46 replies to this topic

[MustrumRidcully]

Like everyone, I want an Assault mech that can field at least 2 Heavy Ballistics, but I am not optimistic we'll get one.

[Dr Killinger]

It would certainly be rare at this time. I think it would be great, once community warfare is added, if certain pilots were given the option to purchase a rare mech with c-bills through some sort of metric (wins? matches played? damage done?).

I really hope CW is engaging and offers a lot for us to do in the end game.

[Khobai]

The Atlas is a really bad assault mech. Even in tabletop its terrible for its BV. The stock Devastator is one of the BEST assault mechs with its two gauss, two ppcs, and four medium lasers. However, I don't think the next assault will be the Devastator.


If we look at the Assault mechs....

The Atlas has a mix of all three hardpoints
The Highlander has a mix of all three hardpoints
The Stalker has all energy and missile
The Awesome has all energy and missile

So it stands to reason the next Assault mech will have have ballistics.

And we know its likely going to be a 95 ton mech. So which 95 ton mech that exists in 3050 is heavily dependent on ballistics? Theres the Banshee and the Nightstar. Of the two the Banshee is the more likely since it has way more variants.

Edited by Khobai, 12 February 2013 - 06:36 AM.

[Joseph Mallan]

Devastator is also is in production as of 3048 and has 3 variants!

[Strum Wealh]

Joseph Mallan, on 12 February 2013 - 06:29 AM, said:

Devastator is also is in production as of 3048 and has 3 variants!

'Tis not quite so simple...

• DVS-1D: available since 3036 {x2 Large Lasers, x2 AC/10s, x4 Medium Lasers; no LosTech}
  
• DVS-2: available since 3048 {x2 PPCs, x2 Gauss Rifles, x4 Medium Lasers; XL Engine and DHS}
  
• DVS-3: available in 3058 {x2 PPCs, x2 Gauss Rifles, x1 Medium Laser, x1 Small Laser; XL Engine and DHS}
  
• DVS-X10: available in 3075 {x2 Heavy PPC + Capacitor, x2 Medium Variable Speed Pulse Lasers; Armored Components, MASC, Supercharger, XXL Engine, Compact Gyro, Endo-Composite skeleton, Reactive Armor}

There are exactly four canon variants, with only two of them being available for the better part of the next in-universe decade.
While the chassis may be available, it doesn't have enough current variants for MWO, for the time being.

And for the sake of completeness, the other Devastator has only one variant...

[Kraven Kor]

MustrumRidcully, on 12 February 2013 - 02:50 AM, said:

Like everyone, I want an Assault mech that can field at least 2 Heavy Ballistics, but I am not optimistic we'll get one.

We'll get one - the Highlander has multiple ballistics, yes?

*Reads Sarna*

No. No it does not.

In fact, the Highlander is going to be "yet another mini atlas" but with jump jets. Still wants it.

Mauler, Devastator, Annihilator... I needs my big guns

[Strum Wealh]

Kraven Kor, on 12 February 2013 - 05:17 PM, said:

We'll get one - the Highlander has multiple ballistics, yes?

*Reads Sarna*

No. No it does not.

In fact, the Highlander is going to be "yet another mini atlas" but with jump jets. Still wants it.

Mauler, Devastator, Annihilator... I needs my big guns

VTR-9A1 - a (non-LosTech) predecessor of the -9B, armed with an AC/20 (in the Right Arm; no Hand or Lower Arm Actuator), two Medium Lasers (both in the Left Arm; full actuator set), one SRM-4 (in the Left Torso), and two Machine Gun (one in each leg, likely to be moved to the respective side-torsos for MWO)

The Machine Guns for the Cicada's CDA-3C variant were moved from the legs to the side-torsos, so the VTR-9A1 variant of the 80-ton Victor (if implemented) could see the same change.

Such a change would give the VRT-9A1 at least one ballistic hardpoint in each of the Right Arm, Right Torso, and Left Torso (in addition to at least two energy hardpoints in the Left Arm and at least one missile hardpoint in the Left Torso).
And it's jump-capable, to boot.

As an example of what one could do with such a VTR-9A1...

Version 1

• Endo-Steel Chassis
  
• 240 XL Engine (top speed: 54 kph)
  
• Three Jump Jets (RT, CT, LT)
  
• Twelve tons of Standard Armor (75% of maximum)
  
• Ten Single Heat Sinks (one in the Head)
  
• Armament: x3 Gauss Rifles (RA, RT, LT) with x4 tons of ammo (all in legs)
  
• All tonnage and criticals used

Version 2

• Endo-Steel Chassis
  
• 320 XL Engine (top speed: 64.8 kph)
  
• Three Jump Jets (RT, CT, LT)
  
• Fourteen tons of Standard Armor (90% of maximum)
  
• Ten Single Heat Sinks (All in Engine)
  
• Armament: x3 UAC/5s (RA, RT, LT) with x7 tons of ammo (all in legs and arms), x2 MPLas (LA), x1 SSRM-2 (LT) with x1 ton of ammo (LA)
  
• All tonnage and criticals used

Version 3

• Endo-Steel Chassis
  
• 240 XL Engine (top speed: 54 kph)
  
• Three Jump Jets (RT, CT, LT)
  
• 11.5 tons of Standard Armor (74% of maximum)
  
• Ten Double Heat Sinks (nine in Engine, one in LA)
  
• Armament: x3 AC/10s (RA, RT, LT) with x5 tons of ammo (all in legs and RA), x2 MLas (LA), x1 SSRM-2 (LT) with x1 ton of ammo (LA)
  
• All tonnage used, 7 criticals remain

It is an Assault-class, jump-capable, triple-Gauss sniper.
It is a fast, Assault-class, jump-capable, triple-UAC/5 (plus back-up weapons) sniper/brawler.
It is an Assault-class, jump-capable, triple-AC/10 (plus back-up weapons) brawler.

And it's one of five timeline-appropriate Victor variants.

Need a lot of big guns? Vote for the VTR-9A1 Victor!

EDIT: Also, the VTR-9A variant (another of the five timeline-appropriate Victor variants) natively carries a Machine Gun in the Left Torso, in addition to the AC/20 in the minimally-actuated Right Arm - making it the Assault-class, jump-capable, dual-heavy-ballistics 'Mech that the heavier Highlander can't be.
So, there are two reasons for ballistics-lovers to advocate for the Victor...

Edited by Strum Wealh, 12 February 2013 - 06:43 PM.