We need Mechs...

Sentinels are nice, in WH40k lore their advantage is that they have less trouble with difficult terrain than tanks. Their height makes it hard to properly use low cover too.

But I think OP was rather thinking about a Reaver or maybe even a Warlord....

There's no reason why they couldn't. I'd havwe to double-check but I believe the PlanetSide Classic MAX Travel Mode was at least 40MPH.

Once again, the PlanetSide Classic VS MAXes had jump jets. PlanetSide 2 just didn't import them for reasons.

Basically, MAXes deserve first dibs.

Travel mode was nice and I'd love to get it back. Though inability to shoot while in travel mode is a different thing.

Oh yes VS jumping MAX was pain in the back.

Still though... MAX is armor. Mech is vehicle.

Sure, make it double the size of a MAX. Two or three weapon systems and the ability to punch heavy armor. Jump jets or a sprint would be a good idea.

That's actually an interesting idea. If it's a group effort to buy a vehicle, it's ok for it to be OP cause the opposing side will treat it like a giant piniata - it'll get swarmed with free infantry missile launchers. Killing one of those things would undoubtedly bring great joy and celebration to whoever participates. At same time, killing things in a clearly OP vehicle also brings lots of joy

The only serious problem here is deciding who will get to control it. It would have to be a Platoon-only vehicle, and a new role has to be created specifically to assign driver. I guess platoon leader could assign driver, tho sometimes platoon leaders disconnect or whatever, then some random guy takes over and assigns himself as driver. That would be bad

Spawning could work like this: Platoon leader activates some terminal, selects vehicle, then everyone in the platoon gets a request "do you want to contribute 400 resources to spawning MECH" and if enough people say "yes" then vehicle is spawned. If not enough, then nothing happens, no resources consumed.

And for it to be clearly OP and super fun, it would need 1 super sized cannon and at least 3 small guns, kind of like Galaxy. Or make it even more gun by having 2 tank guns and 3 secondaries. And have like 6 rumble seats similar to Valkyre style - then it's fun for the whole family

The resource idea I had is each platoon could have a donation pool. The platoon members could donate as much as they want to the pool. Maybe even have a tax on the resource gain (everyone's getting a little bit less per cycle).

The pool could be used for any vehicle, Lightnings, Sundies, Gals. Whatever the platoon needs. But the max in the pool will be able to exceed 750. Allowing the purchase of items greater than 750 cost. Orbital Strikes, BFRs, Dropships, stuff that would be OP at 750 nanites, but not at 4500, 6000, or 9000 (in no particular order) depending on vehicle or asset purchased.

This way a 'Mech which would be OP as heck at 750, and would have to be OP to have a role would turn into the PS1 BFR fiasco, wouldn't be regulated to the same BS in PS2. It would be sort of rare. Showing up only at the toughest fights a platoon has. Course it wouldn't be invulnerable to anything that isn't another mech. Just tough to take down without big guns.

As for who the pilot, it'd be whomever could spend the resources to purchase it. Platoon Leader, or Squad Leaders if selected as being able to make platoon purchases.

Of course there would be other things the pool could be spent on. It doesn't have to be mechs. Something to spice up the game for the larger outfits and platoons. Because lets face it. We don't have platoon unlocks. We have squad unlocks. I'd love to see that change.

Add in resource requirements from ANT's and you've got a complex system with its own little metagame.

What if you could purchase "blocks" using your nanites, and they go into a bank. Each block or whatever costs 500 nanites, and it takes 10 blocks to purchase a Mech. Your blocks disappear 24 hours after they get deposited, unless they are used. You can then purchase a Mech by yourself, and others can hop in like any other vehicle. You could only spawn one every 24 hours.

I'm a PS1 vet, and would have no problem with seeing the return of BFR's (obviously more balanced versions). However, I don't want to see any new vehicles or even weapons in the game until they truly balance every last inch of the game. Bringing in such a powerful unit is just bad news, considering they aren't even capable of balancing what we already have. I understand it is difficult if not impossible to have perfect balance, but dammit, they need to do better.

Not a PS1 vet at all. Mech's are just dumb

Only seen as broken by people with a shockingly narrow world view. Let's not start that up here.

Regardless, I could imagine one way in which mechs (BFRS) could work and have a battlefield role. Damage sponges. Gal level HP with better resistances -- weak weapons. Since they will be targeted in large fights they would need a lot of defense. However, they would have to sacrifice mobility (being slow) and firepower. With multiple gun turrets that could be damaged individually (not sure if feasible with the current engine) and each gun turret rather weak (wyverns or something) it could at least provide SOME support fire -- but not really be a threat to mobile armor. Armor having more offense and more mobility could easily drive circles around it and lay down fire. This would give it the battlefield role of a moving defensive rally point for armor. Wouldn't return much in the way of cert generation though -- so only for people that are looking to assist armor. Would also be useful AA protection vs air - so you have a niche that tanks don't fill and don't step on their niche.

Still though -- that is stretching it. Probably just safer to not try messing with them.

lol, and three tank mines will blow it's leg off. bring it, baby!

Mechs look cool, but they are conceptually flawed, the realist in me hates them, the sci fi nerd loves them.

You can have your mech if it is only allowed to play on your own little mech island.

Enjoy your mech on mech orgy but leave us out of it.

And when that leg has 20k hp and this happens:

Gunner: What was that?
Pilot: Just some mines, keep shooting.

You'll be like "..." and redeploy.

Our kids' kids will be playing with mechs. They will ask Grandpa Dir if I played with mechs when I was still able to play video games and I will say..YES...for many years in a well balanced game called Planetside.

Not against the idea of mechs (BFRs) in the game as a concept...

But the main issue I see is that the terrain/bases were not designed with these sorts of vehicles in mind and could quite likely turn bad bases (most of them) into absolute nightmares.

If a mech leg has 20K HP, then an MBT hull should have 80K or something.

That's what should happen.

Donation pool creates potential problems, such as ownership rights. Platoons are very fluid, one hour you have a platoon, another hour you don't. Platoon leaders get disconnected, random people get Platoon leadership. It will be too easy to lose resources for nothing

Or it could have opposite problem - if pools are more permanent, too easy to collect and build huge stockpiles. People logging in alts just to unload resources in a pool. Or end up in situation where 2 guys collected enough pools to get their own mech. Gonna get a lot of newbie meches doing random things

My idea is simpler to implement and guards against those problems

I dunno, it was the Flight Variants that were the real problem. You could pin down a Gunner, but a Flight Variant would just hop over the nearest mountain range when things got sticky.

I do agree, there's no reason they couldn't be brought back if they were done well. Hell, it's been argued that with the powerful guns that drivers have access to, MBTs are pretty much Gunner Variant BFRs.

You are right about everything, except this one.

Wheels are only efficient on flat surfaces. Treats improve matters tremendously but still have efficiency limitations. In biomechanics I keep learning the same thing: legs are efficient, wheels can only be comparable efficient when you've got good surfaces.
For instance, with legs you can re-use 90% of the energy of your last step in the next one while you only have to look at the average height difference between the steps to calculate extra energy used. Treats or wheels have to go up and down every little incline and rock, and push away or flatten tons of surface, reducing speed and increasing energy use. Similar systems can be thought out for the mechs. The only reason why we don't use (small) mechs right now is because you need a highly sophisticated semi-AI or complete AI to walk across ground. The ability to keep balance while walking across a rough surface or a surface that shifts under your foot is a difficult task for any computer. Calculating how to generate the most efficient forwards motion from that surface is an even bigger task.
Mechs would be ideal for rough terrain. But in all likelyhood the canonized 2-legged mechs probably will only exist in suit-sized versions. Anything bigger would probably go for 4 legs and have the capability to climb, otherwise there's little utility in big Mechs.

Also with the common size people imagine these mechs they become completely impractical, as you've already pointed out. The weight distribution across the ground becomes a problem, as well as turning ratio's. Turn too fast and you sag into the ground, and since you have to throw the entire Mech around while keepign balance rather than a turret without the chassis, Mechs would need to always be facing their opponent beforehand or lose anyway.

That's why I like Kristans idea, which matches my idea a lot: A small Mech with more AI capabilities or some specific AV weapons rather than an AV/AI/AA multi-weapon monster. It takes up a specific new role in the game and doesn't make other vehicles redundant.
Edit: And by "small" mech I mean "the height of a Sunderer". That would also be in the realm of possibilities for real-life Mechs, although they would likely sport more weaponry then armor similar to aircraft, and be used as spec-ops weapons rather than run-of-the-mill vehicles to launch assaults. In PS2 their AI capability with machine guns would be considered a Spec-Ops compared to all other weapons available for such tasks.