32 replies to this topic

[ManDaisy]

While most pilots will find this feature useless, it can be an advantage in some situations. I would personally love to have a rear mounted flamer, or a rear lower torso mounted SRM launcher.

Seriously tho, this would be great for scouts that don't want to stick around.

Edited by ManDaisy, 02 February 2012 - 03:50 PM.

[Hayden]

I'm a big proponent of rear-mounted weapons and arm-flipping (where applicable). Would make close-in situations a bit more intense.

[Aegis Kleais]

I'm not for it.

Part of a Mechs limitations are that it has no weapons on its backside. A Mechs' torso twist range and speed, coupled with some footwork maneuvering, should be all you need in order to address a threat from any vector.

It's part of the benefit of Mechs who can either twist fast, or even have a full 360 degree rotation on their torso (like the Summoner) that gives them unique perks in those situations.

[ManDaisy]

Dunno where your getting your info from but plenty of mechs have rear mounted weapons.

[Mad Mage]

ManDaisy, on 02 February 2012 - 04:16 PM, said:

Dunno where your getting your info from but plenty of mechs have rear mounted weapons.

IIRC, none of the MW computer games had rear mounted weapons. Many of the players here have never played the TT version or read the books.

[CeeKay Boques]

My top three replies to rear mounting anything to do not comply with the posting etiquette guidelines.

[ManDaisy]

I suppose for YOUR generations. I bet none of you youngens remember the Solaris 7 mechwarior game for AOL and gamestorm or the short lived is 3025 by Ea.

Even so I'll give you a reason why you will love rear mounted weapons for all you nay sayers.

1) Radar detection is Line of Site.
2) Scout sneaks up behind a group of mech.
3) About faces and Fires outta it butt as it runs away.
4) When they turn around its gone... seeya! Guerilla tactics baby!

1) Your a slow assault mech that cant turn around in time.
2) Luckly you were intentionally designed to flip arms and have rear mounted weapons.
3) Now you are essentiall a wall with no blind spots as you were INTENDED to be. "look up the imp"

While I'm at it, there should be a rear view and side view monitors that you don't have to key press to access because common its 3049 and your walking in a giant robot.

Edited by ManDaisy, 02 February 2012 - 04:44 PM.

[SilentObserver]

Aegis Kleais™, on 02 February 2012 - 04:42 PM, said:

I didn't say it wasn't possible or not in lore, I just said I'm not for it.

If it was a feature on only a few limited Mechs, I'd be more fore it. But the ability to reverse arms, which often can carry a good brunt of weapons, just nullifies, for me, Mechs who have 360 torso twist and the benefit it gives those Mechs.

I'm against mechs with 360 degree torso twists. So now nobody has nice things

[Rhinehart]

Actually I could see a role for a trojan horse mech with most of its weapons and armor in the rear. Perfect for nailing the unprepared sneak or for covering a retreat. Consider sneaking up on that Awesome only to discover the torso mounted PPCs have been switched to rear facing...Ouch!

[Mad Mage]

Aegis Kleais™, on 02 February 2012 - 06:09 PM, said:

...; they just remain personal opinions, which are the main export of any forum.

I don't know alot of game forums that I have been on the main export was troll excrement......

[Durant Carlyle]

Dragon has a rear-mounted laser, as does Centurion. For the art we have, those lasers have been switched to the front arc.

Makes sense, as any rearward-facing screen we would have would be tiny, like the rear-camera views available to some cars nowadays. That or the rear view would replace the front view temporarily. Either way the MechWarrior wouldn't be able to see to the front, so any advantage would be negated. Like in the Wing Commander series, you can't pilot the ship while you are firing one of the side or rear turrets.

For the record, I too am against full torso-twisting. Should only be 90º to each side.

Edited by Durant Carlyle, 02 February 2012 - 06:35 PM.

[TheRulesLawyer]

I want a backward utilized tracking torpedo.

[ManDaisy]

rear view monitors! Quick view and fire is also a valid and easy tactic.

Edited by ManDaisy, 02 February 2012 - 07:48 PM.

[Slyck]

I am against a 360 torso twist. I had never heard that before. I'm not quite sure how thay do that with a skeletal internal structure and myomer fibers.

[Maverick Howell]

Its a novel idea and something the dev's should keep in mind. however whatever mech given this ability would definitely be the euro car at the all american muscle car convention. if you catch my drift.

[EGG]

Actually this is an excellent idea if the developers consider it worth the effort post-release.

Rear-firing weapons are a kind of cool and slightly inefficient canon item, but frankly not everyone wants them as they reduce the mainline weapon capabilty of mechs which have them. Giving players the options to mount the predefined weapon rear-ward on mechs which support it (Atlas, Dragon etc) would be an excellent solution for both camps and provide a small extra variable to the combat.

In the unlikely event it has balance issues (run away!), just reduce the size of the rear-view camera. Nobody would be able to hit anything with the MW2 Merc rear view camera.

[EGG]

I can't edit my previous post, but MechWarrior games have had a fair run, we've been seeing Centurions, Atlases, Jenners, Catapults, Dragons & Hunchbacks in MW games since 1989-1996 (probably earlier in MPBT).

It'd be nice if they could pull some new stuff out of the barrel both gameplay-concept wise (info warfare etc), and in terms of the Battletech items we haven't seen in-game before.

[Nik Van Rhijn]

Rear mounted weapons usually consisted of 1 or 2 ML's. Wolfhound has one for that "parting shot".Arm flipping is only available if Mech has no hand/lower arm actuators ie Warhammer, Blackjack, Jagermech.So unless you are building a new mech you need one of those chassis', unless that option is in the Mechlab. Personally I would like it in. Bear in mind that any rear mounted weapon is just dead weight 90% of the time. Unless your a fast mech using it as another weapon as you blitz past a bigger, slower mech. Bear in mind that theoretically all mechs had a 360 view, so some sort of rear view camera should be in. With regard to arm flippers - front view becomes rear view as it's their main weapons involved. More to the point they are then vulnerable from the front.

[Dragorath]

Wasn't already said that the view will be only to the front? In that case rear weapons would be absolutely useless.

But I would love to have some, The old Rifleman was just awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by Dragorath, 03 February 2012 - 08:15 AM.

[Kreisel]

Pardon me as I Zombie this thread rather than make a new one.

I would like to see rear firing hard points on the chassis which are known to have them in cannon, and arm flipping on Mechs known to do so in cannon. It would add an interesting dynamic. It takes weight away from the main weapon loadout in order to help deal with potental problem for less maneuverable mechs. It means scouts will have to be more aware trying to hug the back arc of a big mech, but the Mech has made a trade off to be able to gain that option (i.e the weight and crit slots for said weapon). It's also tricky to accurately make shots behind you while still worrying about whats going on in front of you, sure you can blind fire, but that may do little more than add some heat to you, and ideally you really only using those weapons until you can bring your main guns to bear, which means concentrating on your footwork more than your back arc aiming. Honestly as a scout... if that Atlas really wants to give up the tonnage to put a pair of large lasers in his backside to deal with me, I'm really actually ok with that as he's given up a loooot to threaten my approach, and if all he has is a small laser, then all it really allows him to to is lightly harass me and make me a touch more cautious, I'll still outgun him while in the rear arc.

Arm flipping is less of a cost, but it can only be done on certain mechs, and while it might be fast, it takes a moment for the arm to swing around like that, and then to line up the shot. If your foe is really paying attention, they might be able to avoid taking the brunt of it. Also it's useful for dueling, but you have to seriously consider if you want to point your big guns behind you while your in a firefight with targets infront of you as well. It also gives the Chassis that can do this a verrry unique feel, even if it doesn't get used a lot.

I'm also for 360 degree torso twist on select mechs, one of the things that makes a lot of Chassis feel different and really stand out as unique from each other in many of the mechwarrior games came down to the feature of how far the torso could twist by. 360 in particular allowed for a lot of really nice fancy footwork that you just couldn't pull off without.