That Timber Wolf design...

[jconner1984]

How does it look more "muscular" than the classic design? Thing looks mean. Didn't think it was possible to make the Madcat look cooler than it already did.

[Bovril Brigadier]

PGI in their interpretations more or less made most Mechs squatter and wider. It has worked for some designs, not so much for others.

[Fire Cougar]

Yeah to be honest I dont really care for the beefier Timberwolf. The old design was supposed to make most of the clan tech more futuristic and sleek compared compared to a lot of the Inner Spheres aging designs. A lot of the design changes if not the vast majority of them where for legal reasons, because ♥♥♥♥ Harmony Gold for being copyright trolls when they never had the legal authority to make the legal claims in court they did that ruined FASA. They filed lawsuits over the mechs that the creator of Battletech had the rights to use to make his own version of when designing some of the mechs for Battletech.

Catalyst and PGI had to come up with their own designs to be able to re-release the "unseen" mechs because of all of that (of which a lot have been referred to as "ReSeen" designs) to be able to sell miniatures, artwork an other media with . Some of them are really good designs, some of them are meh like the timberwolf, and sometimes a mech is just objectively a better looking design (Battletech is from the 80's and there is some really goofy old art you can find. The Black Pants Legion's Tex made a video or two about it and you can also find a lot on the internet too).

For better or worse most of these changes seem to be here to stay, which makes sense given the logistics of making new art and having to circulate it and waiting to see how fans like it. They are serviceable and likable enough to work and that's all that really matters.

[dragonflyer]

Timber Wolf had nothing to do with the Unseen. Also, the "Unseen/Reseen" debacle was long before PGI were anywhere near Battletech IP. The PGI redesigns were more about giving the games a consistent art style (original Battletech art being anything but) and bringing the mechs into modern 3D form.

In truth, most Reseen redesigns actually improved things by a mile. The designs that got replaced were from 80s anime and for most part, pretty goofy, not to mention underdetailed (80s TV animation being what it was). Modern designs are a lot more sensible and better looking. Also, taking premade artwork outright is always a cheap move, I see moving on from being derivative to original as a good thing. Leave the Dougram in Dougram and Zentraedi battlepods in Macross, their influence on Shadow Hawk and Marauder is still clearly visible, but it's equally clear they're not the same thing.

[Fire Cougar]

Originally posted by dragonflyer:

Timber Wolf had nothing to do with the Unseen. Also, the "Unseen/Reseen" debacle was long before PGI were anywhere near Battletech IP. The PGI redesigns were more about giving the games a consistent art style (original Battletech art being anything but) and bringing the mechs into modern 3D form.

In truth, most Reseen redesigns actually improved things by a mile. The designs that got replaced were from 80s anime and for most part, pretty goofy, not to mention underdetailed (80s TV animation being what it was). Modern designs are a lot more sensible and better looking. Also, taking premade artwork outright is always a cheap move, I see moving on from being derivative to original as a good thing. Leave the Dougram in Dougram and Zentraedi battlepods in Macross, their influence on Shadow Hawk and Marauder is still clearly visible, but it's equally clear they're not the same thing.

You do have a point there. I wasnt trying to insinuate that the Timberwolf was unseen. Consistency and originality is really important.

[UnCivilServant]

I prefer the beefier MadCat. The original spindlier design didn't look like it could take any punishment, sleek tech or not.

[DarkFenix]

Originally posted by UnCivilServant:

I prefer the beefier MadCat. The original spindlier design didn't look like it could take any punishment, sleek tech or not.

I generally prefer the beefier designs too. They look like machines, the arms looks like they might actually hold and operate a 15 ton weapon. The original spindly design looks like its arms are going to snap off under their own weight, never mind any weapons.

Lore-wise Battletech is supposed to have a relatively grounded take on technology, respecting the limitations of size, weight, and heat. The old designs just don't do that.

[Justicier10-7]

Originally posted by UnCivilServant:

I prefer the beefier MadCat. The original spindlier design didn't look like it could take any punishment, sleek tech or not.

I think there could have been a middle ground reached... honestly I would have been ok with a "beefier" design as long as it emphasized more rounded and elegant design characteristics to denote high-tech.

The spindly legs and particularly the arms of the classic designs were just too thin to support the versatility they had in lore. And once you start thinking about how torso stored ammunition would feed to arm mounted cannons or missile racks... erm... well, best not to think about such things.

[Fire Cougar]

Originally posted by Justicier:

Originally posted by UnCivilServant:

I prefer the beefier MadCat. The original spindlier design didn't look like it could take any punishment, sleek tech or not.

I think there could have been a middle ground reached... honestly I would have been ok with a "beefier" design as long as it emphasized more rounded and elegant design characteristics to denote high-tech.

The spindly legs and particularly the arms of the classic designs were just too thin to support the versatility they had in lore. And once you start thinking about how torso stored ammunition would feed to arm mounted cannons or missile racks... erm... well, best not to think about such things.

Yeah the version of the custom construction rules that the MW2 and 3 games mechlabs went for are kind of whack you think about the logistics, especially with the old art. I just like the older art style for the aestehtic though not the practicality. Its not like we lost anything, we just gained new consistent art for publication.

[Bovril Brigadier]

Originally posted by UnCivilServant:

I prefer the beefier MadCat. The original spindlier design didn't look like it could take any punishment, sleek tech or not.

The original Mad Kitty looked like a ♥♥♥♥ and balls with legs.

[Mike]

New thicker timber looks way better, I prefer IS mechs but this looks really good for a clan mech.