439 replies to this topic

[Aegis Kleais]

Galenthor, on 04 April 2012 - 11:14 AM, said:

I disagree with limiting loadout changes to weapons of same type... I am not a fan of autocannons, so I switch em out for a ppc and heatsinks, or maybe a missile rack... you just locked off a good 3rd of the mechs in the game for use for me...

If the Mech doesn't support the preferred weapon type you use, and is not an omnimech, you'll just need to pick another chassis; otherwise the Mechs become nothing more than X ton gunboats.

Knowing a Novacat is designed for laser-based weaponry is part of the allure to the chasssis (or the disdain).

[Sagars]

AHaaaaaa thx guys, its very nice to see the table rules in a video game, make the process more fluid and less paper and eraser, look very nice the weapon system change and thx for maintain the customization high.

Just 1 question. How many mechs we can have?

[warner2]

Looks reasonably good at this stage, nothing unexpected, thanks for the info!

[verybad]

Looks like a good setup. I like the restrictions of Hardpoints, as they give each mech character rather than being gunbags,and the use of critical slots makes the people that are die-hard by the TT rule fans more happy with the arrangement. The only people that seem to be unhappy are the people that manted to minmax in something more of a mechFACTORY than a mech lab. I have the feeling they'll come around though..

I've been very supportive of the hardpoint system in the past as it prevents mechs from being generic gunbags with nothing defining them except how they look.

We even made a few variants on mechs to support the system in MW4(eg the Catapult and the "Katapult (PPC catapult) the name was my fault I made the mech and sent it to Jeho, our programmer, late at night (actually early in the morning) and he had it in the game the next day, I didn't want to make him rename it as that could break things, so Katapult stayed as it's name)

So again, this is a very good compromise between the two systems, I'm very pleased with the path Piranha has taken.

Edited by verybad, 04 April 2012 - 12:14 PM.

[Exilyth]

It's a nice take at doing the mechlab. Only gripe I've got is that there doesn't seem to be a complete overview, e.g. a screen that lets you view all [hit zones/component groups] and their contents at once. Aside from that, nothing to nag about. I like it. Can't wait to see it ingame.

[Max OConnor]

verybad, on 04 April 2012 - 12:13 PM, said:

Looks like a good setup. I like the restrictions of Hardpoints, as they give each mech character rather than being gunbags,and the use of critical slots makes the people that are die-hard by the TT rule fans more happy with the arrangement. The only people that seem to be unhappy are the people that manted to minmax in something more of a mechFACTORY than a mech lab. I have the feeling they'll come around though..

I've been very supportive of the hardpoint system in the past as it prevents mechs from being generic gunbags with nothing defining them except how they look.

We even made a few variants on mechs to support the system in MW4(eg the Catapult and the "Katapult (PPC catapult) the name was my fault I made the mech and sent it to Jeho, our programmer, late at night (actually early in the morning) and he had it in the game the next day, I didn't want to make him rename it as that could break things, so Katapult stayed as it's name)

So again, this is a very good compromise between the two systems, I'm very pleased with the path Piranha has taken.

I have a question VeryBad, I'm inferring from your statements that you were one of the developers for some of the mechs in the MekPaks?
What was the thinking on the development team when you guys made mechs that were cannon designs yet you didn't put the cannon weapons in place on it? The Stalker for example had to be stripped and reconfigured to be an ACTUAL Stalker for the weapons. Why wouldn't you just make it a true Stalker from the get go?

[Der Kopfsammler]

"Note: Selecting bright pink as any colour level results in Paul’s weapon systems automatically locking on to your ‘Mech whether visible or not. Just a heads up."

Amen!

[Morashtak]

Gut is telling me that this strikes the right balance. Actual testing in the ML will confirm/deny gut calibration.

[Felbombling]

A word of caution... even though there will be variant chassis to choose from, they may be restricted per House affiliation. So, for example, that sweet Hunchback you'd love to have might not be available from your unit House inventory... at least at a reasonable price point.

[sirjackinthebox]

Sounds like its prety much gonna be just like in Mechwarrior 4-Vengence.. thats all prety cool but wouldnt the fixed hard points for the verious devices and weapond be more like Omni mechs? "those didn't show up for years after" I mean the whole reason they whent the direction of Omni hard points on mechs is to get em in the shops and back out on the fly...

[Damecles]

I am pretty much loving this! When I was young I spent countless hours tickering with Inner Sphere mech variants, now I can do it again on my puter:) Thanks Mechwarrior Online!

[Aegis Kleais]

So if I get what they're saying....

If I'm in the lab and the Mech CAN support an XL Engine, I need to have it in inventory to be able to use it.

If true, then what I would suggest, is that for anything that is "purchaseable via c-bills", they offer an in-Mechlab option to "Buy XL Engine for X Cbills" option so I can equip it if I don't have it in inventory as long as I have the funds.

While I'm there, if I want to buy up some Medium Lasers, I can do so then. But like modules, if you are using an actual weapon/item in a chassis, it won't be available until you unequip it from one to put into another. That's why buying multiple of one thing might be a necessity.

[Skwisgaar Skwigelf]

StaggerCheck, on 04 April 2012 - 12:55 PM, said:

A word of caution... even though there will be variant chassis to choose from, they may be restricted per House affiliation. So, for example, that sweet Hunchback you'd love to have might not be available from your unit House inventory... at least at a reasonable price point.

Devs have stated that mechs/variants will not be restricted by faction. Price may vary but all will be available.

[Sporkosophy]

StaggerCheck, on 04 April 2012 - 12:55 PM, said:

A word of caution... even though there will be variant chassis to choose from, they may be restricted per House affiliation. So, for example, that sweet Hunchback you'd love to have might not be available from your unit House inventory... at least at a reasonable price point.

They've already said that no mech is faction locked.

[Damecles]

sirjackinthebox, on 04 April 2012 - 01:01 PM, said:

Sounds like its prety much gonna be just like in Mechwarrior 4-Vengence.. thats all prety cool but wouldnt the fixed hard points for the verious devices and weapond be more like Omni mechs? "those didn't show up for years after" I mean the whole reason they whent the direction of Omni hard points on mechs is to get em in the shops and back out on the fly...

My bet is that it will be more like the table top game (and novels), in which Omnis will be able to switch out their lasers for missles or what ever they want, where the inner sphere mechs will be limited to that particular varient. So if its lasers/PPC's, you will have to stick with that until you get a different varient. Example would be the autocannon hunchback campared the all laser hunchback. Just my 2-cents:)

[Spiralcrisis]

This is for the most part what I was expecting and wanted. It seems to be a cross between MW3 and MW4. A detailed critical slot display and hardpoint based customization. Looks like on an urban map I'll be stutting around in Yen-Lo-Wang.

[Hao Yu]

Overall, the system looks good. The hardpoints + critical slots + weapon type restrictions are a good way to include some balance. I was actually hoping they would be even stricter, but I'm optimistic and generally pleased. My few concerns were mentioned by some commenters.

First, I hope configuration swaps can't be made at will. Even replacing a single medium laser and adding a ton of armor takes labor, time and money. There should be something preventing players from swapping out weapons and gear every mission like a human being picking up and strapping on a new set of armor and equipment. Like maybe making configuration changes cost money.

Second, while I'm a fan of tabletop canon in general, I'm hoping they don't stick too closely to it with regard to some elements. They don't have to stick to canon with everything from weapon weights and crit spots. They could do it, I suppose, but they really need to go out of their way to make people like autocannons more. Otherwise everyone will be building energy or missile boats.

[Suskis]

Awful. This has very little to do with Battletech base rules. But I guess this is the price to pay for a Mechwarrior (and not a real Battletech) game. I find it quite irritating, though, that some of the best designs I created in the past years will not be obtainable with this system.

[Konrad]

Cool info, but I am also sadden that the load out system is ala'MW4 instead of how it should be.
A hard point is a hard point and it shouldn't matter what is attached to it as long as it's in weight and has enough open space.

I do understand why the current system was mostly likely chosen from a balancing stand point... but still.

[Markocius]

Ok, so Hardpoints? Really? We are going to get stuck with the mechanic that MicroShaft hoisted on us and use Hardpoints?

If this is the ONLY that comes along that I am not happy with, then I'll stomach it. However, I am not happy with this idea. One of the things I loved about the Table Top, and MechWarrior 3 was you could strip down a mech, put the weapons on there you want, and go to town!

MicroShaft limited the possible combinations we could have with a mech, by implementing this "Hardpoint" system, and I more than just loathed it. I stopped play MW4 and any Mech Game that MicroShaft put out for MechWarrior.

This limits the number of possible setups a person can make with a Mech. Not to mention, everyone person you go up against is going to know a basic idea of what your personal loadout is going to be. Such as, "Ohh, he's in a Raven, I bet he's packin' Missles and Lasers."

Thanks,
Marko