13 replies to this topic

[Sowaka]

Hate to bug the community with these questions but I'm struggling here. I'm one of the players returning to the game, I left shortly after the Battlemaster packs were released.

1) Price differences. I'm trying to experiment more with Assaults, after playing with the King Crabs I decided to try the Dire Wolf because I have no experience with clan weapons, however, it costs pretty close to double what the King Crab costs for the same tonnage... why? I had the same issue when looking at the Ebon Jaguar, it's only 65 tons but costs more than some 100 ton mechs. Am I missing something obvious? Are they equipped with something better?

2) In addition to that, what are the differences between the multiple clan chassis? As far as I can tell they all have exactly the same omni-pod options... yet there's 5 variants of the Dire Wolf.

3) Next up: Highlanders. I was a big Highlander user but recently saw a player running around with a different Highlander model... I assumed it was updated and ran back to my mechlab to try it out... but they're all still the old model and I can't see any new ones in the shop. Was I simply mistaken or is something weird going on?

4) Last question: Where the hell can I get a Marauder? I've played some rounds with three or four Marauders running around but I can't find it anywhere in the shop, I've looked under every tab I can think of but can't seem to find it anywhere. What am I doing wrong?

[Raubwurst]

Hey, feel free to ask all the questions you need! There is nothing like "weird questions"!

1) Clan Mechs costs much more than their IS counterparts. Mostly that is, because they already have XL-enginges (which are, by far, more expensive, than STD-engines). Next, they have Doubleheatsinks (1.5kk CBills) already built in.
So, after upgrading all the things you need for IS Mechs, you won't have paid that less than for an ClanMech

2) E.G the CT-component is different, this cannot be changed. As far as I see, that is all the difference.

3)They are the Highlander IICs. Just got released and are clan tech. As all new Mechs, you cannot buy them ingame (yet).

4)Same as in 3). Have a look at the package-page:
https://mwomercs.com/marauder
https://mwomercs.com/origins

[Sowaka]

Raubwurst, on 20 December 2015 - 02:42 PM, said:

Hey, feel free to ask all the questions you need! There is nothing like "weird questions"!

1) Clan Mechs costs much more than their IS counterparts. Mostly that is, because they already have XL-enginges (which are, by far, more expensive, than STD-engines). Next, they have Doubleheatsinks (1.5kk CBills) already built in.
So, after upgrading all the things you need for IS Mechs, you won't have paid that less than for an ClanMech

2) E.G the CT-component is different, this cannot be changed. As far as I see, that is all the difference.

3)They are the Highlander IICs. Just got released and are clan tech. As all new Mechs, you cannot buy them ingame (yet).

4)Same as in 3). Have a look at the package-page:
https://mwomercs.com/marauder
https://mwomercs.com/origins

Hot damn, thank you so much! I still wish you could buy completely empty mechs but I suppose that's not something that'll realistically happen.

Do you happen to know of any way to tell what's different with the CTs? I just realized that the Dire Wolves all have different quirks but the Ebon Jaguars are all completely identical as far as I can tell.

And thanks for the links, I didn't realize you had to actually visit the website still! I saw the Black Knights available for MC-only and assumed they had implemented everything through the in-game store.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

Sowaka, on 20 December 2015 - 02:33 PM, said:

Hate to bug the community with these questions but I'm struggling here. I'm one of the players returning to the game, I left shortly after the Battlemaster packs were released.

WELCOME BACK! I, too, took a long break after the Phoenix stuff released and before the Clan invasion. Great to have you back in the war!

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1) Price differences. I'm trying to experiment more with Assaults, after playing with the King Crabs I decided to try the Dire Wolf because I have no experience with clan weapons, however, it costs pretty close to double what the King Crab costs for the same tonnage... why? I had the same issue when looking at the Ebon Jaguar, it's only 65 tons but costs more than some 100 ton mechs. Am I missing something obvious? Are they equipped with something better?

Start with a Catapult, say CPLT-C4 or -K2. Now, add ferrofibrous armor, endosteel internal structure, a fast XL engine, and the most ideal weaponry you can think of. OH, and CASE on every component. If THAT costs less than a EBJ, then you've got a legit complaint. (EXAMPLE. Costs over CB 15million, and that's not really competitive with CB 11million EBJs.)

Problem here is, that Clan mechs' prices reflect their loadouts. They have some very high tech stuff on them. The price actually reflects the individual prices of the components of the mech, give or take a little (I think). If it helps, think of it as an already well-built mech. They put the good stuff on it for you. Also, you can't switch heat sink type, armor type, and structure type, on Clan OMNIMECHS (Clan battlemechs, which we'll talk about in just a second, though...).

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2) In addition to that, what are the differences between the multiple clan chassis? As far as I can tell they all have exactly the same omni-pod options... yet there's 5 variants of the Dire Wolf.

I'm honestly not sure what you mean. Take the EBJ, for instance. The EBJ-C is very unique, with missile and ballistics in the arms, as well as missiles in the side torsos. Other variants have ballistic in the RT, some have E in the arms, or E and B, and so on. And the variety, and the interchangeability, of those omnipods, is what makes those mechs unique and ridiculously valuable.

3

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) Next up: Highlanders. I was a big Highlander user but recently saw a player running around with a different Highlander model... I assumed it was updated and ran back to my mechlab to try it out... but they're all still the old model and I can't see any new ones in the shop. Was I simply mistaken or is something weird going on?

If the Highlander you're talking about is a HGN-II-C of some sort, then there's your problem. The Clan II-C battlemechs JUST released this month to pre-order customers (and you can still buy them for IRL $$$), but they're not yet available for CBills or MC. Same as with the Phoenix packages, which I'm sure you remember.

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4) Last question: Where the hell can I get a Marauder? I've played some rounds with three or four Marauders running around but I can't find it anywhere in the shop, I've looked under every tab I can think of but can't seem to find it anywhere. What am I doing wrong?

Again, need to go with IRL $$$ for now. Should be out around Groundhog Day for MC and/or CBills. It was a preorder thing, too, and is available on the STORE page. Be aware: Warhammer is next up, releasing next month. Following that is Rifleman in February, and Archer in March. (I have my fingers crossed for Phoenix Hawk next, maybe in late April...)

Happy Hunting!

[Raubwurst]

Nope sorry, I'm not very accustomed to clan mechs, a quick look-over them on smurfys couldn't bring up any difference. Maybe some one else can us help with this.

For the packages: You don't need to visit the website. These 'Mechs will be able to be purchased ingame later on.
In their FAQs there are the release dates for the ingame shop:
http://mwomercs.com/...rigins-iic-faq/
http://mwomercs.com/...collection-faq/

Both packs are new, thus it will take a while for them to be purchasable ingame.

[Rogue Jedi]

for the differences between CT omnipods check http://mwo.smurfy-net.de , the Mechlab for the hardpoints, and they also have a Mech Quirks page under Battlemechs where you can find the quirks of each individual omnipod.

there information is taken directly from the game files and is usualy updated within an hour of a patch so should be accurate except immediately after a patch

[strygalldwir]

A further reason clan mechs are more expensive is that their xl engines are considerably more robust than I.S. xl engines.

[Rogue Jedi]

strygalldwir, on 21 December 2015 - 12:55 AM, said:

A further reason clan mechs are more expensive is that their xl engines are considerably more robust than I.S. xl engines.

unfortunately that has nothing to do with the price, Clan XL engines cost the same as IS XL engines, I checked with the IIC Mechs.

The Clan XL engine is at current the major advantage Clans have, most of the other advantages ^{(except the Timber Wolf and Stormcrow)} have been balanced with longer burn time and higher heat

[Not A Real RAbbi]

strygalldwir, on 21 December 2015 - 12:55 AM, said:

[Clan] xl engines are considerably more robust than I.S. xl engines.

This, too.

The game currently considers that we must destroy THREE critical slots' worth of engine, in order to destroy the engine. IS XL engines, you'll recall, occupy THREE critical slots in each SIDE torso. Clan XL engines, however, occupy only TWO per side torso. PGI recently added a feature that reduces a Clan XL engine's performance if ONE of the two side torsos has been destroyed (20%).

If not for quirks, I think the IS mechs would be in serious trouble. Rogue Jedi pointed out the relevant information on Smurfy above, and it's definitely worth getting to know before you build out an IS battlemech. SOME Clan mechs have quirks too, though a lot of it is negative. And the quirks tend to go with the omnipods. If you've got a shield arm on your Storm Crow, for instance, you'll want to make sure it has an omnipod that does NOT have negative quirks for laser duration and cooldown. ;-)

Edited by TheRAbbi, 21 December 2015 - 03:04 AM.

[S 0 L E N Y A]

Clan stuff in general is mo' betta.

Mo' betta = mo' money.
Easy as that.

There arent many folk that will buy a stock IS mech and say, "PERFECT!"
Quirks aside, even after you upgrade an IS Mech, in many ways it will probably be lacking compared to its Clan counterparts.

Frankly, the fact that IS mechs dont take me a couple days of grinding is half of their appeal to me.

The other is that the Clans are effectively ISIS, and I love freedom!
(jk, I actually own a lot of Clan mechs too)

[Koniving]

Raubwurst, on 20 December 2015 - 03:05 PM, said:

Nope sorry, I'm not very accustomed to clan mechs, a quick look-over them on smurfys couldn't bring up any difference. Maybe some one else can us help with this.

Clan Battlemechs (The IICs) and the IS Battlemechs are identical, just different technology base.

"Omnimechs" (which comprises of most of the Clan's mechs) however are extremely different. Engine, structure/armor types and heatsink types are locked. No changing. Their body parts (this is an MWO-only explanation) can be swapped to change hardpoints.

That being the big difference: Omnimechs can change hardpoints. Battlemechs can change everything BUT the hardpoints.

(Again, MWO only explanation, I can give a Battletech one...and the difference is extreme.)

Anyway. Look forward to IS Omnimechs -- probably next year or earlier. >.> I can't wait.

[Koniving]

Sowaka, on 20 December 2015 - 02:33 PM, said:

2) In addition to that, what are the differences between the multiple clan chassis? As far as I can tell they all have exactly the same omni-pod options... yet there's 5 variants of the Dire Wolf.

For this I'll give you the Battletech to MWO crossover reasoning.

For Battlemechs, they leave the factory in "variants" and are mass produced this way. This is because major changes to a mech's loadout will often A) cause weaknesses, B ) cost more than buying the variant if you're imitating one by 5s to 10s of millions of cbills, C) take [in the most extreme case of bad luck] 4 years to complete [best case was 9 months with Scotty the engineer from Star Trek [God Modding]], and D) was simply not practical.

For Omnimechs, there was no need for 'variants'. There is no difference between them. Quite simply the designed weapon systems and equipment were made to be modular. Slip in, yank out, slip in. That sort of thing. Major changes could be completed in less than a day, most changes in just hours and repairs in days. Of course, for any of this to be practical there could be no fundamental changes. Can't go and replace the entire skeleton, can't completely replace the armor with a material that has a vastly different thickness as it would cramp up (or free up) space and possibly interfere with how the omni-pod equipment could fit.

And herein rests the problem. MWO has a "skill" system that requires 3 variants to achieve elite status. And Omnimechs simply exist. It's not Summoner Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta. It's Summoner. Period. A Summoner with popular configuration Beta. "That Timber Wolf has the Prime configuration made famous by such and such pilot, a formidable Trueborn warrior who has brought honor (blah blah blah), behold our standard configuration as Clan Wolf."

So what to do? Redesign and script the skill system? Or "make it work?"

Typically, "fixed" or non-modular hardpoints on very few early Omnimechs in Battletech are either in the head, or the CT... and thus the CT was locked and stated as "the variant.'

It's not right from a lore perspective, and personally I'd be bigger on needing to earn 3x the experience rather than doing 3 mechs... but that doesn't sell extra mechbays.

Edited by Koniving, 21 December 2015 - 09:41 AM.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

If it helps with the whole omnipod thing...

Consider something VERY near and dear to my own heart, the AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter in use today by the USA< UAE, UK, Singapore, Holland, Israel, etc. I COULD configure it with the Fire Control Radar (FCR), or without it. I COULD configure it with 4 19-capacity rocket launchers, or 4 4-capacity AGM-114 Hellfire missile launchers, or two of each. I could also switch one or more of those for an external auxiliary fuel tank. I can configure it with the old skool 1100-round magazine for the 30mm gun, or with a combination pack that includes additional internal auxiliary fuel AND a couple hundred rounds for the gun. So, I have some flexibility with that. Most of those swaps, they would take two personnel, only a couple of simple hand tools, and several minutes, to remove the old equipment and install the new. Those external stores pylons on the wings are designed to accept different stores, which are designed to mount to them and other similar pylons.

That's basically an OmniCopter, in that way. The engines and some other components are fixed, relatively speaking (one COULD switch engines between T-700-GE-701 and -701C and -701D, each with different and incrementally better power ratings). Until the AH-64E, though, there was no big change to the drives and rotors systems, only a single significant update to the Backup Control System (BUCS), etc.

So yeah. You have a base mech, and you can hang different weapons configurations on it, including the opportunity to alter how much ammo you carry for stuff. By comparison, the IS battlemech might be able to change how many heat sinks and ammo and all that, but could never change that it can only mount rocket pods on pylons 1 and 4, and Hellfire racks on 2 and 3, and the old skool big magazine for 30mm ammo, and that's what you have to work with.

Know what I mean, or did I make this worse?

[SnagaDance]

While I do believe you saw a HighlanderIIC in game there is one other possibility, and that is that you saw the Heavy Metal hero mech running around.