20 replies to this topic

[Alistair Winter]

Well, it looks like the cat... is out of the bag! Get it? It's wordplay. Because people have been saying "Well, let's see what MASC does." And now we know what MASC does, so forget about the Execute and let's talk about the Shadow Cat.

On paper, this is the coolest mech in the game for me.

• It's fast. 120+ kph when using MASC (if I understand things correctly).
  
• It has ECM, will be stealthy
  
• It has 6 jump jets. If these are class IV jump jets, then that's a very good amount of thrust, by MWO jump jet standards!
  
• It has great hardpoints!
  
• It has 10 truedubs!
  
• It has great omnipods.

Small, fast, stealthy, jumpy and shooty! Those are the 4 qualities that embody my ideal mech. The Shadowcats actual size remains to be seen, of course. It's the only big question right now, because PGI is very inconsistent with size. For example, the Ebon Jaguar (65 tons) is the same size as the Nova (50 tons), and... well, the Shadow Cats is only 5 tons lighter than the Nova. Worst case scenario: the Shadow Cat is going to be roughly the same size as an Ebon Jaguar. But let's give PGI the benefit of the doubt and assume that the Shadow Cat will be slightly bigger than a Cicada, in which case it will be... my ideal mech.

The Arctic Cheetah and Ebon Jaguar may be our new meta overlords, but I think the Shadow Cat will be the most fun mech in the game to play. It's going to be like a small sports car. It's not the fastest, it doesn't have the most power, it doesn't necessarily handle better than the top tier cars. But it'll just be a whole lot of fun. I just love these mechs that have all the extra gear, all the extra buttons to push, all the features, all the accessories.

And here's what I mean by "great omnipods". Unlike the Mist Lynx and Kit Fox, for example, you don't have to make a choice between the ECM omnipod and the good weapon omnipods. The Shadow Cat is like the Hellbringer in that the ECM-omnipod is a no-brainer. On top of that, you have a lot of interesting options.
You can go 3E + ECM for a laservomit sniper.
You can go 2E + 6B without ECM for a dual LPL + 6 MG fun build.
You can go 2E + 3M + ECM for a Streak machine / mini-splat Cat
You can go 3E + 2M + ECM
You can go 1B + 2E + ECM for that hardcore mode gauss sniper
You can even go 3B + 3E + 2M for maximum laserdakkarockit destruction.

In other words, it won't just be fun to play, but you have a lot of different options! And since the CT is identical for all variants, you can have the same options for all 3 or 4 variants. There is no ugly duckling, such as the IFR-PRIME (which lacks CT hardpoints). I haven't been this excited since the Hellbringer was released.

Anyone else get more excited now that we know how MASC works? Anyone else counting the days to July 21st? (It's 38 days btw)

[bad arcade kitty]

his muzzle reminds me an autocrane :3

[FupDup]

It's pretty much what the Adder/Kit Fox should've been.

[Will9761]

I can't wait to see the geometry and videos of this mech along with the cheetah.

[InspectorG]

If it plays like a Cicada i will be happy. A jumpy Cicada with moar options...

[Alistair Winter]

FupDup, on 12 June 2015 - 07:52 PM, said:

It's pretty much what the Adder/Kit Fox should've been.

How so? You mean the way they were implemented in MWO, or how they were designed in TT?

[FupDup]

Alistair Winter, on 12 June 2015 - 08:07 PM, said:

How so? You mean the way they were implemented in MWO, or how they were designed in TT?

The Scat basically has the mobility of those two mechs (actually better mobility in fact), while having way more utility and versatility in various ways like JJs/hardpoints/ECM/MASC/stuff/etc. It feels like a "support" mech that is actually truly decent at that role, rather than being a poor man's mech.

Edited by FupDup, 12 June 2015 - 08:19 PM.

[John1352]

I'm still interested to know whether MASC is affected by speed tweak - The unspeedtweaked Sarna Executioner goes 64.8 km/h and 86.4 km/h when using MASC. The speedtweaked one in the video goes 71.3, but still goes 86.5? when using MASC.

Is MWO MASC slower? or is it unaffected by speedtweak?

[One Medic Army]

John1352, on 12 June 2015 - 08:19 PM, said:

I'm still interested to know whether MASC is affected by speed tweak - The unspeedtweaked Sarna Executioner goes 64.8 km/h and 86.4 km/h when using MASC. The speedtweaked one in the video goes 71.3, but still goes 86.5? when using MASC.

Is MWO MASC slower? or is it unaffected by speedtweak?

It is, according to the guy who made the videos (reddit comment). MASC stacks with speed tweak.

[John1352]

One Medic Army, on 12 June 2015 - 08:25 PM, said:

It is, according to the guy who made the videos (reddit comment). MASC stacks with speed tweak.

That would mean it only gives 78.6 km/h before speedtweak?

[Tennex]

I just really hope it is scaled correctly

[Triordinant]

Alistair Winter, on 12 June 2015 - 07:49 PM, said:

Well, it looks like the cat... is out of the bag! Get it? It's wordplay.

[One Medic Army]

John1352, on 12 June 2015 - 08:32 PM, said:

That would mean it only gives 78.6 km/h before speedtweak?

It appears to be an 18.5% speed boost in the video. The mech in the first video had all elite skills unlocked, as well as all basics.

[Alistair Winter]

Triordinant, on 12 June 2015 - 08:37 PM, said:

The children on this forum don't need to be corrupted by this kind of explicit sexual filth. Soapy twats will straight up ruin their lives and drive them to drugs and prostitution.

[Brody319]

I am going to be running the Arrow Build, 2 LPLs and 6 Machine guns.

[Anarcho]

I wonder if collision was implemented, any front bump with this mech would be death by headshot... lulz...

[Tristan Winter]

I'm so excited!
I'm so excited!
I'm so... so... scared...

Edited by Tristan Winter, 12 June 2015 - 09:28 PM.

[Blue Shadow]

Been waiting for this Mech since day 1. Very excited for it to finally be included! Plus so good to see MASC has been done better then I expected (well done PGI), so only one question mark remains will the Shadow Cat be the right size????

[STEF_]

Alistair Winter, on 12 June 2015 - 07:49 PM, said:

Anyone else get more excited now that we know how MASC works? Anyone else counting the days to July 21st? (It's 38 days btw)

Meeeeeeeeeeeee!

I was really hoping about a MASC like we are going to have, so probably I'll be able to run my shadow like a ninja light.
Outmaneuvering when necessary,
Going easily for back CT
hit/hide/hit/hide/hit/hide
hill peek/hit/hide thanks to high hardpoints

Double acceleration is a great thing!

[EX S]

It'll probably have locust level accel/deccel with MASC, while having good JJs, with all weapons being cockpit level, and being able to carry an acceptable loadout while looking obscenely cool.

If it weren't for the Cauldron Born being slightly cooler, this would probably be my go to mech forever.