18 replies to this topic

[Merodda Glenholm]

Many Mechs sport at least some rear firing weapons, even if they are quite pitiful.

But it just occured to me that all the in game images we have seen only show forward shooting.

How will rear firing weapons work? Any ideas?

[Zack Delphirian]

Sounds complicated .
If they instal it, maybe just a "back weapon emergency fire button" without aiming.

But if you let an opponent behind your back, you deserve to die anyway !

[Arikiel]

Well I've heard you can look around the cockpit. That there will be screen to the side of your main view for secondary and tertiary funtions. Maybe one of those will be a rear view camera. Not really sure how that will work.

[Dirk Le Daring]

I doubt we will see rear firing weapons. They would be too dificult to use.

[Kanatta Jing]

It's traditional in games to switch rear firing weapons to face the front.

I expect that they will be doing so this time as well.

[UberMex]

Probably too complicated to have rear firing weapons. Keep in mind some of the old tech readouts described that some rear weapons could be flipped forward, so its not too difficult to make the case that the weapons were simplly flipped forward.
The only way I could see it working is to have a defensive fire setting like the old X-wing Alliance game.

[JazzySteel]

Well in cannon the Centurion has a rear-firing MedLas and one in the front. But the concept art shows two facing forward. Its safe to assume they will be moving them to the front.

[Sleeping Bear]

In TT rear facing weapons are desirable, in fps, please dear God no. Make em face front where I can actually use em.

[CobaltRaptor]

The rear firing weapons have been moved to front to limit headaches. That is why the Atlas had 4 forward lasers instead of 2.

[JP Josh]

i see it working if they give out quad mechs or a mech that had two people so two players are required to pilot it (yes some one is *** gunner along for the ride)

[SgtPaladin]

JazzySteel, on 16 May 2012 - 03:15 PM, said:

Well in cannon the Centurion has a rear-firing MedLas and one in the front. But the concept art shows two facing forward. Its safe to assume they will be moving them to the front.

in the interest of killing them with lasers, i endorse this decision the only other real alternative would be an 'auto turret' style which frankly could be unbalanced OR totally useless.

[Magnificent Bastard]

CobaltRaptor, on 16 May 2012 - 09:00 PM, said:

The rear firing weapons have been moved to front to limit headaches. That is why the Atlas had 4 forward lasers instead of 2.

This man speaks the truth. Case closed. We can debate the implications of this fact but the OP's question/concern is effectively addressed. There are no rear weapons.

Edited by Magnificent Bastard, 16 May 2012 - 10:19 PM.

[sabotssnake]

I'm probably in the minority it seems, but I personally think rear facing weapons should if not at launch, be implemented later. This is for a couple of reasons.

They are both canon and in table top rules. With PGI stating they are trying hard to stick closely to the legacy of table top rules, they are opening themselves up to that can of worms called "expectation of consistency."

Historically rear facing weapons themselves are usually only small or medium lasers - nothing crazy like an AC20. They should be limited to only single slot low tonnage weapons like MGs, small and medium lasers. They are designed exactly to counter the situation the Devs have purposefully created in the attempt to give lighter weight mechs purpose, by protecting vulnerable rear facings from attack. All you hear from light pilots is the wish to get behind the big bad Atlas and rip him a new one. While only a single or pair of medium lasers facing rearward doesn't sound like much of a threat to most mechs, to a light they do present enough of a threat still to buy enough time to give a pilot time to maneuver against the rushing light mech, to bring heavier weapons and armour to bear. Plus as mentioned, rear facing weapons are not only the provision of assault mechs, but other weight classes as well.

By moving rear facing weapons forward it seems you are increasing that mech's forward firepower. However in reality you are actually decreasing said mech's effectiveness by increasing the amount of heat that will be generated by adding these weapons to the primary firing arc. The mech will face greater heat concerns quicker than the original stock TRO variants were designed to cope with. So there is the trade off. Greater versatility in covering all weapon arcs for slightly less firepower, or greater offensive potential as offered currently by the Devs with the risk of a greater heat curve and an explosive ammunition cook off.

I don't think they would be too hard to implement in game mechanics. It has been hinted at or requested that the MFDs could be configurable, so having one screen showing the rear arc shouldn't be hard. Even World War one fighter planes had the technology to have rear showing mirrors. If the rear facing MFD had a targeting reticule fixed centred on the screen you could have whatever weapons facing backwards tied to a single weapons group for firing. As for aiming, it would be as simple as moving the mechs torso - although the movements would be mirrored, another balancing factor to consider.

In the end I think rear facing weapons have a place in MWO and I hope the Devs seriously consider their use. They would be something unique to this iteration of Mechwarrior. This isn't a FPS game but a sim. No running and gunning, so there should be options available to field canon variants offering greater all round defense. There will be times when a pilot will be facing foes without the aid of team mates. Bet that pilot will be wishing for that rear facing medium laser then. They may not be used by everyone, but for those who would prefer to have greater defensive capabilites over offense, I think not including rear facing weapons is a potential mistake.

[John Clavell]

Personally I always liked the idea of Rear firing weapons in MechWarrior.

[Evgeny Bear]

I saw screens of Multiplayer Battletech 3025 with weapons tagged as "Rear" does anyone know how they worked?
In MW4 you have a camera on the back, so I see no problem including such a Botton in MWO too + a crosshair for rear weapons.

[THELONGSHANKS]

I expect that they will be moved to the front.

[Evgeny Bear]

but thats not right, it makes front punch stonger as it should be

[Sheilei]

Kanatta Jing, on 16 May 2012 - 03:08 PM, said:

It's traditional in games to switch rear firing weapons to face the front.

I expect that they will be doing so this time as well.

I remember seeing this in the suggestion part of the forum. I think it was a mod who said it in a matter of fact kinda way.
Rear firing weapons won't be available.

[Nakir]

MWO does not include the use of rear firing weapons.Weapons that may be in the rear may simply be moved forward.But the use of two independent crosshairs make the game very interesting.....one of which is fixed to the arms positioned on the torso, the other movable for the weapons on the arms.Of course, some types of mech not have arms or they are fixed with the rest of the chassis....in this case the movable crosshair has a little and lesser angle shot.Topic closed.