368 replies to this topic

[DerangedShadow]

Alright, my second favorite heavy is now confirmed. Now all they need to do is to confirm the Thanatos and I shall be as happy as a kid in a candy store.

[Der Kommissar]

Dr.Killinger, on 29 March 2012 - 10:22 AM, said:

I'd like some insight from the TT players here:

In previous MW games, if you got close to a Catapult, it's game over for him. In the TT game, wouldn't those 4 medium lasers give a bit of a beat-down to would-be assailants?

Your instincts are right. Despite what you might think initially, the Catapult is an extremely nasty infighter in its era. 4/6/4 is pretty speedy for a heavy in 3025, meaning it can control the distance with most heavy and some medium chassis. Catapults savage you with their LRMs as they close at their leisure, then eat the pulpy remains with the medium lasers in TT play.

Ironically, the Catapult's base variant is an imperfect support platform, and the reason why is in its missile magazines: they're too shallow, with eight flights per launcher. Pull two medium lasers, double the ammunition, and it becomes a more traditional - if mobile - support mech. But if you do that, you remove the Catapult's role flexibility, which is a nasty hidden knife to have on hand, especially against inexperienced players.

Edited by Der Kommissar, 11 April 2012 - 09:15 AM.

[Dihm]

Der Kommissar, on 11 April 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

Your instincts are right. Despite what you might think initially, the Catapult is an extremely nasty infighter in its era. 4/6/4 is pretty speedy for a heavy in 3025, meaning it can control the distance with most heavy and some medium chassis. Catapults savage you with their LRMs as they close at their leisure, then eat the pulpy remains with the medium lasers in TT play.

Ironically, the Catapult's base variant is an imperfect support platform, and the reason why is in its missile magazines: they're too shallow, with eight flights per launcher. Pull two medium lasers, double the ammunition, and it becomes a more traditional - if mobile - support mech. But if you do that, you remove the Catapult's role flexibility, which is a nasty hidden knife to have on hand, especially against inexperienced players.

On top of that, it has a nasty habit, at least every time I've played with one, of sticking around way longer than you'd expect it too and fighting to the bitter end. The one benefit of the 1 ton of ammo per launch is that you tend to run dry of ammo, meaning you don't get those sudden ammo explosion deaths. With the ammo gone, the "arms" become nothing but damage sponges, soaking up the hits on the launchers which are now totally useless. On top of that, the lack of XL engine makes it a zombie that just keeps coming (or jumping) at you. 4 medium lasers with jump jets is nothing to scoff at.

Now in MW games... different story.

[Mikro]

I love the Madcat Mark 2 but the catapult my fall back Mech

[Soviet Alex]

Hoping to see the -C1 (LRM boat) & -K2 (PPC boat) at launch. If so, I can see this being a very popular mech. When does the 1st canon variant with an XL-engine appear?

[Dihm]

Soviet Alex, on 12 April 2012 - 02:46 AM, said:

When does the 1st canon variant with an XL-engine appear?

Half past never.

Not a single one of the canon variants mounts an XL engine.

[Soviet Alex]

Dihm, on 12 April 2012 - 05:01 AM, said:

Not a single one of the canon variants mounts an XL engine.

Apart from the Catapult-C4C, -K2K & -K5, all from the Clan Invasion era, all with XL engines. Not to mention the Civil War & Jihad era designs with XL engines. (Record Sheets 3050 Unabridged pdf, Catalyst Games).

Just checked the Master Unit List on the Battletech website. Catapult-C4C comes first in 3055. The other 2 are a couple of years later.

Edited by Soviet Alex, 19 April 2012 - 03:38 AM.

[MechRaccoon]

I was never a big fan of the Catapult, but dear lord, that thing looks AWESOME! (No pun intended)

[Chiyeko Kuramochi]

If I could only replace those two missile racks with some ballistic weapon instead and it would be my sweet dream. (no arms though, just fixed like the rest point the noose of your mech and shoot )

[metalwolf2900]

k2 varient confirmed!!! sweet jackrabbits lobbin carrots lol

[Reported for Inappropriate Name]

they're right, missiles can be countered, evaded.

which is why i'll be putting some huge honkin guns on mine.

[wanderer]

Shadis, on 28 March 2012 - 11:04 AM, said:

Never a big fan of the catapult. Looks like a Mad Cat without arms.

The Catapult came along in-canon centuries before the uber-tech MadCat/Timber Wolf. It's a bit like complaining the lines on a WWI biplane aren't quite as graceful as an F-14's.

Seriously, people. Mechwarrior's earlier editions didn't really show it, but timeframe matters in MWO. We're talking designs that span 500 or so years of development going onto the battlefield- from the old Star League-era stuff like the Catapult through the newest iterations of the Cicada just in production at 3049.

Wishlist for Clan stuff all you like, but it won't exist for a while. Clan tech isn't even reasonably available to super-elite Inner Sphere pilots for RL years to come, and won't be produced by Inner Sphere powers in appreciable amounts for another 40+ years of game time, if that. Most Clantech will be salvaged, repaired by further salvage, or in rare cases second-rate Clan designs sold to the Inner Sphere by Clan Diamond Shark. A Mad Cat/Timber Wolf is an astonishingly rare, nearly impossible to maintain piece of technology for any non-Clan unit. (And let's not even get into the Daishi.)

Edited by wanderer, 27 May 2012 - 01:26 PM.

[Revage]

The one open missile flap makes me think the pilot is waving to someone.. ahh mechwarrior personalities.

[mr mulcher]

This is something i plan to be using on the battlefield, and I'm glad to have some early information on it.

[light487]

Quote

Weighing in at 65 tons, this heavy ’Mech boasts a pair of Holly LRM-15’s, four Martell Medium Lasers, 10 tons of Duralex Heavy armour, Anderson Propulsion 21 Jumpjets for a maximum jump distance of 120 meters, and a Magna 260 engine allowing a speed of 64.8 km/h.

Hoorah!

Just reading that makes me want to jump into my Catapult right now and blast some mechs!

I completely forgot this thing came with JJ's! That makes it so much more awesome.. and the 65km/h run speed.. nooice!!!! I can simply not wait to get into the cockpits of these mechs and step on a few cars!

[Hellgardia]

Chiyeko Kuramochi, on 02 May 2012 - 09:36 AM, said:

If I could only replace those two missile racks with some ballistic weapon instead and it would be my sweet dream. (no arms though, just fixed like the rest point the noose of your mech and shoot )

Why did i just imagine a Catapult with double Heavy Gauss Rifle cannons? 0_0

[Reported for Inappropriate Name]

wanderer, on 27 May 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

The Catapult came along in-canon centuries before the uber-tech MadCat/Timber Wolf. It's a bit like complaining the lines on a WWI biplane aren't quite as graceful as an F-14's.

Seriously, people. Mechwarrior's earlier editions didn't really show it, but timeframe matters in MWO. We're talking designs that span 500 or so years of development going onto the battlefield- from the old Star League-era stuff like the Catapult through the newest iterations of the Cicada just in production at 3049.

Wishlist for Clan stuff all you like, but it won't exist for a while. Clan tech isn't even reasonably available to super-elite Inner Sphere pilots for RL years to come, and won't be produced by Inner Sphere powers in appreciable amounts for another 40+ years of game time, if that. Most Clantech will be salvaged, repaired by further salvage, or in rare cases second-rate Clan designs sold to the Inner Sphere by Clan Diamond Shark. A Mad Cat/Timber Wolf is an astonishingly rare, nearly impossible to maintain piece of technology for any non-Clan unit. (And let's not even get into the Daishi.)

new or old my stalker will go deep on a dumpster wolf anyday

[light487]

If you lose 1 tonne of ammo per launch.. will that mean you will go faster because the total weight has dropped? or is there a speed limiter on the mechs?

[Redburn]

light487, on 01 July 2012 - 09:57 PM, said:

If you lose 1 tonne of ammo per launch.. will that mean you will go faster because the total weight has dropped? or is there a speed limiter on the mechs?

When you burn off the gas in your car, is it faster?

[Sky walker]

When you burn off 1 ton of fuel in 5 seconds last time, remind me?