Well, this is embarrassing...

Greetings Mechwarriors,

I have previously said that my favorite Mech, my favorite build, and my bread and butter is my WVR-6R. I have made only one change to that build in at least 2 months, and even that change was minimal. I moved the ammunition out of the legs into each of the torsos, added a jump jet, and lost a ton of SRM ammo. That was it. I still love this Mech, sure; it's a lot of fun to pilot. I'm still even able to do well with it, jumping from platform to platform, trying my best to get a decent Alpha. The thing is, though, there's another Mech in my life.

I have more or less fallen in love with my Thunderbolt-9SE. This thing has everything that I could want. It has pulse lasers. It has jump jets. It has a Beagle Active Probe. It has a top speed higher than 65kph. I pair that whooping skill set with cooldown and Target Info Gathering modules. Boom, 800+ damage without even trying. "Oh, what's that? Your torso has no armor? Please, let me provide some relief to your misery."

I will admit, though, that there are issues with this Mech. The torso twist speed isn't amazing and that can lead to issues. Considering that I have two large pulse lasers in the right arm and two medium pulse lasers in the left torso, I have to pick a side to show my foes. When I have to torso twist to prevent taking a lot of damage to a component (my right side), I try to focus the damage more to the left. Even if I lose the medium lasers, it's likely that I'll still have my right arm. I do change this up a bit, depending on the health of my Mech. For situations where I have to retreat, I have also added more rear armor for my right torso. It'd be a real shame to lose those pulse lasers.

Given the slight missteps that would cost me dearly, regardless of the Mech I'm in, I find that I do rather well with this build. When I want to take out my disdain for my fellow players, I run my TDR-9SE. Even more so than that, I run my TDR when I'm, well, a little jaded with MWO. If I've lost four matches in a row, for whatever reason, I take out my TDR. It gives me the little boost of confidence that I need to stay in the game. Sure, MWO could be the kind of game that gives you bonuses for losing, *cough cough* COD *cough cough*, but it has taken the high road and only rewards players for their capabilities in the right Mech. And that's why I enjoy my TDR-9SE,

Good luck and good hunting, pilots.

Melee Weapons and You : II

Greetings Mechwarriors,

Last time I talked a little bit about melee weapons and their place in MWO. Long story short, they don't have a place in MWO! There are many challenges that would have to be addressed before one could even hope to see them.

Collision detection, for one, would have to be much better. Sure, walls, buildings, and large trees are solid with good collision detection, but that's to be expected. I know that I've been able to clip through a few of the smaller obstacles and I'm sure we've all experienced clipping through a teammate that doesn't respect our personal bubble. I can only imagine the challenge of making not only the collision detection accurate enough, but also the physics accurate enough. Imagine sinking your weapon into an enemy Mech. Realistically, you'd be able to let go of the weapon or probably at least lift it out of the wriggling remains of your enemy. This would be extremely difficult to do without just having the weapon clip through your target a certain distance and then clipping back out, or just having the weapon clip out of your Mech's hand.

Balancing such a weapon would also be difficult. It's hard to see how a lucky "one hit KO" swing on a Firestarter would become a popular mechanic. As it is, a lot of people are abandoning light Mechs in favor of the larger variety of heavier Mechs. Hopefully, that will change with upcoming Mech releases, but still. It wouldn't be hard to imagine that a well placed swing could also KO a Mech outfitted with an IS XL engine. I suppose that they could have the weapon just get lodged in the enemy and reduce the armor of the affected component to zero, but that doesn't really work either as it could easily be followed up with an Alpha strike to down the enemy. I'm not saying that you can't "one-shot" a cored enemy as it is, but I don't think that it needs to be able to happen more often, even with how realistic it may be for melee weapons.

To continue on balancing such a feature, how would it make sense to reflect a melee weapon while outfitting your Mech? Obviously, you'd have to dedicate that arm to the melee slot and nothing else, but what kind of restrictions would be put on the rest of the loadout? Would it make sense to limit a melee carrying Mech to just a couple other weapons, considering that they could potentially leg an enemy Mech with one swing?

And what about targeting? I mean, really. Sure, we all get close enough to an enemy on occasion that we could realistically take a swing at them, but let's be real. Unless PGI didn't severely limit the loadout of a melee weapon toting Mech, you'd be almost useless if you couldn't get up close! I will admit that there are already some useless Mechs in the game, but that's a different argument.

And what about friendly fire? It works now that you're able to clip through a teammate that gets too close and you both take a little damage, but imagine a teammate turning to run for cover only to run directly into your melee weapon and core himself. Yeah, that's hilarious, but it doesn't make it a good mechanic.

Lastly, do I think that melee weapons could be done properly in MWO? Yes, but not by PGI. There, I said it.

Good luck and good hunting, pilots.

Mini-Update

Greetings Mechwarriors,

Just a short update today as I prepare for my normal posting.

We will soon see a change in the rewards that are given at the end of CW matches based on which Faction players are contracted with. I'm not entirely sure why PGI would change the rewards, where currently the Loyalty Points gained are almost meaningless. As stated before, the only reward players actually get, at the moment, is C-Bills. Details here.

There was also a recent Town Hall Meeting with Russ Bullock of PGI. I wasn't able to listen into the meeting hosted by No Guts No Galaxy due to my time zone, but I am glad that these are happening and I might post about the questions answered there.

There is another weekend Tournament going on this weekend! Although I participated in the last one and was glad to win myself a free Mech, I probably won't go all out on this one. We'll see! I am a better pilot now than I was then.

Now, most importantly, I have some great news from the LMC. A few of our members have been hard at work creating customized forum signatures for our members! They have done a fantastic job and I look forward to using mine on the MWO forums.

Good luck and good hunting, pilots.

Melee Weapons and You : I

Greetings Mechwarriors,

3023: what a year to be a Merc. This year saw renewed contracting of two of the most highly regarded Merc units in the Inner Sphere, Kell Hounds and Wolf’s Dragoons. The Thumpers were also formed by Defiance Industries, who soon after disbanded the unit, to showcase their assault Mech capabilities. The Thumpers would later contract with the Lyran Commonwealth, the Free Rasalhague Republic, and the Capellan Confederation. Gilmour MilTech manufacturing was also formed and specialized in serving the Merc community with custom rebuilds and refurbishing. A good year to be a gun for hire, for sure! What more does a Merc need other than a generous contract?

“But the year is now 3050”, you might protest, “who cares about the Mercs of that time!?” Rest assured, I don’t care much either. I’d like to talk about another important, although Merc inspired, development in 3023. One that many hope will someday affect the players of MWO. Yes, that’s right, melee weapons!

Many fans of the Battletech universe will instantly recognize the popular Axman Battlemech. I know I do, but that is mostly due a childhood friend owning one of these puppies. Who needs lasers and missiles when you have a massive axe that can cleave the limbs from your enemy!? It was not uncommon for Mech pilots to wield trees or steel beams when low on ammo, but these were far from being standard issue! Although being one of the more recognizable Mechs of Battletech, the Axman was not the first Mech to feature a melee weapon. 3023: Enter Lyran innovation and the Hatchetman! The Hatchetman’s massive popularity comes from the multiple innovations incorporated in its design and later variants would provide impressive lethality.

When shopping around for a Mech capable of urban combat, search no further than the Hatchetman. With its jump capabilities, AC/10, substantially capable targeting computer, eleven heatsinks, unique full-head ejection system, and scale hatchet, the Hatchetman has a little bit of everything for everyone. Imagine slipping in and out of buildings, bidding your time, until you see your chance! With a quick lunge forward and a stroke of your hatchet, you could rend an arm or leg “clean” off an enemy Mech! Follow with an AC round to the core and that’s a job well done.

So, who in MWO wants their Hatchetman? Their Axman, Scarabus, Nightsky, Flashfire, Ti Ts’ang, No-Dachi, Berserker, or Buccaneer? All of these Mechs would have been in circulation during the 3050-3060 period and featured different kinds of melee weapons. There are many things in MWO that would need to be addressed if melee weapons were to be integrated. Balancing the game, at least, after such an addition would be an interesting challenge. Next time, I'll talk more about why I don't think this mechanic would work in MWO, even though I wish it could!

Good luck and good hunting, pilots.

Sources:

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page

http://haveno.info/BT%20-%20TechManual.pdf

Clan Griefing? You'd "Beta" Believe It

Greetings Mechwarriors,

Here we are, somewhere between May and June in 3050. This timespan marks the Second Wave of the Clan Invasion on Inner Sphere space. While being almost a full year from the beginning of the Invasion, this period showed only muted evidence of the Clans slowing in their advances. The Clans undeniably had superior firepower and superior combat training. They seemed to have the upper hand at every turn. That is, until the IS learned a lesson or two and was able to start to turn the tide. None of this would matter, of course, if it wasn’t for the recent release of the Community Warfare Beta in MWO.

Oh, Community Warfare, why do you hurt me so? As an Inner Sphere pilot, I am currently at the mercy of Clan Jade Falcon. House Steiner, of which I am contracted to, is currently losing ground against the Clans and is having a hard time maintaining any of its borders. Why am I at the mercy of the Clans and more often than not left licking my wounds (read: rage quittin’)? Well, that’s a complicated question and one that PGI may or may not be interested in addressing.

I am not alone when I feel unfairly treated by CW. There are many, many posts on the MWO forums that are a wealth of bickering between Clan and IS pilots. After giving it some thought and some research, like some other players, I see that the issue here is lore accuracy. How does a game developer handle a situation where, in order to be lore friendly, one group of players has to have the upper hand? Well, maybe make up their mind on how committed to lore to be?

During the Clan Invasion, and what would eventually lead to the end of the Invasion, Clan pilots were unprepared for the type of warfare being waged. Clan pilots were trained to fight with honor and a certain amount of respect for their opponents. The Clans never attacked their opponent’s supply chains and would typically engage their opponents one at a time. A Clan company consists of two “Stars”, for a 10-pilot configuration, where an IS company consists of three 4-pilot “Lances”. It was over-whelming numbers that gave the IS a fighting chance against the Clans. None of this, however, is reflected in CW.

I think that CW would be more balanced if the IS was able to face the Clans in a 10v.12 pilot match. If PGI wants to make Clan tech accurate, then they also need to address Clan tactics. This approach would also account for the Clans potentially losing a supply chain. PGI claims that building a 10v.12 match is overly complicated to accomplish with their matchmaking code. They also claim that complicated coding is the reason why no one has received any rewards from participating in CW. Rewards for taking part in the Beta aside, the root cause is the same. This leads me to believe that PGI is currently either understaffed or uncertainly managed.

*sigh* But hey, this is still Beta, right? This all being said, PGI is taking player input seriously. Of course, some of my criticism spawns from the frustration of hopelessly trying to drive out Clan Jade Falcon. When it comes down to it, what is “wrong” with CW? Is this a product of poor coordination during each attack, a product of poor map design, a product of PGI rushing their content, a product of poor coordination amongst our House Units, a product of superior Clan firepower, a product of overblown confidence, or a product of the PUG? I’ve honestly written this post from a different angle four times now. What is “wrong” or “right” about CW is a complicated, and maybe over-complicated, topic.

Good luck and good hunting, pilots.

Crrraaaab Peeeoplllle

Greetings Mechwarriors,

As a free gift for members who purchased any tier of the upcoming Resistance Pack for MWO, PGI has given away a free King Crab, KGC-000(L) assault Mech! Luckily, I had pre-ordered the Resistance Pack mere hours before they released it! Considering the other variants of the Crab will cost you around $15, this made a great gift for all the qualifying members. I must admit, I had mixed feelings about the Crab as the release inched closer. The first couple of days after the release might as well have been the invasion of the Crab People!

Now, the defamation.

First of all, I don’t really like the look of it, but thankfully it looks better than it does in the vast majority of Battletech literature. Truly hideous! The looks aren’t helped by the way the default, and unchangeable, camo pattern looks. The pattern doesn’t have clearly defined borders for the primary/secondary colors and both are given a light purple gleam. Purple? No, thank you. There are also decals on the “hands”, legs, and torso that are only half changed by selecting a tertiary color. Not to mention the red of the decal on top that you can’t even get a good look at in the Mechlab! Geez. The cockpit also looks undersized compared to the outward appearance.

Second, boy, is this thing slow. At 100 tons, the Crab is certainly a deadly foe. It was designed to be able to bring down enemy Mechs in a single alpha strike and PGI didn’t skimp on this one. The Crab comes with two AC/20’s that will make you a feared opponent, but it will also make you a prime target. This is where the lack of speed really kills the Crab. Although this is lore-friendly, that doesn’t mean it’s good for gameplay. For people who are used to piloting walking walls this might not be a problem, but I just couldn’t take the lack of maneuverability.

For what it’s worth, I do appreciate the free gift from PGI, but this won’t be a Mech that I drop with. I was able to model my build after the KGC-005, which was at least a little fun. I mean, dual LB-10Xs? Boom, boom, motha trucka.

Good luck and good hunting, pilots.

Sources:

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page

A Lengthy Love Affair: IV

Greetings MechWarriors,

Over the past few posts, I have been talking about the "Highlander Burial" and the physics involved. Today, we'll be bringing this subject to its smashing conclusion! We'll look at the forces involved in the impact between a Highlander and a filthy Jenner. This analysis involves the concept of impulse and the conservation of momentum. There are a few simplifying assumptions that we will once again make in order to get some useful numbers.

As a re-cap, let's look at what we know:

Highlander velocity right before impact: 32.85 m/s

Weight of the Highlander: 90 tons

Weight of the Jenner: 35 tons

Height of the Jenner: 6m

Let's start by converting the weights of each Mech into kilograms, the standard measure of mass of the metric system. One metric ton is equal to 1000kg, so the weights become easy to convert.

Weight of the Highlander: 90,000 kg

Weight of the Jenner: 35,000 kg

Now, there are a couple of ways that we can look at this:

1. This is a perfectly inelastic collision, the coefficient of restitution is 0, and the Jenner and Highlander become one after collision. (Conservation of momentum)
2. The collision completely crumples the Jenner and there is very little resistive force exerted on the Highlander. (Impulse)
3. The calculation of the Highlanders kinetic energy directly before impact will tell us how "hard" it hits the Jenner. (Energy)

I think we'll look at number 3 and then compare it to number 2. If the kinetic energy calculated in number 3 is far lower than the impulse required in number 2, we can get an idea of what will happen to the Jenner! Alright, let's do it.

So, the kinetic energy of the Highlander is equal to one half the mass multiplied by the square of the velocity. We could calculate the potential energy the Highlander has at the crest of it's jump, but we already know everything we need!

KE_H = ½ m_HV_H²

KE_H = ½(90000kg)*(32.85m/s)²

KE_H = 4.856E⁷  kg m²/s² or 48560 kJ! (Nowhere near enough to power the DeLorean…)

But, what we have is a unit of energy, not force! How do we get the amount of force from that? Energy is a unit of work per a unit of distance. Because the kinetic energy will be turned into “work” as the Highlander continues to the ground (through the Jenner), we will assume that the energy is dissipated over the 6m height of the Jenner.

F_I = KE_H/6m = 8,093,418.75 kg m/s² or 8.09E⁶ Newtons

Now, that’s a lot of force!

So, let’s calculate the force needed to completely crumple the Jenner. Impulse force is defined as the mass of an object multiplied by its change in velocity divided by the time taken for impact. The time for impact can be found by finding how long it would take the Highlander to travel 6m, the height of the Jenner.

6m / 32.85m/s = .183s

Given that impulse is:

F_i = m DV/Dt = (90000kg)*(32.85 m/s) / .183s = 1.62E⁷ N

Comparing this to the force derived from the Highlanders kinetic energy, we find that the kinetic energy is only half the required value!

So, in conclusion, we find that the Highlander lacks the energy required to completely squash that little Jenner! This, of course, doesn’t mean that the Jenner isn’t in for a world of hurt. The force of impact would put enormous strain on the legs, joints, and cockpit components and would certainly lead to failure. Even without taking into consideration the structural stability of the Jenner, it would be safe to assume that it would not fair very well. Let’s assume that the Jenner’s structure was able to absorb the impact; that still says nothing about the ground supporting the Jenner! The ground could certainly give way before the Jenner.

There we have it, a much much much deeper look into this little fanciful situation than was ever called for!

Over this coming week, I hope to post about some House Steiner technology and the early release of the King Crab in MWO!

Good luck and good hunting, pilots.