Here is a quick proposal

Mech classes

Standard Mech: Versitile and fast
Biped: Menuverable and can readily accept new equipments for cheaper, specialty mechs*
Quad: Faster but smaller equipment. Average weight carrying

Land Class: Powerful but slightly slower fighters
Treds: Hightened Weight Carry capacity but very slow
Wheels: Higer speed but lower versatility and weight capacity

Hover/Flying: Fast and menuvarable
Flying: Better handling Weak with very low Capacity
Hover: Higher speed but worse accuracy with slightly higher capacity

We need a third perhaps.

* = Best candidate for odd jobs like spying and assassinations and what not.

Stat system for average equipment item:

Weight: Weight
Efficency : How much energy is used
Heat output: Should your mech overheat...pain
Base Armor: Base Armor

So what do you think of W.E.H.B?
Essential items like power generators would have better stat systems of course but...

Anyway, like my ideas?

Espionage Class: Generally very light-weight with very few weapons systems; usually very fast and maneuverable with various espionage equipment. Also very easy to destroy (low to no armor).
- Emberizi (Sparrow): Very fast scouting drone, has no weapons systems, mainly used for reconnaissance purposes
- Rhiptoglossa (Chameleon): Has an onboard cloaking device (mirror effect), melee-only weapon system (loses cloaking), also used for reconnaissance purposes and spying
- Vulpes (Fox): Can reprogram disabled (not destroyed) mechs to (re)join its team; weakest non-melee weapon system (whatever that would happen to be)
- Araneida (Spider): has the ability to "walk" up certain terrain types; uses a mortar type of missle system

While the names could be better, otherwise these would be an interesting twist on the tactics in the game.

"Hover/Flying: Fast and maneuverable
Flying: Better handling Weak with very low Capacity
Hover: Higher speed but worse accuracy with slightly higher capacity"

First off, why would hover have worse accuracy? Unless they bob up and down (and since this is futuristic technology they would most likely be using some energy hovering technology, and I doubt that would bob). In fact, I would think that they would have better accuracy, since bipeds do not stay perfectly steady while walking, and treads would rock on uneven terrain. Of course, I suppose they would mess up when firing when entering a abrupt stop, since they might tip forward a bit. But that would be hard to implement, I would think. Also, I don't get the higher capacity thing, since they would need extra room for the hover device, room for turning jets and room for thrusting jets. If anything would have higher capacity I would think it would be a treaded 'bot. I would thinks hovers would be more like this-
"Hover: Somewhat fast and very maneuverable, higher speed but with less armor. Cannot be hurt by damaging terrain and also can move over water."
I do agree with it being highly maneuverable, as that would be true in real life. Since the hover is not touching the ground, it would be able to turn faster than anything on robotic legs or wheels, as it could fire a maneuvering jet to the side and turn quite well. I think the not being hurt by bad terrain and going over water part is self-explanatory. I am getting too carried away, aren’t I?

Oh well, I am just posting this because Infinite asked me to.

Edit: Vercoln, I like your ideas, but wouldn't the Vulpes mech be rather pointless. Unless the mechs are actually as good as your mechs, it wouldn't be worth using the revive. And I doubt you should be able to revive bosses... and would spying be really useful in an action game (unless it is a mission objective or something)?

Oh and, I meant thrusting jets, not trusting jets, silly spellchecker

Just some ideas.

Light Class:
Fairly fast; can sort of run compared to the clunking of the heavy class. Weak weapons, perhaps armour piercing capabilities but with less overall damage, and light armour. Because of the lightness also a heavy explosion or blast or impact could send it sprawling. Also quite manuverable.

Standard Class:
Moderate speed, armour, manuverability. Some fairly strong weapons; perhaps energy cannons or whatnot.

Heavy Class:
Well, what do you think? Handles slowly, but has lots of armour and additional heavy weaponary.

Additional Hover Class:
You could have a light, standard or heavy hover mech. The light hover mech wouldn't have much armour at all, if any, but it could have a big thruster for afterburns and such. Mightn't be able to fire it's heavier guns while at a high speed. The standard would again be in between the light and heavy, able to fire its big guns at max speed. The heavy would move slowly, but have the upside in that it'd be able to lay waste to anything and everything. No afterburner.


No weapon ideas yet. But a shield capability perhaps; trading off weapons for an energy shield in addition to armour. Can only fire some weapons while deployed, and speed is reduced too.

I was going by a Single Player perspective with my ideas (as well as a war perspective). The Vulpes would be good for when you need that extra fodder (heck, it could even be extended further into an engineer-type of mech that repairs friendly mechs also). The Spy mech would be good for taking out the higher class mechs without dealing with any of the lower classes (so essentially, it could easily be called an Assassin mech too).

I also assumed that both (or any) side would have these mechs, so a Vulpes could be used to retrieve a stolen mech also.

Artillery Class: Immobile; Heavy armor and weapons systems
- Chelonia (Turtle): Launches a large mortar-type missle (High blast radius)
- Something (Something): Uses two heavy gun turrets
- Rhinocero (Rhino): Uses a single armor-piercing gun turret
- Ranida (Frog): Lobs a small EMP grenade (small blast radius)

It was hard thinking up animals that would possibly fit these types of mechs.

I thought we were going to design mechs and you buy stuff, not what Vercoln is proposing which are stagnent mechs which are stuck with one set equipment...

Yes, all mechs are upgradable, though this will rarely change their appearance much. Class definitions should be general descriptions of the mechs, not specific details.

For example, larger mechs in general are slow, but can be upgraded to move faster.

-Nag

Ah, I will revise them I guess

Ah yes, an assassin mech function would make that mech more useful. An engineer would be fine, except it might be overbalanced because then you could just heal your mechs every time you get hurt and be invulnerable. Unless it costs money or something to repair, but that doesn’t fit (aha! I shall patch up this mech with dollar bills!). An artillery mech does not sound useful as it is. But if you had a mech which could transport artillery mechs... I think that would be too complicated. Maybe the artillery thing could work like siege tanks in starcraft? For those who have never played starcraft, I mean that it would only be able to fire when it braces and immobilizes itself.

Also, are there going to be weight limits on mechs? For example, flying mechs can only have so much weight. And does weighing more slow your mech down? Because then it would be cool to have weaponry which weighs down the target mech, like a net gun which shoots out weighted nets. Aim at a flying mech, fire, and watch it fall to the ground... and hurt some mech under it. Now that would make the game interesting. And thinking about overheating, would getting hit by flamethrowers highten your heat level?

Would this game be able to support firing in near infinite directions?

Originally Posted by Infinite Spaz

Would this game be able to support firing in near infinite directions?

Yes, depending on the mech design.

Originally Posted by Onag

Yes, depending on the mech design.

So can we expect it possible for a Commander Keen style "jump and fire downwards"?

I.e. Artillary won't be able to fire past a 70 degree angle or something?

Yes, both of these will be possible.

How about an option to shoot yourself and allies when you begin feeling sorry for the AI?

How will you get money to buy upgrades? Progressing in the game? Side quests/mini games? Luck? Theft?

Originally Posted by KRSplat

Progressing in the game? Side quests/mini games? Luck? Theft?

Well, since the game's current plot is based around time travel, I'd assume you go back in time and buy stock in Microsoft.

We could do a MW system where you are given missions and a set amount is said to be paid and you recieve the payment after deductions like re-equipment fees or buying more ammo.

Err... just a game play idea. So these "plugins" will decide how the mech specializes instead of the original build. In that case.

Aerial Mech:
2nd highest speed, with a charge meter of how long you can stay in the air. You occasionally have to land and be immobilized/extremely slow at a certain spot. While doing so, you can act as a turret firing off limited missles unless you have a few plugins to specify otherwise. You will have to stay as a turret until you have enough energy to fly.

A missle (with a much longer firing delay) can be used while in aerial form.



Also, can we get a plug-in sheet to start?

How about we drop the money idea and go back to classic "oooh, look, I found a laser gun floating roughly three feet off the ground".

Originally Posted by Radium

How about we drop the money idea and go back to classic "oooh, look, I found a laser gun floating roughly three feet off the ground".

Or stole it from an opponent/ally.

Mainchara: Oooh, look, a gun!
Randomally: I'll get it!
Randomally has equipped gun
Mainchara: Nice gun.
Mainchara has killed Randomally
Mainchara has equipped gun

I'd say you need to find a certain mineral or metal for the weapons or other updates to be made of.

This is slightly off of the thread topic, but oh well.

Because we're dealing with time travel, ultimate technology, and a really messed up universe, currency isn't an issue.

Mechs don't need to eat, and they don't need to pay for repairs. They're machines...they can repair and upgrade themselves for the most part. All they need are parts.

Parts are readily available from dead mechs throughout the levels.

While there won't be any currency, there will still be raw materials that can be bartered on the black market. And of course, mechs can carry extra parts to trade for things they really need later on.

The world powers use non-sentient (not alive) mechs to mass produce new parts from raw materials. Consequently, the best way to 'upgrade' your mech is to rampage one of their bases and collect the pieces that fall off of your victims.

Yes, this does mean you'll leave parts behind when you die.

-Nag

So...you collect good parts from dead enemies or dead allies, and trade them? When you die you lose your 3 best equipment?

So, you can:

A. Take it from other mechs.
B. Raid the factories.
C. Get it off the black market.

And this is the good guy...

Originally Posted by KRSplat

And this is the good guy...

Don't worry, everybody else is worse.

The good guy dosen't always have to be good morally.

Well then how is the guy good?

Spy Drones!!!

The "good guy" is just slang for the main character. No good required.

Originally Posted by KRSplat

Well then how is the guy good?

omg plz red teh plot k thx .

If everything is on the line, would you not steal the grenade you need to kill the end boss, or would you politly step aside and let him decimate the whole world?