61 replies to this topic

[Phoenix Branson]

The all energy configuration of the Flashman would make it a good choice for the 75 ton mech, which is currently lacking. The Orion is cool, it is just a watered down Atlas. Plus the Flashman has a unique mech chassis (less humanoid).

[Viper69]

I WANT THEM ALLL!!!

Edited by Viper69, 17 October 2012 - 11:27 AM.

[Redshift2k5]

Many people gloss over a very important facet when choosing a mech to suggest:

Mechs in MWO need to fit with the existing 'minimum 3 variants that are not identical hardpoint loadouts'. some mechs get around this minimum 3x problem because they can have one variant with +1 missile, another with +1 energy, etc, but many mechs people like to promote simply don't suit this factor.

I like the Flashman but it's a tough sell to convince me there are three different Flashman variants that are different enough and fit the timeline.

Edited by Redshift2k5, 17 October 2012 - 11:33 AM.

[Viper69]

Redshift2k5, on 17 October 2012 - 11:27 AM, said:

Many people gloss over a very important facet when choosing a mech to suggest:

Mechs in MWO need to fit with the existing 'minimum 3 variants that are not identical hardpoint loadouts'. some mechs get around this minimum 3x problem because they can have one variant with +1 missile, another with +1 energy, etc, but many mechs people like to promote simpyl don't suit this factor.

That is true for innitial release early on, but surely later on more focused mech designs should be introduced I would think.

[AntiSqueaker]

9 Energy Hardpoints?

I foresee no one boating medium lasers whatsoever.

[Viper69]

Not me, I am going to drop to a 150xl and put 9 Large Pulse Lasers on it and the rest heat sinks...and a very fast ejector seat.

[Damocles]

Redshift2k5, on 17 October 2012 - 11:27 AM, said:

Mechs in MWO need to fit with the existing 'minimum 3 variants that are not identical hardpoint loadouts'.

I don't see this as a rule.

How many variants does the Highlander have?

[Belial]

I don't see the Flashman as being very viable. The only variants made seem to be post-3060 (so FedCom Civil War era) and they ALL use energy loadouts with hardpoints in what appear to be identical locations. So, rule or no rule, the Flashman just doesn't have the variety needed to stand out from the other 'Mechs, or even to stand out from itself.

[Sean von Steinike]

Damocles, on 17 October 2012 - 06:18 PM, said:

I don't see this as a rule.

How many variants does the Highlander have?

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

[CobraFive]

Damocles, on 17 October 2012 - 06:18 PM, said:

I don't see this as a rule.

How many variants does the Highlander have?

The reason its a rule is because without 3 variants, the upper levels of the pilot lab can't be unlocked for that mech.

Every mech so far introduced (including the highlander) does have at least 3 variants.

[Adrienne Vorton]

Viper69, on 17 October 2012 - 11:38 AM, said:

Not me, I am going to drop to a 150xl and put 9 Large Pulse Lasers on it and the rest heat sinks...and a very fast ejector seat.

hm let´s see, smalles XL i can get, strip off all armor (well most of it, don´t wanna die from a collision with my teammates too early),
put in Endosteel, and try to put in as many ERPPC´s i can get...and then alphastrike... once, i guess^^

[Xeno Phalcon]

Maverick01, on 17 October 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

The all energy configuration of the Flashman would make it a good choice for the 75 ton mech, which is currently lacking. The Orion is cool, it is just a watered down Atlas. Plus the Flashman has a unique mech chassis (less humanoid).

Thats like saying the flashmans just a watered down Awesome, or a overweight swayback.

Id love to see the ON2-M Orion debut when all the advanced tech comes out (as ON2-M uses a endo steel chassy, FF armor and double heat sinks as well as artemis IV FCS linked to a lrm15 then the other weaponry replaced with a gauss rifle and 3 medium pulse lasers.)

[Strum Wealh]

Maverick01, on 17 October 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

The all energy configuration of the Flashman would make it a good choice for the 75 ton mech, which is currently lacking. The Orion is cool, it is just a watered down Atlas. Plus the Flashman has a unique mech chassis (less humanoid).

On the FLS-8K Flashman:
"Fewer than 500 Flashman 'Mechs were operational at the beginning of the First Succession War. All were assigned to the front lines in the initial fighting. The factory complexes of the Flashman's producer, Renault-Prime, were slagged in 2796, destroying all molds, prototypes, spare parts, and blueprints. The few remaining Flashman 'Mechs continued to operate on the front lines, until the 'Mech all but disappeared from Successor State forces."

The "downgraded" FLS-7K, built by Defiance on Hesperus II, is the only variant in production until the -8K resumes production in 3054.
The next variant to come into production, according to the Master Unit List, is the FLS-9C... which isn't available until 3061.

The Marauder is Unseen, the Flashman has too few variants in production, the Black Knight likewise has only one variant (the BL-7-KNT) in production until 3052 (the debut of ComStar's BL-9-KNT "Clanbuster" model; the "basic/original" BL-6-KNT doesn't restart production until 3065), and everything else in the 75-ton bracket is Clan-built and/or doesn't come into production until later.

This effectively leaves the Orion as the only available 75-ton IS 'Mech with enough timeline-appropriate variants (the ON1-K, ON1-V, ON1-VA, ON1-V-DC, and ON1-M (available in 3049, according to the Master Unit List)) to meet the requirements of the MWO advancement system.

----------

Additionally, it should also be noted that PGI has already doubled-up on 35-tonners (Jenner and Raven) as well as 65-tonners (Catapult and JagerMech), and has already tripled-up on 50-tonners (Hunchback, Centurion, and Trebuchet), but there are still no 45-tonners, 55-tonners, 75-tonners, or 95-tonners announced as yet.
As such, I don't think they would their adding another 60-ton or 70-ton 'Mech (or even another 65-tonner) before adding a 75-tonner to be unthinkable.

As such, I'd like to put forward some of the other Heavy 'Mechs (which happen to generally fill the same roles as the Flashman and Black Knight) and see what others think of their potential viability:

Grasshopper (70 tons)
GHR-5H
GHR-5N
GHR-5J
All variants possess average speed for Heavy 'Mechs (64.8 kph) and are jump-capable, and there is a fair degree of variation in hardpoint layout among those listed above. Also, all of the above are Energy-heavy designs, generally possessing a single Missile weapon and no Ballistic weapons.

Guillotine (70 tons)
GLT-4L
GLT-4P
GLT-5M
As with the Grasshopper, all of the above-listed variants possess average speed for Heavy 'Mechs (64.8 kph) and are jump-capable. Also like the Grasshopper, all of the above are Energy-heavy designs - generally possessing a single Missile weapon and no Ballistic weapons.

Lancelot (60 tons)
LNC25-02
LNC25-03
LNC25-05
The Lancelot generally possess average speed for Heavy 'Mechs (64.8 kph) and is not jump-capable (though, the -05 is able to reach speeds of 97.2 kph with a 360 XL Engine). Most variants tend to be energy-heavy, though some also mount Ballistic weapons as well (the -03 replaces the arm-mounted Large Lasers and some Heat Sinks with AC/5s, while the -05 replaces the Medium Laser and two Heat Sinks with a quartet of Machine Guns and a ton of ammo).

Quickdraw (60 tons)
QKD-4G
QKD-5A
QKD-5K (available in 3049, according to the Master Unit List)
The Quickdraw possesses above-average speed for a Heavy 'Mech (86.4 kph), and all of the above variants are jump-capable. Like the Grasshopper and Guillotine, the Quickdraw tends to be armed primarily with Energy weapons, though often carries two Missile weapons (rather than only one) as supplementary armament.

Your thoughts?

Edited by Strum Wealh, 18 October 2012 - 08:15 AM.

[Kodiak Jorgensson]

im all for the flashman, but i cant see it making its way into MWO.alot of people already complain about Awesome and Hunchback laser boats

[Odanan]

Maverick01, on 17 October 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

The all energy configuration of the Flashman would make it a good choice for the 75 ton mech, which is currently lacking. The Orion is cool, it is just a watered down Atlas. Plus the Flashman has a unique mech chassis (less humanoid).

No.

The Flashman is a very rare, restricted mech, with only 2 variants (identical in terms of hardpoints).

If you want a heavy energy boat, wish for the Lancelot, which would be more likely (even if uncommon). Or just pilot an Awesome.

[Odanan]

Strum Wealh, on 18 October 2012 - 03:41 AM, said:

On the FLS-8K Flashman:
"Fewer than 500 Flashman 'Mechs were operational at the beginning of the First Succession War. All were assigned to the front lines in the initial fighting. The factory complexes of the Flashman's producer, Renault-Prime, were slagged in 2796, destroying all molds, prototypes, spare parts, and blueprints. The few remaining Flashman 'Mechs continued to operate on the front lines, until the 'Mech all but disappeared from Successor State forces."

The "downgraded" FLS-7K, built by Defiance on Hesperus II, is the only variant in production until the -8K resumes production in 3054.
The next variant to come into production, according to the Master Unit List, is the FLS-9C... which isn't available until 3061.

The Marauder is Unseen, the Flashman has too few variants in production, the Black Knight likewise has only one variant (the BL-7-KNT) in production until 3052 (the debut of ComStar's BL-9-KNT "Clanbuster" model; the "basic/original" BL-6-KNT doesn't restart production until 3065), and everything else in the 75-ton bracket is Clan-built and/or doesn't come into production until later.

This effectively leaves the Orion as the only available 75-ton IS 'Mech with enough timeline-appropriate variants (the ON1-K, ON1-V, ON1-VA, ON1-V-DC, and ON1-M (available in 3049, according to the Master Unit List)) to meet the requirements of the MWO advancement system.

----------

Additionally, it should also be noted that PGI has already doubled-up on 35-tonners (Jenner and Raven) as well as 65-tonners (Catapult and JagerMech), and has already tripled-up on 50-tonners (Hunchback, Centurion, and Trebuchet), but there are still no 45-tonners, 55-tonners, or 75-tonners announced as yet.
As such, I don't think they would their adding another 60-ton or 70-ton 'Mech (or even another 65-tonner) before adding a 75-tonner to be unthinkable.

As such, I'd like to put forward some of the other Heavy 'Mechs (which happen to generally fill the same roles as the Flashman and Black Knight) and see what others think of their potential viability:

Grasshopper (70 tons)
GHR-5H
GHR-5N
GHR-5J
All variants possess average speed for Heavy 'Mechs (64.8 kph) and are jump-capable, and there is a fair degree of variation in hardpoint layout among those listed above. Also, all of the above are Energy-heavy designs, generally possessing a single Missile weapon and no Ballistic weapons.

Guillotine (70 tons)
GLT-4L
GLT-4P
GLT-5M
As with the Grasshopper, all of the above-listed variants possess average speed for Heavy 'Mechs (64.8 kph) and are jump-capable. Also like the Grasshopper, all of the above are Energy-heavy designs - generally possessing a single Missile weapon and no Ballistic weapons.

Lancelot (60 tons)
LNC25-02
LNC25-03
LNC25-05
The Lancelot generally possess average speed for Heavy 'Mechs (64.8 kph) and is not jump-capable (though, the -05 is able to reach speeds of 97.2 kph with a 360 XL Engine). Most variants tend to be energy-heavy, though some also mount Ballistic weapons as well (the -03 replaces the arm-mounted Large Lasers and some Heat Sinks with AC/5s, while the -05 replaces the Medium Laser and two Heat Sinks with a quartet of Machine Guns and a ton of ammo).

Quickdraw (60 tons)
QKD-4G
QKD-5A
QKD-5K (available in 3049, according to the Master Unit List)
The Quickdraw possesses above-average speed for a Heavy 'Mech (86.4 kph), and all of the above variants are jump-capable. Like the Grasshopper and Guillotine, the Quickdraw tends to be armed primarily with Energy weapons, though often carries two Missile weapons (rather than only one) as supplementary armament.

Your thoughts?

You said it all.

[EGG]

I personally wouldn't care if there was only a couple of variants. Or even one. But I guess other people would raise hell until the ends of the earth on the forums.

I wouldn't mind a big-Heavy: Flashman, Orion, Black Knight. Or Grasshopper.

[Zerbob]

I would love to see the Quickdraw as an available choice in MWO. One of my favourites from the TT it would be a blast to pilot in-game.

As for those questioning the 3 variant policy, it has to do with the Mech Experience Trees.

[EarthenMight]

Just what we need another laser boat in the game. (End Sarcasm)

How about NO.

[101011]

CobraFive, on 17 October 2012 - 11:13 PM, said:

The reason its a rule is because without 3 variants, the upper levels of the pilot lab can't be unlocked for that mech.

Every mech so far introduced (including the highlander) does have at least 3 variants.

How about the Raven? It only has two.