47 replies to this topic

[Pr8Dator]

Why did MWO resort to inventing non-canon mechs when there are sooooooooo many more canon ones that fans are waiting for and dying to get?!

Well, reading everyone's posts so far, I wonder, if its to fill a gap, why aren't they inventing a mech to fill the clan's 87 - 97kph speed gap?? 87 is ridiculously slow and 97 (104) is too fast for my style... I need something in between and there isn't unless I betray over to IS which I will never do.

Edited by Pr8Dator, 04 April 2017 - 02:52 AM.

[Battlemaster56]

This again???

The only reason the Roughneck exist because, Alex was allowed to make his own mech and allow to become canon because his contribution to Battletech with his art and stuff. But that's what I got from hearing about the mech.

And not even much of a issue to be fretting or bringing up unless out of curiosity.

[ScrapIron Prime]

Plus... Mechs plural? Are you aware of any others that we don't know about?

[Alan Davion]

Pr8Dator, on 03 April 2017 - 05:17 AM, said:

Why did MWO resort to inventing non-canon mechs when there are sooooooooo many more canon ones that fans are waiting for and dying to get?!

Because a lot of those remaining canon mechs, particularly on the IS side are driven by nostalgia, and they get derided as DOA, adding nothing new to the game or someone complains that THEIR special mech didn't get added over someone elses special mech.

People only seem to be concerned with mechs that further push the constant power creep we've had going since the introduction of the Clans.

[WhineyThePoo]

ALL mechs are made up.

[Athom83]

Because there are no decent 65 ton IS mechs that are not in the game that are in the span of the timejump. The only exceptions to that are the Crusader and the Verfolger. All the cool 65 tonners weren't introduced until the 3100s (Shen Yi, Scourge, Lament).

[Bud Crue]

Why not?
Nostalgia will only get PGI so far, and frankly if a "made up" mech looks cool and is fun to play then I am all for it. I mean sure they could introduce a mech like the Dervish but would there be much demand for it when mechs like the Hunchback Griffin, Kintaro, and Treb are already filling a similar if not identical role? Sure the nostalgia driven whales might buy it, but would anyone else? New mechs need to offer something unique (not better, just potentially different) to a game with such a seemingly stagnant population, the Roughneck is an attempt at doing this, even if many consider it just an oversized Shadowhawk.

I think the Roughneck is, as Battlemaster56 said above, a nod to Alex and his contributions; but also a test to see how the community would react to the idea of a custom design. If the sales numbers are there I would not be surprised if they do another one in the future. If they are not there however, I don't think the lack of sales will be because the mech is not derived from the original source material, but simply because some will consider it redundant or "meh" relative to what they currently have.

[Felicitatem Parco]

WhineyThePoo, on 03 April 2017 - 05:25 AM, said:

ALL mechs are made up.

Oh, snap.


Yeah, why make up a new mech? Maybe because the dark age is crap and we want to flesh out some better time periods? But, hey, maybe the OP has a point. Maybe we should make this a dark age game so we can get the "newest" Mechs...?

Edited by Prosperity Park, 03 April 2017 - 06:41 AM.

[MeiSooHaityu]

Bud Crue, on 03 April 2017 - 06:37 AM, said:

Why not?
Nostalgia will only get PGI so far, and frankly if a "made up" mech looks cool and is fun to play then I am all for it. I mean sure they could introduce a mech like the Dervish but would there be much demand for it when mechs like the Hunchback Griffin, Kintaro, and Treb are already filling a similar if not identical role? Sure the nostalgia driven whales might buy it, but would anyone else? New mechs need to offer something unique (not better, just potentially different) to a game with such a seemingly stagnant population, the Roughneck is an attempt at doing this, even if many consider it just an oversized Shadowhawk.

I think the Roughneck is, as Battlemaster56 said above, a nod to Alex and his contributions; but also a test to see how the community would react to the idea of a custom design. If the sales numbers are there I would not be surprised if they do another one in the future. If they are not there however, I don't think the lack of sales will be because the mech is not derived from the original source material, but simply because some will consider it redundant or "meh" relative to what they currently have.

+1

Couldn't have said it better myself.

PGI has put a lot of work into this title and has re-imagined a lot of mechs (to great effect). I think them (and especially Alex) deserves a mech of their own. It seems appropriate and fitting.

[Dee Eight]

Pr8Dator, on 03 April 2017 - 05:17 AM, said:

Why did MWO resort to inventing non-canon mechs when there are sooooooooo many more canon ones that fans are waiting for and dying to get?!

As already pointed out... "all the mechs are made up / invented". Other MW titles have invented non-canon mechs also. Talk about first world gamer problems when you have to complain about "new" mechs being invented in a make believe sci-fi fantasy world that doesn't actually exist.

[El Bandito]

Pr8Dator, on 03 April 2017 - 05:17 AM, said:

Why did MWO resort to inventing non-canon mechs when there are sooooooooo many more canon ones that fans are waiting for and dying to get?!

Money. Mad Cat MKII for example, was not canon originally and only appeared in MW4 as a non-canon brand new mech. It was so successful upon release though, so much so that people in these forums have been yelling at the top of their lungs to have PGI include it in this game.

ScrapIron Prime, on 03 April 2017 - 05:23 AM, said:

Plus... Mechs plural? Are you aware of any others that we don't know about?

See above.

[SmokedJag]

Ignoring where various WTF additions to TROs probably come from, it's not like that Mad Cat Mk.II wasn't invented first with lore cooked up afterwards to justify its presence in MW4 (FedCom has ready access to 'Mech neither Jags nor Falcons used). Not that the lore was *bad* with the Diamond Sharks doing something like that but the punishment was a long time in coming to say the least. The Mk.II exists because it is cool and someone wanted to do that cool 'Mech in a game. That's the only reason it exists.

[R Valentine]

Eh, I have no problem with new mechs if they make them good in game, but the Roughneck won't do anything I can't do in a Rifleman or Jager, only worse. 1 high ballistic point? Seriously? We can't have anything even remotely resembling the Night Gyr? If your'e going to make your own mech, make it good or don't make it at all.

[MeiSooHaityu]

Kiran Yagami, on 03 April 2017 - 07:53 AM, said:

Eh, I have no problem with new mechs if they make them good in game, but the Roughneck won't do anything I can't do in a Rifleman or Jager, only worse. 1 high ballistic point? Seriously? We can't have anything even remotely resembling the Night Gyr? If your'e going to make your own mech, make it good or don't make it at all.

PGI is in a Catch22 when it comes to making their own mech. What you said comes with it's own set of criticisms.

Make a mech that is ok (like the current Roughneck), and people say it is redundant and ask why it is being made as is. Make the mech too powerful, and then people will criticize PGI for making an OP mech that furthers along power creep.

If I had to guess, I would say that PGI figures it is better to make an average mech and deal with that criticism, then to make a better mech and deal with certain groups claiming that PGI is making a must own OP mech and accuse them of creating a mech for more sales or some other sort of claims.

My guess is they wanted a mech of their own and was willing to take the less critical path from the community.

[R Valentine]

MeiSooHaityu, on 03 April 2017 - 08:19 AM, said:

PGI is in a Catch22 when it comes to making their own mech. What you said comes with it's own set of criticisms.

Make a mech that is ok (like the current Roughneck), and people say it is redundant and ask why it is being made as is. Make the mech too powerful, and then people will criticize PGI for making an OP mech that furthers along power creep.

If I had to guess, I would say that PGI figures it is better to make an average mech and deal with that criticism, then to make a better mech and deal with certain groups claiming that PGI is making a must own OP mech and accuse them of creating a mech for more sales or some other sort of claims.

My guess is they wanted a mech of their own and was willing to take the less critical path from the community.

Never stopped them from releasing OP mechs before. At least with 2 high ballistics we'd have a Night Gyr-ish IS mech, which helps offset balance issues until PGI pulls their head out of their ****** and nerfs the Night Gyr finally. They get money from mech packs whether they make their own mech or not. Throw IS a bone.

[ScrapIron Prime]

I won't mind that it has 1-2 ballistics in a single torso if they have quirks as good as the centurion 9D, shadowhawk 2H, or wolverine 6R. But... Since they're not doing mad quirks anymore, my guess is that they won't... So i didnt preorder for that reason.

[Wildstreak]

PGI is not the first to invent Mechs.
Back when TT was still developing before Clans came, there were magazine articles with new Mechs such as the short lived BattleTechnology. Another issue of a mag called Far & Away had an article on 5, 10 and 15 ton Mechs with examples.
Then there are the hybrids. One module had a 70 ton hybrid of Archer and Warhammer parts mashed together, a BattleTechnology article had a 55 tonner with the legs of a Wolverine and upper body of a Rifleman.
If the Rule of 3 goes away, such hybrids could be possible to make.

[GrimRiver]

Every new mech that was introduced was non canon, until it became canon.

But keeping 100% to lore will only stagnant the game because there is only so many mechs in BT universe, there is alot yes but it's not infinite.

Besides the Roughneck looks like the Shadow Hawk's oldest cousin and actually looks pretty decent.

[Jackal Noble]

Ya, I mean it's not like a 65 Tonner on the IS side is going to contribute any more to the hardpoint power creep, as Clan got there first in spades.
But those high energy points on the Roughneck...
That thing is going to be meta as f#%k.

Edited by JackalBeast, 03 April 2017 - 08:43 AM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Kiran Yagami, on 03 April 2017 - 08:21 AM, said:

Never stopped them from releasing OP mechs before. At least with 2 high ballistics we'd have a Night Gyr-ish IS mech, which helps offset balance issues until PGI pulls their head out of their ****** and nerfs the Night Gyr finally. They get money from mech packs whether they make their own mech or not. Throw IS a bone.

Because those other OP mechs are canon, so it's a little harder to get butthurt... but PGI makes up a "MetaMech"? Big butthurt. Not that hard to figure.