36 replies to this topic

[Bombast]

Is it possible? Yes. Confirmed by devs that advanced tech can be jammed into just about everything. You'll probably even be able to keep the AC20.

Is it a good idea? If you're still toting an AC20, God no. If you switched to a Gauss Rifle? Sounds like you have room for a PPC instead of mediums lasers, fellow! Go nuts!

[Elizander]

If I see any Hunchback you can be sure I'll be aiming for the side torso with the AC/20.

[Schtirlitz]

Weight vs slots is ok trade

[Marauder3D]

Elizander, on 06 July 2012 - 04:54 AM, said:

If I see any Hunchback you can be sure I'll be aiming for the side torso with the AC/20.

This, 1000 times over. Players are going to target the obvious part of every mech. You don't need a kill to make a mech far less effective, and a hunchback is a perfect example. People are going to be pouring all their fire into the torso where the AC/20 should be. It's going to be like a fire magnet.

If TT rules are implemented, once they breach that torso and destroy the internal structure underneath, any IS mech with an XL engine is a goner.

So, back to our Hunchy example, it's a win/win for your enemies. Target your AC/20 torso, and maybe knock out your main gun. If you were silly enough to mount an XL engine, knocking you out of the fight is even better.

So to sum up, I can't think of another mech they have introduced (besides models like the Trebuchet and JagerMech with toilet paper for armor) that are less well suited for an XL engine than the Hunchback.

[Char Azernable]

If you go fast enough

[ScrapIron Prime]

Yeah, what hangman said.

If you swap out to an AC10, LB10X or a Gauss, an XL engine will fit.

Better yet, use a Centurion. Their massive weapon is arm mounted instead, and canonical 3050 designs of the Centurion had it running at over 90 kph with a 300 rated XL engine. Imagine scouting with that.

[Oswin Aurelius]

Shotor, on 05 July 2012 - 11:32 PM, said:

Yay or Nay?




(I'm trying to make an effective hunter-killer design. XL engines are looking interesting, but I'm not sure whether a hunchback can deal with having one. Anyone have experience or insight in this?)

From what we've seen of the Hunchback model, I imagine that you would get your right torso blown out a LOT.

[CaveMan]

You can build an 86kph Hunchback without using XL or losing the AC/20. Double heat sinks and endo-steel, and you can even add in CASE.

Now, whether we'll be allowed to add endo-steel to an existing 'Mech or not, idk.

[BluefireMW]

XL or not XL on a Hunchback, means the discussion back. Endo Steel is the advantage you need. As CaveMan wrote, if this Equipment would be there it's on my opinion the better Equip.

One Idea is doing it like good old Kai Allard Liao and put the AC20 in the Arm of the Centurion. Good looking one, but of course this time with less C-Bills and XP. If you have the Mech you fit in best, then you need that advantage not anymore. And a then XL can be there too bringing it at a speed of about 90 km/h. The enemy has now the decission between, side Torso, Center and the Arm with the AC20.

[ScrapIron Prime]

BluefireMW, on 06 July 2012 - 11:21 AM, said:

One Idea is doing it like good old Kai Allard Liao and put the AC20 in the Arm of the Centurion. Good looking one, but of course this time with less C-Bills and XP. If you have the Mech you fit in best, then you need that advantage not anymore. And a then XL can be there too bringing it at a speed of about 90 km/h. The enemy has now the decission between, side Torso, Center and the Arm with the AC20.

And depending on whether it works exactly like tabletop or not, the side torso is still the solid choice, because in tabletop when you lose the torso the arm stops working,and there might just be an XL engine there. Depends on what mechanics they implement in game, tho.

[Tincan Nightmare]

ScrapIron Prime, on 06 July 2012 - 11:05 AM, said:

Yeah, what hangman said.

If you swap out to an AC10, LB10X or a Gauss, an XL engine will fit.

Better yet, use a Centurion. Their massive weapon is arm mounted instead, and canonical 3050 designs of the Centurion had it running at over 90 kph with a 300 rated XL engine. Imagine scouting with that.

The TT also allowed you to split the slots for an AC/20 between two adjacent locations, such as 8 slots in the arm and the rest in the torso, so if they carry that rule over to MWO it should be possible to use an AC/20 in a torso mount with an XL engine.

[Youngblood]

TT already has an XL Engine variant Hunchback. It moves 6/9, meaning a top speed of 97.2 kph, and keeps its LB-20-X and backup lasers.

I'd say being able to chase down light 'Mechs makes the engine worth it. Oh, and the added factor of not being a sitting duck. From a metagame perspective, the engine swap is really easy to do, since the tonnages between a 200 SFE and 300 XLFE are similar.

Edited by Youngblood, 07 July 2012 - 03:51 AM.

[Der Basilisk]

I don´t know if anyone mentioned MASC, but if you can incorporate some endo steel, it gives you exactly the mass needed.
Otherwise you would need 4 tons to increase the speed (3 for a bigger reactor + 1 for the gyroscope). Of course, you can do both to get short burst of speed of about 100 km/h.

[Uri Brauer]

Marauder3D, on 06 July 2012 - 06:44 AM, said:

People are going to be pouring all their fire into the torso where the AC/20 should be.

Which is why there's only an MG there, and LLs in each arm.

[SilentSooYun]

Der Basilisk, on 07 July 2012 - 03:47 AM, said:

I don´t know if anyone mentioned MASC, but if you can incorporate some endo steel, it gives you exactly the mass needed.
Otherwise you would need 4 tons to increase the speed (3 for a bigger reactor + 1 for the gyroscope). Of course, you can do both to get short burst of speed of about 100 km/h.

I don't know about MWO, obviously, but for TT using MASC was like playing Russian Roulette.
Great speed boost... right up until the point where you blew your leg actuators.
I'm not much of a gambler, so I'd prefer to use that tonnage on more weapons or survival equipment like AMS or ECM.

[Ogryn]

MASC in TT was a crapshoot, and you paid a BV penalty like you were using it constantly, even though you couldn't realistically run it for more than 1 round in 3.

Supercharger? Maybe. I'm a big fan of swapping in a Gauss rifle on it and calling it a day. Maybe upgraded the Med laser to a LL or a ERLL. But not likely.

[Glythe]

Marauder3D, on 06 July 2012 - 06:44 AM, said:

Players are going to target the obvious part of every mech. You don't need a kill to make a mech far less effective, and a hunchback is a perfect example. People are going to be pouring all their fire into the torso where the AC/20 should be. It's going to be like a fire magnet.

If TT rules are implemented, once they breach that torso and destroy the internal structure underneath, any IS mech with an XL engine is a goner.

So, back to our Hunchy example, it's a win/win for your enemies. Target your AC/20 torso, and maybe knock out your main gun. If you were silly enough to mount an XL engine, knocking you out of the fight is even better.

So to sum up, I can't think of another mech they have introduced (besides models like the Trebuchet and JagerMech with toilet paper for armor) that are less well suited for an XL engine than the Hunchback.

This is exactly what I was going to say....

The jerk in me wants you to go ahead and do it so I can kill you just by destroying your main weapons in the right torso. And then I remember that there is as much chance you would be on my team with that load out.

Only a great fool isn't going to shoot a hunchback in the right torso and only an even bigger fool would try to use an XL engine in a hunchback.