150 replies to this topic

[Strum Wealh]

Odanan, on 25 September 2012 - 03:16 PM, said:

This Highlander looks amazing! Probably the most good looking mech ever!

I just have one question: what about the variants?

We have only:

HGN-732 - 2x Medium Lasers, 1x SRM-6, 1x LRM-20, 1x Gauss Rifle
HGN-732b - 3x Medium Lasers, 1x SRM-6, 1x LRM-20, 1x Gauss Rifle
HGN-733: 2x Medium Lasers, 1x SRM-6, 1x LRM-20, 1x Autocannon 10

Not much of a variety...

And wasn't the Highlander extinct until the resume of production in 3057?

Well, I guess with that looks, the Highlander is welcome anywhere...

From TRO 3050 Upgrade, pg. 220:

Quote

As it did within the SLDF of old, the Highlander serves in attack, fire, assault, and command lances throughout the Com Guards and Blakist Militia. Relatively few found their way into the DCMS in the 3030s, almost all of which had been completely stripped of advanced technologies, but a handful remain in service inside the Ghost regiments. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Clans are even known to have put an original Highlander onto the field.
Since the re-opening of StarCorps’ factories on Son Hoa in 3057, brand-new Highlanders have also been pouring into the ranks of Lyran BattleMech units, both regular army and mercenary. Assigned to pro-Katherine units prior to and during the FedCom Civil War, most remain within the Lyran armed forces, though some managed to find their way into the AFFS.

The HGN-732 (what most think of when they think of the Highlander) is not being actively produced, and is nearly unheard-of outside of the Com Guards, the Blakists, and the Clans before 3057.

The HGN-732b was completely extinct by 2810 (near the end of the First Succession War).
The HGN-736 doesn't make its debut until 3059 and is exclusive to the Com Guards and the Blakists.
The HGN-734 doesn't make its debut until 3062.
The HGN-694 doesn't make its debut until the FedCom Civil War (3062-3067).
The HGN-738 doesn't make its debut until 3069.

That leaves the HGN-733 as the only truly timeline-appropriate variant.

Moreover, even if the HGN-732 was allowed, the HGN-732 and the HGN-733 would have generally-identical hardpoint layouts and generally-identical equipment set-ups; the latter exchanges the former's Gauss Rifle (and two tons of ammo) for an AC-10 (and two tons of ammo), two more tons of armor (with a change from FF to Standard; amounting to a single additional armor point on the front and rear of the Center-Torso), and a single additional Heat Sink, but is otherwise identical.

While Ask the Devs 18 seems to indicate that the Devs might shift the availability a little bit, depending on MWO's actual release date (specifically, the CTF-3D and CTF-3L models of the Cataphract being abailable in 3050, but the CTF-3D being featured in the BattleMech 11 release announcement from "May 3049"), selecting a 'Mech that "should" have effectively one variant available for the better part of a (in-game) decade is an... interesting choice.

Edited by Strum Wealh, 26 September 2012 - 03:52 AM.

[HAV0C]

Oh I'm familiar with the Banshee, never played it in tabletop but I know it. It's a bag-o-guns in the 3S variant but it runs HOT as hell. Not a heat-friendly design to be sure. Bring that puppy to play vs. a HGN 732 on Caustic Valley or a similarly hot map, and I'll show you what heat management really means.

Also I disagree with you on the Atlas and Highlander. They're not horrible designs, they're very effective at what they do. I don't base my conclusion off 'hours of playing with people who know how to use their mechs'

I base my conclusion off of YEARS of playing multiple iterations of this game, including the tabletop version of Battletech that spawned Mechwarrior. These designs have a role, and are designed to be able to adapt to firing at multiple targets at a variety of ranges. A 'mix bag' of weapons also means you can deal with a multitude of situations you might find yourself in. You think having a variety of weapons at multiple ranges makes you a jack of all trades, master of none? I disagree. It makes you that much more dangerous at whatever range you happen to need to engage a target.

Also, ANY 'MECH needs a team to operate at their best. That's why the default minimum structure of 'mechs is a 4 'mech lance (or 5 'mech star for the clans)

Also: OF COURSE! Putting a lighter engine in a 'mech to free up the weight for more guns and equipment makes it more lethal!!! HOW COULD I HAVE OVERLOOKED THAT??? /sarcasm.

Look, the Charger is garbage in it's default load out. It's got some potential, especially the Challenger variant that is introduced later, but in it's standard configuration, it's a joke.

Just my thoughts there <S>

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

[Belorion]

Like I have said in other threads, the unseen are all the popular mechs, so if we want to continue having new mechs, and we can't have the unseen, then we will need to bend canon a little for the sake of having mechs to play.

[Terick]

Still not goign to agree on the AS-7 and HGN. People that use them in mekwars server usualy end up very disapointed in them very quickly. Have been playign there for... meh we are just arguing over opinions. I'm still going to see both mechs as targetsa nd handicaps to their respective teams.

Charger 1A1 is only junk since no melee... and 80 tonner able to move with tha speed and kick... We never use the CGR-1A1 for other then melee. I have to agree that it being in the 1A1 config is just plain stupid in MWO. Put it in the 3K variant... loads of fun. Though I wonder if you could speed it up even more in MWO...

Out of curiosity I would be interested in seeing a Charger 1A1 piloted by a light emch jock. They might ba able to use it as the assault sized scout it was supposed to be.

[Terick]

Belorion, on 26 September 2012 - 03:40 AM, said:

Like I have said in other threads, the unseen are all the popular mechs, so if we want to continue having new mechs, and we can't have the unseen, then we will need to bend canon a little for the sake of having mechs to play.

There are plenty of mechs that aren't unseen and still cannon in this era. They aren't the ones people wants as much.

[The Basilisk]

Think the Highlander pic from the magazine could be just mentioned in it as upcomming concept art to draw attention.
Its completely of canon for the Timeline.
- Comguards only
- No official Variants near our timeline
- Hasn't been produced for hundrets of years

I say it could be the Banshee.
BNC-5S :

Yea I know. Its ugly as hell and doesn't look much like an Assault Mech anyway but its a common line Mech.
Like most of the other so far introduced Mech's its an rather old design without StarLeague Tech and with a lot of variants espezialy used in the Periphery --> Clan Invasion and used by Steiner Militarys. And again a direct link to the upcomming invasion. This Mech is canon as hell. Since there is only one other Mech (Victor) of the Timeline and weight class that isn't faction specific, extremely rare, unseen or even all of it, I think the Banshee is a pretty good candidate.

The Highlander is not. Unless the devs do a complete 180° Turn an F***up the canon there will be no Highlander for the next 13 years.

Edited by The Basilisk, 26 September 2012 - 04:56 AM.

[Wonderful Greg]

It's a Highlander.
Here is a scan from PC Magazine

Edited by Wonderful Greg, 26 September 2012 - 04:23 AM.

[Belorion]

There are for variants, 733, 733C, 733P

Edited by Belorion, 26 September 2012 - 04:29 AM.

[The Basilisk]

Belorion, on 26 September 2012 - 04:26 AM, said:

There are for variants, 733, 733C, 733P

No there aren't any.
Not yet.
Read the comments above.
Comstar didn't even admit to have an Army. No body knows there are more than a hand full of them in the whole inner sphere at the moment.
The Pic from the Mag is either taken from something other than PCGamer or its just in to generate attention because it was a popular mech in MW4. Or the devs did a 180° turn and simply abandoned the timeline completely.

[Mechteric]

Wonderful Greg, on 26 September 2012 - 04:22 AM, said:

It's a Highlander. Here is a scan from PC Magazine

super sweet! I knew it would have to be a jump capable assault next

Edited by CapperDeluxe, 26 September 2012 - 05:12 AM.

[Odanan]

I'd rather have a Victor. All I want is an Assault I can sport 2 gauss rifles.

I loved the Highlander concept art (that's the Alex Iglesias masterpiece, the Mona Lisa of mechs, in a design that was hideous originally).
But do I wish it now? No.

(I hope it is a card in the sleeve of PGI's and will show up much later)

[Strum Wealh]

Belorion, on 26 September 2012 - 04:26 AM, said:

There are for variants, 733, 733C, 733P

"Somewhat limited by the terms of their license, Hollis never produced any official variants. Occasionally, the [AC/10] would be replaced with a heavier autocannon or a PPC and extra heat sinks."
(TRO 3039, pg. 276)

The AC/20 version could probably be easily remade with a base -733 and the MechLab.
Granted, the PPC version would offer some variety.

The source material (quoted above) specifically states that those are end-user modifications of the base HGN-733, and were never "official" factory-produced variants.

[Belorion]

They are still variants none the less. They could also use the older 732 even though they are aupposed to be all but extinct on the battlefield.

[Strum Wealh]

Belorion, on 26 September 2012 - 06:29 AM, said:

They are still variants none the less. They could also use the older 732 even though they are aupposed to be all but extinct on the battlefield.

No; the AC/20 and PPC versions of the -733 are not really "variants" in the meaningful sense, but customizations.

It would be analogous to adding a NOS to one's car, and claiming that one's customized car was as much a variant as a factory-produced model.

In the same way, Yen-Lo-Wang is not a "variant" of the Centurion in the meaningful sense, but merely a customization of the standard CN9-A; that was explicitly stated to be the case by individuals in the employ of Catalyst as of 2010.
In theory, anyone could take a standard CN9-A (or several standard CN9-As) and emulate YLW's loadout, but is still isn't a "variant" in the meaningful sense.

[Butane9000]

In all honesty the December edition of PC Gamer doesn't hit stands until October 9th so we probably won't get official confirmation until October 10th. Which is 2 weeks away.

[zer0imh]

Wonderful Greg, on 26 September 2012 - 04:22 AM, said:

It's a Highlander.
Here is a scan from PC Magazine

true. the square head with visor, the rounded hip joints... definitely a highlander

Edited by zer0imh, 26 September 2012 - 07:15 AM.

[Raalic]

If battlemech 16 is a clan 'mech, I am going to go on an "i told you so" spree, necroing all the threads where everyone called me mean things. Like "moron." And "*****."

[Adridos]

Raalic, on 26 September 2012 - 08:25 AM, said:

If battlemech 16 is a clan 'mech, I am going to go on an "i told you so" spree, necroing all the threads where everyone called me mean things. Like "moron." And "*****."

As you can see literally a post above you, it's a Highlander.

[Brandon Heat]

Light Mechs: 4
Medium Mechs: 4
Heavy Mechs: 4
Assault Mechs: 3

So one assault is missing, i prefer Zeus, Victor, Charger, Highlander or Battlemaster.

From these i want Zeus or Charger!

[EmperorMyrf]

Wonderful Greg, on 26 September 2012 - 04:22 AM, said:

It's a Highlander.
Here is a scan from PC Magazine

I'm seriously reconsidering my "no assaults" stance. That's a fine looking mech.