61 replies to this topic

[Dlardrageth]

That little story Paul told us is very nice, but much of it might have been attributed more to the pilot factor. I mean, one of the main differences of BattleTech has always been that the MechWarriors looked more like "MadMax" meets "Space Truckers"



...instead of some "slightly" *cough* metrosexual anime character that didn't get accepted as lead singer for the Tokio Hotel band...



...and thus decided to become a pilot for a fancy giant robot...



If BattleTech Mech pilots looked more like in the last picture, I, for one, would expect less lumbering and more... girly dance moves.

[MaddMaxx]

If I had to choose what a Mechwarrior looked/sounded like I would pick between these. The others above seem a bit....meh

Mechwarrior

or

MechWarrior

or

Mechwarrior

Edited by MaddMaxx, 28 January 2012 - 03:57 PM.

[CeeKay Boques]

Great news. That AAR is wonderful. I'm on board and buckled!

[Planerunner]

Quote

You ask for it... you get it..


First Gameplay Screenshot:

Where's my TROLLOLLOLL links when I need them?

[Nik Van Rhijn]

Going back to the original point somewhat. Smaller faster mechs should be fairly "nimble" whereas larger, heavier mechs should be more "lumbering". In all cases they should look and sound "mechanical". No fluid organic movements. I want them to look and act like machines not people.

[Morashtak]

Loved the description of the fight. Am getting more and more psyched up for this.

And the image... why, why do you continue to tease us? Are not the gods of the intertubes satiated yet?

[7R1P0D]

Nik Van Rhijn, on 29 January 2012 - 04:55 AM, said:

Going back to the original point somewhat. Smaller faster mechs should be fairly "nimble" whereas larger, heavier mechs should be more "lumbering". In all cases they should look and sound "mechanical". No fluid organic movements. I want them to look and act like machines not people.

Well you gotta remember, mechs use myomer (artificial muscle) not gears and pistons. I'd expect the inside of a mech to look more like a metal skeleton covered with myomer muscles encased in metal armor than some of the more inaccurate illustrations of the inside of an atlas

but yeah, really like the sound of that story

Edited by tripod, 29 January 2012 - 08:47 AM.

[TheUncle]

Paul Inouye, on 27 January 2012 - 05:14 PM, said:

Let me put it to you this way. In today's playtest I was in a Heavy. As the scouts went ripping past me I was making my way to the front lines. Then it happened. One of our scouts explodes from a full salvo being unloaded from an Assault. I need to get up there! I can see the laser fire.. I can see whispy smoke trails in the far distance. Another Heavy from our team goes down and there's all kinds of yelling in anguish coming from across the room. I NEED TO GET UP THERE!!!

I finally crest a hill and see 2 of our scouts, engaged with an Assault... the one scout is almost dead I'm told. I primary the Assault that is attacking as the scout is backing away shooting only 2 of it's 4 lasers. I unload salvo upon salvo on the Assault and it's still moving forward. The Assault takes some heavy damage as I see it turn toward me. The hobbling scout isn't much help at this point but I take the high ground and keep shooting everything I have at the Assault.

My AC/20 is now empty.. I'm left with lasers and this Assault is still coming at me. Instinctively I run past the Assault and quickly come to a full stop while turning 180-degrees. I start hammering the Assault in the back with lasers and trying to stay close. I know he can't target me when I'm close so I'm doing my best. I know he's about to die but I'm not doing so well myself. I have to get distance and turn right now or I'm going to be toast...I get my distance.. I fire a salvo.. I miss... I know I'm toast now....


....


That's when a large salvo of LRM's dropped from the sky and I look past the wreckage of the Assault to see a friendly Assault cresting the hill top... and the small wounded Scout standing there... giving him LOS/D targetting... it brings a tear to my eye...

So I run off crying like a little girl.

The end.

Conclusion:

This moment could not have been brought to you if we had super fast speedy movement like Transformers/Gundam/Anime style mechas.

that sounds a whole lot like the things that happen in the "your memorably moments" thread in MWLL
http://forum.mechliv.../topicseen.html

Love it

[Durant Carlyle]

tripod, on 29 January 2012 - 08:45 AM, said:

Well you gotta remember, mechs use myomer (artificial muscle) not gears and pistons. I'd expect the inside of a mech to look more like a metal skeleton covered with myomer muscles encased in metal armor than some of the more inaccurate illustrations of the inside of an atlas

Except that I've seen more official (yes, official) cross-sections of 'Mechs (Timber Wolf, Summoner, Mad Dog, and Hellbringer had full fold-out posters if I recall correctly) that were done in that Atlas style than any with a more human musculoskeletal structure. I don't believe for one second that the innards of a 'Mech includes muscles of any kind. Instead, they have servos and hydraulic actuators for everything. I think the myomer fluff was added later, to make the machines more human-like or something.

Examples:
http://www.sarna.net...r_Schematic.jpg from the Battleforce rulebook
http://www.mektek.ne...r-wolf-cutaway/ the Timber Wolf front view, minus description text
http://ppc.warhawken...mbspecsheet.jpg Timber Wolf poster
http://ppc.warhawken...ogdiaglarge.jpg Mad Dog poster
http://ppc.warhawken...rminnerds3c.jpg Stormcrow cutaway
http://ppc.warhawken...ovacutaway2.gif Nova cutaway

...but that's just my opinion, of course.

Edited by Durant Carlyle, 29 January 2012 - 10:49 AM.

[Lorcan Lladd]

Dlardrageth, on 28 January 2012 - 02:22 PM, said:

That little story Paul told us is very nice, but much of it might have been attributed more to the pilot factor. I mean, one of the main differences of BattleTech has always been that the MechWarriors looked more like "MadMax" meets "Space Truckers"...

Exactly, the pilot is a factor, nothing more.
That's the difference...
...And a good thing for an online game.

[Dihm]

Paul Inouye, on 27 January 2012 - 05:14 PM, said:

Let me put it to you this way. In today's playtest I was in a Heavy.
My AC/20 is now empty.. I'm left with lasers

Shootist confirmed?

[Joe Davion 86]

i dont think it was a shootist i think paul was trolling us again. it might be. or it could be a varaint of the dragon since we now know there will be variants in game if u dont read dev blog 4 do it so much awesomeness. anyways either way its totally awesome of paul to post that for us to keep our hunger in check.

[Brakkyn]

I was going to ask about the AC20-toting heavy 'Mech, but it turns out I'm a week or two late.

Personally, I would pilot a Shootist--it's only ever been in MechCommander 2--but only as long as FlyingDebris did something about that crotch gun.

I can't imagine the custom paint schemes with THAT detail...nor do I want to. In fact, forget I mentioned it.

[Dihm]

Paul is just super confused from all our trolling of him and his return trolling of us, he meant medium not heavy. He was in a Hunchback.

See Paul, I CAN be nice and helpful!

[BarHaid]

Durant Carlyle, on 29 January 2012 - 10:42 AM, said:

Except that I've seen more official (yes, official) cross-sections of 'Mechs (Timber Wolf, Summoner, Mad Dog, and Hellbringer had full fold-out posters if I recall correctly) that were done in that Atlas style than any with a more human musculoskeletal structure. I don't believe for one second that the innards of a 'Mech includes muscles of any kind. Instead, they have servos and hydraulic actuators for everything. I think the myomer fluff was added later, to make the machines more human-like or something.

Nah, myomers have been around since the beginning. They were even on the TRO 3025 cover. I suppose its just difficult to draw all the cool mechanical bits when they're completely covered in plastic muscles.

[CoffiNail]

BarHaid, on 06 February 2012 - 02:38 PM, said:

Nah, myomers have been around since the beginning. They were even on the TRO 3025 cover. I suppose its just difficult to draw all the cool mechanical bits when they're completely covered in plastic muscles.

Yep, was there all along... hydrolics pfft.

[Durant Carlyle]

BarHaid, on 06 February 2012 - 02:38 PM, said:

Nah, myomers have been around since the beginning. They were even on the TRO 3025 cover. I suppose its just difficult to draw all the cool mechanical bits when they're completely covered in plastic muscles.

CoffiNail, on 06 February 2012 - 02:42 PM, said:

Yep, was there all along... hydrolics pfft.

lol yeah...

There's not enough room under the armor to have the musculature necessary to move a multi-ton arm or leg, let alone the entire BattleMech. Some researcher they hired during the planning stages probably said the 'Mechs needed to be more human-like for us players to relate to them better or something. Look at the technical drawings of the 'Mechs I listed -- there is no mention whatsoever that there is any kind of myomer musculature. They were thorough enough to include the WESTON MK17 UNIMOUNT SHOULDER JOINT ROTATION MOTOR AND SERVO MECHANISM UNIT and the LANGHOFF ARMS LTD M 24-A AUTOLOAD 200MM LRM LAUNCHER as well as navigation lights and lift rings, but completely forgot to mention myomer musculature or even any anchor points for such?

Y'all can have your 'Mechs with myomer. I'll take mine with servos, hydraulics and gears any day.

[Pht]

MW is the thinking man's Mech game ... not the angsty teenage saving the world twitch faster have a bigger gun that can shoot you in the eye from across the galaxy game.

[GrimJim]

MilitantMonk, on 27 January 2012 - 09:40 AM, said:

Lean more toward the gritty and lumbering end of things. That is one of the main tennets of Battletech.

Disagree.

Especially when you look at how fast TT moved, a fight lasted a matter of seconds to minutes based off of turn lengths. Real-time gameplay always took hours so peeps usually forget this. Get the blood pumping, shake it up, this is sci-fi after all and remember most 20 tonners moved in excess of 70mph!

I think the big thing needed is a focus on physics! See & feel the weight. What does 100 tons of steel do to a street? How big are AC/5 shells to the infantry below? What is the recoil of a 200mm gun like? How hot is a PPC's man-made lightning?

For an anime equivalent -- Think Gundam MS Team: 08, NOT Gundam 00.

[GrimJim]

Paul Inouye, on 27 January 2012 - 05:14 PM, said:

This moment could not have been brought to you if we had super fast speedy movement like Transformers/Gundam/Anime style mechas.

Indeed but games spent walking for several minutes get old very quick.

No one says 'Mechs need to fly or do ballet Paul, but Michael Bay does quicken the pulse a bit with Transformers (or Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down if you'd prefer).