Battletech - Also known as Trannytech

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

Old art has a lot more passion than the newer art sometimes.

 

[Gan Ying]

I don't have anything to add, but looking at older Battletech / Mechwarrior really makes me nostalgic. Got no one else to commiserate with about this, so if you'll humor an aging millennial here, this is a cool piece of art

The old art is great. Though to be fair, that particular picture is like the single best they ever did. Shows off the melee aspect of Battletech that's sorely missing from a lot of video game adaptations. Although the reality of Battletech melee is more like excessive amounts shin kicking followed by a series of Three Stooges pratfalls.

 

[Grayson Death Carlyle]

Although the reality of Battletech melee is more like excessive amounts shin kicking followed by a series of Three Stooges pratfalls.

Probably has something to do with how they made kicks do more damage and easier to hit under ideal conditions.

 

[Corn Flakes]

The old art is great. Though to be fair, that particular picture is like the single best they ever did. Shows off the melee aspect of Battletech that's sorely missing from a lot of video game adaptations. Although the reality of Battletech melee is more like excessive amounts shin kicking followed by a series of Three Stooges pratfalls.

Ever since the Clans came out everybody thinks the game is all about long-range sniping and precision shooting with targeting computers, when in fact BT is simply the most overcomplicated version of rock 'em sock 'em robots ever designed by autists.

And since we're talking about old art, can be bring back the guy who did this to do... every single character portrait ever?

Please? Using only inks, this mofo infused more personality into that single portrait of Santin West than a million digital painters scraped out of the bottom of the barrel at Artstation.

 

[Gan Ying]

Probably has something to do with how they made kicks do more damage and easier to hit under ideal conditions.

Pretty much. Also because leg weapons are far rarer than arm weapons, and so it's usually better to get off your full barrage at point blank and still get to kick rather than pick between firing weapons on your arms or punching.
In the right circumstances, pushing can get results though:

Spoiler: From a recent Megamek campaign

 

[AbduluCthuluZulu]

Probably has something to do with how they made kicks do more damage and easier to hit under ideal conditions.

If you use quirks, battle fists gives punches enough of a bonus to make them worth using. I have a battlemaster modified specifically to take advantage of this, and it's claimed many a pilot by punching their mech straight through the cockpit.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

First I thought "How can I get away with nuking them in the back during a fight."

Fuckin' lol. Also, what's the best Megamek campaign you folks know?

 

[Tactical Wizard]

Old Battletech art was REALLY hit and miss. It was either very evocative or it looked like a bunch of angles, random shading and lines extending well past the point they should have been erased.

 

[dvorak]

Old Battletech art was REALLY hit and miss. It was either very evocative or it looked like a bunch of angles, random shading and lines extending well past the point they should have been erased.

I think that whole timeframe just has a wider variance of art as opposed to now where things have converged upon a certain aesthetic for a given property/franchise. Whether you're looking at Battletech, older 40k, or even covers of aged scifi paperbacks, you'll see a range from really bad, to okay, to absolute evocative masterpieces of art. Perhaps this in due to less structured commercialism and lack of preconceptions, leading to greater experimentation? I think people are on to something when they identify some older representation having more 'soul' than their modern adaptations.

You can see a bit of this noted variance in the work of Clint Langley. His color palette and blending is way different than a lot of other works during the same time. I don't know if you could do something as relatively unique as that now with an established IP.

 

[Grayson Death Carlyle]

Art like this is lostech now. I can't find the original but I really like this specific piece.

A lot of the newer art just looks like it's made with video game 3D models, like someone just booted up MW5 with free camera and decided to use that for promotional material.
Even the drawn stuff looks kinda off, though I don't have the art skills to explain it clearly.

 

[Corn Flakes]

I think that whole timeframe just has a wider variance of art as opposed to now where things have converged upon a certain aesthetic for a given property/franchise. Whether you're looking at Battletech, older 40k, or even covers of aged scifi paperbacks, you'll see a range from really bad, to okay, to absolute evocative masterpieces of art. Perhaps this in due to less structured commercialism and lack of preconceptions, leading to greater experimentation? I think people are on to something when they identify some older representation having more 'soul' than their modern adaptations.

You can see a bit of this noted variance in the work of Clint Langley. His color palette and blending is way different than a lot of other works during the same time. I don't know if you could do something as relatively unique as that now with an established IP.

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It's style. Just style.

Even with the more questionable bits of art in BattleTech, like the entirety of Technical Readout: 3055, the artists were allowed to use their own style. Some of them had more detail, others drew more corners, others had more curves, some were better/worse at drawing humans, but you could tell at a glance they were different artists. For example, the Commando:



You can see where each artist thought the identifiable characteristics were, and how they adapted them to their own styles.

But ever since the release of MechWarrior Online, though, the artists are being explicitly told to copy that one specific, extremely beveled style from MWO. It all looks very samey, the only way to tell who drew something is to look for their signature. They standardized the soul right out of the setting.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

I can't find the original but I really like this specific piece.

Was from the Battletech TCG, it's called "Death from Above."

Even with the more questionable bits of art in BattleTech, like the entirety of Technical Readout: 3055, the artists were allowed to use their own style. Some of them had more detail, others drew more corners, others had more curves, some were better/worse at drawing humans, but you could tell at a glance they were different artists.

Which I still think is a good idea, unlike having multiple writers of varying quality, multiple artists of varying quality gives more of an impression of various people in-universe documenting what looked like what and when it looked it like. The images you posted of the Commando looks like a timeline with updated designs the IS made over the centuries even if it's just different interpretations.

But ever since the release of MechWarrior Online, though, the artists are being explicitly told to copy that one specific, extremely beveled style from MWO. It all looks very samey, the only way to tell who drew something is to look for their signature. They standardized the soul right out of the setting.

On one hands, some of them look great, on the other hand-to quote Raz0rfist-"Were you raped by a protractor?" among a few other good quotes about the design. "Acting a vendetta against right angles and rust."

 

[Balr0g]

For all Tex Talks Battletech fans, Tex will premiere a new Battletech video today. Topic: the battle for Twycross or how one Hatchetman destroyed an entire elite Falcon cluster

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

For all Tex Talks Battletech fans, Tex will premiere a new Battletech video today. Topic: the battle for Twycross or how one Hatchetman destroyed an entire elite Falcon cluster

I'll never forgive the faggots for going after Tex and harassing him because he decided to talk to one person. I mean he signed himself up for it when associating with said faggots (reminds me of Alfabusa) but regardless, fuck those bastards. If he was interactive with the community, he probably isn't anymore.

 

[JJLiautaud]

I think that whole timeframe just has a wider variance of art as opposed to now where things have converged upon a certain aesthetic for a given property/franchise. Whether you're looking at Battletech, older 40k, or even covers of aged scifi paperbacks, you'll see a range from really bad, to okay, to absolute evocative masterpieces of art. Perhaps this in due to less structured commercialism and lack of preconceptions, leading to greater experimentation? I think people are on to something when they identify some older representation having more 'soul' than their modern adaptations.

It was because artists of the day made 2 or 3 "portfolio works" and then filled the rest of their contract with easier art.

 

[Bassomatic]

I have a ton of the CCG, I bought them because CCG were all the rage but the game sucked and no one else played. I sold/donated my MTG stuff, ugh I should have held em. I legit got a nice set of rims for an alpha (first press) birds of paradise.

But love the art, the Zeus looks incredible in it, legit got me sold on the mech. Aside being a lyraboo.

I have the cardboards still and they made me like/dislike mechs when I was like 8. lol. My dad used to play nice but still table me because I took crap mechs "assassin" because looked dope. I miss playing with pops. I will go back 30 years ago his FIRST ever time trying TT he DFA'd me by sheer luck. To this day he mentions it to all my BT friends.

All that aside, played some crappy MWO last night, apparently messages don't send if user isn't online I shot you a message and saw you friended me Grayson. I guess it's safe since using a backup email and linking a game. But as said I'm really scrub and barely play. I'm Grendel762. I'd like to play so make a unit someone. Not sure what to spend my 54 mil c bills on. I'll hoard my 20k+ MC on lol.

 

[Grayson Death Carlyle]

All that aside, played some crappy MWO last night, apparently messages don't send if user isn't online I shot you a message and saw you friended me Grayson.

Yeah I was out yesterday. Might be able to get on another time depending on when that is.

 

[Bassomatic]

Yeah I was out yesterday. Might be able to get on another time depending on when that is.

No worries, sat night is about only time I play. If you tell me I'm pretty I might be sober enough to run a useful none meme build.

I actually am torn, theres a 6 SL twin snub fire starter that's INSANE and meta, or get a king crab 000. Frankly I don't like assaults or lights for MWO/5 I like playing cav mechs (just like in TT)

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

Remind me not to play MWO at this time, I've never encounter match after match with some of the dumbest motherfuckers imaginable.
>Assault Mech Ignores Assault Mech in front of them
>Runs into a wall of Heavy and Medium Mechs
>Enemy Assault Mech ignored the other Assault Mech
>They were literally touches asses
>I shouted in the VOIP and they ignored me
>Raged quit because we were "providing covering fire"
>Enemy Assault Mech ignored the Warhammer (me) in front of it as I shot into its back (LRMs in close range don't really damage so I can see why)
>As soon as me and the only other competent person on the team died the rest of the team just lost all its brain cells, split up, and/or ran into the entire enemy team without even trying to disengage
>Would be badass in a way if they didn't somehow miss 90% of their shots
Next game:
>Dump several ER Large Laser shots into a light without it going for cover
>Flank entire enemy team
>Distract enemy team by touching their base and running
>Entire fucking enemy team guns for me
>Ignores my entire team
>UAV and Artillary strike to distract them more
>Works way too well
>Eventually die but do good damage because apparently some Mechs didn't see the bright red smoke on the pure white snow
>Wrong Mechs capitalize poorly
>Assault brawling Mechs stay at a distance
>Long range Mechs go into brawling range and get mulched once the enemy team stops chasing the other Light Mech that followed me (what a chad though, walked into the enemy team and got their attention before booking it)
>Somehow win because the enemy team was distracted and scattered long enough for actual Brawlers to focus fire
Holy fuck what a bunch of actual muppets. I'm going to call it either Assault Syndrome or "average Capellan pilots." Yeah I'm going back to Battletech until what I assume are burgers go to bed, I say this as a burger.

king crab 000.

As a King Crab fan, you'll be lumped up with a lot of trannies and downright retards, get the Fire Starter. Do you have the build or is it something like this?

 

[Bassomatic]

https://mwo.nav-alpha.com/mechlab?b=0504ad5c_FS9-AT

This is one of the more "meta" lay outs some people drop JJs etc. But yeah it's brutal.