13 replies to this topic

[MechTech Dragoon]

The flamer is an awesome weapon, extremely useful for brawling mechs.
However, for me, the weapon effects are just too ugly to use. Firing a flashlight out of the front of your mech just, no.
The old animations were amazing, and, even though they had a somewhat blinding effect, its what helped make them effective.

Now before you answer no, because of A. blinding effect or B. lore, hear me out.

Blinding effect-
Allot of weapons cause this, and its part of balance just as much as anything else.
Lrms, mass autocannons and even sometimes laser vomit cause blinding effect, removing the animation for that reason is a bad argument.
Aside from that, in battletech, that's half the flamers power. Causing forest fires, and blinding enemy forces with flame and smoke.

Lore-
The flamer's "flame" comes from a mechs fusion engine, and when a mechs engine goes into a critical explosion (which is extremely rare mind you) the engine will erupt into a blue white and orange jetstream of flame before exploding. It could be very well assumed that a flamer would have a similar effect.

[Invictus XVII]

Agree 100%
flamers where amazing before (effectwise)

Flamers today are very powerfull in a brawl, but they absolutely destroy your heat mtg, making them totally useless.

Personally i would remake the flamers from the ground up.
- I would have made them with the flame effect.
- I would have made them not pinpoint (the old flamer had a cone effect but was still pinpoint)
On a technical level i would have made them like a rapid machinegun with a tight spread inside the cone effect to achieve this.
- i would have made the heat dmg fade off the further away you are from your target since the flame cones out and heat disipates.
- i would have made a more flamy spread effect (when high pressure flame hits a hard metal surface) on hit that confirms a hit.
- i would have made it so the flamer have a chance to create a fire on point of hit that stays around for a few seconds generating smoke and flame (much to the same effect you see on the new volcanic maps)
- I would not make the flamer absolutly destroy your heat mtg, which is a all round mech destroyer.

(please remove weapons affecting heatmtg all together) Heatsinks and engine size should regulate this.

[Livaria]

Here's an idea; have the flamer become increasingly more transparent as the plasma travels further out of range. Right now it's fully transparent, not partially.

Edited by Livaria, 23 May 2017 - 03:34 AM.

[Invictus XVII]

Livaria, on 23 May 2017 - 03:34 AM, said:

Here's an idea; have the flamer become increasingly more transparent as the plasma travels further out of range. Right now it's fully transparent, not partially.

Imagine this man the size of a dragon and the flame twice as long, thats how it should be.

What you can do is to limit how long you can have a flame active to a few seconds. The unlimited time blinding effect is annoying true.

Edited by Fishbaws, 23 May 2017 - 03:40 AM.

[Livaria]

Yes, and no. Flamers are sort of unfortunately named; in that they aren't actually flamethrowers. But I still wouldn't mind it anyways.

Edited by Livaria, 23 May 2017 - 03:49 AM.

[Livaria]

In truth; it would appear to be much more closer to something you'd see in Dragonball Z; because it's concentrated plasma. ...which is also kickass, mind you. https://youtu.be/_PDRFr5zUCs?t=16s

Edited by Livaria, 23 May 2017 - 04:02 AM.

[Invictus XVII]

Livaria, on 23 May 2017 - 03:55 AM, said:

In truth; it would appear to be much more closer to something you'd see in Dragonball Z; because it's concentrated plasma. ...which is also kickass, mind you. https://youtu.be/_PDRFr5zUCs?t=16s

Lol... no, no it wouldnt. DZ isnt scientifically accurate. I hope you realize this.
Fyi: http://www.pppl.gov/...t/fusion-basics
MW Plasma engines fuel is maintly water, according to lore- turning water to plasma. Which is an ionized gas state.
If anything, venting this would be more reminiscent of a gas flame, only it isnt exactly the plasma you see, just the air around it getting set on fire.

[Damnedtroll]

The blinding effect was awesome, now it's more a stealth act lol. Someone using flamer was seen at 1000m before, now it's hard to see the effect point blank in daylight...

Would be awesome to be able to put house and forest in fire for smoke screen...

Edited by Damnedtroll, 23 May 2017 - 05:07 AM.

[Livaria]

Fishbaws, on 23 May 2017 - 04:29 AM, said:

Lol... no, no it wouldnt. DZ isnt scientifically accurate. I hope you realize this.
Fyi: http://www.pppl.gov/...t/fusion-basics
MW Plasma engines fuel is maintly water, according to lore- turning water to plasma. Which is an ionized gas state.
If anything, venting this would be more reminiscent of a gas flame, only it isnt exactly the plasma you see, just the air around it getting set on fire.

Oh I know, it isn't scientifically accurate. Why would you think that? I'm just referencing what It could look like, with alterations of course. But I am willing to admit that maybe my reference could be flawed.

But my point is that that it's plasma and that it may not look exactly like that flamethrower you mentioned. "air getting set on fire." isn't going to be consistent. HPG manifold for example, or a planet could just have different gasses. But if you want to settle with fire, I can too.

Edited by Livaria, 23 May 2017 - 04:54 AM.

[Bellum Dominum]

Sadly I think PGI is proud of their new flamer graphics I'm Death Drow (just changed my nick when I switched to casual play) and taught quite a few about using the old flamer (still a couple vids I made on youtube I believe). I'm 100% with you guys I'd give up damage and heat again to have the old flamer graphics back honestly (some can verify for you that I used it back in those days no damage, no heat, and only 60 range... I might even be part of why they changed the graphic).

EDIT: I also completely agree that with ACs and Missiles blinding you like they do the argument against the old flamer graphic because it was blinding is invalid. You have to get close to use it at all. Why should you have to give up both range and a 'side effect' just because some people couldn't fight against lights like me when we used a flamer. I got killed plenty doing my dance around heavies and assaults using the flamer to 'blind' them when I got in their firing arc by good pilots. It didn't hardly bother them and I'd have to adjust to the good pilots.

Edited by Bellum Dominum, 24 May 2017 - 01:04 AM.

[Bellum Dominum]

And here is a video of an actual plasma flame:

[Livaria]

Bellum Dominum, on 24 May 2017 - 01:07 AM, said:

And here is a video of an actual plasma flame:

Thank you, It's just that it's not going to be quite like the flamethrower as described, or my other example for that matter.

[Bellum Dominum]

Yeah it is kind of in between both

[Captain Grayson Lighthorse]

I don't think that the flamers are realistic to begin with. What I would like to see is for the flamers to be turned into napalm canons. Bathing a 'Mech (or anything else) with a napalm stream would be a lot more fun visually and allow a little residual heat generation as it burns itself out when on the target 'Mech. You could also spray it on trees/buildings/bases etc to create distractions or even partially block line of site sometimes. I think it would make it a much more FUN weapon. Just an idea...