Posted 15 February 2018 - 03:18 PM

hmm. I hate to say it, because that thing actually still looks pretty good..... but i'm actually dissapointed.



Let me try to explain.



I'm a jade falcon loyalist and I've been wanting this mech since before the clans came out. My biggest dissapointment when my brother roped me into MWO was that the Clans were not a playable faction yet, mostly because of this one machine in particular.



The concept art had a taller sleeker look to it. I understand being short and squat with high mounts is actually a good thing in MWO. lower head for better cover, and fatter legs/torso mean a smaller mech because of volumetric scaling.



I understand on the minis and the illustrations this thing used to be a short squat fat ugly machine.



I understand for most players this is going to be the better way to go.



But have you SEEN the CCG illustrations? I LOVE those things. Concept art looked much closer. And as a fan, I'd much rather drive that even with the disadvantages that come from having it that way.



From a gameplay standpoint this design looks like an MAJOR improvement. it'd be much much better then the version that i was hoping for. higher, tighter mounts in general.

More volume and less spindly bits so the whole mech can be a little smaller when scaled by volume.

The first 6 point laser arm that doesn't seem like an ape hanger that can't hit anything due to being obstructed by terrain( card art has the arm down below hip level... the squat versions i've seen look just as bad, utterly impractical in MWO.)





From an asthetics standpoint...

I dislike how large and high the shoulders are. They look better a moderate amount smaller and a little lower. The big cannon arm (higher one) should be higher. the toothy(?) plates above and below the cannon sit higher then the side torso in my favorite art(prime,A) so this looks wierd to me.

The lower arm (hanging one) seems a little higher up then i imagined. i knew it'd have to be improved because while practically speaking i dont want a useless arm on something with that few hardpoints, but it just don't LOOK right. Also, it is either AT (concept art) or ABOVE the side torso as well.



Mind you i'm not complaining.



I understand the changes,



I think the changes are for the most part great ideas, gameplay AND visually speaking.



And i think the artist did an amazing job of combining the features of two DRASTICALLY different interperetations of mechs (seriously. I would never have guessed that squat thing with the dome cockpit was a black lanner without sarna) while also adding a lot of unique design and his own style into it and making it all work. That mech looks awesome. I know exactly what my desktop background is going to be for the next coming months.



I just... for reasons I can't understand even though i've put thought into words here, still FEEL very dissapointed.



And does anyone else feel the same confliction here?



I think it looks wonderful. I think it's been tweaked in all the right ways to make it as viable as possible in MWO. I think he's done a wonderful job of turning a squat turkey-looking machine and a beanpole with spindly legs into one mech that is recognisably descended from both, and ALSO very uniquely it's own thing. I've always loved MWO's art style and thought it looked great, but this is amazing.





... and I HATE it.









I can't make heads or tails out of my reaction.





Am i just turning into one of those salty old dudes who think everything is wrong no matter what?

