32 replies to this topic

[Rejarial Galatan]

fear my dire wolf.

[Paladin1]

monky, on 25 April 2012 - 05:58 PM, said:

There is one mech I dislike solely based on its name.

Out of all the cheesy or overdone names or names that just don't make sense it is this singular mech that I can't stand because of it.

Albatross.

Seriously. It might as well be named 'Pidgeon of the sea'. There is nothing remotely militaristic or charming about it.

The best names are ones like Whitman or Blackjack or Jenner... they don't sound like they're trying to toot their own horn or something that's just blatantly named after a fearsome animal, but rather something that might actually be military equipment or a manufacturer's designation or even a popular name.

Honestly, while I've never been much on the Albatross design, I had a friend from the TT side of the game who's callsign was Albatross. He passed away a few years back and I've never been able to look at the Albatross the same way since. It's an odd name, yes, but it's sentimental to a few of us, so I never really considered it a bad name so much as a mediocre design associated with a departed friend.

[Corbon Zackery]

The never ever seen:
Sasquatch SQS-TH-002!!!!!!!!!!

A Solaris VII BattleMech, the Sasquatch was to be VEST's entry into the Assault 'Mech category. After producing a prototype 'Mech, someone stole it out of the VEST facility. VEST immediately redesigned the Sasquatch to destroy the stolen 'Mech. To increase the speed over the original, engineers used an XXL Engine. By stripping out the secondary weapons of the original, VEST was able to increase armor protection and add a Large Shield for additional protection. The stolen prototype Sasquatch faced the updated model, and was soundly defeated.

Armament
The Sasquatch's main armament is its Grizzard Model 200 Gauss Rifle, which is backed up by three Martell-X Medium Pulse Lasers and a single Exostar Small Laser. For additional protection, it mounts a Large Shield on its left arm.

Long live the Sasquatch!

[Corbon Zackery]

I have one more for tonight this is a 3067 modle when FASA was having tough times. Sales were down they released one more tech readout. Trying to get people into 3060 warfare. The results a utter failer.

I give you the Great all powerful!
Great Turtle!


Description
The Great Turtle was designed as an experiment in MechWarrior safety. With the recovery of the Helm Memory Core, weapons technology had advanced more in the twenty years between the Fourth Succession War and the Clan Invasion than it had in the previous three hundred years. One effect of these advances in weapons was the dramatic reduction of a MechWarrior's lifespan. Many weapons could destroy a 'Mech's head, engine, or gyro with one shot, leaving the Mechwarrior dead or wounded.^[3]
VEST took the concept of MechWarrior protection to an extreme. The Great Turtle uses a quad chassis to hold the maximum amount of armor possible. The Great Turtle's armor weighs as much as a Clint BattleMech. For more protection the VEST engineers used experimental Hardened Armor that effectively provides twice as much protection as standard armor. This means that the Great Turtle can take staggering amounts of damage without worrying the pilot. Enemies who target the 'Mech's head looking for a clean kill will be disappointed. The Hardened armor can withstand a Gauss Rifle hit, but more importantly the Great Turtle uses a Torso Mounted Cockpit to provide extra protection for the pilot. Using a standard engine reduces the possibility of an engine explosion, and a Compact Gyro further increases longevity.^[3]
To provide additional mobility, the Great Turtle is equipped with three torso-mounted Jump Jets. These allow the Great Turtle to get out of sticky situations relatively quickly.^[3]

With its focus on defense, the 'Mech's armament is very low. The Great Turtle's main armament is its Sutel Precision Line Large Pulse Laser with Bethel Labs X-Pulse, which is backed up by three Sutel Precision Line Medium Pulse Laser with Bethel Labs X-Pulse, all of which are linked to a Targeting Computer.


MMM nothing like turtle soup dont ask how your going to see your enemy since your in the CT of the Qaud mech.

Edited by Corbon Zackery, 25 April 2012 - 07:34 PM.

[Volturnus]

The Awesome.

Edited by Volturnus, 25 April 2012 - 07:43 PM.

[BFett]

Starslayer

Edited by BFett, 25 April 2012 - 07:46 PM.

[Monky]

Paladin1, on 25 April 2012 - 07:13 PM, said:

Honestly, while I've never been much on the Albatross design, I had a friend from the TT side of the game who's callsign was Albatross. He passed away a few years back and I've never been able to look at the Albatross the same way since. It's an odd name, yes, but it's sentimental to a few of us, so I never really considered it a bad name so much as a mediocre design associated with a departed friend.

It's different as a callsign, your callsign can be anything. A vehicle's name, though, is something that should be unique to it. Kind of like a HMMWV is known as a Hum-Vee or Hummer, rather than a Deathblitz 2000 or a Salty Penguin.

However, I am sorry for your loss. I'm sure it was an honor to pilot in a lance with Albatross. I'll drink a beer for them tonight

[Rejarial Galatan]

<calls his lance of Timber Wolves into Line Abreast> We are here to honor a fallen warrior. Albatross, you fought well.
<all mechs fire a shot for a 21 gun salute>

[LordDeathStrike]

Corbon Zackery, on 25 April 2012 - 07:33 PM, said:

I have one more for tonight this is a 3067 modle when FASA was having tough times. Sales were down they released one more tech readout. Trying to get people into 3060 warfare. The results a utter failer.

I give you the Great all powerful!
Great Turtle!


Description
The Great Turtle was designed as an experiment in MechWarrior safety. With the recovery of the Helm Memory Core, weapons technology had advanced more in the twenty years between the Fourth Succession War and the Clan Invasion than it had in the previous three hundred years. One effect of these advances in weapons was the dramatic reduction of a MechWarrior's lifespan. Many weapons could destroy a 'Mech's head, engine, or gyro with one shot, leaving the Mechwarrior dead or wounded.^[3]
VEST took the concept of MechWarrior protection to an extreme. The Great Turtle uses a quad chassis to hold the maximum amount of armor possible. The Great Turtle's armor weighs as much as a Clint BattleMech. For more protection the VEST engineers used experimental Hardened Armor that effectively provides twice as much protection as standard armor. This means that the Great Turtle can take staggering amounts of damage without worrying the pilot. Enemies who target the 'Mech's head looking for a clean kill will be disappointed. The Hardened armor can withstand a Gauss Rifle hit, but more importantly the Great Turtle uses a Torso Mounted Cockpit to provide extra protection for the pilot. Using a standard engine reduces the possibility of an engine explosion, and a Compact Gyro further increases longevity.^[3]
To provide additional mobility, the Great Turtle is equipped with three torso-mounted Jump Jets. These allow the Great Turtle to get out of sticky situations relatively quickly.^[3]

With its focus on defense, the 'Mech's armament is very low. The Great Turtle's main armament is its Sutel Precision Line Large Pulse Laser with Bethel Labs X-Pulse, which is backed up by three Sutel Precision Line Medium Pulse Laser with Bethel Labs X-Pulse, all of which are linked to a Targeting Computer.


MMM nothing like turtle soup dont ask how your going to see your enemy since your in the CT of the Qaud mech.

4 xpulse lasers, this turtle cooks its own soup!

[Straylight]

Mad Cat – So called by IS pilots because it combined both the firepower and physical resemblance of two other machines they were familiar with: the Marauder and the Catapult.

Shadow Hawk – Considering Smoke Jaguars, Ghost Bears, Fire Cats, Night Boars, Sphinx Raptors and so forth are actual animals in the BTU, is it so hard to imagine there might be an actual Shadow Hawk too? Ditto Phoenix Hawk and Fire Moth, while we’re at it. Besides, there are several actual businesses using the name. It’s also a golf course, a janitorial supply wholesaler, a town in North Carolina, and a comic book character.

Woodsman – What’s wrong with this one? Woodsman as analogous to Ranger or Hunter, or to a lumberjack; connotations of toughness and strength, longevity and resourcefulness, a loner who can operate in the wilds for long periods of time, who works hard and thrives in a dangerous place? Sounds right to me for an Omnimech that served for over a century.

Linebacker – Makes sense to me, but I suppose you have to know American Football to “get” this one. The idea here is that the ‘mech looks like a crouching defensive lineman, I think.

Jagermech – Jager comes from the Germanic language group, where it variously translates as “hunter” or “fighter”. In military contexts, it could also be read as “rifleman”, which not-coincidentally is the name of the ‘mech the Jagermech was designed to replace.

Urbanmech – Hey, it may be not be an original name, but it IS apt. It’s a ‘mech designed for urban combat, isn’t it?

Ostroc, Ostsol, Ostscout, Ostwar – Well, these were all produced by a company called Ostmann Industries, for one. “Ost” again comes from Germanic roots and means “east”. “Roc”, “Sol”, “Scout”, and “War” are all hopefully self-explanatory. Similar but unrelated is the Ostrogoth, an Omnifighter developed by the Ghost Bears (The Ostrogoths and the Visigoths—whom the Jade Falcons named an Omnifighter after—were two branches of the Goths, a 3rd-5th Century AD Germanic tribe).

Celestial series – These are all names for divine or supernatural beings. Malak is the Semitic word for angel, Preta are insatiably hungry ghosts in Buddhist and Hindu mythology (this is also where the Japanese gaki come from); the Grigori (egregoroi), or Watchers, are a type of angel or fallen angel mentioned in various sources—here probably referring to the version mentioned in the Book of Enoch; Devas are supernatural beings in Buddhist and Hindu mythology; Seraphs are fiery, six-winged beings sometimes depicted as serpents in Abrahamic mythology, as the highest order of angels in Christian hierarchy, and as fifth highest of ten in Jewish; Arcangels (from the Greek, lit. “chief of angels”) is a term from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and refers to high-ranking angels.

Scarabus – Probably from the Egyptian depiction of scarab beetles and generally from insect-as-plague-bringer imagery, considering the Scarabus was designed as a direct competitor to the Locust. There may also be an in-joke here, as Scarabus is the name of an Ian Gillan Band album from 1977.

Bandersnatch – I… y’h… really? You don’t know what a Bandersnatch is? Not even if I tell you it’s a fruminous creature and that it, like the Jubjub bird, is something you should beware? Fine: Link. Other Link.

Albatross – “The most legendary of birds” isn’t appropriate for a ‘mech? Particularly a ‘mech designed as a safeguard against renewed clan aggression by the Knights of the Inner Sphere? There’s nothing charming about one of the largest birds in the world? You, my friend, really need to brush up on your Coleridge.

Jenner – An English surname. The ‘mech may be named after Bruce Jenner, an Olympic track & field gold medalist in 1976 (he also plays the step-father on Keeping Up With The Kardashians). Interestingly, the Jenner’s successor, the Owens, is named after a song. (And I bet you’ve all heard that song in old Looney Tunes shorts dozens of times and never knew that it wasn’t something they made up for the show, did you?)

Hauptmann – means “captain” in German.

Flashman – Probably named after the antagonist in Thomas Hughes’ Tom Brown’s School Days, or perhaps after George MacDonald Fraser’s Flashman novels, the protagonist of which was the same character as an adult.

Ryoken – The designer probably meant 猟犬, lit. “hunting dog”. The name fits quite well, I think.

Sasquatch – Anglicized form of sásq’ets from the Salishan language group of the Pacific Northwest. We have plenty of ‘mechs named after other cryptids and legendary creatures, so why not Bigfoot?

Great Turtle – A mythological figure that appears in several traditions is a giant turtle or tortoise that contains or supports the world. Plus, if you’re drawing from nature imagery and want something that speaks to an unparalleled ability to soak fire—a hard shell, if you will—turtles and tortoises are a fairly obvious answer.

Awesome – Despite the word’s overuse as a slang term for impressive or cool, it literally means “inspiring awe”, and awe is, well, let’s just go with dictionary.com’s definition: “an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like.” 3 PPCs? I’d say that fits.

* * *

I guess my point is: I don’t really think any of the ‘mech names out there are all that strange; certainly none of them are “unusural”!

Battlemech names, like all things, are all about context.

[Outrider01]

Nick Makiaveli, on 25 April 2012 - 01:37 PM, said:

Linebacker is stupid. Woodsman is borderline at best. But the others? Really? You do know that Jagermech come from the German for Hunter right?

Panzerjäger (German "armour-hunters" or "tank-hunters", abbreviated to Pz.Jg. in German) was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger. They wore ordinary field-gray uniforms rather than the black of the Panzer troops; those Panzerjäger troops who crewed the tank-destroyers however wore the Panzer jacket in field gray.

Was supposed to be the equivilent of a tank destroyer and with 4 autocannons + thin armor the Jaegermech sort of fits that role of earlier of tank destroyers of WWII.

[Monky]

If there is one thing that is true, you can justify anything if you think hard enough in an attempt to do so. For instance;

Salty Penguin; Greatly survivable and durable mech designed for arctic warfare conditions, resembles a bird and is flightless.

It does not however make it a good name for a mechanized piece of military equipment. An Albatross, merely because it is big or mentioned by a certain author somewhere in a favorable light, is no different from a sea pidgeon. In fact to me, the Albatross around the neck is the more stand-out reference, and I can't say I'd want to pilot something with that connotation. Context is one thing - obscure references shoehorned into resembling context is another.

Edited by monky, 26 April 2012 - 03:05 PM.

[Storm McIntyre]

Hmmm....

Hammerhands.


I just can't even read that name without busting out in laughter.