CK16, on 21 March 2016 - 07:00 AM, said:
What makes the Uziel more worthy than the Mk.II? Both I would say are just as iconic to MW4 and the Uziel actually came out later then the Mad Cat Mk.II.
Also, for sake of the clans, is it wrong to call it a Timberwolf Mk.II?
You've got me on the Uziel, I really don't get the love for the thing, there is literately a better mech for doing everything it does, it's nothing but average all the way around, even the lore for the thing calls it average... I'm more of a Bushwacker kind of guy for newer mechs, low profile, narrow chassis and enough punch to make sure you don't want to ignore it...
Part of me, agrees with the lore for the Mk. II, that perhaps by naming it as such (Mad Cat Mk. II), Clan Diamond Shark never actually intended the Clans as customers for it, I mean if they did I think they would've gone with any of the fallowing:
Alpha Wolf
Blood Wolf
Cave Wolf
Nova Wolf
Timber Wolf Mk. II
Any of those names, or anything along those lines would've made sense if they really targeted Clans as buyers, but Mad Cat Mk. II makes more sense as IS target market, as Mad Cat was the code name given to the Timber Wolf by IS intelligence services....
MeiSooHaityu, on 21 March 2016 - 07:43 AM, said:
I think by 3066 the Clanners would be aware of the IS codenames for their mechs, so I'd imagine they would know the Timber Wolf and Mad Cat was the same mech. How many worlds had they captured, data they acquired, and IS pilots made Bondsmen by that point.
If the clanners overall ignored the mech and the IS were it's biggest purchaser by far (so Clan Diamond Shark would obviously pick a name familiar to the IS to market it by), I could see the Clanners referring to the mech by it's IS name.
Besides, the Clans probably view the Mad Cat MKII as an IS mech more than a Clan mech because of the IS contracts, so for all we know, they may resent the MKII and therefore have no problem referring to the mech by its barbarian name as a form of insult to the chassis. Clanners are kind of petty in that way

.
Very true on Clans knowing IS code names for units, prime example is the Ebon Jaguar, it was so new, that even the Clans took to calling it by the IS name, Cauldron Born.
CK16, on 21 March 2016 - 07:48 AM, said:
True, btw I am not sure if there was contracts, usually contracts to me mean like extended production and planned delivery fitting an army out sorta thing. I see more right up front just buy, sell, and trade. There does seem to be some gray area here though lol. I just can't see this as just an IS mech, just a Clan mech that was sold to both sides, but Diamond shark was still only selling on a limited basis to the IS houses.
When dealing with Government Contracts, even on a limited number of units, it is still a contract, with terms of delivery, payment and penalties for late payments or deliveries. My current line of work deals with these things with military branches of several governments around the world.
When it comes to military equipment, there will need to be spares, service and training as part of any contract. I don't see it being like a car lot, just walk up to the New Mech tent, and buy them one at a time.