7 replies to this topic

[Neokeyone]

One of the things that has always bugged me about MWO and a few of the other Games is that there is no melee weapons. Hundreds of years into the future and nobody thought to put a high output, short range cutting laser on a small mech? I bet they use light mechs in the mech factories to help weld/cut armor pieces and mount them on the mech.

Also would bring more players new and old back to MWO. Would change the Metta of the current MWO.

My ideas: Short range cutting laser for Locust or light mechs
Impact driver (pile driver, boxing gloves, autohammer) for light/medium mechs.
Shield and/or sword for medium/large/assault mechs
Hammer for assault
Swiping attack {bear claws/swipe} for Kodiac

Suggested JOKE WEAPONS: Butt stomp for assults {assault squat?}
Tiny arm with dagger to stab at larger mech's legs/butt
Small arm and canister to inject industrial strength acid into joints {strips leg armor}
Small/medium/heavy lance Metal and/or laser
C4/sticky explosive to attach to larger mechs
Sticky fireworks flair gun to attach to mechs. Atlas butts now shoot fireworks
Rear mounted High heat burst flamethower. To heat up lights on your butt.

Another Idea is to add Loadout Slots so we can quickly equip/unequip when we have a great build but want to try something new without having to rebuild the old loadout. You can Charge MC for them and I bet tons of players would want one.

[Moochachoo]

Melee does exist in battletech, but from what I read, the current devs lacks the technical expertise to implement it in to mwo.

I would love to see my shadow hawk, atlas or kodiak punch another mech right in the cockpit, I think the kodiak punch would be particularly nasty with the long sharp rods, but yeah technical problems.

[Mister Bob Dobalina]

Here's a proposal of mine embeded in the plea for implementing the HCT-3R Hatchetman

Thomster, on 18 March 2017 - 03:31 AM, said:

Esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am here before you to make the case for the HCT-3F Hatchetman to be introduced into the MWO Universe.

The Hatchetman was, at its roll out in 3023, the first new Inner Sphere Mech design in a century. It featured revolutionary design choices, even after Clan standards: A melee weapon and a full cockpit ejection system. All in all, it was a very well rounded medium platform even capable engaging air units thanks to his targeting system.

During the years, the Hatchetman has seen many iterations in variants equipped with new weapon systems (e.g. Rotary ACs, MRMs etc.) or ECM versions (HTC-6D). Aside legendary engagements like the destruction of the Falcon Guard by Kai Allard Liao, the Hatchetman and his trademark iconic design had clearly left its mark.

It is clear, that the introduction of a Mech like the Hatchetman would be precedence for the addition of melee weapons in the first place. Nevertheless, it would be a significant addition to the variability of Mech choices. It would pave the way for formidable designs like the Axeman or the Hatamoto-Chi, to name a few at least.

Be aware that I do not propose this lightly as I know of the inherent problematic that has always been tied into direct kinetic engagement. Therefore, I have been thinking about how to introduce a hatchet / axe / sword into, and based on, the existing array of weaponry.


Consider this:

Let us treat the melee weapon like “just another weapon system” with a certain set of

• range (x meters)
  
• damage type (pinpoint, spread, ..)
  
• cooldown period (x seconds)
  
• charge up time (e.g. Gauss)

So here is my proposal shown after the example of the HCT-3F Hatchetman. The hatchet stands in for any other melee weapon in that case (Axe, Sword, Club, etc.)

• The hatchet takes 3 tons of weight and takes 3 slots.
  
• The hatchet forces lower arm and hand actuator and the required slot.
  
• No other weapon can be added to a weapon group as soon as the hatchet is added to it. In reverse, the hatchet cannot be added to a non-empty weapon group.
  
• The hatchet has a charge-up time and a trigger window comparable to a Gauss weapon.
  
• The hatchet has a long recharge time in the likes of a LRM20 / AC20 or even longer.
  
• The hatchet is aimed and targets with the crosshairs like any other weapon.
  
• The hatchet has a range of 30m with complete damage drop-off beyond.
  
• The hatchet creates pinpoint damage to the calculated impact point, following the same rules as for existing weaponry.
  
• The destruction of the hatchet would destroy the wielding arm as well, as its static stability would have to be deeply integrated into the arm in the first place.

An argument can be made for the amount of damage, such a weapon would inflict. Bare in mind that you carry a weapon with significant tonnage and requirement of slots (in the case of the HCT, the Hatchet weighs about 7% of the overall weight) and can only be used within a very thin margin of opportunity and only up close. So, high damage would be justifiable. Another area of argumentation regarding the damage is

• The speed of the Hatchetman at the time of the successful impact: Although it would be physically correct to include the objects own speed into the amount of kinetic energy transferred to the target (kinetic energy = mass x velocity squared), I would drop that for the sake of simplicity to make this better introducible into MWO.
  
• The weight of the Mech wielding the melee weapon. As stated before, the weight has even less influence on the kinetic energy transferred, than the speed has. On the other hand, bigger Mechs wield bigger weapons. While the Hatchetmans Hatchet weighs 3t, the Axemans Axe weighs 5t. If we assign a certain damage potential to the weight of the melee weapon, we have an indirect tie to the size of the Mech and could define 2t for Light Mechs and 7t-8t with Assault Mechs

Imagine the Hatchet being a extremely short ranged laser that weighs a lot, has a friggin charge-up and cooldown time and its use is shown by an awesome animation, beating the living crap out of an enemy Mech.

This would not create a massive change in the games basic and underlying mechanics (full kinematic engagements, kicking, punching etc.) as rather being melee light. It is clear, that such a change would require massive and probably foundation changing shifts and reprogramming, therefore I tried to create a way less invasive yet way more doable solution.

So, I close my argument for a relatively easy introduction of melee –ish weapons in general and the roll-out of the Hatchetman in particular.

Please let me know what you think about my thoughts on the matter.

[Neokeyone]

At some point MWO will add all current Mechs/tech... then what? With both the Battletech and Mechwarrior series of games running at the same time.. one of them could reach outside of lore a bit and try something new. Quite a few game series have hit a dead end just by sticking to the lore. If you want new players and maybe even bring back old players who got tired of the same old mechs you need to do something new.. Like add melee weapons. I cannot see how melee weapons could hurt the Mechwarrior / Battletech franchises.

[TheOneWhoStalks]

Sadly I remember there being a case for the implementation of melee because of pgi devs lacking the experience to even attempt to do so. Although, melee and shields are much needed for this game. The lack of weapon and movement diversity just make all the mechs plain and indifferent,

[KursedVixen]

There are wwaaayyy to many bugs in this game to even consider melee attacks let alone any new content they continue to push out, Melee would also make the game pretty unfair.. I vote NO to any melee combat, if you want melee combat play a fist fighting game...... Melee does not belong in this game, go play table top if you want melee.


I doubt PGI could code it in didn't the black knight have some sort of sword?

Edited by KursedVixen, 19 July 2018 - 11:18 PM.

[Toisich]

Sorry to revive an old post but I was doing a search to see if melee was ever in the plan for mwo.

Melee is a big part of the battletech universe. And it's the one thing that is lacking in all mechwarrior games. I would love to see it added to the game. What would be even more interesting in my opinion would be giving the melee edge to the IS, considering the Clans abhorred the idea of melee combat. Thought it was uncivilized. I'm not necessarily saying clan mechs should have no melee ability, although that is an option, but IS should have an advantage there imo.

But alas, it probably wont be implemented at all. Which is so very sad. I remember reading the novels, and a great deal of them would have melee of some sort in their battles. Then I'd play whatever mechwarrior game was the new hotness at the time. And I would always be sad that I couldn't clench my mechanical fist and put it into another mechs cockpit like I'd just read about.

Edited by Toisich, 21 August 2018 - 04:36 PM.

[JRcam4643]

I don't think sticking to lore is what chased players away. The poorly implemented game modes, match maker and balancing did that.