47 replies to this topic

[martian]

Check this new OTT-7J Ostscout!

The best scout 'Mech of the 3025 era.




And before you ask: Yes, it has just one laser. No, it's not a laser boat such as the Wolfhound or the Firestarter. That's because its duty is not to hunt other scout 'Mechs.

Its task is very specific: Sneak behind enemy lines and scan everything. Its job is not to fight, but to avoid fighting.

You know, BattleTech is much more than skirmishes and deathmatches that we know from MWO.

Edited by martian, 23 October 2015 - 12:52 PM.

[Juodas Varnas]

Oh shiet!
Where was it posted?
I didn't see it on their tumblr.

[Burktross]

Very pretty. Much better than this hunk of junk

[Satan n stuff]

martian, on 23 October 2015 - 12:02 PM, said:

Check this new OTT-7J Ostscout!

The best scout 'Mech of the 3025 era.




And before you ask: Yes, it has just one laser. No, it's not a laser boat such as the Wolfhound or the Firestarter. That's because its duty is not to hunt other scout 'Mechs.

It's task is very specific: Sneak behind enemy lines and scan everything. It's job is not to fight, but to avoid fighting.

You know, BattleTech is much more than skirmishes and deathmatches that we know from MWO.

Even in universe a mech is the worst possible scout, it's far too expensive to be running around without support and barely any weapons. For scouting you use vehicles, preferably air or hover units, or infantry because you can cover a lot of ground at virtually no cost. When your scout mech literally costs the same as an 80-100 ton tank that could trash it in seconds, that's a big problem.

[stjobe]

Wow. That is such an improvement over the original it's not even funny:

[C E Dwyer]

they screwed up in the original TRO, the Ostscout has hands..that I believe is the Ostal or Ostroc


either way the Ostscout is the only one worth having.

But how are they going to make its Jesus box work, as its the all seeing eye of E.W

Edited by Cathy, 23 October 2015 - 12:29 PM.

[stjobe]

Satan n stuff, on 23 October 2015 - 12:11 PM, said:

Even in universe a mech is the worst possible scout, it's far too expensive to be running around without support and barely any weapons. For scouting you use vehicles, preferably air or hover units, or infantry because you can cover a lot of ground at virtually no cost. When your scout mech literally costs the same as an 80-100 ton tank that could trash it in seconds, that's a big problem.

The thing is, since it's a 'mech it is all but impervious to anything other than other 'mechs (and, to be fair, combat vehicles). At the same time it can go places where tracked, wheeled or even hover vehicles cannot. It can stay and hide as no air unit ever can. It is adaptable to the mission, and it is adaptable during the mission.

Yes, it is strange to our minds to send a 9-14 meter tall walking machine on clandestine missions, but in-universe it does make some sense. It can move fast (129.6 kph) so it can cover a lot of ground, it can jump 210 meters while firing its laser without even registering on the heat scale, it can fight off any non-mech or non-combat vehicle it encounters, and evade those it cannot fight off, and it carries a lot of sensors:

Quote

The true centerpiece of the design is its advanced sensor systems, including the TRSS.2L3 target-tracking system and powerful narrow-band Barret 4000 comm system. The sensor arrays themselves are mounted outside the main chassis due to their delicate nature, with the Ostscout using its arms to aim them. Everything from hydrological to geological data is recorded, so much data in fact that the 'Mech's computer cannot process it fast enough. This forces the Ostscout to move slowly when traveling through an area of interest, waving its arms seemingly at random, which makes it one of the few times the 'Mech is vulnerable to the enemy. However so long as the enemy's first salvo doesn't cripple it, the Ostscout will likely escape from an ambush.

- http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Ostscout

[CDLord HHGD]

When is their book coming out? I'll need to get it ordered.....

[martian]

Satan n stuff, on 23 October 2015 - 12:11 PM, said:

Even in universe a mech is the worst possible scout, it's far too expensive to be running around without support and barely any weapons. For scouting you use vehicles, preferably air or hover units, or infantry because you can cover a lot of ground at virtually no cost. When your scout mech literally costs the same as an 80-100 ton tank that could trash it in seconds, that's a big problem.

LOL

BattleTech is about interstellar warfare. You can never be quite sure, what you will be facing. All kinds of terrain and all kinds of enemies, you know ...

Simply open your TRO and read something about deployment of 'Mechs such as Ostscout or Hermes II.

[martian]

cdlord, on 23 October 2015 - 12:38 PM, said:

When is their book coming out? I'll need to get it ordered.....

We don't know yet.

[Anyone00]

The only way I see this mech as viable in MW:O (without a huge case of hard point inflation) is if the entire infoech thing has a huge impact on the game when implemented (and this mech gets some really good quirks in this area) and the netcode is improved so it can equip a 350 rated engine.

Edited by Anyone00, 23 October 2015 - 12:51 PM.

[Satan n stuff]

stjobe, on 23 October 2015 - 12:35 PM, said:

The thing is, since it's a 'mech it is all but impervious to anything other than other 'mechs (and, to be fair, combat vehicles). At the same time it can go places where tracked, wheeled or even hover vehicles cannot. It can stay and hide as no air unit ever can. It is adaptable to the mission, and it is adaptable during the mission.

Yes, it is strange to our minds to send a 9-14 meter tall walking machine on clandestine missions, but in-universe it does make some sense. It can move fast (129.6 kph) so it can cover a lot of ground, it can jump 210 meters while firing its laser without even registering on the heat scale, it can fight off any non-mech or non-combat vehicle it encounters, and evade those it cannot fight off, and it carries a lot of sensors:

- http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Ostscout

Nope, still doesn't make sense because combat vehicles can be just as fast with the same firepower and onboard equipment and even a single properly managed infantry unit is a serious threat to a light mech with only one weapon that isn't even very effective against infantry. Either option is vastly cheaper than the mech.
What would you do with a mech that costs upwards of three million Cbills and has basically no combat capability that you can't do with a couple of vehicles and/or infantry units?

martian, on 23 October 2015 - 12:40 PM, said:

LOL

BattleTech is about interstellar warfare. You can never be quite sure, what you will be facing. All kinds of terrain and all kinds of enemies, you know ...

Simply open your TRO and read something about deployment of 'Mechs such as Ostscout or Hermes II.

You can literally buy enough units of any other type ( excluding spaceflight-capable types ) to fill any possible role the Ostscout can fill and deploy them all at once, for less than the price of an Ostscout.

Edited by Satan n stuff, 23 October 2015 - 12:58 PM.

[Scout Derek]

Nice model they made, they did gooood....

[Malagant]

In my book, a protomech would be ideal as a scout asset, since speed and the ability to remain undetected would be the best scout qualities a vehicle could possess in addition to recording/surveilance/electronic warfare equipment.

[martian]

Satan n stuff, on 23 October 2015 - 12:52 PM, said:

You can literally buy enough units of any other type ( excluding spaceflight-capable types ) to fill any possible role the Ostscout can fill and deploy them all at once, for less than the price of an Ostscout.

Obviously you do not realize how versatile BattleMechs are. Just a few examples:

• They can scout seabed to find hidden underwater command posts and attack or sabotage them.
  
• They can traverse vast forested regions.
  
• They have no problems in broken terrain.
  
• Scout 'Mechs are often very fast.
  
• They need just one MechWarrior to operate and maintain.
  
• You can notice that the Ostscout has fully articulated hands which means that it can pick up various items (good for raiding) or lift them
  
• Scout 'Mech can engage in physical combat with other 'Mechs, if needed (it would be the last resort in the case of the Ostscout, sure).
  
• Scout 'Mechs are much more durable than similar vehicles.
  
• Scout 'Mechs can operate without problems in the vacuum of space.
  
• With a bit of luck you can smuggle or covertly drop one lone scout 'Mech, if needed.

Your suggestion to drop some vast invasion force composed of submarines, hovercraft, VTOLs, construction machines and maybe hundreds of infantrymen is "very" impractical. Not to talk that you must resupply your "scouting force" (LOL) with tons of spare parts, ammo, drinking water and food.

And how many extremely rare Jumpships and Dropships would you need for that?

And now imagine that you have to scout multiple worlds ...

[Lootee]

Looks a lot like a Chameleon with no guns.

[Hollow Earth]

Burktross, on 23 October 2015 - 12:07 PM, said:

Very pretty. Much better than this hunk of junk

Ya'know, i always found that picture of the Ostscout funny. It's legs and raised arm looks like it wants to ask the teacher for permission to go to the bathroom.

[Damocles]

nice update

[Burktross]

Hollow Earth, on 23 October 2015 - 01:53 PM, said:

Ya'know, i always found that picture of the Ostscout funny. It's legs and raised arm looks like it wants to ask the teacher for permission to go to the bathroom.

I'll never look at it the same...

[FupDup]

Burktross, on 23 October 2015 - 02:18 PM, said:

I'll never look at it the same...

That which has been seen...cannot be unseen.