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Warhammer: 3025
Freelance
Captain, AFFC (Ret.)
Joined: 29-Jan-2005 00:00
Posts: 1856
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 Posted: 31-Jan-2006 23:14 Post subject: Worst Battlemech Design |
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This thread is for us to lay out our picks for "worst battlemech design." Not specifically from an artwork point of view (some pictures can make an otherwise average-looking 'mech into a horrible beast), but from a technical standpoint.
Examples:
The Apollo. In all but one variant, no weapons are mounted in the arms, negating one of the big reasons for designing battlemechs into humanoid shape (rather than, say, quad design).
The Naga. This 'mech has two large, flat, relatively thin body panels on each side of its' center mass. These panels would seem to serve no other purpose than making the 'mech wider, and therefore a larger target.
The Tarantula. This 'mech has two problems. One: the 'mech has long, slender legs. Legs that would seem to be easily destroyed by enemy fire. Two: those same long, slender legs are expected to withstand the tremendous stresses and impacts of jumping (an extremely far jump, as well), which is risky enough with a full, stout leg and wide, flat foot.
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wolf
Clan Wolf
Point Commander
Joined: 17-Sep-2005 00:00
Posts: 12
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| Posted: 31-Jan-2006 23:24 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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| in my opinion it would have to be the hollander. once its gauss rifle runs out of ammo its nothing but a moving target. that gun has to make it hard to balance correctly too.
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
Tai-i
Joined: 06-Apr-2005 00:00
Posts: 4820
Location: Czech Republic
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| Posted: 01-Feb-2006 11:46 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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To Tarantula: If the legs are built from the right type of composites (hey, it's 31st century, isn't it?), than they may actually work as shock absorber and unique JJ system allows it to minimize the effects of the impact.
To Naga: You forgot about the Arrows that are fixed when they may be mounted as pod space and without apparent way to turn them or adjust their aiming.
Other candidates?
Can anyone explain me the force that allows mechs without arms and with long barrel like bodies to stand up, when they fall on their sides? (mechs like Flea, Champion, Stalker and Hoplite)
I dare not to say where are the myomers used to move legs on Mad Dog or already mentioned Tarantula.
If you really search for technical oddities than look to vehicle sections. Even new TROs have few things that look weird. Ares tank, for example, looks cool, but is quite tall (not good thing for tank) and the position of cockpit is quite strange. Not only there can be huge neon saying step here and it will probably plow through all terrain asperities.
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ICER
Clan Hell's Horses
Galaxy Commander
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1663
Location: United States
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| Posted: 01-Feb-2006 12:31 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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The Crossbow, hands down.
high heat, low ammo, low damage, all weapons and ammo located in the arms. No XL engine. So it can take tons of damage. But it doesn't take long to turn this mech into a armless, weaponless, target on the field
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Stinger
The Knights of Chaos
General
Joined: 30-Apr-2002 00:00
Posts: 1833
Location: United States
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| Posted: 01-Feb-2006 13:52 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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Wardog, Mostly because just look at the damn thing. An egg for a body, uneven armor, ONE shot Streak 2's mounted in the legs and a overabundance of gauss ammo.
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Stinger
If it's "creepy" to use the Internet, military satellites, and robot aircraft to find a house full of gorgeous young models so I can drop in on them unexpected, then FINE, I'm "creepy". Howard Wolowitz. BBT.
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AlexxKnight
Federated Suns
Colonel
Joined: 11-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 787
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| Posted: 01-Feb-2006 20:30 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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WITHOUT ANY DOUBT AT ALL:
THE EXTERMINATOR!!!!!
What were they thinking when they designed that mech. If tey hadmade it 5-tons lighter, it could carry more armor, move faster/samespeed, pack more punch and thus be a BIGGER threat to the light mechs it was designed to hunt and exterminate. Bigger isn't always better. I think the designers were thinking Physical attacks, ie a Kick, but that extra damage from the kick doesn't do you any good if the rest of the mech is about as useless as a Left-handed smoke shifter. Oh yeah, not to mention the fact that it would be cheaper to build a smaller/lighter mech.
If you don't believe me, go try it yuorself. USe your favorite Mech Design software, subtract 5 tons and add the same amount of armor, same weapons nd equipment and give it the same speed and tell me what you have left over and how much you saved. No need to change anything else. Just change the total weight and keep the rest EXACTLY the same.
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Alexx Knight, Lance Sgt.
Command Company, Crimson Janissaries
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AWAD
Draconis Combine
Chu-sa
Joined: 06-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 766
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| Posted: 01-Feb-2006 21:00 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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Man 7 years later and it still chaps your ass.
Give you as freebie some new tech mech and all I get as a GM is some bitching.
As for crap designs, Cicada takes the cake. A Locust can do as much and is cooler looking. make the Cicada 7/11 and it is a whole new ball game.
Honorable mention, Charger.
AWAD- But the Banshee is still cool, those glasses and 2 free hands to punch with.
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AlexxKnight
Federated Suns
Colonel
Joined: 11-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 787
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| Posted: 01-Feb-2006 21:11 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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Quote:
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On 2006-02-01 21:00, AWAD wrote:
Man 7 years later and it still chaps your ass.
Give you as freebie some new tech mech and all I get as a GM is some bitching.
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Don't get me wrong I appreciated the gesture both as a player and character. Of course I squandered it by being stupid, but hey that was in character, and it set up some cool story points for you to screw me over with later. But it was all fun.
But seriously, have you done the math with the design?
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Alexx Knight, Lance Sgt.
Command Company, Crimson Janissaries
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The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. . . And you
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
Tai-i
Joined: 06-Apr-2005 00:00
Posts: 4820
Location: Czech Republic
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| Posted: 02-Feb-2006 03:16 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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Well many designs never went through weight saving process. I (usually) try to use the lightest chassis the design would use without hampering the performance, but sometimes I want the mech heavier. That makes me wonder if CGR wasn't built to be fast moving junk yard to make some scenarios more challenging.
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Knightrunner
Clan Snow Raven
Star Commander
Joined: 20-Jul-2005 00:00
Posts: 123
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| Posted: 02-Feb-2006 15:39 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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Quickdraw and Champion are a couple of more that would only benefit from dropping 5 tons. They could also stand to be better looking.
The Thunder has always been a non-favorite of mine- that autocannon barrel looks to be 4 meters across! How many 4 meter wide shells can you fit in a mech torso? How do shells that big even get into the arm? And how does it move its arm when part of the gun is in the torso (for no particular reason)?
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
Tai-i
Joined: 06-Apr-2005 00:00
Posts: 4820
Location: Czech Republic
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| Posted: 02-Feb-2006 15:58 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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And how heavy can four meters wide shell be? 
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Nightmare
Lyran Alliance
Kommandant-General
Joined: 03-May-2002 00:00
Posts: 2214
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| Posted: 02-Feb-2006 23:27 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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I really hate it when someone designs mechs without placing the weapons and ammo in sensible locations. You know, a mech with CASE that loses it's backup guns if the main gun ammo explodes. Or mechs with weapons that make it impossible to use some other option.
Shootist mech, for example. Known for the huge AC/20 and the accurate ER LL. But if the AC ammo explodes your nice laser arm is blown off. Hmm.
Or the Catphract 4L. It's got an ER PPC in the arm that could fall off it it's torso-mounted Gauss Rifle explodes. Smart, really smart.
One last example of bad weapons placement would be the Axman. A mech built for brutal close combat, carrying only a Large Pulse Laser for long-range fire. AC/20 and three Medium Lasers provide more oomph, and then there's a hatchet. For some idiotic reason the hatchet is mounted in the same arm as the MLs! WHY?
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mud
Draconis Combine
Tai-sho
Joined: 23-Jul-2002 00:00
Posts: 1618
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| Posted: 03-Feb-2006 21:38 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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I havn't jumped into this one yet, but why not.
SHD-2H Shadow Hawk. This 'mech is a piece of junk. Its does a lot of things badly, but it is good at nothing!
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McBride
Draconis Combine
Shujin
Joined: 06-Nov-2004 00:00
Posts: 101
Location: Canada
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| Posted: 03-Feb-2006 22:01 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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I find the Shadow Hawk in general is a piece of junk. Almost anything that can be done with a SHD, can be done better with a Pheonix Hawk, the only thing it doesn't do better is dissipate heat.
The Vindicator is another mech I'm not terribly fond of. When assault mechs can catch you...
The last mech that I have a dislike of is the Vulcan 2T and 5T. Again a mech that fills roles far better suited to other mechs.
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mud
Draconis Combine
Tai-sho
Joined: 23-Jul-2002 00:00
Posts: 1618
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| Posted: 03-Feb-2006 22:25 Post subject: RE: Worst Battlemech Design |
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Vindies I like. They make good pack hunters.
Vulcans are a bit odd though...
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