41 replies to this topic

[Spinning Burr]

Share your thoughts on what makes the "perfect" mech. Don't think of a real model, but an ideal perhaps impossible combination of strengths. Also don't include artificial game exploits and broken code as it now stands, but do include overpowering weapons and technology working as it is designed to work in accordance with the rules. For example, lagshield, no collisions, and faulty hitboxes (i.e. the Raven strengths) don't make the perfect mech as it exploits what is broken in beta. On the other hand, ECM and streak SRM's (i.e. the Raven strengths) can contribute to the "perfect" mech as these are legitimate weapons and countermeasures.

[Voridan Atreides]

Mad Cat.....duh.

[verybad]

Depends on the pilots strengths, as well as the map. I don't think there is a "perfect mech" unless you have something ridiculously overpowered. Some pilots stick to their favorite mech so long that they get very skilled in it, but they may be a bit lost in other mechs...

[Bguk]

Whichever one I happen to be driving, duh.

My founders Jenner. I prefer speed so most mechs fast are what I like.

[Joseph Mallan]

The perfect Mech is... YES.

[hammerreborn]

The one you're best in.

[Spinning Burr]

So here is my example of "perfect" mech: fast, well armored, small profile, and ECM. These four qualities taken together make you the perfect mech defensively speaking. Hard to hit due to speed and small size. Can't lock missiles to overcome speed and aiming difficulty. Hard to cripple or kill if you do hit due to lots of armor. Offensively, strong alpha damage, wide min/max range of weaponry (from point blank to over 600 meters), reasonable heat to prevent shutdown, no obvious weakness in weapons to exploit in counterattack, and (of course) streak SRMs.

[hammerreborn]

So...this is a thinly disguised 3Ls are OP thread?

Spinning Burr, on 30 January 2013 - 10:29 AM, said:

So here is my example of "perfect" mech: fast, well armored, small profile, and ECM. These four qualities taken together make you the perfect mech defensively speaking. Hard to hit due to speed and small size. Can't lock missiles to overcome speed and aiming difficulty. Hard to cripple or kill if you do hit due to lots of armor. Offensively, strong alpha damage, wide min/max range of weaponry (from point blank to over 600 meters), reasonable heat to prevent shutdown, no obvious weakness in weapons to exploit in counterattack, and (of course) streak SRMs.

[Spinning Burr]

I think the ECM Raven and ECM Cicada might be the perfect defensive mechs by above qualities. What comes close to perfect in offensive firepower?

[hammerreborn]

There is nothing defensive about a 3L or 3M....

Hell, there's nothing defensive about a single mech in this game other than the centurions shield arm.

[Dirus Nigh]

verybad, on 30 January 2013 - 10:25 AM, said:

Depends on the pilots strengths, as well as the map. I don't think there is a "perfect mech" unless you have something ridiculously overpowered. Some pilots stick to their favorite mech so long that they get very skilled in it, but they may be a bit lost in other mechs...

Pretty much what I was thinking.

There are times I use a specific variant or chassis almost exclusively for several days. When I do switch mechs its like riding someone else's bicycle.

The best mechs are the ones any individual player enjoys using. The ones that they use so much that they start to intuitvily know how to maneuver it, and the best ways to employ its weaponry.

For me the Hunchback and Atlas are those mechs.

However to answer the OP's question more directly.

I think the hunchback with its variants is the most well rounded mech in the game. There is a variant for almost all play styles. It can take a beating, can deliver allot if fire power, and it has an adequate base line for maneuverability.

Over all the hunchback chassis is working as expected. In all incarnations of battletech the 50-65 ton range has been the sweet spot for protection, fire power, and maneuverability.

Edited by Dirus Nigh, 30 January 2013 - 10:47 AM.

[CheebaMech]

Favorite: Timberwolf/Madcat Mkii; incredible firepower, 90 tons, jump jets. That is all.

[Spinning Burr]

hammerreborn, on 30 January 2013 - 10:31 AM, said:

So...this is a thinly disguised 3Ls are OP thread?

No actually, it isn't. What this is, is an exercise of just going back to the drawing board based on our experience of what works and what doesn't in real (virtual) combat in Mechwarrior and share the qualities that make the perfect mech, real or imagined. But I do agree with you, that Raven 3L just so happens by coincidence to have many of these qualities, but not all these qualities. For example, it lacks relative alpha damage punch. It's no splatcat. Nor does it have distance weaponry (lets define that as at least the distance of large laser or AC10 as entry point to distance weaponry). But I do think that the Raven makes for a strong case for approaching the perfect mech. There are others.

[Lukoi Banacek]

A mech heavy enough to carry 3E, 3B, 2M (although that might not be a person's actual build...it's nice to have the options), AMS, ECM and move at least 101kph post-tweak, with a Catapault like torso twist AND arms and preferably the ability to mount about 422 points in armor.

Of course...that'd be OP as hell I imagine, so I'm not holding my breath

Also, it should have external speakers that I could blast music/insults through during the matches.

And a drink cooler. Gets hot in those cockpits. Don't forget the drink cooler.

[Spinning Burr]

I started thinking about this while piloting my 3M Cicada. I hate Ravens and never pilot one. The cicada is one of the smallest profiles to hit, yet durable if you load on the armor (unlike spider and commando which lack armor). ECM makes it harder to find and lock. Speed with ECM allows you mobility on the map like nothing else. So it got me thinking about "perfect" qualities in general.

[jshill78]

CPLT-C1

86.4 KPH
2 SRM6
2 Large Laser
2 Medium Laser

Fast, can't take out all weapons before killing it, good armor, awesome torso twist. Decent punch, decent reach. I had my best round ever in it with 1,106 damage, 3 kills, and 2 assists.

I consider it MY perfect mech.

[Valkaryie]

PGI still has not brought out the perfect mech in my mind cause it fits my play style " Victor/Highlander" basically brother cousin mechs speed power and useable jump jets. But as it stands now Id say the Hunchback speed power and very versitile at making different configs to do certain roles in the game and be very good at these roles for its weight

[Khobai]

The perfect mech is either the Atlas-D-DC or Raven-3L depending on your playstyle.

[Rakashan]

The perfect mech is the one that suits *your* playstyle best. For me, that's a defensive brawler... Lots of armor, speed to close, a moderate loadout of weapons including a couple with the range to make people duck while I close and then a solid punch inside 270m coupled with decent torso twist and arm swing.

Weapons (i.e. hardpoints) need to be from the same family (energy/ballistic/missile) or have comparable flight times to facilitate grouping (arms and torso can be separate families, obviously). That means I don't mind mixing PPCs and AC/2s, for example. I also don't much like missiles although that is totally a personal preference.

Although they would suit my playstyle, I don't carry ECM and rarely use SSRMs because I believe that they are a crutch which lowers your damage output to eliminate the need for skills that I should have developed on my own (whether I have or not is my own problem) like staying in cover or properly aiming my own missiles.

[Elkfire]

The perfect mech for me is pretty much the Uziel (duh, see sig). Good blend of speed, maneuverability, armor, and firepower. My favorite weapon has always been the PPC, so the variant with PPCs in the arms is, personally, the best fitting mech I've ever encountered in the Mechwarrior games. Unfortunately it doesn't have many variants, so we probably won't ever see it in MWO :/

Alternatively, the Storm Crow/Ryoken; same general strengths as the Uziel with a more punchy, packed frame that means it's harder to take out individual components.

Edited by Elkfire, 30 January 2013 - 11:05 AM.