87 replies to this topic

[Solis Obscuri]

Consider how many different weight classes are in game:

20
25 - Commando
30
35 - Jenner
40
45
50 - Hunchback, Centurion
55
60 - Dragon
65 - Catapult
70
75
80 - Awesome
85
90
95
100 - Atlas

total: 13

Now, there's been a lot of speculation that we'll get just 12 'mechs, but looking at what's been put in already, we're going to have to ignore at least two weight classes if that's the case, due to the double-up in the 50 ton bracket. But if we use two from each weight class (except 95), we get 25 'mechs total. A pretty good number, and I think it explains the double-up in the 50 ton bracket.

I can't make a poll with more than three topics, but here's the question: taking the available (Inner Sphere, 3025-2050 timeline, not Unseen, nothing with melee weapons, since melee won't be in at launch) options, which two 'mechs do you think we might see in each weight class?

Remember, the 8 that are already in are occupying those weight brackets, and the Banshee is the only 95 ton 'mech. That leaves:

2 20-tonners
1 25-tonner
2 30-tonners
1 35-tonner
2 40-tonners
2 45-tonners
2 55-tonners
1 60-tonner
1 65-tonners
2 70-tonners
2 75-tonners
1 80-tonner
2 85-tonners
2 90-tonners
1 100-tonner

Edited by Solis Obscuri, 03 April 2012 - 02:30 PM.

[SilentWolff]

Did I miss something, where are you getting only 12 mechs from?

[CeeKay Boques]

Sir, are you bringing up the radical concept that more is ... is.... better? Well, I can certainly get behind that.

However, I will tell you that I would rather have 12 mechs that the Devs spent 1000 hours on...

then 25 mechs that the Devs spent 1000 hours on.

If you catch my meaning.

[Cawdor]

We shouldn't forget that the game we are talking about here is a F2P.

The business model basically dictates the constant release of new hardware and gear for people to waste spend their money on.

Further more, I'd like to add that I'd rather have the devs work on propper Elemental Warfare (peeling off of armor plates) instead of spamming mechs that no one will be able to collect within the first year anyway.

[Hawkeye 72]

Technoviking, on 03 April 2012 - 02:34 PM, said:

Sir, are you bringing up the radical concept that more is ... is.... better? Well, I can certainly get behind that.

However, I will tell you that I would rather have 12 mechs that the Devs spent 1000 hours on...

then 25 mechs that the Devs spent 1000 hours on.

If you catch my meaning.

Agreed. No where does it state we are only getting 12 mechs-thats just a forum guess. I hope we get 50+ mechs.
However I want to see a high quality game. If I must live with only 12 mechs but have the best game ever, then I will be ecstatic over those 12 mechs.

Let's be real though...there will likely be more than 12 or 25 mechs eventually.

[Kenyon Burguess]

the hard work comes with the various tonnage frames and the different leg movement types. once those are done you can multi-skin and resize them as often as you need to. call it 70,000 hours in skeletons and 30,000 hours in skinning 85 mechs

[Solis Obscuri]

Here are my predictions:

20 - Thorn, Mercury
25 - Mongoose
30 - Urbanmech, Firefly
35 - Wolfhound
40 - Whitworth, Sentinel
45 - Vindicator, Blackjack
55 - Trebuchet, Dervish
60 - Quickdraw
65 - Jagermech
70 - Grasshopper, Cataphract*
75 - Orion, Flashman
80 - Victor
85 - Stalker, Crockett/Katana
90 - Highlander, Mauler*
100 - Annihilator

(Choices in bold are 'mechs I suspect may already be included, due to their conspicuous absence in polls. 'Mechs with an asterisk* have no non-LostTech variants, but I suspect they may make it in anyway.)
These are predictions. I prefer the Javelin and Hussar to the Urbanmech and Firefly, but I think the Urbie and Firefly have more distinctive roles. Likewise, I prefer the Guillotine to the Grasshopper, but the two are too similar, and I'm pretty sure the Grasshopper is already in, and while I prefer the Zeus to the Victor, the Zeus and Awesome perform similar battlefield roles and have similar load-outs, while the Victor brings something new.

[Motionless]

I'm not sure what they're actually shooting for in terms of launch numbers, but the clan invasion starts before summer is even over. So even if we had 12 at launch, that number would start to expand.

Quote

I hope we get 50+ mechs.

MW2 had 15 mechs, MW3 had 18 mechs, MW4 had 21 -- See a pattern? Increasing by three each time. Tell the devs they need to give us 24 mechs at launch in the spirit of mechwarrior.

[pursang]

Why not fifty, why not a hundred?

Time/money/development constraints mainly. Remember that PGI is shooting for a minimum viable product right now - that means that the game that we're going to get is going to be very bare bones, at least initially.

Edited by pursang, 03 April 2012 - 02:48 PM.

[Tannhauser Gate]

Why not 25?

As Russ said more than once: MWO will be launched as a minimum viable product and it will be expanded upon with regular updates over time which means that it may have 12 at launch but it will eventually have 25, 35, 45 or more mechs a few years down the road.

So yeah, like others here, I would much rather have 12 well crafted and balanced mechs within the goals and pillars of the game than 25 that were not fully vetted.

Edited by LakeDaemon, 03 April 2012 - 10:28 PM.

[CeeKay Boques]

Geist Null, on 03 April 2012 - 02:39 PM, said:

the hard work comes with the various tonnage frames and the different leg movement types. once those are done you can multi-skin and resize them as often as you need to. call it 70,000 hours in skeletons and 30,000 hours in skinning 85 mechs

What do you place the weapons on as attachements? So interesting! Is the cockpit and viewing portals part of the skinning process? What about armor and damage modeling? Surely that's more advanced than skinning? Only answer if you want to, I suppose I could go look up "How 3d modeling works in games for dummies.."

[Jack Gallows]

Somehow I don't see why everyone ends up with the 12 number, seems like there should be more at launch.

[Garth Erlam]

Quote

Why only 12 'mechs? How about 25?

Oh, I dunno, the massive amount of work?

[Halfinax]

Jack Gallows, on 03 April 2012 - 02:54 PM, said:

Somehow I don't see why everyone ends up with the 12 number, seems like there should be more at launch.

3 announced initially + (1 per month x 9 months) = 12

[Solis Obscuri]

Garth Erlam, on 03 April 2012 - 03:02 PM, said:

Oh, I dunno, the massive amount of work?

Oh c'mon - long hours are normal for you software guys!

Sunlight probably blinds you like moles, anyway...

[Virgo]

I'm also confused why you are assuming there 12 Battlemechs at launch. So far as I can tell, we already have an even spread across the weight categories. Hell, even their loadouts give good variety. Add to that there could still be variants of the Chassis, and your variety of opponent is going to be much greater.

[Halfinax]

Halfinax, on 03 April 2012 - 03:03 PM, said:

3 announced initially + (1 per month x 9 months) = 12

Virgo, on 03 April 2012 - 03:06 PM, said:

I'm also confused why you are assuming there 12 Battlemechs at launch. So far as I can tell, we already have an even spread across the weight categories. Hell, even their loadouts give good variety. Add to that there could still be variants of the Chassis, and your variety of opponent is going to be much greater.

Literally only 1 post between the answer and you asking the same question.

[rance]

Quality over quantity...I like that rationale. But what the heck, can't we have both?!

[Gerath Tanden]

And more would be nice. But don't forget that they might use this opportunity to release brand new never before seen totally awesome cool mechs? The number of Mechs you get to pilot is sweet. Playing old favourites is pretty darned sweet. Playing in a brand new Mech? Genius.

[Dirk Le Daring]

I do not care how many mechs we will get at launch, they just have to be well made (quality over quantity). Which is what we are seeing.

rance, on 03 April 2012 - 03:12 PM, said:

Quality over quantity...I like that rationale. But what the heck, can't we have both?!

Eventually we will