new tank looks

[Geist]

You don't think the Prowler looks as good as or better then the Vanguard or the Mag? I think it looks much better. The Vanguard has some kind of weird mishapen turret and the Mag doesn't even really look like a tank.

Maybe I have weird tastes, but despite the flaws, I still like it more then the alternatives...

[Eyeklops]

Originally Posted by Mightymouser

I guess you drove a different Mag than everyone else got during PS1... That, or you've seen something I haven't which tells you the speed will be different than it was during the first game... Because a PS1 Mag in reverse is slower than shit...

I think he is referring to the PS2 Magrider. Although, I would like to know where he gets this information.

[Bonius]

Originally Posted by Blackwolf

Actually it's easy. A and D would control turning, Q and E would control strafe. Harder control over the turning and strafe so that it didn't drift would help fine tune the control a bit, and it would balance the tank out with the other two. Most infantry controls function along the exact same lines.

Otherwise, as stated, the Magrider would have to be 100% as fast moving sideways as moving strait, which itself is both a boon and a curse. Boon because the head on profile of a mag is a lot smaller then a broadside profile of any other tank. Curse because it will still be much harder to control steering and the like. The Magrider, like a lot of VS tech, will have a much higher learning curve.

Putting strafing/turning on the keyboard would be horrid for usability, not everyone is sitting on fancy multi-stroke keyboards and being able to do four task at the same time. How would you ensure that the turning/strafing ratio is "on the ball" even when doing minor adjustments to your path, when the only input you have is 100% or nothing?

Originally Posted by Mightymouser

I guess you drove a different Mag than everyone else got during PS1... That, or you've seen something I haven't which tells you the speed will be different than it was during the first game... Because a PS1 Mag in reverse is slower than shit...

Well... You heard it here first. Single axis movement is going to be slower than any of the other vehicles, but when you add turning into the equation things suddenly shift in favor of the magrider.

Ecliptic circle of doom?

[kaffis]

Originally Posted by Eyeklops

IMO all asymmetric vehicle design looks bad.

The Millennium Falcon demands you take back this insensitive and hateful statement!

[Chaff]

If the PS2 Prowler works well in-game......it's looks will likely be a non-issue.

Yes, it's a non-intuitive design. Offset guns ? Fail. And yeah, it's a game. And yeah, aesthetics matter on some level.

I'd prefer a super low-profile turret and low-profile body. Make the Prowler wider than the other 2 ES MBT. Keep the twin-barrel....so it keeps a decent element of it's distinct Prowler "look".

Those are my basic design element wishes for the Prowler.

.

[JPalmer]

This should be the TR tank



Look at those treads, that thing is meant to move!

[Eyeklops]

Originally Posted by JPalmer

This should be the TR tank



Look at those treads, that thing is meant to move!

That looks like a beefed up lightning.

[Knocky]

I smell the stench of EA in that picture.

[headcrab13]

Huh, interesting to see everyone's take on the new Prowler. I'd like to see a poll on this, as I personally love the new design. Functionality is another matter, but the style is awesome.

[Gonefshn]

I too was really surprised by the side mounted cannons. Honestly it's not the worst thing in my mind but since it almost makes too much sense not to change it to the center idk why they wouldn't.

To me the more concerning thing about the design is the fact that it's silhouette is essentially the smallest of all three tanks. Maybe it's about the same as the mag but honestly I think it looks like the smallest tank. That to me is wrong. just wrong.

Regardless I can't wait to drive the new Magrider though I will miss the old one with the dedicated gunner

[Erendil]

Originally Posted by Bonius

Putting strafing/turning on the keyboard would be horrid for usability, not everyone is sitting on fancy multi-stroke keyboards and being able to do four task at the same time. How would you ensure that the turning/strafing ratio is "on the ball" even when doing minor adjustments to your path, when the only input you have is 100% or nothing?

Using Q and E for roll left/right in Descent 1/2/3, or lean left/right in CoD is just as complex, and I don't recall hearing many usability complaints from the playerbase of those games (except for CoD console players, but that's an issue with the game controller). Believe me that using Q/E for strafing on the Mag would be fine once people got used to it. In the meantime, there's nothing that says they have to strafe all the time to begin with.

Originally Posted by Bonius

Well... You heard it here first. Single axis movement is going to be slower than any of the other vehicles, but when you add turning into the equation things suddenly shift in favor of the magrider.

Ecliptic circle of doom?

That depends entriely on how fast it can strafe, rotate, go in reverse, and change any of its axes of movement. Circle strafing has the potential to be a deadly tactic for the Mag to use since it can keep its strong frontal armour facing an enemy in front of it at all times. But so far I've heard nothing that states at all how fast it can move in any direction except forward. And with a fixed-forward main cannon, a Mag is going to be at a serious disadvantage if it can't move quickly in all directions, especially from flank attacks or if it wants to fire at the enemy at all while retreating.

Based on the GDC footage I'd say its rotation speed at least needs to be cranked up a bit. The Mag didn't seem to rotate nearly as fast as the Vannie's turret did.


As for the new Prowler, every time I see the side-mounted cannons I can't help but think that the kick would rip the barrels right off the turret the first time it fired.....

[CutterJohn]

Only problem with the prowler is the complete lack of road wheels. Unsupported treads do not work at all.

[Warborn]

Originally Posted by Geist

You don't think the Prowler looks as good as or better then the Vanguard or the Mag? I think it looks much better. The Vanguard has some kind of weird mishapen turret and the Mag doesn't even really look like a tank.

Maybe I have weird tastes, but despite the flaws, I still like it more then the alternatives...

The magrider is stupid and as a WoT player I dread the idea of having one of the MBTs be a goddamn tank destroyer, even if it can strafe. However, the prowler just looks silly. The turret is strange and the cannons being offset and detached is ridiculous. It doesn't look like a tank. It looks like a weird remote-controlled fighting robot of some sort.

The vanguard looks okay to me. The vanguard with the cam job in the GDC video looks terrible -- all of the factions with cam jobs that are actual camouflage colours look horrible -- but it has a turret and a beefy cannon and is big and intimidating. The magrider would look fine if its main gun was on the turret, but the prowler is a roomba with a pea shooter stuck to the top of it.

[bigcracker]

Originally Posted by JPalmer

This should be the TR tank



Look at those treads, that thing is meant to move!

lets just go with mobile factories

[Geist]

Originally Posted by Warborn

The magrider is stupid and as a WoT player I dread the idea of having one of the MBTs be a goddamn tank destroyer, even if it can strafe. However, the prowler just looks silly. The turret is strange and the cannons being offset and detached is ridiculous. It doesn't look like a tank. It looks like a weird remote-controlled fighting robot of some sort.

The vanguard looks okay to me. The vanguard with the cam job in the GDC video looks terrible -- all of the factions with cam jobs that are actual camouflage colours look horrible -- but it has a turret and a beefy cannon and is big and intimidating. The magrider would look fine if its main gun was on the turret, but the prowler is a roomba with a pea shooter stuck to the top of it.

Like I said, strange tastes. It is the future after all, I can see in a quest to have as small a profile as possible them reducing the turret to as small as possible, where it's only responsibility is to turn and provide cameras and sensors for aiming, then have brackets to mount the guns so they are easily replaceable and upgradeable. And using the power of NANITES!!!! it's all sturdy enough to fire continuously and quickly.