60 replies to this topic

[Bombast]

I've been dreading this day. The goof tub has been shoved into MWO's unified aesthetic.

It's not as bad as I thought it would be, but it's still not silly looking enough for me.

Edited by Bombast, 11 July 2018 - 01:12 PM.

[Daurock]

Nightstar Mini, Ho! (Or maybe "Knockoff Ebon Jag")

In all seriousness, this mech will, like most IS mechs, live and die by what quirks it receives. If it gets decent ones, i can see a half decent Triple RAC2 / UAC build in there, (2N) or maybe a couple of the Usual IS AC20+SRM builds working for it. The geometry isn't half bad. Should be a lot like a dragon, except not quite so.... clunky. I can roll with that.

[Eisenhorne]

Depending on quirks, the CHP-1NB might be a real winner. Of course they lock that one behind the reinforcements paywall. Grrr.

[Rehspuhkuh]

Personally, I'm a fan of some mechs in particular for their "unique" aesthetics. Understandably sometimes compromises have to be made, like the original Nova and having its' legs mounted at its' ears (being able to shield your side torsos with your legs is an interesting image). Still, I had always wondered (and dreaded) if the Champion made it into game if it would get the Battlemaster treatment. I'm pleasantly surprised it didn't.

Edited by Rehspuhkuh, 11 July 2018 - 01:35 PM.

[Valdarion Silarius]

Looks like a plane with legs. I'll pass.

[Spheroid]

More artistic abortions from 2750. These mechs weren't even produced or widely used in the modern era. A strange choice. We still don't have much more common mechs like the Hermes II, Clint, Dervish or Charger.

If they wanted MW5 filler mechs for the roster they could have done a lot better.

[Ghogiel]

Well if PGI need money they'll have to poop out some unseen **** or something with some high mounted balistics and good hit boxes for the no torso twisting face ******* balance the game has right now

[Quxudica]

Grus, on 11 July 2018 - 12:21 PM, said:

But it will increase your TTK if you can't load a lot of weapons!

#Sarcasm

Sarcasm aside, the game needs to move in a direction of encouraging fewer weapons and smaller alpha's. Though I'd prefer it do that by introducing useful, competitive, tonnage and slot consuming equipment.

[Valdarion Silarius]

Ghogiel, on 11 July 2018 - 02:14 PM, said:

Well if PGI need money they'll have to poop out some unseen **** or something with some high mounted balistics and good hit boxes for the no torso twisting face ******* balance the game has right now

The Argus would have been a better choice since if PGI doesn't want to tap into the IS Omnimech territory, it would have been a battlemech more fitting of the Civil War era. Even though I still wouldn't have bought the Argus at least I would advocate it being a decent addition to MW:O.

Felbombling, on 11 July 2018 - 12:38 PM, said:

I cannot recall anyone asking for this Mech. Maybe a poll back in '15 I don't remember, perhaps? A dev. favourite? Artwork looks nice enough, though. Way to go, Alex.

I don't recall anyone wanting this mech or voting for it highly on Gas Guzzler's poll if that's what you are referring to. I guess they are trying to be unpredictable at this point which it seems they are doing a good job at doing. Good thing that just equates to my wallet being sealed until they get the message.

[Spheroid]

@Arnold: The Argus is not an omnimech. It was planned as such but retooled during development to reduce procurement costs.

[Valdarion Silarius]

Spheroid, on 11 July 2018 - 02:26 PM, said:

@Arnold: The Argus is not an omnimech. It was planned as such but retooled during development to reduce procurement costs.

Yes, I know that. It says right on Sarna that it started development as a Omnimech but was later made into a Battlemech.

[FLG 01]

Arnold The Governator, on 11 July 2018 - 02:23 PM, said:

The Argus would have been a better choice since if PGI doesn't want to tap into the IS Omnimech territory, it would have been a battlemech more fitting of the Civil War era.

Not that I am a fan of the Champion, but let's be fair: it's more common during the FCCW than the Argus. ...which is not really saying much since the Argus is a rare Mech as per FM:U (only the B rated formations of the AFFS have it, and only if you roll a 2). And if you check the MUL, you'll see noone else has it, not even in small numbers.
The Argus is a poor representative of the FCCW-era, as are Uziel (not even on an RAT) or Hellspawn (almost as rare as the Argus).

In fact, reintroduced SL-era Mechs were part of the FCCW-era's line-up. They had to share the glory with new Mechs and upgraded 3025 classics, but they were there.
The Champion e.g. was piloted by Duke Daniel Brewer during the Battle of Hesperus (which was featured heavily in a novel), and that alone provides for more FCCW-era lore than Argus, Uziel and Hellspawn combined can muster.

PGI actually has done a bad job representing the FCCW by releasing MW:4-nostalgia Mechs. And the failing of the Champion is not lore, it's gameplay. But maybe/hopefully quirks prove me wrong.

Edited by FLG 01, 11 July 2018 - 02:41 PM.

[VonBruinwald]

Arnold The Governator, on 11 July 2018 - 02:23 PM, said:

I don't recall anyone wanting this mech or voting for it highly on Gas Guzzler's poll if that's what you are referring to.

I've been wanting this 'mech for a long time.

Spoiler

Edited by VonBruinwald, 11 July 2018 - 02:53 PM.

[RickySpanish]

Battletech has quite a few disasterouspy ugly 'Mechs, I suppose the developers have more or less run out of the good ones. I was considering buying the Incubus but I just don't fancy Light 'Mechs, so I held off. This one's absolutely nasty looking though, so it's another no-thank-you from me. Looking forward to obliterating those great big arm pods.

[Revis Volek]

Why did they keep the airplane design??

I was hoping that would kinda go away, not be magnified. Champion always looked like a baby plane or something. Had small wings and big feet so it cant fly...yet.


IF you arent gonna make LAMS this was a dumb mech to put in IMO.

VonBruinwald, on 11 July 2018 - 02:53 PM, said:

I've been wanting this 'mech for a long time.

Spoiler

That mech looks kinda scary, that is NOT what you got. You got a baby duck covered in mech parts.

Edited by Revis Volek, 11 July 2018 - 03:10 PM.

[The6thMessenger]

Kinda looks like a failed Rifleman. But it has weapons on torso so maybe it'll be good.

[Quxudica]

MechaBattler, on 11 July 2018 - 12:41 PM, said:

It looks like an aircraft on legs. Which I thought was more of a Clan thing.

It really resembles an A10. Which is probably why it has a Warthog decal.

Because it was, or an attempt at it anyway. I think it's supposed to be one of the jetmech transformer chassis.

[Valdarion Silarius]

Quxudica, on 11 July 2018 - 03:47 PM, said:

Because it was, or an attempt at it anyway. I think it's supposed to be one of the jetmech transformer chassis.

Which makes it worse in theory because LAM's are hot garbage in table top.

FLG 01, on 11 July 2018 - 02:39 PM, said:

Not that I am a fan of the Champion, but let's be fair: it's more common during the FCCW than the Argus.

Wait a minute, we are going by lore? When did PGI start giving a crap about that? If that's the case then bring on my slug ammunition for clan LBXs and my damn Arrow IVs.

Edited by Arnold The Governator, 11 July 2018 - 05:02 PM.

[Bishop Steiner]

FLG 01, on 11 July 2018 - 02:39 PM, said:

Not that I am a fan of the Champion, but let's be fair: it's more common during the FCCW than the Argus. ...which is not really saying much since the Argus is a rare Mech as per FM:U (only the B rated formations of the AFFS have it, and only if you roll a 2). And if you check the MUL, you'll see noone else has it, not even in small numbers.
The Argus is a poor representative of the FCCW-era, as are Uziel (not even on an RAT) or Hellspawn (almost as rare as the Argus).

In fact, reintroduced SL-era Mechs were part of the FCCW-era's line-up. They had to share the glory with new Mechs and upgraded 3025 classics, but they were there.
The Champion e.g. was piloted by Duke Daniel Brewer during the Battle of Hesperus (which was featured heavily in a novel), and that alone provides for more FCCW-era lore than Argus, Uziel and Hellspawn combined can muster.

PGI actually has done a bad job representing the FCCW by releasing MW:4-nostalgia Mechs. And the failing of the Champion is not lore, it's gameplay. But maybe/hopefully quirks prove me wrong.

if we are going by lore and commonality .... why do have the Annihilator? The Dragoons have never fielded more than a dozen, and aside from one frankenmech rebuilt off one as a challenge, literally no other IS faction fields ANY, until into the Jihad era.

Also the Champion was never a hugely prolific design after the Succession Wars. there were very few left and no production by the end of the Second Succession War, and it wasn't til the late 3050s that Bergan started producing new models. Comstar did have some, also of course, though there is no indication of how large a fleet.

Without actual production numbers from the various manufacturers, it's conjecture about the comparative commonality, but Bergan isn't some huge powerhouse liek GM, Defiance, etc. Also especially focusing on the FCCW, those MW4 designs were mostly built in house by the two main factions at work, and Archenar, Robinson Standard(Argus, Osiris), GM (Hellspawn), Defiance (Uziel) and Starcorps (Thanatos) are all much bigger manufacturing firms.

[FireStoat]

I took a look at the sarna entry for this mech for the hell of it and this sentence really jumped out at me.
"The factor behind the Champion's survival is its massive 20-ton fusion engine which gives the 'Mech good speed and maneuverability."

Anyone remember the days of an oversized engine on a mech granting good speed AND maneuverability? Ah well.