of LosTech after the Clan invasion and the resurgence in mech production that this starts to change.

Meanwhile Clan mechs are the property of the Clan military and never the property of the pilot. A pilot is assigned a mech based on operational needs, their aptitude and availability. Sure this may mean that a clan mechwarrior may pilot the same mech for years, constantly switching up a unit's assets is not very good for unit cohesion after all. But if the higher ups decide the unit is going to pilot some new mechs that's the end of the discussion. No "I will have none of that new fangled Patton Star Colonel, I'll keep using my Sherman thank you very much!" either.

[Skarlock]

TheCharlatan, on 12 May 2015 - 12:45 AM, said:

I just can't bring myself to buy more clan mechs, I just can't make a connection with them.

Anybody else feel the same?

Not me. I love specific mechs both IS and clan. I love my stormcrows and my king crabs, my shadow hawk 2k and my dire wolves, etc. The only mechs I had a real hard time enjoying are the ones I got from the resistance package. Enforcer 4R is a great brawler, but all the other mechs in the package for me, ranged from fun, but not quite good tier (panthers, grasshoppers), to simply not very good and not very fun at all (any zeus).

[bad arcade kitty]

iirc clan officers (even star commanders?) and generally renowned pilots/those with a blood name can choose the model of their mech, at least among the locally available

Edited by bad arcade kitty, 12 May 2015 - 04:15 AM.

[Dolph Hoskins]

Different strokes for different folks is all.

I get all exciterated by my sleek and efficient walking tanks.

They are a symbol of near perfect engineering when there is so little that can be taken away but the function of their intended use.

The mech is a machine.

It is without a soul by design.

It's life is action.

However I don't like the ones named after birds.

Edited by The Ripper13, 12 May 2015 - 07:00 AM.

[Johnny Z]

Skarlock, on 12 May 2015 - 04:12 AM, said:

Not me. I love specific mechs both IS and clan. I love my stormcrows and my king crabs, my shadow hawk 2k and my dire wolves, etc. The only mechs I had a real hard time enjoying are the ones I got from the resistance package. Enforcer 4R is a great brawler, but all the other mechs in the package for me, ranged from fun, but not quite good tier (panthers, grasshoppers), to simply not very good and not very fun at all (any zeus).

I think when Storm Crows (sorry to harp about this chassis) are not so common because the Omni mechs are more balanced with each other and with IS and the Wave 3 is finally here then ther will be more "soul"/character for the Omni mechs.

The beauty of Inner Sphere mechs are there are so many and not so much heavy inbalance. I seen exactly one amazing Arrow pilot ever. Seen 1 amazing Awsome pilot(recently). Seen 1 fair Zues pilot. 1 great Atlas pilot that took down 8 mechs in a match on river city night last mech on the field. He waited in the tunnel and blasted anything that came in after him.

When a player sticks with a chassis long enough he can be great with it.

Edited by Johnny Z, 12 May 2015 - 04:27 AM.