7 replies to this topic

[Lanc3rz3r0]

OK, 1) i was unsure where to post this and 2) I don't know if it bothers anyone else but:

OK, so in poking around in Sarna.net, i have seen like six or seven mech chassis that have a"heavier" variant. this seems wrong to me. there are a number of instances where Word of Blake (who i realize wont be around for another 100+ years in MWO timeline) adding 5-10 tons onto a particular mech to add utility. another example the Hollander (not mod'd by WoB)

"BZK-F5 - The F5 variant, called the Hollander II is a variant of the Hollander that looks to alleviate the 'Mech's problems by increasing the 'Mech's weight by ten tons, pushing it into the medium weight class. The 'Mech carries a Gauss Rifle as its primary weapon. This is backed up by a single Medium Laser and a Streak SRM-2 launcher."

adding 10 tons? uhm... the reason mechs weigh a certain tonnage is because that is how much the chassis was designed to carry, meaning the legs themselves, and the mech's torso are only designed to carry so much weight. you cant just "add to it" because you feel like it, not without reworking the entire structure around it...

there is a mech mod'd by the WoB (mentioned above) that adds fifteen tons. 15 tons! it ads a C3 master, 5 tons of armor and... i forget what weapons... that makes it almost a completely different mech!

it'd be like going "see that commando there? thats my custom commando, I added an autocannon to the arm, swapped the SRM 2 for an LRM 5, changed the small lasers to medium, and added 4 tons of armor."
the other engineers would look at the guy who did that and say "hey, bro, we already have a mech like that. the centurion. look it up, man."

[Adridos]

You know, they completely remake those mechs with each variant....

[Talon Thorn]

I'm sure the WOB did a full redesign, and didn't just slap an extra 15 tons of armor on... that would be silly.

[Quentin Yatoki]

Well, it happens in real life. Check out the F/A-18A-D and then compare it to the F/A-18E/F. The E/F has a 25% larger wing, and 20% larger overall. It also has more weapons hardpoints and improved aerodyamic characteristics. It's a different plane, yes, but it runs about 90% of the same components as the original.
http://en.wikipedia..../F_Super_Hornet
Making a II variant of a Mech is the same thing. It's improving the design, while maintaining ease of maintaince because you don't need to retrain your people or change your spare part's stores.

[Redshift2k5]

Upgrading the weapon on the F5 variant only adds 3 or 4 tons. I would expect must of the rest of the 6 or 7 tons that were added went into adding more robust structural elements to support a notably heavier mech. It's different enough overall it is called the Hollander II and not just another Hollander.

[Der Basilisk]

The Hollander II is not a variant of the standard Hollander, just a Mech that was build to cope with its problems (but not solving it). Same with the Marauder II. Only difference is, that the Holander II doesn´t show up in any TRO i know in the 45 tons section. All this tlaking about the F5-Variant and adding ten tons is just flavor text.

[Hellgardia]

The Hollander II is a bit of a redesign of the Hollander not a variant of the original one...

Edited by Aniquilator6, 27 May 2012 - 05:25 AM.

[Lanc3rz3r0]

thats fair, I had not done any homework on how often it happens in real world military, but I suppose its really no different than the Zaku I and Zaku II from MS Gundam, being that the II uses 80% the same parts as the I. it just irk'd me. of course, I was shocked anyway to see the Hollander being a 100% support mech, as the first i had ever even heard of the design was in Mechcommander, where it had several other weapons which made it a semi-viable chassis. (in this case that variant would be the Hollander II seen above, i guess, as it was indeed a 45 ton mech, if memory serves.)

Edit:

just looked it up: it is the Hollander II in Mechcommander lol...

Edited by Alexander Johannisburg, 29 May 2012 - 03:09 AM.