8 replies to this topic

[Artgathan]

The Crab (http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Crab) has to be one of the coolest looking mechs in Battletech. The sleek, non-humanoid profile easily sets it apart from other battlemechs. The same goes for the King Crab (http://www.sarna.net/wiki/King_Crab). Flyingdebris has already done an amazing overhaul of the art for both chassis, which can be found here: https://encrypted-tb...W5AvgK8AnchkqYw

If you don't think those look awesome... You make me sad.

The biggest problem with the Crab is that there are essentially 3 variants (which are basically the same mech):

CRB-27

• Ferros-Fibrous Armor
  
• 250 Standard Engine (Max Speed of 86.4 km/h)
  
• 2 Large Lasers
  
• 1 Medium Laser
  
• 1 Small Laser
  
• "Advanced Communication Gear"

CRB-27SL

• Ferro-Fibrous Armor
  
• 250 XL Engine (86.4 km/h)
  
• 2 Large Pulse Lasers
  
• 1 Medium Pulse Laser
  
• 1 Medium Laser
  
• 5 Jump Jets (Jump Range: 150m)
  
• 14 Double Heat Sinks

CRB-30

• Ferro-Fibrous Armor
  
• 250 XL Engine (86.4 km.h)
  
• 2 ER PPCs
  
• 1 ER Medium Laser
  
• 1 ER Small Laser
  
• Double Heat Sinks
  
• ECM Suite
  
• "Improved C3 Computer"

So basically it breaks down into your Standard Crab, Standard Crab + Jump Jets, and Standard Crab + ECM. The nice thing about it is that it adds a fast moving medium mech that isn't a Cicada, while boasting a decent amount of firepower. The downside is that all the variants seem to boast the same set of energy hardpoints. I think PGI could get around this by giving the base model (the CRB-27) a few extra laser hardpoints (or maybe a second AMS unit) or an extra module slot to make it a viable choice compared with the CRB-30. The same could go for the CRB-27SL (the jump jet one).

The same is also true of the King Crab (the variants are all pretty same-y). Additionally, most of the King Crab's variants appear after the clan invasion, so there currently aren't even 3 variants in the game world.

That said, wrecking face with 2 AC20 (in a mech designed for it) would be awesome.

As a final point:

[Attalward]

LOve it i already knew about them. And yep the problem is the variants system.

But hey you at least solved the crab one. It would be nice to have one.

[Kyryos]

Not gonna lie, it looks bad ***.

[General Taskeen]

As long as the badass, crustacean look is kept for both Crabs (very low profile), they would make cool additions.

[Strum Wealh]

The CRB-30 doesn't come into being until 3061.

As far as Crab variants go, we'd likely be looking at the CRB-27 (the archetypical Crab), the CRB-27sl (described in Era Report: 2750), and the CRB-20 (the low-tech variant provided to the DCMS by ComStar during the War of 3039).

From the record sheets and the Sarna description of the -27sl, the problem with the Crab (besides being yet another 50-tonner, alongside the Centurion and Hunchback and Trebuchet) is that the minimum hardpoints are all the same (that is, they start with similar weapons in the same places), and none of them carry weapons in their side-torsos (which would both generally translate into not doing so in MWO, and would hamper what could be done with regard to flexibility as far as adding hardpoints to make each variant sufficiently unique).

[nostra]

Number of variants aside, I really hope we see these two designs in the game and soon. Alex Iglesias is really the first artist to really do them justice, too. While the basic art for them in Classic Battletech looks good, and the Crab miniature looks good...both the Dark Age and Ironwind Metals miniatures of the King Crab look pathetic....tiny and gangly and underwhelming, especially for a 100 ton 'mech. I can't wait to see these 'mechs in MWO and looking as cool as this.

[FerrolupisXIII]

those redesigned drawings are awesome, i love how the mech looks. really threatening while still retaining the "crab' look.

unfortunately as has been said, without enough different variants in timeline, they just aren't going to add them.

as far as the load outs all being similar, several of the stalkers are the same hard points, or nearly so, or just short versus other variants. and generally we as pilots like to strip them all down and match up weapons to our preferences anyhow. so i don't see that being a problem.

[buttmonkey]

will be awsome to see more different mechs in the game, it would be dissapointing if we ended up with only humanoid looking mechs. personally i would love to see this one too
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Tarantula

[Artgathan]

Strum Wealh, on 26 January 2013 - 12:18 PM, said:

The CRB-30 doesn't come into being until 3061.

As far as Crab variants go, we'd likely be looking at the CRB-27 (the archetypical Crab), the CRB-27sl (described in Era Report: 2750), and the CRB-20 (the low-tech variant provided to the DCMS by ComStar during the War of 3039).

From the record sheets and the Sarna description of the -27sl, the problem with the Crab (besides being yet another 50-tonner, alongside the Centurion and Hunchback and Trebuchet) is that the minimum hardpoints are all the same (that is, they start with similar weapons in the same places), and none of them carry weapons in their side-torsos (which would both generally translate into not doing so in MWO, and would hamper what could be done with regard to flexibility as far as adding hardpoints to make each variant sufficiently unique).

I didn't realize the CRB-30 only appeared that much later. Ugh.

That said, I'd be perfectly willing to have a more 'liberal' interpretation of the hard-points if it meant we'd get to see the Crab in game. Maybe they could introduce a non-cannon variant that mounts a pair of AC/2s to imitate the King Crab?