8 replies to this topic

[Prince Peter Davion]

Can someone please confirm that if a player purchases 2 mech variants of the same mech, that they can skill up 2 of the same mech, and that all three will count towards opening the elite skills to be trained? Thank you.

Edited by Prince Peter Davion, 14 May 2015 - 10:00 AM.

[juxstapo]

if you mean can you purchase two JR7-D's and have them both count towards your elites, then no. I'm afraid not.
If you mean can you purchase a JR7-D and a JR7-F and level them both up, then yes. Thats how it works.

[TercieI]

You don't actual skill individual mechs, you skill variants. So if you level one JR7-F, then buy another, it'll already be leveled. Flip side is you need to level three variants to master a mech.

[Prince Peter Davion]

Okay, roger that, thank you!!

[Koniving]

It was a good question. Though, I'd like to back up the given answer with a smidgeon of the logic behind it.

Consider this: Many different model years of a particular make and model of car handles differently. Lets take a truck. Lets assume you're using a Ford Ranger. Ford being the brand name (Kali-Yama Industries), Ranger being the chassis (Hunchback), and finally the model years 1986, 1992, and 2002 (HBK-4G, HBK-4H, and HBK-4P).

I was hoping to go into detail like how differently they handle, but sadly I'm not able to find significant information. In short however, there's a large difference in the vehicle's width between the 88/92 model years and the 2002 model year, in which the truck became noticeably wider for improved stability in turns, but as such lost some of its potential turning rate and radius. The acceleration difference between them is pretty strong, as is their weight capacity. Each is also host to its own flaws.

To become proficient in a model of vehicle, you'd need to experience several model years to find what is similar and different about each... as your knowledge of one won't necessarily apply to another. The concept is the same with the mechs. Each is supposed to handle slightly to extremely differently. An example of this can be found in Cataphracts. The difference between a Cataphract 1X, 4X, and 3D are staggering to say the least. The 1X can easily handle a full weapons loadout and extremely high speeds or even pack on a standard engine despite a hefty amount of energy-based firepower. Something the 3D and 4X can't even dream of. The 3D is the only variant which can jump, adding its own dynamic to the mix. The 4X is a slow, cumbersome weapons platform whose only canonical merits was a significantly higher ammunition capacity, superior armor to even that which is common of 80 and 85 ton mechs (despite being 70 tons; remember stock comparisons here), and having all weapons facing forward (something no other Cataphract has in Battletech).

In theory, just because you can drive one model year proficiently doesn't mean you could handle the huge engine difference or even physical differences in how the vehicle feels on other model years. Also as the differing model years can have different mechanical internals going about them, tweaks you can do to one won't necessarily apply to another. Furthermore, having two identical vehicles won't give you a broader understanding of how they all work, just how the one works and once you learned it all from that narrow perspective how could you hope to improve upon a third? You'd have to get used to each, and with a broader understanding of how they work mechanically you'd then be able to tweak them a bit farther.

Also don't mind me... I just woke up. That probably wasn't even comprehensible.

[Spike Brave]

Just some additional info. If you purchase two of the exact same mech, when you go to the skill tree it will show you tabs for each mech variant and the number of those variants you own. I'm going to use my Centurion CN9-AH for the example. I have two. They were a give away mech that I qualified for twice and they are locked to their mech bays so I can't sell them.

If I go out to the skill tree and click on the Centurion selection bar, I see a tab that says Centurion CN9-AH across the top and across the bottom of the mech's picture, about 3/4 the way down the tab, it says OWNED 2. If I click the Mech tree button it takes me to the tree for that variant which applies to both instances I own.

Now it won't count as two for the purpose of unlocking the higher tiers of the tree, but it does offer two other things that haven't been addressed yet. First, I could level these mechs faster. I could drop in a solo match and be destroyed, then quit that match and start another with the other mech. I wouldn't recommend doing that. It's an expensive way to save a few minutes. Second, if you REALLY, REALLY like a mech and want two for your CW drop deck so you can drop in the same mech twice, you can add the same mech as long as tonnage allows.

Edit because English is hard.

Edited by Spike Brave, 14 May 2015 - 02:55 PM.

[Spike Brave]

Upon reading your post more closely, I think that it also bears mentioning that once you hit the master tier you need three in the weight class to unlock. For example, I need three Centurion with completed basics to unlock elite. Once I have the elites complete, I just need to have three medium mechs with their elite completed to have the master tier unlock.

Edited by Spike Brave, 14 May 2015 - 03:02 PM.

[Satan n stuff]

Spike Brave, on 14 May 2015 - 03:01 PM, said:

Upon reading your post more closely, I think that it also bears mentioning that once you hit the master tier you need three in the weight class to unlock. For example, I need three Centurion with completed basics to unlock elite. Once I have the elites complete, I just need to have three medium mechs with their elite completed to have the master tier unlock.

Translation: Once you've elited any three variants in a weight class you can take any other variant in that weight class straight from elite to master. You'll still need to basic three variants of that chassis to unlock elite though.

[Rear Admiral Tier 6]

you need to have 3 different variants