MechDB Misadventures, Part 9: Grand Summoner

MechDB Misadventures, Part 9: Grand Summoner

A recent update to MechWarrior Online added a new Clan heavy OmniMech to the game - the 70-ton Grand Summoner/Thor II. Although descended from the original Summoner, it trades its predecessor's jump jets for an Endo-Steel structure, saving a fair bit of weight without losing too much internal space. However, the Thor II debuted in 3093 AD in the BattleTech timeline, which makes its inclusion in MWO (whose current setting is around 3067 AD) somewhat anachronistic. Even so, players and fans alike have been wondering for years about how well it would fare if it were to be featured, and I am pleased to say that, despite (or due to) its design philosophy of sacrificing some mobility for even more firepower, it's just as fun to play as its predecessor has always been.

There are currently four variants on offer. The B configuration (with one missile hardpoint each in the arms, plus one and three such hardpoints in the right and left torso OmniPods, respectively) focuses mainly on missiles, and can serve as a brawler or long-range missile boat. An example of the former (with a single Clan ER Large Laser for backup) is shown below.

Above: A custom configuration based on the Grand Summoner/Thor II SMN-II-B set of 8 OmniPods intended primarily for close-range missile brawling, with a Clan ER Large Laser in the center torso for softening up targets at longer ranges while the Grand Summoner closes in for the kill.

The C configuration's hardpoint arrangement generally mimics that of the Summoner SMN-C, but is considered to be more favorable due to having three energy hardpoints (one in each arm and a third in the center torso OmniPod) instead of two, while the ballistic and missile hardpoint now reside in the left and right torsos, respectively. This makes it less prone to being disarmed if both arms are blown off. Although the stock loadout (which combines a Clan LB 20-X Autocannon with a pair of Clan Large Pulse Lasers, a Clan Streak SRM-4 launcher, and a Clan Flamer) is meant for brawling, it can also be used for sniping, as the custom loadout below shows.

Above: A long-range loadout for the Grand Summoner/Thor II SMN-II-C set of 8 OmniPods combining dual Clan ER Large Lasers with a Clan Gauss Rifle for accurate direct-fire sniping, with a Clan LRM-15 launcher assisted by Targeting Acquisition Gear and a Clan Active Probe for some indirect fire support.

Alternatively, you could go all in on Clan ER Large Lasers with this variant; to that end, you must install the B and P right and left torso OmniPods, respectively, since they have an extra energy hardpoint each. Fit a Clan ER Large Laser to each energy hardpoint (of which this custom build has five - one in each arm and side torso, plus a fifth in its center torso), then fill out the remaining critical slots with at least nine Clan Double Heat Sinks - you may swap a ton of armor for a tenth heat sink, a Clan Active Probe, or a Clan Mk1 Targeting Computer if you wish. If you want even more accuracy, you may replace even more heat sinks with a larger Targeting Computer, although you'll sacrifice some heat capacity in the process.

Above: This custom configuration for the Grand Summoner SMN-II-C utilizes the B variant's right torso and the P variant's left torso, gaining two additional energy hardpoints, for a total of five. By filling all of those with Clan ER Large Lasers, and installing ten additional double heat sinks, it can effortlessly snipe at long range for long periods, only stopping to cool down to avoid overheating.

The Hero variant, the SMN-II-T "Talon", focuses heavily on ballistics, with two ballistic hardpoints in each arm and side torso OmniPod. In addition to this, both side torso OmniPods also house an energy hardpoint each, and its fixed center torso-mounted supercharger provides a higher maximum running speed. However, it's unlikely that you'll use more than one pair of ballistic hardpoints with the set of 8, due to tonnage and space limitations. It's still theoretically possible, but not often recommended, as the following build shows:

Above: Fitting eight Clan Heavy Machine Guns to a Grand Summoner Talon is indeed possible, especially with each gun having two tons of ammunition each (16 in all), but this seems excessive even for a Clan heavy OmniMech. When combined with the dual Clan Heavy Large Lasers, though, you can unleash high-DPS salvos for long periods of time.

A more sensible option would be to use only one each of the side torso-mounted ballistic hardpoints and ignore the rest, allowing you to use the arms as shields, or swap their armor for more ammunition or equipment, as shown with the dual Clan Ultra Autocannon/10 build shown below.

Above: With a Clan Ultra Autocannon/10 and Clan Heavy Medium Laser in each side torso, this is a more typical loadout for the Grand Summoner Talon set-of-8. You could remove as much armor from each arm as the chassis allows (plus one point from the head) to install two more tons of ammunition for the autocannons if desired - and I'd recommend this change.

The P variant (an apocryphal configuration created specifically for MWO) has a more generalist hardpoint arrangement: each arm OmniPod has a ballistic and energy hardpoint each, while the left and right torso OmniPods, in addition to having an energy hardpoint each, contain a missile and AMS hardpoint, respectively. Here's an example of a mixed long-range loadout using the SMN-II-P set of 8 OmniPods:

Above: A mix of ballistics, lasers, and even an LRM launcher on this Grand Summoner SMN-II-P make it a deadly long-range combatant, but it tends to run hot if you alpha strike too often.

Finally, the E side torso OmniPods (which are sold separately, and not as part of a base chassis) have four built-in Class III Improved Jump Jets each as fixed equipment. These components have the same space and mass requirements as a Clan Targeting Computer Mk2 (2 tons and 2 critical slots each), but provide more jump distance while also generating less heat. Here's an example of a custom loadout using both of the E side torsos:

Above: This custom Grand Summoner SMN-II-C carries the SMN-II-E side torsos, which have four Improved Jump Jets as fixed equipment, providing unprecedented agility for its mass. This is especially useful for attacking targets from unexpected places using its arm-mounted Beam Lasers.

In short, if you want a Summoner but would rather trade agility for more spare tonnage, the Grand Summoner/Thor II is worth considering, and any loadout with at least one of the E side torso OmniPods can be quite entertaining to play as.

Hotshot Tales, Part 10: BarrelMaster

Hotshot Tales, Part 10: BarrelMaster

Theoretically, it's possible to rack up 7 eliminations with barrels during a Barrel Barrage race in Hotshot Racing, but it's extremely rare. However, I came very close to that in a recent attempt at Downtown (the first track in the Desert map set), notching up 6 kills over 7 laps. As usual, I chose Marcus' Carbon (the fastest car overall and in the Speed class) on account of its unmatched performance. So here's how it happened.

I got a few hits early on against Keiko, before eliminating her with a few more hits, the last of which came at the exact same time I took out Alexa with another barrel I'd placed earlier elsewhere. By that time, Xing and Toshiro had also taken a lot of damage, so I finished both of them off a few seconds apart with some well-placed barrels. My last two kills (against Mike and Aston) were the result of my victims hitting barrels I'd placed at least one lap earlier.

Above, from top: Careful placement and timing of my barrel placements allowed me to score six kills (of which five are shown here) during this Barrel Barrage race on Downtown.

Viktor (in a Blade) was the only opponent who didn't fall victim to my plan, but he got eliminated anyway, since he hit a barrel someone else had left behind after taking a lot of damage from other people's barrels. After Aston (in a Shadow) was eliminated on the last lap, I was left as the sole survivor, so I only had to concentrate on avoiding the barrels without running out of time until I reached the finish line.

Below is a collection of screenshots showing the greatest hits of the race, including the moments leading up to each kill from different angles.

Above, from top: Some of the most memorable screenshots from my craziest Barrel Barrage race ever, including the exact moments of each kill (or immediately before then) - I racked up six of them in less than 5 minutes.

Getting 5 or more kills (and surviving the full race distance) in a 7-lap multiplayer match, however, is even rarer still, since human players are less likely to be oblivious to the presence of barrels on (or near) the racing line. It's not quite as rare in a singleplayer game, but when it happens, it's still something to savor for all eternity.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 183: Putting a Lid on Things

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 183: Putting a Lid on Things

Having already updated the LVC LS60 Spider with revised styling (to link it more closely to its lesser siblings externally) and a new techpool distribution, I began wondering if it would have the same effect on the fixed-roof coupe with which I had started the whole experiment. As it turned out, it worked very well, but this time I increased the downforce levels to the absolute maximum possible with the number of aero fixtures I used (1 lip each at the front and rear, plus a rear spoiler), in addition to revising the gearing for improved drivability and sportiness. This resulted in an even quicker car overall, especially with a 10kg weight reduction.

Above, from top: The LVC LS60 Coupe (the variant that spawned an open-topped roadster later on) after my latest revisions. While the coupe is 10kg lighter and has a distinctive bubble-like glasshouse, the roadster sounds better and is even more visceral as a result - but I'd be happy with either.

To this day, the LVC LS60 (in its current, techpool-adjusted form) is, so far, the only one of the various cars I've made in Automation that I wish existed in the real world - its unashamed analog feel, light weight, ample power, unmatched responsiveness, and razor-sharp handling all perfectly complement its voluptuous exterior and pared-back interior. My preferred spec, however, would be the deep metallic blue exterior color with color-coded interior accents, as shown in the pictures above - especially with gold wheels. That's assuming I could afford to buy one in the first place - although with an estimated real-world used value well into seven figures, it's a highly unlikely scenario.

Hotshot Tales, Part 9: Out of Bounds!

Hotshot Tales, Part 9: Out of Bounds!

The "out-of-bounds" bug is one of the few in Hotshot Racing that can directly affect the outcome of a race. It's quite rare, but can occur when a car is launched into the air and lands outside the boundaries of the track and falls through the ground (usually after being hit by another car), before respawning on the track shortly afterwards, losing time (and potentially places) in the process. Normally, this is little more than an inconvenience (unless the victim loses too much time to be able to reach the next checkpoint in time), but in Drive or Explode, it may lead to the victim being slowed down to the point that they can be eliminated due to either not being able to reach the current minimum target speed in time, or taking too long to pass the next checkpoint after the leader has done so.

A recent example of the bug in action is shown below:

Above, from top: The out of bounds bug in Hotshot Racing in action during a Drive or Explode race at Alpine Town. Here, I hit Aston (in a Shadow) from the right-hand side hard enough to fling it into the air, and since he landed outside the track entirely, he clipped through the map, lost a lot of speed, and couldn't catch up quickly enough after respawning to avoid elimination.

You could try to exploit this bug in a multiplayer Drive or Explode session (or even in other modes), but I wouldn't recommend doing so, since others consider it to be unsportsmanlike behavior (even for an arcade racer), and this form of unnecessary roughness would be grounds for expulsion (or the host withdrawing voluntarily and handing over duties to someone else). In a single-player race, however, it can be quite hilarious to witness this bug screwing over someone (including you!), even if it does not lead to a player's untimely demise.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 8: What If the Stalker STK-7D Existed During the Succession Wars?

MechDB Misadventures, Part 8: What If the Stalker STK-7D Existed During the Succession Wars?

For many, the 85-ton Stalker STK-7D is considered to be the epitome of Inner Sphere assault 'Mechs in MechWarrior Online, short of the 100-ton Atlas (and other 100-tonners such as the Annihilator). This is mainly because its cluster of nine torso- and head-mounted energy hardpoints make it well-suited to laser vomit builds, many of which rival Clan equivalents for raw firepower. One of these hardpoints is found in the head, and two more are situated in the center torso. As icing on the cake, each arm contains a missile hardpoint, but these are simply ignored in pure energy-based builds. The only problem with it is that it has very few quirks, but this variant doesn't really need them.

In the original BattleTech tabletop game, however, the STK-7D was introduced in 3062, during the FedCom Civil War era, and originally fielded by the Federated Suns. This made it too new for earlier eras such as the Succession Wars and Clan Invasion eras. As such, I was tempted to ask this question: "What would a Succession Wars-era take on the STK-7D be like?" To that end, I decided to create a build for it exclusively using equipment and technology that was widely available during that era, and nothing that was (re)introduced later. Thus, I had to limit myself to standard SRM and LRM launchers, regular lasers and PPCs, single heat sinks, and standard armor, structure, and engines, with no AMS, targeting computers, or Active Probes. This was the result:

Above: Had the Stalker STK-7D existed during the Succession Wars, this would've been my favored configuration for it. By putting all of my eggs in the energy weapon basket (4x Large Lasers + 5x Medium Lasers = 61 damage), I avoided the problem of ammunition explosions, and to cover the immense heat load, I installed 16 single heat sinks (7 in each side torso + 1 in each leg) to complement the 10 single heat sinks embedded in the 255-rated standard engine.

With 5 Medium Lasers, 4 Large Lasers, and a total of 26 single heat sinks, this Succession Wars-spec Stalker is reminiscent of an Ostsol, but slower, harder-hitting, and even more durable, carrying 16.5 tons of armor (three more than most Stalker variants). It would have been popular with every Great House worth its salt back then, and would have been a mercenary's dream come true - being able to fire constantly without having to worry about ammunition supply (as long as you have enough heat capacity) is a boon for prolonged engagements, especially since this configuration is a zombie 'Mech in the strictest sense - it can continue attacking even after both of its side torsos are blown off, as long as its head, center torso, and either (or in the tabletop, both) of its legs remain intact. And without anything in its arms, its effective profile is much narrower. Combine this with the cost savings resulting from not having any lostech whatsoever, and you have a nigh-unkillable direct-fire build that, in some ways, may well be superior even to an Awesome AWS-8Q for the same purpose.

In short, it's not as primitive as RetroTech (which isn't in MWO anyway), but it's still a handy fallback for when lostech of any kind is completely unavailable. Even in the dark times of the Word of Blake War and the subsequent Dark Ages, it could serve as a handy last resort for anyone desperate for an assault 'Mech that doesn't depend on any form of advanced technology.

Hotshot Tales, Part 8: Multi-Kills, Melee, and Killfeeds

Hotshot Tales, Part 8: Multi-Kills, Melee, and Killfeeds

One of the best bits about the Drive or Explode and Barrel Barrage modes in Hotshot Racing is that, unlike in the other modes, you can eliminate opponents directly. In the former, this can be done through melee (via hitting a car that is close to exploding); in the latter, you'll need to collect a barrel by completing a sector, and then place that barrel behind you such that an opponent hits it (although this will only result an elimination if the victim has 20% health or less, given that collisions with barrels only cause 20 damage each). However, with the former being a much rarer occurrence in Drive or Explode, most eliminations in that mode are the result of a player remaining below the target speed for too long, or taking too long to complete a sector after the leader has done so.

In contrast, direct melee kills are impossible to achieve in Barrel Barrage, but it is possible to achieve an indirect melee kill by pushing a badly damaged opponent into a barrel. Drive or Explode also allows you to achieve indirect melee kills, but doing so in that mode involves hitting an opponent so that they lose control, spin out, and fail to complete the sector or reach the target speed soon enough to avoid elimination. It's more likely, however, for a player to be eliminated on their own by not traveling fast enough (without the effects of a collision with another player) for too long, or to reach the end of the sector in time.

In both modes, however, it is possible for the same player to cause a multi-kill, whether throughout direct or indirect means, or any combination of the two. Here, a multi-kill refers to scoring two or more kills in the same event. It can even arise from hitting two very heavily damaged opponents at once (or at least within a second of each other), but this is extremely rare (as are multi-hits in general). Moreover, the game won't keep track of any times a player hits a barrel (unless you placed it yourself and/or it resulted in that player's elimination) in a single-player Barrel Barrage race. And therein lies the problem: that mode (along with Cops & Robbers and Drive or Explode) desperately need a killfeed (similar to that found in many first-person shooter games, and even some vehicular simulators) that constantly shows who hit/killed/turned whom. And for good measure, the post-race screen should also show how many hits/kills each player got during a race.

However, I have managed to achieve multi-hits and multi-kills (though rarely simultaneously) multiple times in Single Race modes other than Arcade Mode, and in some of my attempts, I even scored at least one melee kill, whether directly or not. Even so, winning a race in those modes after accomplishing any of these feats remains a challenge, although it is still possible with a lot of skill - and a bit of luck.

To give you an example, here's a recent Barrel Barrage race on Expert difficulty over the full 7 laps that resulted in me being the sole survivor.

Above, from top: Highlights from a 7-lap Barrel Barrage race on Expert at The Marina using Marcus' Carbon. I got at least 10 hits and 4 kills this time - an impressive performance considering that I came close to being eliminated at one point.

This race was chaotic from start to finish - my first kill was against Aston (in a Shadow) on the first lap, made easier by the fact that his car was badly damaged after completing just one sector. My second kill (against Keiko's Super F-90) came after I hit her car with five barrels (which took me three laps). By that time, Viktor and Toshiro (in a Blade and Wild Line, respectively) had already been eliminated, although I managed to push the former into a barrel to take him out. Just before completing the fourth lap, Mike's Athena fell by the wayside, and I went after Xing's Sentinel, which was now so badly damaged that a pair of barrels would finish it off - and sure enough, it exploded after I hit him twice with my barrels. And right before I started the last lap, I took out Alexa (who had just been lapped) with one last barrel; from then on, I just had to avoid the other racers' barrels for one lap to win - which is exactly what happened.

Above: A compilation of some of the greatest hits (including all four of my direct kills) from the Barrel Barrage at The Marina. I even managed to push Keiko into a barrel, taking some damage in the process - but I survived and was able to cruise to an uncontested victory after all of my opponents had been eliminated.

And here's an example of a direct melee kill I got in a Drive or Explode race at Temple Ruins.

Above: This is a rare example of a direct melee kill in a Drive or Explode race. I hit Alexa's Stallion from the right-hand side coming into the final turn at Temple Ruins, and since her car was already badly damaged, it was enough to eliminate her on the spot. I went on to win this particular race, with Xing's Alpha being the only other finisher, albeit several seconds behind and on the brink of elimination.

In short, it's always satisfying to get a direct kill in a Barrel Barrage or Drive or Explode race, and even more so if you manage to do it more than once (a rare feat, whatever the circumstances). Indirect kills will also have the same effect, though not to the same extent. In any case, I think a sequel should have a killfeed for both of these modes, to better keep track of who attacked (or eliminated) whom over the course of a race.