Predictions and Bias - the Old School Way
#1
Posted 21 December 2011 - 11:33 PM
I've read through the Developer Interview 1 with Iglesias, and was sort of piqued with something he said.
He said he'd be working hard to make "generic-looking" mechs better to look at... the most generic thing I've ever seen in Battletech is hands down the Enforcer... I mean really. It's a mech. Just a mech.
Does anyone think we'll be seeing these bland old designs (and by bland, I don't intend to offend any fans) being given a re-hash? It almost makes sense, given the period and the factions involved.
And what would you, as fellow Mechwarriors, say constituted a "generic-looking mech?"
I can think of a few things - biped "man-walkers", one or two articulated "hands", clearly defined head, seemingly slender with the very basics in weapons systems. The Enforcer, Commando and Firestarter jump to mind almost immediately.
I thought it would be an interesting topic, not quite as loaded as "TT vs MW" or "Arcade vs Sim" - just to relax the atmosphere a bit.
Thoughts, anyone?
#2
Posted 21 December 2011 - 11:46 PM
#3
Posted 21 December 2011 - 11:58 PM
Edited by KillBox, 21 December 2011 - 11:58 PM.
#4
Posted 22 December 2011 - 01:48 AM
#5
Posted 22 December 2011 - 01:57 AM
godmonkey, on 22 December 2011 - 01:48 AM, said:
Methinks your "Shift" is broken.
On your reply - my fave is the Marauder - which is another subject altogether (Unseen, Reseen, JustSeenIt, Nearlyseen... whatever). The topic is more about what was said in terms of what Mr Iglesias said about revamping the old "Generics". Suppose the point of it being that we can hazard a far safer guess as to which direction the Mech selection (the initial one) will go.
#6
Posted 22 December 2011 - 02:56 AM
One thing I am predicting will be revamped about all of them, their necks. (Note all of the "generic" mechs mentioned so far have very detached heads, and are almost perfectly humanoid.)
#7
Posted 22 December 2011 - 03:24 AM
godmonkey, on 22 December 2011 - 01:48 AM, said:
How do you make dots then? Ctrl-C + Ctrl-V, right?
Edited by Adridos, 22 December 2011 - 03:26 AM.
#8
Posted 22 December 2011 - 04:54 AM
ZnSeventeen, on 22 December 2011 - 02:56 AM, said:
One thing I am predicting will be revamped about all of them, their necks. (Note all of the "generic" mechs mentioned so far have very detached heads, and are almost perfectly humanoid.)
You reckon they'll do the "recessed" neck (like the Atlas re-do) on those? It looks pretty sweet - a tad more "pragmatic" as well.
#9
Posted 22 December 2011 - 05:11 AM
I think all the Ost[insert ending here]s need to be drastically redone. I guess it makes sense that they ALL look similar and if one is horribly ugly the rest would be, being that they are all Osts, but come ON. Also, they look NOTHING like Zentradi battlepods (which look awesome), I never got that connection.
I'll agree with Haydon on 3055, I think that's one of my least favorite TROs.
Edited by Dihm, 22 December 2011 - 05:12 AM.
#10
Posted 22 December 2011 - 05:23 AM
KillBox, on 22 December 2011 - 04:54 AM, said:
I think so. There is no logical reason to have real necks, and it makes the head a really big target, not to mention easy to knock off. Also it would make it harder to armor the cockpit and still fit a mechwarrior. Artistically, the neck makes them more familiar as they look more humanoid, but I think making them look less humanoid adds to the fear factor. They will look more like war machines, and less like skinny metal men with guns. (This is not a knock to skinny men, as I am one. It is just that skinny men tend to be less threatening in physical confrontations.)
#11
Posted 22 December 2011 - 05:36 AM
ZnSeventeen, on 22 December 2011 - 05:23 AM, said:
I think so. There is no logical reason to have real necks, and it makes the head a really big target, not to mention easy to knock off. Also it would make it harder to armor the cockpit and still fit a mechwarrior. Artistically, the neck makes them more familiar as they look more humanoid, but I think making them look less humanoid adds to the fear factor. They will look more like war machines, and less like skinny metal men with guns. (This is not a knock to skinny men, as I am one. It is just that skinny men tend to be less threatening in physical confrontations.)
Until said skinny man uses Krav Maga or something, but of course, I see what you mean. Just trying to imagine something like a Commando with recessed head, wider shoulders (while still trying to pull off "25 tons" and look the part)
Dihm, on 22 December 2011 - 05:11 AM, said:
I think all the Ost[insert ending here]s need to be drastically redone. I guess it makes sense that they ALL look similar and if one is horribly ugly the rest would be, being that they are all Osts, but come ON. Also, they look NOTHING like Zentradi battlepods (which look awesome), I never got that connection.
I'll agree with Haydon on 3055, I think that's one of my least favorite TROs.
Agree on the Ost-things - but growing up with very little in the way of BT literature, I actually once thought the Commando, Enforcer and Atlas where a "family" of mechs - or rather, Light, Medium and Uber-Heavy of the same basic idea. Perhaps younger eyes betrayed me?
Or was it artistic freedom? I've seen iterations where a Commando literally looked like a 25-ton Atlas with a pot-helmet on.
Basically, unlike the other 3000000 other threads discussing BattleMechs (want this one, and that one), what I'm wondering is, what would we, the Mechwarriors, like to see in how they're re-done?
#12
Posted 22 December 2011 - 06:16 AM
Some of the pictures show, especially with the light mechs, the head twisting. That really seems like unnecessary complexity added to the mech, making it way more delicate.
#13
Posted 22 December 2011 - 10:48 AM
Adding the neck truly isnt a bad thing as if you have the window's its a natural extention of the visability concept that they went with when they made the game originally. The pilot's eyes were more reliable then camera's external sensors idea naturally extended to a need to do more then simply torso twist 45* for extra vision, so a slight neck twist would be added as well. It does add complexity to the issue of constructing/armoring/arming the model but it also carries that design philosophy to its natural conclusion. Extra vision angles for the natural eyes of the pilot.
I wouldnt miss the neck concepts much if they left, but if they did then the *Window's* should probably follow shortly thereafter, since the former is linked to the later's purpose for existing.
#14
Posted 22 December 2011 - 10:54 AM
Plus, I wouldn't want to have nothing but cameras/viewscreens and get hit by a PPC. You'd be blinded completely until things (hopefully) fixed themselves. There's also the psychology of it all. Even the Space Shuttle had viewports, they're massive weak points. But psychologically, humans want real "windows".
#15
Posted 22 December 2011 - 11:27 AM
But I love my 2 leger's and dont want them to be modified for anything else, they are alot more relateable and 4 leg designs are a PITA to fix if they get broke due to their rarity in canon. I like to think of them as mobile turrets, and use them as such to defend stuff. While my 2 legers do all of the other roles.
#16
Posted 22 December 2011 - 11:32 AM
I guess with arms... you need SOME way to help you stand back up if you fall, so they are a natural mechanism to aid in that since it is a good human analog. Plus, there's all the uses of having a manipulator. Smash and grab raids being a big one, as well as moving rubble/junk, picking up tree limbs to enable bash mode...
#17
Posted 22 December 2011 - 11:41 AM
Edited by Skwisgaar Skwigelf, 22 December 2011 - 11:41 AM.
#18
Posted 22 December 2011 - 11:42 AM
Do you fellows reckon any of this "fictional pragmatism" makes it into the eventual artwork?
#19
Posted 22 December 2011 - 11:45 AM
#20
Posted 22 December 2011 - 11:49 AM
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