314 replies to this topic

[FRIGLE]

The MAD-4F

A Marder II with a ballistic hardpoint in each side torso,
Simply put, it's an alternative to the Fafnir for with a few more laser hardpoints scattered around (as many as possible, though)

As to why I believe you should add this mech to the game, my reasons are twofold. 1) The Fafnir is the only mech that can carry two heavy ballistic weapons, and I think the Fafnir looks a bit silly. 2) this mech would add a bit of variety when it comes to duel heavy ballistic builds.

[BogartTheStingy]

Summoner-G
More Hardpoints
6 SRM 4
PPC
C-ER-Large Laser

Run up jumping and shooting and then Brawl them to death.
Improve the Summoner at the same time.
No big round thing, protruding and getting shot.

Edited by BogartTheStingy, 16 January 2021 - 10:07 AM.

[Gas Guzzler]

Supernova - SNV-4

LA: 4E
CT: 1E
RA: 4E
H: 1E

Obviously this variant increases hardpoint count as its primary sell factor (so I expect less durability quirks and no Laser duration quirk to balance it vs SNV-1). Gives a little extra life into the chassis, more hardpoints than the high engine capped MAD-IIC.

Night Gyr - NTG-E

LA: 3E
LT: 1M
CT: 2E
RA: 3E
H: 1M

Gives the mech additional energy hardpoint to add a little bit of variety to the chassis, maybe we will see something other than dakka and dual goose.

FupDup, on 16 January 2021 - 09:52 AM, said:

Adder ADR-E: 1 missile per arm, 2 energy per side torso. Gives more firepower to a sub-par mech that hasn't gotten any attention in a while.

Cougar COU-F: 4 ballistics per arm, 3 JJs in left torso, 2 JJs and 1 missile in right torso, 1 energy in the head. Gives more hardpoints to one of the weakest mechs in the game and possibly allows it to pose some level of threat.

Hellbringer HBR-H: 1 energy per arm, 4 energy and 1 missile in the left torso, and 1 ballistic in the right torso. Yeah, this is definitely a power creep variant but it's worth a mention.

Warhawk WHK-D: 1 missile in left arm, 1 energy in center torso, 2 energy in right torso, 1 ballistic in right arm. Gives more options to a mech that is fairly specialized as it is.

Warhawk WHK-F: 1 energy and 1 missile in the left arm, 1 missile in the center torso, 1 ballistic in the right torso, and 1 energy in the right arm. Another way to add more options for the WHK.

Dire Wolf DWF-C: 1 energy and 1 missile in each arm, 1 JJ and 3 energy in the left torso, 1 JJ and ECM in the center torso, 1 missile in the head, 1 JJ and 1 energy in the right torso. Gives ECM to the Dire Whale. Another power creep variant.

Viper VPR-F: 4 ballistics per arm, 1 energy in each torso section. Makes the Viper into an anklebiter from hell.


Those are all of the Omni variants that I know of so far. I might get to listing regular Battlemech variants later if I feel like it.

Definitely want to second these

[Smutty]

Why not make one new variant for every single chassis in the game? Of course, I'm not sure how complicated that could be, but in my head it would take a couple of employees only an afternoon to come up with 106 new designs, either by dredging Sarna/MML for ideas or coming up with PGI variants (which have become pretty unique and interesting in the past). It shouldn't take too long to then develop engine caps, agility profiles, and quirks thereafter. I assume much of the work would fall on modelling new geometry on Mechs which don't have certain hardpoints in certain locations (like, say, if you wanted to make a PHX C with the IS Phoenix Hawk).

Plus, and perhaps most importantly, many Mechs in the game are pretty stale. And more still got left behind as the power creep slowly ground forward. A new variant- something unique- for those forgotten units might do some real good to reinvigorating interest in the chassis as a whole, and at the very least would lead to short term (and maybe long term) diversity in games

[M5000]

Hey all, been playing since just after beta, just never post on the forums, but I figured this is important enough to make me come out of my hole. Love this game and definitely want to take part in this discussion.

I honestly want only a single variant to be added to the game, and it is something I have wanted since I bought my first CPLT-K2 for my first mech when I started the game:

An arm-ballistics Catapult, possibly with ECM. The Catapult CPLT-B2.

Imagine this:
Give it a single ballistic slot in each arm, give it an energy in each side torso, and two energy in the CT. ECM would go in one of the side torsos. No Jump Jets. No AMS hardpoint. Basically a slightly inverted K2 with an ECM hardpoint. Give it the same engine cap as the K2 as well.

For quirks, give it the same durability quirks as all the Catapults and perhaps give it a slight help on heat and range. This might even need to be cinched down to ballistics heat and range only. ECM makes it already very powerful. Or, perhaps the only weapon quirk it gets is something very specific like UAC/10 heat gen or cooldown.

By now, I expect that I have angered at least a small portion of the community to even think of suggesting such a slap in the face to the traditional ethos of the Catapult, but, I assure you that I have put more thought into this build than I perhaps have put into anything else in the last few months.

Some questions may be arising as well, here is what I believe might be floating around in the minds of whoever is reading this, and some that I have already been asked when discussing this idea in the past with other players:

Isn't this just a Jagermech with extra steps?
Perhaps it is. However, the Catapult in my opinion is a much prettier mech with a similar role albeit typically with different weaponry types. It also adds what I believe is the final missing puzzle piece to an extremely strong and versatile platform to begin with. Besides, the Jagermech will do most of these builds better. Something does not always have to have purpose to be considered fun or good. After all, the community will absolutely find any good build there is to find on a mech.

Feature creep! Hardpoint creep! OP!
I really don't think it's overpowered. The Catapult is a fairly fragile mech. Perhaps a 3/5 on the tankiness scale. Ballistic weapons require face time. This will suffer the same drawbacks as the K2 and Jester, and frankly, any Cat that decides to NOT run LRMs. Perhaps you believe the ECM will counter a lot of this, and you might be right, but keep in mind that this variant would not be allowed to carry the same ballistics loads as the existing two ballistic Cats. The C2 and K2, if they are running ballistics, are usually running large, heavy ballistics that take up the whole torso. Think single HGR, dual LB20, dual AC20, etc. Otherwise, they're running the smallest of the small ballistics like MGs or 2-class ballistics. Those builds are self-nerfing by simply having the ballistics lower in the torso mountpoints. If you were to give the Cat arm ballistics, that immediately eliminates HGR and LB20. You could possibly squeeze dual UAC20 or dual AC20 but the tonnage remaining after doing so forces a small engine and sub-optimal ammo. You see, on the K2 and C2, to run big ballistics builds, the arms usually are stripped to get tonnage. On the B2, you would be forced to run arm armor to keep your guns. The absolute heaviest thing I could see being practical on such a mech is dual gauss, but even then only barely, and you'd likely have to sacrifice the ECM to make it viable ammo-wise, unless you wanted to be very slow, which, at that point, go run a Thanatos 5S. If you wanted to go even further. And besides, the Achilles' heel of ANY Catapult (and any experienced player will know this) is the big, easy to hit arms. It also would lack any JJ capability removing the ability of this to supersede anything as a poptart mech.

This is not even close to something that should exist in-universe!
This is again where I disagree. The Catapult is historically somewhat of a ragtag mech that is made to work in a role because, well, that's what's available. Who's to say a band of mercs didn't toss some ACs onto a broken K2 arm and call it macaroni? One of the primary rules of building a Catapult is that there are no rules! You are only limited by what you can stick on the thing! The Catapult has no shame. It has no predisposition. It is whatever you make it, and I think this variant would perfectly cap off the already well-rounded stable with the pinnacle of this whole philosophy.

We already got a new Catapult when MW5 came out!
Yes, and I want another, and if you pitched this idea to the average player, they probably would too. The Catapult is a beloved mech by many, it's iconic in lore, and would be the perfect platform to expand on and have it fill nearly any role somewhat competently. We all love the Catapult, especially when it's not running LRM builds. As a pilot, it's simple and easy to drive with easy to understand hardpoints and hitboxes, as an enemy it's fearful for the weapons load it can bring, but still possible to kill as we know where the weapons are stored. It's been around, it's a mech we all understand, and I think it's deserving of being one of the most versatile IS platforms in the game. This build would simply magnify that to what I believe would be the pinnacle of the Catapult.

In short, I envision this as an optimized version of the dual 10-class ballistic build that many players are running on the K2 these days. Give them ECM for the tradeoff of making their main, good-hardpointed weapons easy-ish to knock off. This build would take the Catapult platform to its logical conclusion and give us a truly versatile chassis for any role imaginable. There would be a Catapult for anyone, and a Catapult for everyone.

[FupDup]

With a few different people proposing custom variants so far, can one of the devs come chime in and clarify if that's allowed or if we have to stick to canon variants only?

And how about custom variants that have the same layout as a canon variant but just make equipment substitutions for MWO's limited timeline, i.e. swapping iATMs for regular ATMs?

[Z Cassel]

PXH-4L

Quote

The 4L Phoenix Hawk was a variant built for the Capellan Confederation by Ceres Metals starting in 3066. The design used a standard Warner 270M engine for power and was built around a Ceresplex IV Endo Steel skeleton. The 'Mech carried a Martel ER Large Laser in its right forearm as its primary weapon, joined by two Ceres Arms ER medium lasers in the left and right arm for secondary weapons. It also mounted two Sperry Browing 30mm Mini-Gun machine guns in either arm, with one ton of reloads carried in the center torso. The six Anderson Propulsion 30 jump jets split between the rear side torsos were also upgraded from the original, being specially designed to protect the exhaust ports and improve cooling during operation. One of the more radical changes was the use of eight tons of Stealth Armor, making the Phoenix Hawk harder to target at range. The armor was specially angled around the torso to better deflect incoming shots and designed to improve protection around the shoulders and lower arm actuator. The other radical difference was the use of a Full-Head Ejection System. The 'Mech's electronics, a Ceres Metals Model 686 comm system and Apple Churchill 2000 T&T system, were built into the head's protective cowling, while a Guardian ECM Suite was added to the right torso.^[7][33] BV (1.0) = 1,117, BV (2.0) = 1,399^[34]

This differs from the 2 by retaining the ballistics hardpoints from the PXH-1 while also avoiding the torso hardpoints of the 1b and could be incentivized with the following quirks:

Stealth Armor Cooldown -15% (Already present on the MAD-4L)
Initial Thrust of Jump Jets +15% (Already present on the Vapor Eagle)
Jump Jet Burn Time +15% (Already present on the Vapor Eagle)
Similar Armor quirks to the other PXH Variants


For a non-canon variant I would love to see a PXH quirked and slotted around a Rac-2 in the arms and maybe an LRM 5 and single energy slot in the CT. (if you can't tell, I want to make it close to it original inspiration because I'm a hopeless Macross fangirl.)

[Gas Guzzler]

FupDup, on 16 January 2021 - 10:47 AM, said:

With a few different people proposing custom variants so far, can one of the devs come chime in and clarify if that's allowed or if we have to stick to canon variants only?

And how about custom variants that have the same layout as a canon variant but just make equipment substitutions for MWO's limited timeline, i.e. swapping iATMs for regular ATMs?

Agreed.
I know I proposed a custom MAD-II variant because I want to run my MAD-IIC-A loadout but with IS weapons on the MADII. So its not THAT custom. Just one measly ballistic hardpoint added to the left torso....

[darqsyde]

Only a 4 year old post I made...

https://mwomercs.com...original-eight/

...also the search function for the forums is garbage...

[Nesutizale]

Those mechs are mostly for fun and not to be competetive or very efficient. Oh well here we go....


AWS-11M Awesome
Designed around 8 light PPCs this mech was made to annoy enemys with a constant stream of PPC fire rather then alphastriking. Since the light PPCs don't pack that much of a punch on their own the original design had 4 PPC-Capacitators to up the damage. Sadly we don't have those ingame (yet, pretty please?)
Also the design uses Clan heatsinks that we can't have in an IS mech.

So how to get around this and make this thing the annoyance its supposed to be while keep focusing around the light PPC?
1) Give it a PPC cooldown quirk to fire the light PPC a lot. This should be used to compensate for the missing capacitators by upping the DPS over the single strike. I think that is more in line with the theme of this variant.
2) Heat is a concern so a PPC heat reduction is neccessary. What I would NOT add is the HSL reduction. The theme of the mech is constant fire not heavy pin point damage.

I played around with a Awesome in the mechlab using 6 light PPCs and yes its not very effective but damn its fun to watch PPCs fired in a stream, also I only used 6 of them but its a bit like a rotary PPC with a 6 salvo burst

Something else I like about the design is the hardpoint placement.
https://cfw.sarna.ne...=20110307211742
Yes its all below the cockpit but it looks so nice


BNC-11X Banshee
This Mechs theme is to soak up damage rather then dealing it. To do so it was equiped with modular armor and special armored components like the cockpit and joints.
I think to represent that its pretty easy to give this some high level armor and internal structure quirks that are bought with some reactor limitations to represent the mech beeing slowed down by its over the standart increased armor.
As for weapons, it comes with a Silverbullet Gauss that I would simply replace with a normal Gauss and two Bombast lasers.
Well those are a bit more complicated. I think I would either replace them with 2 ER-Large or 2 Large Pulse with a range quirk.

I think this mech could be interesting as to be the tank of tanks for MWO. While not providing the firepower it would be the one that soaks up the damage for other team member and where light and mediums can hide behind. That would give it quite a bit of a unique niche in MWO.


CN9-H Centurion
5 Missile hardpoints in the torso. Normaly filled with Rocketlaunchers in addition to the LBX10 and a medium Laser.
Maybe the most uninteresting thing on my list I could think of this one to become interesting with lots of smaller SRMs


COM-7S2 COMMANDO FREYR
Similar to the Centurion I only find the hardpoint placement interesting with 2 missiles on one arm and 2 energy in the other arm. Would make aiming quite easy but also make the mech a bit fragile. Still could be a nice addition as a "Hero" mech.


DV-8D2 Dervish "Lightbringer"
You can build this one with the DV-6MR that is allready ingame but what I like is that "Crown" it has. Make it a hero with costum geometry or a boldon for the Dervish.


HTM-30S Hatamoto-Suna
This onecould be build using the Hatamoto Hero but I would change some of the quirks around since this version focuses on the MRMs rather then its balistic hardpoint like the current Hero does.
It also features some ballistic reinforced armor that we don't have.
So to quirk this mech up a bit for compensation of the missing armor type and the missing Apollo FCS for the MRMs I did say give this guy some heavy armor quirks and a reduced MRM missile spread.

Also make the design avaible as a "skin" you can choose for your Hatamoto, I mean look at it, dosn't that look cool?
https://cfw.sarna.ne...=20130725142218


HTM-35K Hatamoto-Kaeru
Two points...the camo pattern. Gimme !
Secondly, SRMs in the legs. Please give us the rocket boosted kick so we can have something on eye level for those nasty lights that hug our legs

JR10-X Jenner
Make Jenner greate again...oh wait...smaller I mean...no not possible...okay hide it. How about that?
This Jenner comes with an ECM and Null Sig System. We can easly reproduce that with the stealth armor can't we?
I think that would be interesting for all the Jenner players. Add to this 6 ML and be done.


Koshi (Standart)
This is based on the non-omni Koshi. It comes with 6 heavy small lasers, a MASC and a Targeting Computer.
I think this could be made part of the Omni Koshi (Myst Lynx) and could be interesting as I don't think we have a Koshi with MASC.


ON3-M Orion & ON3-MX
Would like to see those two included with one focusing its quirks to simulate the E-LRM while the other focuses on its improved heavy gauss but damn those two are so similar to the original Orions that I don't think they would make much of a differance without introducing the new tech. Still suggest them as I like the Orion
PS: Both also come with improved CASE II.


PHX-11K Phoenix Hawk L
Sadly we don't have the TSEMP for this variant but there is a variant of this version that instead has a Snub-PPC so that could work. What makes this version also interesting is the missile arm and MG hardpoints.
I think the asymetric look is quite interesting. That is the main reason why I would like to see this particular variant.


QKD-8X Quickdraw
Its not an omni mech but introduces something that I think could be translated with haveing multiple versions. Each mech has a basic loadout (1xPPC, TAG, ECM, 2ML) and in addition to that a "Handheld Gun" with different versions, called according to the loadout.
For example there is the "Heavy LBX" handheld with an LBX 10 and ammo or the "Heavy streak" with 3x SSRM4.

So you could have a "QKD-8X - HLBX" variant and a "QKD-8X - HS"


VTR-9K2 Victor "St.James"
The main focus on this mech is its LongTom Cannon, a snub nose version of the Artillery piece. While we don't have that a heavy gauss will do, maybe with a bit of a range boost?
Stil the main attraction I think is the speed with up to 90 kph. In MWO that would mean to stick a MASC into the Victor, something that we don't have yet.


WHM-X7 Warhammer "The Lich"
This mech can be build with what we have but I would like to see this particular mech as its a Frankenmech made out of a Marauder arms, Warhammer Torso, a Mad Cat D SRM pod and Nova Cat legs.

Sadly we are missing, again, some tech to make that mech work as intendet. For example the PPC capacitators, CASE II and most importend the extra armor for components. The engine and cockpit have an extra layer and an heavy gyro.


------ Final thoughts about new variants -----
Frankly I think that we can build 90% of variants with the existing chassies. Without adding some of the new tech that was introduced later in the timeline most of the variants can be made only interesting by heavy quirking.

Which would lead one to overthink the quirking system overall and how did Matt put it "its not as simple as editing a few numbers".
Anyway I think that the "Community Variants" is a nice start in what hopefully will become a more interesting MWO experiance.


Mhh...now I want to try out some of those suggestions. Lets see how they work even without the quirks and tech

Edited by Nesutizale, 16 January 2021 - 12:01 PM.

[Wildstreak]

What new 'Mech variants i would like to see? OK then....

....none. Honestly other than a true Hunchback-4N, none really.

INSTEAD I would like to see existing ones tweaked to encourage use. Right now I am trying to skill up a Enforcer-4P that is so generic only builds seeming worth effort are copy the 5D LBX build without the LBX quirk or even more sadly make it a AC20 Hunchback with different geometry. Really?

With so many variants having problems, why add more clutter when you can put effort into giving the existing ones reason to use?

Add onto this with new tech there are not enough new quirks to encourage their use.
Only 1 Mech, the Rifleman-8D has a RAC quirk and 1 Hellspawn-9F has a MRM quirk.
Seems RAC2 is preferred over RAC5 so maybe a few IS Ballistic Mechs get RAC5 quirks.
No Streak, IS HPPC, LPPC, Snub, HGauss or LGauss quirks anywhere.
Generic UAC quirks but nothing for specific UACs.
Pitiful amount of LBX Spread and ATM quirks.

Some examples of existing Mechs where I own more than 1 variant usually not counting Heroes:
Panthers - 2 with generic PPC quirks, nothing that really says use the Missile slots.
Wolfhounds - Ugh, only 1 quirk changes on them, 1 has Dual AMS but other than that and 1 extra laser not much different between the 5 and 6 Energy versions. One of mine gives CB because I bought the pack, still could not the WLF-1 be allowed to use MASC even though stock did not have it? Speaking of while MASC is not stock on many variants, could it not be allowed for consideration on certain suffering variants?
Griffins - 1N and 1S seem too similar, 3M may have 4 Missile but all in same location limiting options compared to the 2N that also has ECM.
Hunchbacks - there are reasons to use the 4P, 4J and 4SP in different ways. Now the other 3 have issues.
4G - 3 Ballistics when all that could fit is 3 MGs. Really, still no fix after all this time?
4H - Minor tweak or two to quirks to give it a reason other than, "Just build a 4G AC20 build on it."
GI - I still do not get why this was never the 4N, all it needs is lose a Missile and gain a Ballistic.
Grasshoppers - 5J with ERLL Cooldown? Does not really compensate for what holds it back.
Thunderbolts - The ones with Ballistic have nothing that says, "Here's a reason to use a Ballistic weapon."

I am sure some can list others, that is just 6 chassis with 3+ variants out of the 133 Mechs I have.

Perhaps some weapon tweaks as well such as there was a recent SnubPPC topic. Why this weapon has less than half range for full damage still makes no sense.

Why put more variants in when some existing stuff needs fixing including providing a reason to use what some call Trash Tier Variants. Not saying they have to be Meta level, just a darn REASON to use them differently than other variants.

Edited by Wildstreak, 16 January 2021 - 12:01 PM.

[Nesutizale]

When you start the topic of quirks I would like to add that quirks should indeed more focus on giveing mechs specific roles maybe? Like the Awesome I mentioned above with focus on chain firing light PPCs instead of alpha strikeing people.
A specific light PPC quirk would come handy there.

Only thing I would keep kinda generic are quirks that are introduced to counter bad geometry that make some mechs just to easy to kill.

[Nomad One]

Dire Wolf -C variant. It would provide missile hardpoints in the arms where the chassis hasn't had them before, allowing the dire wolf to achieve greater build variety. It also carries ECM, which would also add some much desired utility for the chassis.

Mad Dog -D variant. Its biggest draw is the 2 energy hardpoints in the center torso, allowing players to achieve the look of the Vulture mk3 look the MDD-Revenant hero variant also boasts.

Hellbringer -J variant. It has jump jets, which would add a bit of extra versatility to some builds.

Summoner -G variant. It's primary draw would be the 3x missile hardpoints in each side torso, which would allow a summoner to get a lot more versatility as a brawler or a missile platform in general. As an added bonus, the 1x energy hardpoint in the center torso would give certain builds just that extra bit utility in numerous laser, ppc or missile based builds.

Adder -E variant. Its main draw is the 2x energy hardpoints in each side torso. This would add a lot of extra punch for the chassis.

Mist Lynx -P variant. 4x energy hardpoints in each arm would provide a lot of extra firepower for the chassis.

Ice Ferret -J variant. 5x energy hardpoints in each arm coupled with 1x ballistic. The ice ferret has long struggled to be brought out of the garage due to its lack of firepower because of its limited tonnage and hardpoints, so the ability to take a large number of small caliber lasers would vastly increase its viability as a short range harasser and skirmisher, and would greatly enhance its viability as a chassis for players.

Huntsman -H variant. Its biggest draw is the ECM it carries, which would be a little bit of extra versatility for the chassis.

Warhawk -H variant. It would add a little bit of extra variety to builds by providing a 2x energy 1x missile right arm. This is a mirror of the prime and a variants left arm.


Adding these variants would provide a lot more build options to omnimechs, which could pique the interest of players a lot more, particularly when it comes to a few maligned omnimechs that struggle under the lack of options.

Edited by Nomad One, 18 January 2021 - 06:50 AM.

[MookieDog]

Daeron and Mike,

Saw the webcast and decided to throw in my two cents.

This could be pitched as a "House Kurita upgrade pack" it has one mech from each weight class that are themed for the Draconis Combine. All of the mechs, are House Kurita flagship mechs. Yes even the Kintaro, thanks to Comstar. Most of these mechs to the untrained player would require "minimal work". Again.. making "minor XML" changes may seem easy but coding games is not in my wheelhouse in the cyber arena.

This pack would bring four mechs pretty much up to date with the current tech in the game without introducing any new tech or chassis. The bolt on's that were mentioned in the webcast could also be included: House Banners and maybe even Katana's instead of warhorns. Titles maybe? This pack could also be sold in "Tiers" like the Resistance model PGI has in place already.

New Titles: (The): Warlord-Kenshi-Yakuza

Grand Dragon
The Grand Dragon has been mention many times before, I am going to pile in on that. Its an easy win. Basically add MASC. The Mech would look like this below. By this time in the game most of the "regular dragons" have been either phased out, upgraded, or been sent to garrison duty. This mech would be a modification of the Dragon "Flame" chassis.

H -
CT 1 M
RT 1 E
LT 1 E
RA 1 E
LA 3 E
RL -
LL -


Also mentioned was the Hatamoto-Chi (Hi) 27-U
The mech switches out the missile hard points for multiple laser hard points in each torso. The mech would look like this below. The lasers would be stacked horizontally not vertically like the Charger. This variant is the exact same chassis as the 27T

H -
CT -
RT 2E
LT 2E
RA 1 E
LA 3 E
RL -
LL -

KTO-K or C
Also mentioned before. Please for the love of God.. please give us jumpjets for this mech. This mech would use the regular Kintaro-20 Chassis. No modifying needed.

PNT-9ALAG
This version of the Panther increases the "speed cap" of all of the regular Panthers (except for the 10P). While I would like to keep the ability to use jump jets on this variant, they would not be standard. Also the energy hard point for the "traditional PPC" would be kept. Giving the Panther the option to take even a 275 light engine would help, and for some who really want the "need for speed" could even go for a 300XL. Maybe even a MASC.. the technology was available c. 3039. This chassis would use the 10P as a base.

H -
CT -1M
RT 1E
LT 1E
RA 2 E
LA -
RL -
LL -

Edited by MookieDog, 16 January 2021 - 12:25 PM.

[DOMONIC VOELLER]

get new mech, some never seen in game instead, like the CYGNUS, or common work mech

[KlLLJOY]

There are less light mechs than any other weight class, less Clan light mechs than Inner Sphere, and only one 25 ton clan mech.

Therefore, I would like to see the Locust IIC.

It would be the only 25 ton Clan light non-omni mech, and it has several different variants, any of which would make an excellent addition to the game.

[Vlad Ward]

Lots of folks here with suggestions for new IS variants.

How about Clan Omnis? Omnis tend to sit in a corner during these sorts of discussions because we already have a fair amount of flexibility to build them, but certain chassis are pretty significantly hampered by their BattleTech Lore.

The Gargoyle's locked CXL400 engine is a big, honkin' problem. This is an 80-ton Assault Mech which wastes valuable pod space on a 33.5ton engine and has practically no Torso weapons outside of the GAR-E.

How about a GAR-F with a CXL325 or CXL350 and some Right Torso Missile hardpoints? That frees up 11.5-14.5 tons of pod space and fills a gap in the existing Pod loadouts.

The Summoner suffers from similar issues. It's a fast 'Mech with a small number of hardpoints ostensibly designed for carrying "big guns" in a weight class which is better suited to carrying large numbers of smaller guns.

How about a proper laser-oriented Summoner with 4 Energy hardpoints split between its Torsos?

[3RoyalStar1]

Crusader and all it’s variants

[FupDup]

Vlad Ward, on 16 January 2021 - 12:33 PM, said:

How about a GAR-F with a CXL325 or CXL350 and some Right Torso Missile hardpoints? That frees up 11.5-14.5 tons of pod space and fills a gap in the existing Pod loadouts.

Omnimechs aren't allowed to change engines or stuff like that between variants. That limitation is a part of what makes them feel different from Battlemechs rather than just being purely better (sometimes the pendulum swings in the exact opposite direction but that is another discussion).

I'd rather just give the Gargles even more hardpoints (like allowing MG boating?) and/or better quirks than giving it the same strengths as both Battlemechs and Omnimechs. If we want a Clan 80-tonner with a smaller engine then we should just buff the Warhammer IIC's agility so it's actually useable.

That being said, even now the Gargles is serviceable even if a bit weird. Boating lots of small lasers does work as a brawler and I can even make a laser vomit build (2 HLL + 4 ERML) work using the 8/8 GAR-D pods.

Vlad Ward, on 16 January 2021 - 12:33 PM, said:

How about a proper laser-oriented Summoner with 4 Energy hardpoints split between its Torsos?

A variant like that would be fun for roleplaying as Nicolai Malthus from the Battletech Cartoon.



It would make the existing SMN variants obsolete but in this case the dank memes are worth it (and it had better come with a "YOU DARE TO REFUSE MY BATCHAL?!" warhorn and enhanced imaging quirks).

Edited by FupDup, 16 January 2021 - 01:34 PM.

[FeuerAegis]

I just want the Cu Chulainn Highlander IIC to exist in an available format.