15 replies to this topic

[pattonesque]

The new skill tree is (hopefully) going to give some interesting options for customization and give weaker 'mechs a boost.

One area I'd like to see PGI consider is a single-toggle upgrade tree for the cockpit view. Some 'mechs (like the Locust) have awful visibility -- it seems like your view is split 50% between cockpit glass and metal bars. Spending some XP on your virtual techs overhauling that to give you a better view might be a nice option.

You wouldn't have this for every 'mech (the Ebon Jaguar, for instance, has amazing visibility) and you'd have to make a real decision between selecting it and, say, the upper levels of the skill tree, but I think it could be a fun and useful way of soft-balancing mechs that keep running into walls

[RestosIII]

So, what, you want your engineers to cut off the sides of your mech so you can see better? There isn't really anything you can do to give more visibility.

[pattonesque]

RestosIII, on 21 December 2016 - 06:30 AM, said:

So, what, you want your engineers to cut off the sides of your mech so you can see better? There isn't really anything you can do to give more visibility.

People replace cockpits in Battletech all the time, also this quote reads strangely to me because you seem to think the 'mech you're piloting is real?

[RestosIII]

pattonesque, on 21 December 2016 - 06:40 AM, said:

you seem to think the 'mech you're piloting is real?

Don't go down that route. I'm irritable right now, and I don't want to have that fight with someone else.

But honestly, I don't know what to tell you. How would you get more visibility in, say, a Hunchback? It's not like you could just make the hunch invisible. (Technically you could, but I wouldn't like it) Plus, if you did get your cockpit more open, I'd at least want your cockpit hitbox size increased as a trade-off. One thing that PGI did that I really like is making cockpits actually feel like they are what you see from the outside, and changing them to have a better view while keeping the same cockpit from the outside would just be... Wrong to me.

[Appogee]

You will need to unlock "Chair Cushion +15%".

[pattonesque]

RestosIII, on 21 December 2016 - 06:54 AM, said:

Don't go down that route. I'm irritable right now, and I don't want to have that fight with someone else.

But honestly, I don't know what to tell you. How would you get more visibility in, say, a Hunchback? It's not like you could just make the hunch invisible. (Technically you could, but I wouldn't like it) Plus, if you did get your cockpit more open, I'd at least want your cockpit hitbox size increased as a trade-off. One thing that PGI did that I really like is making cockpits actually feel like they are what you see from the outside, and changing them to have a better view while keeping the same cockpit from the outside would just be... Wrong to me.

The Hunchback is fine because the visibility issue results from the weapon geometry. That's not what I'm talking about.

The Locust's visibility issues result from a bunch of metal things attached to the cockpit window itself. Now obviously you couldn't give it, say, an Atlas' window because that wouldn't make sense, but removing a few of them so you could see a bit better seems pretty easy to explain in-universe to me -- like you're getting the "commander upgrade" or something.

[cazidin]

Try 3PV. I think that'll alleviate all your problems.

[RestosIII]

pattonesque, on 21 December 2016 - 07:04 AM, said:

The Hunchback is fine because the visibility issue results from the weapon geometry. That's not what I'm talking about.

The Locust's visibility issues result from a bunch of metal things attached to the cockpit window itself. Now obviously you couldn't give it, say, an Atlas' window because that wouldn't make sense, but removing a few of them so you could see a bit better seems pretty easy to explain in-universe to me -- like you're getting the "commander upgrade" or something.

Ugh, you were just talking about the cockpit roll bars? Fine, whatever, have fun ripping those out. God I need some ibuprofen so I can think straight... Legitimately thought you meant adding more cockpit glass to the sides and top/bottom.

[pattonesque]

RestosIII, on 21 December 2016 - 07:29 AM, said:

Ugh, you were just talking about the cockpit roll bars? Fine, whatever, have fun ripping those out. God I need some ibuprofen so I can think straight... Legitimately thought you meant adding more cockpit glass to the sides and top/bottom.

it's all good my dude. things are rough all over.

[Bandilly]

RestosIII, on 21 December 2016 - 06:54 AM, said:

How would you get more visibility in, say, a Hunchback? It's not like you could just make the hunch invisible. (Technically you could, but I wouldn't like it)

Cameras, even Land Rover has a camera system to allow you to see through your trailer. A more static item like a hunch should be simple.

[FuhNuGi]

Current IRL tech level on fighter aircraft integrates exterior cameras to the pilots helmet output so the pilot can turn his head and "look down" with the helmet delivering the images of the lower fuselage cameras to give an unobstructed view of down... or wherever to pilot looks, overlay of info on targeting and telemetry.

Might make things a bit too easy if we brought every real world tech here.

I consider that all these items exist in the game world, but the counter to them has eliminated their effectiveness and brought the teach level back to the items that work (remember Dune? Lasgun + shield = explosion of shooter and target).

Consider the graphics of your cockpit glass a gentle nerf?

[TLBFestus]

RestosIII, on 21 December 2016 - 06:54 AM, said:

Don't go down that route. I'm irritable right now, and I don't want to have that fight with someone else.

But honestly, I don't know what to tell you. How would you get more visibility in, say, a Hunchback? It's not like you could just make the hunch invisible. (Technically you could, but I wouldn't like it) Plus, if you did get your cockpit more open, I'd at least want your cockpit hitbox size increased as a trade-off. One thing that PGI did that I really like is making cockpits actually feel like they are what you see from the outside, and changing them to have a better view while keeping the same cockpit from the outside would just be... Wrong to me.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but originally the Hunchback had pretty decent visibility to both the left and right even if it was packing an AC20. At some point the Devs "fixed" it so that the AC20 side had much reduced visibility due to a big arse cannon sticking out the side.

I personally like the differing field of view from chassis to chassis as it gives each mech some form of uniqueness. If they were going to change something in the cockpit I'd much rather they improve the look of the pilots chicken legs.

[JediPanther]

If they wanted to make cockpit stuff change-able I'd love to manually place warhorns and {LT-MOB-25} pit items. They are super huge in some light mechs like the jenner that I'd rather just don't play with it. Or take the shadow hawk and any gun biger than mgs. The gun barrel looks curved or bent takes up one third of your screen yet looking at it in mech lab it appears to be straight.

If any thing I'd much rather have ui customization of font size, font color, type face, and transparency of text so it is readable to people with bad eye sight or color blind. One of my buddies refuses to play because he can't see jack.

[RestosIII]

JediPanther, on 21 December 2016 - 09:54 AM, said:

If any thing I'd much rather have ui customization of font size, font color, type face, and transparency of text so it is readable to people with bad eye sight or color blind. One of my buddies refuses to play because he can't see jack.

Spoiler

Just say "Yes!" to colorblind support!

[cazidin]

RestosIII, on 21 December 2016 - 09:58 AM, said:

Spoiler

Just say "Yes!" to colorblind support!

If one possessed the programming and technical skills necessary they could implement colorblind support, provided that it offers no other tactical advantage, as a mod. Sometime back in '15 a PGI representative gave it the OK.

[kuma8877]

Can't wait to see the Assassin cockpit, since Mark said he was trying to get it lore correct being cramped and uncomfortable, since we're on the subject of cockpits.

Trade off for head structure maybe? To show the removal of some substructure from the head to accommodate view would be cool.