150 replies to this topic

[Alex Wolfe]

Zervziel, on 24 September 2012 - 05:02 PM, said:

I have never understood the immense amount of fanwank surrounding them. I much prefer the home-brewed mechs that are Battletech through and through and not some design taken from an anime.

My bet would be on "forbidden fruit + nostalgia factor".

I understand art is subjective, but personally I see the unseen (dohohohoho) as atrociously ugly. Marauder is all legs that doesn't make any sense (+chronic back pain), Locust doesn't look its weight at all with the giant feet ("not looking their weight" is a common gripe with the original TRO designs, look at 55t Wolverine, compare to Battlemaster... same build, 30 ton lighter; or look at the massive Howler and tell me that it looks lighter than a Commando), and many of them are carrying guns and/or are obvious transformers.

There's potential there through clever redesigns, but unseen in their "original" shape, with some exceptions like Warhammer and Rifleman, look... just goofy. I realize that they are THE ORIGINALS and all, but I'm glad that the franchise evolved towards the more subdued Warhammer/Rifleman route when it comes to looks for the most part, rather than this:

Edited by Alex Wolfe, 25 September 2012 - 06:24 AM.

[HAV0C]

<S> My thoughts on this.

It's not going to be a clan 'mech in my estimation. I wouldn't expect anything clan related till after the first of the year.

It's also not going to be an Unseen. As has been stated, there's just too much room for legal issues. Hopefully they can find a work-around for this as I'd love to see all of the unseen make a triumphant return, but at this point I'm skeptical at best on that end.

It's going to be an assault (in keeping with the current revealed 'mechs, and the noted gap in the assault weight class.)

I for one expect one of two designs. The Highlander, or the Victor. Odds are on the Highlander though if I were to guess.

And before people start saying it's 'a watered down atlas' please pause, and think about this for a second.

Yes, the 'mech is similar in the overall load-out to an Atlas, having a blend of both SRM's, LRM's, lasers, and ballistics, but there's one thing you should bear in mind.

1.) The Atlas's big weapons are mostly contained in the torsos. Specifically all of it's missile and ballistic weapons in all of it's variants.

2.) This is not the case with the Highlander. The ballistic hardpoint is mounted on the right arm, making it's potential range of motion/targeting far greater than being mounted in a torso such as the atlas. Similarly, in the canon the SRM 6 of the Highlander is mounted on the left arm, giving it even more direct-fire knife-fighting capability in close thanks to the additional targeting range that having an arm mounted weapon can afford.

3.) It's got jump jets, affording it vastly increased mobility over most assaults, especially when dealing with a close-in situation.

So yes, it has a similar loadout to an Atlas as far as the actual mounted weapons go, but the locations of those mounts will make it play VERY differently from any Atlas out there, not even factoring in the added mobility of jump jets. It's not a watered down Atlas. It's a Highlander, and I for one expect it to be the next 'mech revealed.

To a similar degree, the Victor battlemech has something close to the same feel. It's ballistic weaponry is arm-mounted, though the remaining hardpoints are all torso mounted (2x Med lasers and an SRM 4). It'll still have a great deal of mobility and good close-in punch to be sure with the arm-mounted ballistic weapons.

All that said, we'll see what we will see. For now, I'm still waiting to see what's coming down the chute too, and hope that we do get a sneak peek at it in the upcoming magazine article releasing next month.

<S> That's all I've got for now. See y'all dirtside.

-Colonel Andrew "Havoc" Davis
Death's Hand Brigade Mercenaries.

Edit: Apparently you can't say the word P i p e any more. Good to know..

Edited by HAV0C, 25 September 2012 - 02:53 AM.

[Joe3142]

Don't care what mech it is. Any mech would be awesome

[eR Spectre]

Damocles, on 24 September 2012 - 12:20 PM, said:

Don't forget the Cataphract

Right... I forgot

[Gyprock Gypsy]

Wait a minute. You guys are waiting for something "super special" to release the next Mech? WE'RE THE F**KING BETA TESTERS!!!! I (PERSONALLY) AM NOT GIVING YOU ANY MORE MONEY!!! JUST RELEASE THE ******** MECH IF ITS DONE!!!!

[Listless Nomad]

Rebel Magistrate, on 25 September 2012 - 07:16 AM, said:

Wait a minute. You guys are waiting for something "super special" to release the next Mech? WE'RE THE F**KING BETA TESTERS!!!! I (PERSONALLY) AM NOT GIVING YOU ANY MORE MONEY!!! JUST RELEASE THE ******** MECH IF ITS DONE!!!!

The CONCEPT ART is finished. The model and coding for the mech are not anywhere close to being done.

[Odanan]

Sparks Murphey, on 25 September 2012 - 01:19 AM, said:

Go looking for an assault to fit the scout role, you end up with the Charger.

If you put a XL Engine in the Victor, it would be a great scout.
It's already faster than any Assault mech in the game and it has jumps.

[verybad]

Odanan, on 25 September 2012 - 08:52 AM, said:

If you put a XL Engine in the Victor, it would be a great scout.
It's already faster than any Assault mech in the game and it has jumps.

Umm, I don't see it as being all that effective a scout. Jump or not, the base speed is decent for an assault, but that's for an assault. It's paid for with armor that's not much better than a Hunchies on stock variants, and firepower that's not much better either. The jumpjets simply aren't that big of an appeal for most scouting actions. Useful, but not must haves. For scouts, I want SPEED. Not just "better than most assaults" speed: But real, effective speed. A Victor is essentially a bigger Centurion with Jets. It's a Jack of All trades, master of none. It's really not all that impressive potential.

Assaults just aren't made for scouting. The Victor coudl do reasonable skirmishing work I suppose. I woudln't mind seeing it, but it's just not all that exciting a ride IMO, just bland. The Charger also gets jets in it's 30250 upgrade, as well as much better firepower, it's not that bad a mech then. Plus it vould be readilly modified with a few graphics changes to make for a Hatamoto Chi.

[Risky]

Ever consider that two assault mechs makes sense on a manuacturing level?

I think we're good at 15.

[Odanan]

verybad, on 25 September 2012 - 12:28 PM, said:

Umm, I don't see it as being all that effective a scout. Jump or not, the base speed is decent for an assault, but that's for an assault. It's paid for with armor that's not much better than a Hunchies on stock variants, and firepower that's not much better either. The jumpjets simply aren't that big of an appeal for most scouting actions. Useful, but not must haves. For scouts, I want SPEED. Not just "better than most assaults" speed: But real, effective speed. A Victor is essentially a bigger Centurion with Jets. It's a Jack of All trades, master of none. It's really not all that impressive potential.

Assaults just aren't made for scouting. The Victor coudl do reasonable skirmishing work I suppose. I woudln't mind seeing it, but it's just not all that exciting a ride IMO, just bland. The Charger also gets jets in it's 30250 upgrade, as well as much better firepower, it's not that bad a mech then. Plus it vould be readilly modified with a few graphics changes to make for a Hatamoto Chi.

I want the Victor because I could put two gauss rifles on it (in some variants), without sacrificing as much as the Gaussapult.

Here are the probable Victor variants:

VTR-9A

Left Arm 2 energy
Right Arm 1 ballistics
Left Torso 1 missile, 1 ballistics
Right Torso 2 energy
Center Torso -

VTR-9A1

Left Arm 2 energy
Right Arm 1 ballistics
Left Torso 1 missile
Right Torso 1 ballistics (originally, in the Right Leg)
Center Torso -

VTR-9B

Left Arm 2 (maybe more) energy
Right Arm 1 (maybe 2) ballistics
Left Torso 1 (maybe 2) missile
Right Torso -
Center Torso -

VTR-9S

Left Arm 2 (maybe more) energy
Right Arm 1 (maybe 2) ballistics
Left Torso 1 (probably 2) missile
Right Torso -
Center Torso -

VTR-9D (with Endo Steel)

Left Arm 2 (probably more) energy
Right Arm 1 (maybe 2) ballistics
Left Torso 1 (maybe 2) missile
Right Torso -
Center Torso -

In terms of hardpoints, the Charger, on the other hand, isn't much a progress. Lets wait and see.

The only problem with the Victor, IMO, is the looks. It could look like a cross between the Trebuchet and the Centurion. Even so, I think Alex Iglesias can do a great job making it unique.

[Odanan]

Forget what I said about the looks. The Victor would be just fine:

Edited by Odanan, 25 September 2012 - 02:05 PM.

[Nighpher]

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Mackie

[BFett]

If we don't get any more mechs until the invasion I'm sure this will be mech 16.

[Soulless One]

lol ^^^

[Noth]

My money is on the Highlander. Why? Because it was cited in the new PC gamer magazine.

[Alex Wolfe]

verybad, on 25 September 2012 - 12:28 PM, said:

Umm, I don't see it as being all that effective a scout. Jump or not, the base speed is decent for an assault, but that's for an assault. It's paid for with armor that's not much better than a Hunchies on stock variants, and firepower that's not much better either. The jumpjets simply aren't that big of an appeal for most scouting actions. Useful, but not must haves. For scouts, I want SPEED. Not just "better than most assaults" speed: But real, effective speed. A Victor is essentially a bigger Centurion with Jets. It's a Jack of All trades, master of none. It's really not all that impressive potential.

Assaults just aren't made for scouting. The Victor coudl do reasonable skirmishing work I suppose. I woudln't mind seeing it, but it's just not all that exciting a ride IMO, just bland. The Charger also gets jets in it's 30250 upgrade, as well as much better firepower, it's not that bad a mech then. Plus it vould be readilly modified with a few graphics changes to make for a Hatamoto Chi.

Forget scouting, for a medium pilot like me there's no worse sight than a surprise fast assault hitting the flank - pre-nerf lolsomes showed that well. You just can't disengage fast enough to avoid serious damage if the other pilot is semi-competent, have to hope there's a juiciest friendly target in his sight. A light pilot hitting a flank can hurt, but I've seen lolsomes pretty much steamroll 2-3 mechs by themselves if they managed to get a drop on them.

Such "skirmisher, medium/support-stomper" capability gives Victor a niche. I never cared for it, but thinking of it this way, I would suddenly really like it in the game (it won't be as bad as the lolsome because it's not boat-friendly, still - fast assault w/ jump jets could be one hell of a flanker).

Edited by Alex Wolfe, 25 September 2012 - 02:31 PM.

[Gun Bear]

Did you look behind the couch?

[Redshift2k5]

[HAV0C]

Noth, on 25 September 2012 - 02:15 PM, said:

My money is on the Highlander. Why? Because it was cited in the new PC gamer magazine.

<S> Noth

Can you provide a link or direct quote and page number from the PC gamer to confirm it? I'd like to see it for myself if you don't mind?

Thanks so much. <S> See ya dirtside.

-Colonel Andrew "Havoc" Davis
Death's Hand Brigade Mercenaries

[BFett]

Redshift2k5, on 25 September 2012 - 02:36 PM, said:

That's very impressive, they are still short 1 mech though.