25 replies to this topic

[Fyrwulf]

This is the not-official fan thread for the FLC-8R Falconer. According to TRO: 3055, it's a FedCom mech meant to, "... tame the Jade Falcons and defeat a Clan OmniMech in one-on-one combat". It is a 75 ton mech rocking a gauss rifle, ER PPC, and four Medium Lasers. Its armor is decent but it derives more protection from its low slung profile and outstanding mobility (86.4 km/h and five jump jets).

There is a Jihad Error variant that replaces the Gauss Rifle and ER PPC for an LB 10-X and Heavy PPC. While we probably wouldn't see that exact specification in the game anytime soon, I can see a present tech variant with two LPLs in lieu of the HPPC and MLs.

In the notable pilots section, the TRO lists Danai Centrella, the heiress to the throne of the Magistracy of Canopus. While the mech she piloted was probably stock, it presents the opportunity for PGI to put out a custom Hero variant that gives the Periphery some love. Of course, she died on Huntress fighting Clan Smoke Jaguar, but she apparently gave a good accounting for herself during that campaign.

As with all mech art prior to TRO: 3067, its official presentation is ugly as sin. However, Shimmering Sword did a beautiful rendition of it in company with a Sagittaire, a small portion of which is in my sig.

Anybody is free to post their thoughts on this mech, especially if it means we get it in game. As much as I love the MadCat MKII and many others in 3067, we need to clear out all of the TRO: 3050 and 3055 mechs first. I believe the Falconer is a worthy addition.

[CK16]

FirestormClone218, on 05 November 2016 - 07:43 PM, said:

Stop asking for mech packs

How about let the man say what he wants? News flash! Mech packs are not going away...don't like it, don't buy them. Russ said this along time ago, stop acting like it's some surprising thing. 1 mech a month....at minimum he said like a year or more ago.

As for the OP, looks like a good mech! Should ask around the forums, we got some really good artist that could draw her up I bet for you

Edited by CK16, 05 November 2016 - 09:26 PM.

[FLG 01]

Alright, I am a huge fan of this wonderful Lyran Mech. In the BT-universe it is incredibly successful; and I do believe it would do well in MWO: high engine cap, presumably good hitboxes, good weapons' mix. The hardpoints are located a little low, but other than that it is fine.

However, I am not a fan of PGI invented variants. The Falconer unfortunately only has two variants in total, one of them impossible in MWO as of now. This is a huge drawback in my book because I do not want to support PGI's policy of inventing variants which ultimately means the game will stagnate forever and fill with non-canon designs. That is not the Falconer's fault, though.


(no idea who drew this)

Edited by FLG 01, 05 November 2016 - 10:06 PM.

[martian]

Fyrwulf, on 05 November 2016 - 07:41 PM, said:

It is a 75 ton mech rocking a gauss rifle, ER PPC, and four Medium Lasers. Its armor is decent but it derives more protection from its low slung profile and outstanding mobility (86.4 km/h and five jump jets).

The problem is that in MWO firepower is more preferred than speed, especially when it comes to heavy 'Mechs. You can see it on the Linebacker: In comparison with the Cauldron-Born it loses ten tons of pod space to move slightly faster, while in actual combat those 10 km/h won't probably make a big difference.

Fyrwulf, on 05 November 2016 - 07:41 PM, said:

There is a Jihad Error variant that replaces the Gauss Rifle and ER PPC for an LB 10-X and Heavy PPC. While we probably wouldn't see that exact specification in the game anytime soon, I can see a present tech variant with two LPLs in lieu of the HPPC and MLs.

You can never know, especially with PGI-designed variants.

See that sucking PNT-10P Panther with two ballistic hardpoints on a light 'Mech.
Or Huginn: People took it only as long as it had those ridiculous SRM quirks. With those quirks toned down, the 'Mech all but disappeared from the game.
Or the newest Hero Assassin with that lone ballistic hardpoint.

Fyrwulf, on 05 November 2016 - 07:41 PM, said:

In the notable pilots section, the TRO lists Danai Centrella, the heiress to the throne of the Magistracy of Canopus. While the mech she piloted was probably stock, it presents the opportunity for PGI to put out a custom Hero variant that gives the Periphery some love. Of course, she died on Huntress fighting Clan Smoke Jaguar, but she apparently gave a good accounting for herself during that campaign.

She did not die on Huntress.

And of course, her stock Falconer did not even see the Periphery, since she used it in just one battle (before she died). In the campaign she usually used the Banshee.

Fyrwulf, on 05 November 2016 - 07:41 PM, said:

As with all mech art prior to TRO: 3067, its official presentation is ugly as sin. However, Shimmering Sword did a beautiful rendition of it in company with a Sagittaire, a small portion of which is in my sig.

I saw that picture.

It's practically the Marauder (jump-capable MAD-5M, for example) in appearance, but the Marauder has the advantage of that high-mounted dorsal ballistic hardpoints instead of those Falconer's low arms.

Fyrwulf, on 05 November 2016 - 07:41 PM, said:

Anybody is free to post their thoughts on this mech, especially if it means we get it in game. As much as I love the MadCat MKII and many others in 3067, we need to clear out all of the TRO: 3050 and 3055 mechs first. I believe the Falconer is a worthy addition.

Personally I think that it's quite possible that we will see the Falconer in the game (FedSuns fans will probably buy it), but once the novelty wears off and they master it, they will park the Falconer in their hangars to use other, more practical 'Mechs.

Edited by martian, 05 November 2016 - 10:12 PM.

[Angel of Annihilation]

CK16, on 05 November 2016 - 09:24 PM, said:

How about let the man say what he wants? News flash! Mech packs are not going away...don't like it, don't buy them. Russ said this along time ago, stop acting like it's some surprising thing. 1 mech a month....at minimum he said like a year or more ago. As for the OP, looks like a good mech! Should ask around the forums, we got some really good artist that could draw her up I bet for you

Have to agree with you here. There is nothing wrong with mech packs.

For one they and the revenue they generate are what keeps us having a game to play. If they weren't releasing mech packs and people weren't buying them this game would be shut down and there would be no forums or anything for anyone to gripe about.

Second, if your not wallowing in premium time like myself, the mech packs are a tremendous value giving you 30 day of premium time, 3 mech bays and enough mechs to master the chassis plus odds and ends. Considering 30 day of premium is about $12 your getting a ton of value for only $8 more. If I didn't have 6 months of premium time banked, I would be buying each $20 mech pack every month whether I liked the mech or not.

Third. Sometimes I actually like the mech they are offering. I bought the Marauder, Kodiak, Viper, Huntsman and Marauder II this year and have had an excellent and fun time playing each and everyone of them that have release and am really looking forward to the Marauder II.

So there is nothing wrong with mech packs, not in the slightest.

As far as the Falconer, did you happen to look at how low to the ground those weapon arms are? Hell even the Medium lasers are low but my god, those arms are down around ankle height. You would have to expose your entire mech every time you fired so hell no, lets not waste the devs time with this mech because obviously no one would play it. Also there are a metric ton of good mechs not yet in the game. For example the Wardog, Tempest, Cerberus, Grim Reaper, Wraith and Stealth.

[TheArisen]

The Falconer has alot going for it but sadly it's main armament tends to be in the arms which are low mounted. Personally I'd hope for arms that are mounted more sideways like some pictures on the Sarna page.
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Falconer

And here is Alex's own rendition

[TheArisen]

martian, on 05 November 2016 - 10:11 PM, said:

The problem is that in MWO firepower is more preferred than speed, especially when it comes to heavy 'Mechs. You can see it on the Linebacker: In comparison with the Cauldron-Born it loses ten tons of pod space to move slightly faster, while in actual combat those 10 km/h won't probably make a big difference.


You can never know, especially with PGI-designed variants.

See that sucking PNT-10P Panther with two ballistic hardpoints on a light 'Mech.
Or Huginn: People took it only as long as it had those ridiculous SRM quirks. With those quirks toned down, the 'Mech all but disappeared from the game.
Or the newest Hero Assassin with that lone ballistic hardpoint.


She did not die on Huntress.

And of course, her stock Falconer did not even see the Periphery, since she used it in just one battle (before she died). In the campaign she usually used the Banshee.


I saw that picture.

It's practically the Marauder (jump-capable MAD-5M, for example) in appearance, but the Marauder has the advantage of that high-mounted dorsal ballistic hardpoints instead of those Falconer's low arms.


Personally I think that it's quite possible that we will see the Falconer in the game (FedSuns fans will probably buy it), but once the novelty wears off and they master it, they will park the Falconer in their hangars to use other, more practical 'Mechs.

I think you're being overly critical and discounting some things.

First off it's a battlemech so it can change it's engine and take only 1 or 2 JJ freeing up some tonnage for more weapons. The Twolf is a 75 ton mech that has a 375 btw and it's one of the best in the game currently. To account for IS tech, etc, you could downgrade it to a 350 for the Falconer and it'd be able to carry plenty of firepower, especially if it gets halfway decent inflation.

[Bombast]

Eh. I don't know... nothing about the Falconer jumps out to me. It has a weak pedigree, low in universe penetration, the fluff doesn't appeal to me and the mech itself, while not bad, isn't fantastic. And the look doesn't resonate with me.

I think the Penetrator is a better 3053 heavy mech, personally. But that's just my own preference. Better fluff, better look, and it even gets a 'proper' book hero, Archer Christifori.

[TheArisen]

Bombast, on 06 November 2016 - 07:03 PM, said:

Eh. I don't know... nothing about the Falconer jumps out to me. It has a weak pedigree, low in universe penetration, the fluff doesn't appeal to me and the mech itself, while not bad, isn't fantastic. And the look doesn't resonate with me.

I think the Penetrator is a better 3053 heavy mech, personally. But that's just my own preference. Better fluff, better look, and it even gets a 'proper' book hero, Archer Christifori.

I do agree, I used to really like the Falconer but the low arms really turned me off to it. The Penetrator, Bandersnatch & Dragonfire are 75t mechs I'd like to see even though the Pen. would kind of be the same as a BK.
Banderstach:


Dragonfire: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Dragon_Fire

It's Pelvic PPC might be a bit much though....

[Chuck Jager]

Honestly you could call a mech Ole MEChdonald for all I care. Doe it have multiple cockpit level hardpoints and crit slots to mount enough damage to peek and fire.

Lore is the best friend of table top. It is also PGis best way to sell mechs. What worked in TT does not work in this game. (nor does smurfy's or other this mech does this quotes)

this is not great, but it is the truth of how this game has half a chance to move forward.

[martian]

TheArisen, on 06 November 2016 - 06:49 PM, said:

I think you're being overly critical and discounting some things.

I have been just stating what's obvious.

TheArisen, on 06 November 2016 - 06:49 PM, said:

First off it's a battlemech so it can change it's engine and take only 1 or 2 JJ freeing up some tonnage for more weapons.

Exactly as the Marauder.

TheArisen, on 06 November 2016 - 06:49 PM, said:

The Twolf is a 75 ton mech that has a 375 btw and it's one of the best in the game currently.

Yes, and it's a Clan OmniMech with Clan XL engine that won't die on side torso loss, free Clan CASE in all locations, Clan Omnipods that let you customize your hardpoints and offer great versatility, many high-mounted energy and missile hardpoints, light and compact Clan weapons, etc. - I guess you get the idea.

The Falconer is not going have any of those advantages.

TheArisen, on 06 November 2016 - 06:49 PM, said:

To account for IS tech, etc, you could downgrade it to a 350 for the Falconer and it'd be able to carry plenty of firepower, especially if it gets halfway decent inflation.

Yes, and the Marauder has 360 engine cap, so you can put 350 engine in it without problem.

But, as I mentioned above, the Marauder has those ballistic hardpoints above cockpit.
The Falconer carries its Gauss Rifle in its low right arm.

[FLG 01]

martian, on 06 November 2016 - 09:52 PM, said:

The Falconer carries its Gauss Rifle in its low right arm.

The arms are not terribly low. In the TRO:3055 art by Knutson it is pretty much torso height, in the renditions of Alex and Shimmering Sword it is just below that.
Only the TRO:3055U art makes them hang really low, but considering that even the the Marauder’s low-slung arms have been raised significantly by MWO, the Falconer’s arms would be raised too.

And not having an exploding GR in the ST but rather in a flexible arm mount is something too. The higher engine cap is an advantage, as is having a number of torso mounted energy hardpoints.
It is alright if you personally cannot imagine employing these advantages. For others the situation may be different.

martian, on 06 November 2016 - 09:52 PM, said:

I have been just stating what's obvious.

And you have been so classy about it.

Edited by FLG 01, 07 November 2016 - 07:10 AM.

[Vellron2005]

Is it just me, or does most every mech meant to "deal with the clans" look very similar to a Timberwolf?

[C E Dwyer]

Chuck Jager, on 06 November 2016 - 09:12 PM, said:

Honestly you could call a mech Ole MEChdonald for all I care. Doe it have multiple cockpit level hardpoints and crit slots to mount enough damage to peek and fire.

Lore is the best friend of table top. It is also PGis best way to sell mechs. What worked in TT does not work in this game. (nor does smurfy's or other this mech does this quotes)

this is not great, but it is the truth of how this game has half a chance to move forward.

Your right of course in the meta stakes and as the game swing around to where it can only be played reasonable well with mechs of high mounts, if that hasn't already arrived, means I'm far less likely to support it

[Gas Guzzler]

martian, on 06 November 2016 - 09:52 PM, said:

I have been just stating what's obvious.


Exactly as the Marauder.


Yes, and it's a Clan OmniMech with Clan XL engine that won't die on side torso loss, free Clan CASE in all locations, Clan Omnipods that let you customize your hardpoints and offer great versatility, many high-mounted energy and missile hardpoints, light and compact Clan weapons, etc. - I guess you get the idea.

The Falconer is not going have any of those advantages.


Yes, and the Marauder has 360 engine cap, so you can put 350 engine in it without problem.

But, as I mentioned above, the Marauder has those ballistic hardpoints above cockpit.
The Falconer carries its Gauss Rifle in its low right arm.

You mean it doesn't carry a Gauss in the shoulder that will kill you if it gets destroyed and you have an XL engine? Yeah, that's what I would call a benefit. You don't run Marauder's with a Gauss and an XL engine, because their side torsos are incredibly easy to shoot, and a Gauss there will see you dead in a hurry. The Marauder isn't a good comparison because it is extremely XL unfriendly and only has ballistic hardpoints in the shoulder.

Also, if you want more firepower no one is stopping you from downgrading it to a 300 size engine were we to see it in game. As far as I can tell your points are kind of irrelevant. My only concern is the hit boxes.

People compared it to the Penetrator, but isn't that just more laser vomit?

Bombast, on 06 November 2016 - 07:03 PM, said:

Eh. I don't know... nothing about the Falconer jumps out to me. It has a weak pedigree, low in universe penetration, the fluff doesn't appeal to me and the mech itself, while not bad, isn't fantastic. And the look doesn't resonate with me.

I think the Penetrator is a better 3053 heavy mech, personally. But that's just my own preference. Better fluff, better look, and it even gets a 'proper' book hero, Archer Christifori.

Isn't the penetrated just more laser vomit?

[Bombast]

Gas Guzzler, on 07 November 2016 - 06:31 AM, said:

People compared it to the Penetrator, but isn't that just more laser vomit?

For the most part, yes, though it does have a missile variant.

But I don't base my liking of mechs on MWO meta, so... yah.

[Gas Guzzler]

Bombast, on 07 November 2016 - 06:34 AM, said:

For the most part, yes, though it does have a missile variant.

But I don't base my liking of mechs on MWO meta, so... yah.

Lol what does it have to do with MWO meta? How about variety? We already have a bunch of laser vomit heavies.. why do we need a bunch more? Its essentially a re-skinned Black Knight with slightly better hardpoints and slightly worse quirks.

[Bombast]

Gas Guzzler, on 07 November 2016 - 07:53 AM, said:

Lol what does it have to do with MWO meta? How about variety? We already have a bunch of laser vomit heavies.. why do we need a bunch more? Its essentially a re-skinned Black Knight with slightly better hardpoints and slightly worse quirks.

Variety is a meta considerations, in the end. Different from the typical meta arguments, to be sure, but it is what it is.

And I'm not going to argue with anything you said, mostly because it's all true. It just not the things I prioritize or really care about, to be honest.

The thread asked us about our opinions on the Falconer, and my opinion is that I prefer the Penetrator in the 75 ton 3053 bracket, a fairly narrow category. If you don't like why I have that opinion, all I can say is 'fair enough.'

[Gas Guzzler]

Bombast, on 07 November 2016 - 07:56 AM, said:

Variety is a meta considerations, in the end. Different from the typical meta arguments, to be sure, but it is what it is.

And I'm not going to argue with anything you said, mostly because it's all true. It just not the things I prioritize or really care about, to be honest.

The thread asked us about our opinions on the Falconer, and my opinion is that I prefer the Penetrator in the 75 ton 3053 bracket, a fairly narrow category. If you don't like why I have that opinion, all I can say is 'fair enough.'

YOUR OPINION IS WRONG BECAUSE...

jk, fair enough.

[Fyrwulf]

So, with the new tech, the second variant is now viable. Thoughts?