52 replies to this topic

[Widowmaker1981]

w0qj, on 09 May 2023 - 07:12 AM, said:

Hats off to MWO/PGI this time, they really did some fancy footwork to get MWO folks ready for Stone Rhino beforehand...

~Legendary mechs with ballistic hardpoints galore

~Conspiracy Theory: MCII-MWK with 'accidental' 5xAC10 to see what players thought of it

~MAD-IIC-DN 85ton Clan assault with 4x ballistic hardpoints, and I myself was saying, "Gee, wouldn't it be nice if this MAD-IIC-DN had 6x ballistic hardpoints [with 2x in its left torso also]? Drumroll... enter this 100ton overgrown Marauder IIC of a Stone Rhino, with...you guessed it... 6x ballistic hardpoints on this SR-4 variant!

Worth noting that 5xAC10 is still not possible, as there are LAAs on the 4 preventing 2x AC10 in one arm.

It will be a beastly dakka mech, but the only 'new' build it opens is 4xLBX20 and thats probably too slow to be actually good. Maybe 6xUAC5, since thats a bit heavy for the Dire to run with enough cooling / ammo.

[w0qj]

Thanks for the heads-up about LAA, preventing 6xAC10 builds
(You've saved me a lot of grief fancying builds that's impossible with LAA)

How about this for SR-4:
4xAC10 + 2xLPL (ouch)
2xAC10 + 4xAC5
6xAC5 + Lasers (the DWF-UV can already do 6xAC5)
UAC20 + 2xUAC10 + 3xUAC5, perhaps?

[Grimjack Haxor]

Ok dumb question but I couldn't find a ready answer, is this an OmniMech?

[epikt]

Grimjack Haxor, on 09 May 2023 - 08:27 AM, said:

Ok dumb question but I couldn't find a ready answer, is this an OmniMech?

No.
(one way to tell is, on the mech spec chart, to look at the stock engine and engine cap: if they're different it's a battlemech)

[Grimjack Haxor]

Can MechDB construct accurate mechlabs for this before release? I'd love to play around with it but don't know enough to go from the published specs. Gotta admit I am looking at a missile build on the hero.

[w0qj]

Someone did this SR-4, which is just a placeholder mech where you can put anything into it for theory crafting
https://mwo.nav-alph...b698812a_CUSTOM

[epikt]

Grimjack Haxor, on 09 May 2023 - 09:39 AM, said:

Can MechDB construct accurate mechlabs for this before release?

As far as I know, the MechBD host wasn't very active on MWO recently. But I've read he's very enthusiast about the Rhino, so I guess he'll do it - just give him time.
In the meantime you can play using the "custom" loadout, like this theory-crafted SR4 I just did in 10 seconds.

edit: guess it took more than 10 sec, w0qj beat me to it...

Edited by epikt, 09 May 2023 - 02:24 PM.

[CherokeeRose187]

Bud Crue, on 07 May 2023 - 05:41 AM, said:

Besides the mechporn aspect a new mech like this brings, how would this " significantly change the MWO battlefield"? Serious question. This thing post-dates my BT game play days and just looking on Sarna, it doesn't look like it can do anything that a correspondingly configured Dire can't already do. Assuming they put the top ballistics in the RT and LT and given where the CP is located, you're still going to half to expose as much as you would in a Dire to bring your weapons into play. So I am just not understanding what the big deal is about this mech in terms of its potential impact on game play.

it's called "marketing"



I like the high mounts, but with such a low cockpit you'll have to expose most of your mech to take shot when hill poking, so it will suffer the same drawbacks as mechs like the Nightstar, where you'll be taking fire without being being able to see who is hitting you.

Still, if you can see it you can hit it, unlike mechs like the Atlas where you end up shooting dirt sometimes.


Looking at the hardpoints shows there is a variation to fit a bunch of meta builds, which is great.

[CherokeeRose187]

Phat Bois getting too much lovin' lately.

We need a 20 ton with jump jets, to balance the game!

I'm voting for Wasp or Stinger, both are iconic and have numerous variants to pick from.

[WarHippy]

Hmm first mech I will buy in a long time. I said I would if they ever added it and here we are.
Too bad Joseph Mallan left all those years ago as he wanted this one pretty bad.

Edited by WarHippy, 09 May 2023 - 07:55 PM.

[PocketYoda]

Widowmaker1981, on 09 May 2023 - 06:54 AM, said:

Well, sucks to be you then, i guess. Its not going to change because

1) its actually correct in this game and wrong in tabletop (unless you think that having an odd numbered walk speed should be an advantage over an even number speed for some reason, lol)

2) Its literally impossible for all speeds to be correct in this game. We use one formula to determine speed numbers, but to get TT/Sarna speed values you would need to use two formulas depending on whether it was a mech with an even or odd walk speed. And that still doesnt work, because we can change engine ratings outside of direct multiples of chassis weight.

Fun quiz for you: In your ideal world, a Kodiak moves at 64 kph with a 400 engine, right? Thats what Sarna says. What speed should it be with a 300 engine? If its not 75% of 64 kph (48 kph), explain why. And then explain why a 100 ton Kodiak with a 300 engine should move at a different speed to a 100 ton Dire Wolf with a 300 engine.

Sounds like bad game rules to me.. Time for an update maybe.

[w0qj]

Assuming that we are fighting on level ground with no hills:

So what's the differences between Stone Rhino (100ton Battlemech) vs Kodiak (also 100ton Battlemech)?
So what's the differences between Stone Rhino (100ton Battlemech) vs Dire Wolf (100ton OmniMech)?

Q1: Does Stone Rhino offer more critical slots to work with over Kodiak?
eg: KDK-3 vs SR-1, both with 4x ballistic hardpoints in LT/RT, and multiple energy hardpoint arms

Q2: Does Stone Rhino (with Clan XL-300 Engine) offer more firepower than Dire Wolf (Clan XL-300 Engine)?
eg: SR-4 with 6x ballistic hardpoints + 4x energy hardpoints (!), can it out-compete DWF-A(P) with 6x ballistic hardpoints?
~Both mechs with (Clan XL-300 Engine)

- - - - - - - - - -
~Understood that Stone Rhino has much higher LT/RT weapon mounts
~Understood that Stone Rhino variant quirks are unknown at this time

[Widowmaker1981]

w0qj, on 13 May 2023 - 01:44 AM, said:

Assuming that we are fighting on level ground with no hills:

So what's the differences between Stone Rhino (100ton Battlemech) vs Kodiak (also 100ton Battlemech)?
So what's the differences between Stone Rhino (100ton Battlemech) vs Dire Wolf (100ton OmniMech)?

Q1: Does Stone Rhino offer more critical slots to work with over Kodiak?
eg: KDK-3 vs SR-1, both with 4x ballistic hardpoints in LT/RT, and multiple energy hardpoint arms

Q2: Does Stone Rhino (with Clan XL-300 Engine) offer more firepower than Dire Wolf (Clan XL-300 Engine)?
eg: SR-4 with 6x ballistic hardpoints + 4x energy hardpoints (!), can it out-compete DWF-A(P) with 6x ballistic hardpoints?
~Both mechs with (Clan XL-300 Engine)

- - - - - - - - - -
~Understood that Stone Rhino has much higher LT/RT weapon mounts
~Understood that Stone Rhino variant quirks are unknown at this time

Q1: The SR-1, SR-4 and SR-7 have 2 more slots than the KDK due to having no hands. The SR-2, SR-3, SR-6 and SR-Koloss have another 2 slots due to having no lower arm actuators

Q2: Depends how you build it. The Dire Wolf does not have endo steel or ferro fibrous armour, so the Stone Rhino has access to 5 more tons of pod space by equipping endo steel, at a cost of 7 slots, and another ~2 tons from FF for another 7 slots. It does have access to builds like 6xUAC5 + 4 ERML which the Dire doesnt really have the tonnage for. It can also theoretically run 4xLBX20 which isnt possible on any other mech (the Dire cant due to locked equipment in STs meaning LBX20s wont fit.)

Tbh, slightly hitbox dependent, but the Rhino will kinda obsolete the Dire in my opinion. Really its only draw would be the fact that the C has ECM.

Edited by Widowmaker1981, 13 May 2023 - 02:58 AM.