14 replies to this topic

[Bishop Steiner]

Hey.

So I still enjoy slapping together homegrown designs to add to my 3025 era campaigns, and this is one of my latest, a general purpose Scout/Skirmisher. Named after the famed and versatile light fighter of the 20th and 21st Centuries, the Army Rangers of the ancient Terranation known as the USA, it's intended to be an all purpose Light Mech capable of filling any light role needed.

The only variant extent drops the MGs and LRM5 for an SRM2, a Flamer and 3 JJs.


with my pencils darkened for better contrast

the TRO

and my concept sketches


I'm probably going to finish up the second from the left as the prototype early model the RNG-1R, with the top picture being the production model.

Thoughts, opinions, critiques? (and yeah, the torso has more of a Mad Dog feel than I intended)

[GonaDie]

What can I say, great as always!

[Gryphorim]

This makes me feel as though we need more varied game modes. Like a half-tonnage variation of existing modes, where 50T mechs are the biggest, scariest mothers on the field.

To me the idea of running games where 5 to 15 tons is average tonnage of weaponry on each mech, and the smaller weapons don't need to be boated to feel effective would be awesome, every once in a while.

Or PvE/co-op missions and campaigns.

[Hitman85]

Very nice design! I really like it:)

[Gnatter]

I like the overall look, but the canopy makes me wonder just how big the cockpit is. As it is, it feels to big to be only 25 tons. The concept art, nice to see how it evolved; the third from the left feels more like a light.

[Bishop Steiner]

Gnatter, on 24 January 2016 - 07:56 PM, said:

I like the overall look, but the canopy makes me wonder just how big the cockpit is. As it is, it feels to big to be only 25 tons. The concept art, nice to see how it evolved; the third from the left feels more like a light.

well now, that would depend on how big the cockpit is, not how big the canopy is. Having the whole cockpit in an exposed canopy always seems like a bad idea to me.

What you see in the canopy is about the top half of the actual cockpit (mechs like the commando in MWO the pilot can't fit in the canopy, either), and yes, it's tight... most Light Mech cockpits are.

[HanaYuriko]

Quite the interesting set of design choices in your sketch there, Bishop.

[Bishop Steiner]

HanaYuriko, on 25 January 2016 - 10:17 AM, said:

Quite the interesting set of design choices in your sketch there, Bishop.

as a modeler which do you feel is the best way to go?

[Gnatter]

Makes sense and brings the over all design to a good scale.

[Bishop Steiner]

Gnatter, on 25 January 2016 - 04:40 PM, said:

Makes sense and brings the over all design to a good scale.

yeah...I should do an ortho and an exploded showing what's actually the cockpit... got it in my head, but what you said...I mean, why would people assume otherwise? Well, 2 more days of diving, then maybe I'll have enough energy to revisit it.

[Gnatter]

Mainly because of pre-existing designs. I would actually love to see an ortho of your design; should you have the time and choose to do one.

[HanaYuriko]

Bishop Steiner, on 25 January 2016 - 03:43 PM, said:

as a modeler which do you feel is the best way to go?

I'm not sure what you mean. Best way to go?

The one part that seems to stand out to me is your hip placement. Having a dog-leg design isn't unusual as a few existing designs utilize that. I imagine being a 25 tonner, the upper leg actuators had to be placed that far back due to space concerns. There's a bit of modular feel to the shoulder weapons which is always nice. Especially if you're a tech or engineer doing repairs. The rest of it looks like if a Warhammer and Mad Dog got together and had a love child! It's a good blend of designs -- amazing if unintentional.

[Bishop Steiner]

HanaYuriko, on 26 January 2016 - 12:18 AM, said:

I'm not sure what you mean. Best way to go?

The one part that seems to stand out to me is your hip placement. Having a dog-leg design isn't unusual as a few existing designs utilize that. I imagine being a 25 tonner, the upper leg actuators had to be placed that far back due to space concerns. There's a bit of modular feel to the shoulder weapons which is always nice. Especially if you're a tech or engineer doing repairs. The rest of it looks like if a Warhammer and Mad Dog got together and had a love child! It's a good blend of designs -- amazing if unintentional.

Well, what I meant, is as someone who does 3D models, which of the concepts would you have been most likely to use for the basis of the finished product? The one I went with, one of the others?

Just curious what others see.

And the Dog leg on that..yeah, it's a design I bashed together with Kiriage for another light mech design. The goal was to take a traditional Battletech Chicken Walker...and make it actually functional, something that chicken walkers mechanically barely qualify as. So taking some inspiration from the AT-ST from Star Wars, I decided to use a "hidden" hip that would give it the look of a chicken walker, but the functionality of a digitigrade.

[HanaYuriko]

Bishop Steiner, on 26 January 2016 - 05:33 AM, said:

Well, what I meant, is as someone who does 3D models, which of the concepts would you have been most likely to use for the basis of the finished product? The one I went with, one of the others?

Just curious what others see.

Ah! OK. One and Two look fairly close together to me. Two looks like it may have been adapted from a Utilitymech based on its offset cockpit. That'd give it some interesting backstory if you went that way. On the other hand you could flesh it out a little to be a competing yet rejected design. Kind of like the F-22 Raptor and it's design competition the YF-23. But as a straight up war machine with a design purpose, I think you went in the right direction.

Three looks too much like a Shadow Cat to not be a Shadow Cat.

Four reminds me of the Wasp for some reason. It just embodies "light mech" in it's lithe design. Maybe an upgraded design meant to compete/replace the Star League era scout 'mech?

[MightyBolamite]

If ever there was a tiny love-child of a Warhammer and a Mad Dog... this would be it.
Looks pretty great. I'd pilot it.