64 replies to this topic

[InnerSphereNews]

(23 February 3049)

When you start knocking in atmosphere and waiting for the defenders to open up a door o’ aerospace fighters in welcome, nothing but a ’Mech under you is gonna get it done. Sure, there’s a few outfits out there that deploy only vehicles…or the insane Black Cats and their infantry-only roll-call…no wonder they’ve disbanded and re-banded more times than the League’s had civil wars.

But gents, let me tell ya, just ‘cause you got some tin cans to kick down the doors doesn’t mean you’re gonna keep what ya got. Sure, if you’re system-hopping for a smash and grab, by all means leave the mudsloggers at home. But if you’re looking to keep territory for any amount of time, the high-n-mighty MechWarriors need to stow their pride and bring along some PBIs (that’s Poor-Bloody-Infantry for you gents without mudsloggers attached to your outfits).

There’s an old saying: ’Mechs take the glory. Men take the real estate.

Let me tell ya, gents, it’s true. And if you're a mudslogger, you better have a great weapon. Despite the League’s ability to fall apart faster than an Elsie losing a game of cards, they build solid weapons. While I hear Austen-Armstrong Industries just started lasing targets for the high-and-mighties of the Ministry of Defense, don’t put stock in brand-new. You want a weapon that’s stood the test of time across a hundred worlds and brought ya back to tell the tales.

The Starfire rifle is a beaut if you can get your hands on one. But even though it outshines the Intek rifle in almost every way, I prefer the Intek. A rifle with no stick up its stock, or bells and whistles. A weapon to lay in the mud with ya and let ya think of warm days on the beach with a pair of legs by your side and a cold one in your hand.

Keep it locked and loaded, gents.

—Jacob Hardenson, MercNet

[verybad]

I'd love it if there were NPC infantry that you had to escort to capture locations. Which makes sense, you can't go inside most buildings in a mech...

Edit, OMG first.

I don't think I've ever done that!!!

Edited by verybad, 23 February 2012 - 01:07 PM.

[Skwisgaar Skwigelf]

Go inside? Nah, just tear the roof off.

[AdamBaines]

Interesting PBI fluff.....I wonder why.......

[Morashtak]

'Mechs and Aerospace may take the battlefield, but only the foot soldiers can hold it.

[verybad]

Quote

Go inside? Nah, just tear the roof off.

That's not necessarilly what you do if you're trying to capture say a new tech discovered, stored inside a computer. Tearing the roof off can destroy your goal very easilly.

Mechs are useful, but they're not that precise.

Maybe you want to capture a person, or rescue a person. Maybe there's a nuke inside that will go off if a wire's unplugged. Mechs can't do everything.

In addition, there aren't nearly enough mechs available in IS armies to hold ground. They can destroy a city, but they're not very good at keeping the peace after that city is captured.

Edited by verybad, 23 February 2012 - 01:13 PM.

[Jack Dandy]

Would love to see some PBI you could escort, or at least stomp on

[verybad]

jack dandy, on 23 February 2012 - 01:16 PM, said:

Would love to see some PBI you could escort, or at least stomp on

I'd avoid doing that on a slope...could get slippery...

[T0RC4ED]

Infantry ~SQUISH~... oops...someone send his mom a nice card.

[Sal Trebov]

Love the flavor. Having a bunch of infantry running around my mech's legs during a battle would be bad ***, especially if some of the little suckers had missile launchers.

[Felicitatem Parco]

That is why I own a Mosin-Nagant.

[AdamBaines]

It would be even cooler if some mission required players to act as PBI. The mechs cover while a few infiltrate a building and steal info and etc.

[Felicitatem Parco]

Mech + PBI = Infantrycide

[verybad]

AdamBaines, on 23 February 2012 - 01:49 PM, said:

It would be even cooler if some mission required players to act as PBI. The mechs cover while a few infiltrate a building and steal info and etc.

Poor use of resources. (both as a commander or as the game developers) That's like using a Fighter Pilot to do work normally done by SEALs.

People trained in recon are going to be better at it than a mech pilot in any case. It's just not a game about being PBI. Now it mightbe fun sure, but if mechs are on the scene, you don't get hit-points, any mech hits you (or near you) with any weapon and your dead, not just dead, but vapor.

It's not a single person game, and anyone still in a mech should be able to easilly slaugter you. Your'e not "the hero" you're one of many.

So let the PBI be PBI, doing their thing, necessary but ungloried, while we fight the mechs.

[tyrranus]

heres hoping this means we will see infantry, vehicles, and aero usable by players!

[Solis Obscuri]

Intek may be reliable, but it's damage output is pretty low, and it's fairly rare and expensive in 3049. Is the Starfire even available before 3052?

May as well pick up a Zeus Heavy - lots more common, better stopping power, and how often are you pulling off 1200yd shots, anyway?

Or, if you can find and afford it, a Magna.

[Karyudo ds]

Me likey. Does make me hope we see non-mechs in the game, even if just as AI. Never cared for how the other MW games made it seem like a universe populated by nothing but giant robots.

[Kenyon Burguess]

infantry always deserve respect. i hope they make it into the game

[Damon Howe]

"This is my rifle, this is my gun..."

[Candyman]

It would be nice to see Infantry within the game, even in a limited capacity. It would be nice to feel like one was operating within a combined arms operation, with the need to ensure you're doing your bit whilst the Infantry take positions/ take out targets and do what they do best, whilst trying not to crush them underfoot.

I dont expect (and tbh, i dont want) to be able to actually control the poor bloody fellas. For starters, it would add an additional layer to the game that would outweigh the advantages (plus, that means 100 or so people a side... really?), which would detract from development times and CPU resources. Secondly, It's not quite what makes battletech battletech.. if someone would want to play as an infantryman, just play Call of Duty, or if you're wanting a much better and immersive experience, something like Breach.

If anything's worth going for though, it's aerospace, and the heavier tanks...