Mech Commander AT

[Weylin]

The primary powers involve calling down (or effectively transforming into) various vehicle types, each with their own ability sets and strengths/weaknesses.

The primary set also includes some personal attacks (Handheld pistols and rifles that aren't as effective as Blaster variants) and protective emplacements (like a ring of sandbags with +Res in the middle) for when the vehicles are destroyed or the area is too cramped for them and you're on foot and comparatively vulnerable.

 

The secondary set is focused on battlefield support through various "call-downs"

This includes orbital strikes, air-dropped stationary turrets, static shield generators, crates that allies can interact with for temporary powers, and light vehicles that allies can enter. 

 

 

Does this general concept have any merit? Is this conceptually something that players would have fun with? Is this even doable with existing assets and tech?

 

[Chance Jackson]

Sounds cool but intensive 

[PaxArcana]

So, basically ... a Robotics/Traps MM.

[biostem]

Try a dual pistol or beam rifle defender or corruptor with the traps powerset.  Then, dip into the fighting pool if you want to be a little tougher.  Use the various costume slots and costume change emotes to make it appear that you don/call down your armor - perhaps have a bind that changes your power tray and only use tough/weave when in your armor.  You may be able to pull this off with a robotics mastermind, if you also want to command a squad of said robots, but if you just want it to be yourself and your gadgets + "armor", then go with the defender or corruptor.

[Haijinx]

6 minutes ago, biostem said:

Try a dual pistol or beam rifle defender or corruptor with the traps powerset.  Then, dip into the fighting pool if you want to be a little tougher.  Use the various costume slots and costume change emotes to make it appear that you don/call down your armor - perhaps have a bind that changes your power tray and only use tough/weave when in your armor.  You may be able to pull this off with a robotics mastermind, if you also want to command a squad of said robots, but if you just want it to be yourself and your gadgets + "armor", then go with the defender or corruptor.

This.

 

or a Sentinel for a much tougher one with less toys.  Or a Crab Spider. 

Add in Lore Pets/Temp powers 

 

We don't need a new AT for everything.

[Hyperstrike]

YeahNO!

You'll get us hauled into court by Microsoft.

[Weylin]

When I say a mech, I do mean those big stompy robots, nothin a costume can really accomplish 😛

[biostem]

5 minutes ago, Weylin said:

When I say a mech, I do mean those big stompy robots, nothin a costume can really accomplish 😛

Well, if you make your base character of a normal size, then make your mech suit a max height and use various robotic pieces, you can pull off a pretty convincing look.  Yes, you're not going to be as large as a Freedom Corp Cataphract or Malta Hercules/Zeus Titan, but it could work...

[Shadowsleuth]

37 minutes ago, Weylin said:

When I say a mech, I do mean those big stompy robots, nothin a costume can really accomplish 😛

So basically you're piloting something on the size of a Nemesis Warhulk.

 

Your upgrades could be handled with branching paths like the Villain Veats Bane/Crab; You choose between Primary Power Sets: Firepower or Melee Attacks & your Secondary Powersets, you choose between Armor or Control.

 

You would have to accept that your mech form *is* your costume. 
(But you could choose between several mech forms, colors & patterns/logos on it.)

 

Perhaps the screen could have a computer/UI overlay (ala Iron Man), with the option to turn it off for players who don't like it.

 

A good Tier 9 power would be the ability to call down 2 other Mechs to fight by your side for a short time.

[biostem]

2 minutes ago, Shadowsleuth said:

So basically you're piloting something on the size of a Nemesis Warhulk.

 

Your upgrades could be handled with branching paths like the Villain Veats Bane/Crab; You choose between Primary Power Sets: Firepower or Melee Attacks & your Secondary Powersets, you choose between Armor or Control.

 

You would have to accept that your mech form *is* your costume. 
(But you could choose between several mech forms, colors & patterns/logos on it.)

 

Perhaps the screen could have a computer/UI overlay (ala Iron Man), with the option to turn it off for players who don't like it.

 

A good Tier 9 power would be the ability to call down 2 other Mechs to fight by your side for a short time.

While I'm not against your concept in general, you have to think in terms of what could be done from a pragmatic perspective;  They could make a temp power where you become a warhulk or hercules titan, and give you a handful of powers that the NPC gets, but to create a whole AT centered around this would be difficult.  A better option might be to add a bit more to the maximum size restrictions and add some less human(oid) costume pieces as costume options.

[Megajoule]

Other costume options:  Longbow or PPD boss mech, Vanguard HVAS, Praetorian War Walker.

 

Now, do I think it's a practical idea, in terms of coding, power choices, and just plain fitting through doors or up stairs?  Not really.

[PaxArcana]

I had (deleted it since) a character whose concept was "power armor / miniature 'mecha": Sokohime (literally, "armor(ed) princess".  An 11-year-old girl piloting a suit of power armor.

 

I used the Huge body type, made it look robotic, and called it a day.  🙂

(I had a similar character way back on Live, 'cept she was 13, in order to fit with the theme of the SG I made her for.)

[Zepp]

The powersets sound like it is a proposal for two new Mastermind powersets (that are quite similar to Robots and Traps) rather than a new AT.

 

Edit: Can you give me a little more of an explanation so that I can decide whether or not to add it to the compilation thread...

Edited September 1, 2019 by Zepp

[biostem]

27 minutes ago, Zepp said:

The powersets sound like it is a proposal for two new Mastermind powersets (that are quite similar to Robots and Traps) rather than a new AT.

 

Edit: Can you give me a little more of an explanation so that I can decide whether or not to add it to the compilation thread...

My take on the proposal is that you basically start out as a very limited blaster, (using just a sidearm or such), but you get a power to "call down" your mech.  You'd basically get into this mech and now have a whole host of better attacks and defenses;  It almost sounds like a dominator, except your non-super mode is very much more limited, (but presumably the mech would be available much more often).  I'd have to assume that there's a time limit on how long you can be in said mech;  Perhaps if it started with a full endurance bar, but could not recover end from any source, (so it would basically be recalled once said end bar was used up).  Like I said earlier - I'm not against this AT concept-wise, but it'd take a lot of work, and you'd probably want to include a lot of arcane/biological/animal looking pieces, so you wouldn't be shoehorned into a tech origin, (though I guess Arachnos soldiers are no worse off)....

[Weylin]

That's about it, really.

I noticed sky raiders have those skiffs they fall out of when the vehicle is destroyed, so wondered if that can be translated to player flown/driven/walked vehicles.

 

I'm not entirely sure how the vehicles and mechs should be limited. Maybe they act as an overshield, and when that is depleted they explode and you get ejected rather harshly if you didn't do so manually before it got blown up?

 

And I can definitely see this expanded to other themes, but I thought that using existing assets would be a good start for testing until such time as we have a workflow for creating new models and textures for the game, but that's a ways off from happening, and there's so many other pressing matters right now.

[Varkarrus]

I had my own take on how this'd work myself. Might be a bit wonky to do it this way, though.

[Zepp]

Is the Mecha one an EAT?

 

That is an interesting Pool Powerset V.