2
TheMadTypist, on 12 July 2018 - 02:32 PM, said:
1. Few to No durability quirks - The champion is repeatedly called out as flimsy, poorly protected, lightly armored, and so on. They won't be armoring it up.
2. Few to No Firepower quirks - Most of the sources indicate that the design is considered under-gunned, even compared unfavorably with certain Griffin variants. We might see some missile cooldown quirks for the variants with isolated missile hardpoints, but even so don't expect that they'll make it good at dishing out the hits.
3. Lots of mobility - Almost every source mentions that the saving grace of the Champion was the mobility it brought (despite most 60 tonners moving the same speed). It lacks jumpjets, so we'll likely get a speedy torso, accel/decel, yaw range, and turning radius. A fun note- this design came from the company that built the locust, so we might get some locust-esque quirks?
2. Few to No Firepower quirks - Most of the sources indicate that the design is considered under-gunned, even compared unfavorably with certain Griffin variants. We might see some missile cooldown quirks for the variants with isolated missile hardpoints, but even so don't expect that they'll make it good at dishing out the hits.
3. Lots of mobility - Almost every source mentions that the saving grace of the Champion was the mobility it brought (despite most 60 tonners moving the same speed). It lacks jumpjets, so we'll likely get a speedy torso, accel/decel, yaw range, and turning radius. A fun note- this design came from the company that built the locust, so we might get some locust-esque quirks?
I agree with most of that. It would be right to give the Champion good mobility quirks, not just because of the big stock engine but also because the pilots really liked the design. Its performance was "consistently excellent". (TRO:3025R). Even the downgrades proved their worth: "The remaining ’Mechs, however, performed to the same level as their high-tech predecessors in nearly every engagement, keeping the ’Mech popular, if rare." (TRO:3039)
However not all Champions are undergunned. The Clanbuster CHP-3N had good firepower and was rated "one of the most effective Mechs used in the Battle of Tukayyid" (Tukayyid Scenario Book).
Also, PGI tends to quirk undergunned Mechs so they can use what little they have. This may be unnecessary in case of the Champion because the hardpoints are pretty good. I am not worried about the offensive capabilities of this Mech. I hope for a highly mobile glass cannon.
In terms of lore it should be stressed again that it was a beloved design. Even the Duke of Hesperus, Daniel Brewer, piloted one - and he had direct access to all of Defiance's Mechs (and enough money to buy any Mech wanted). Yet he deliberated chose the Champion. This must have been a prestigious ride.
