Mobula component layout

[HamsterIV]

The Mobula is generally considered an engineering nightmare with key components locates so far away from each other that two full time engineers are needed when the ship comes under sustained attack. Further more all three crew members are required to maintain the engines if the pilot decides to activate kerosine for a long term burn.

All other ships in this game have the engines close enough together that a single engineer can keep the turning engines repaired if the pilot decided to get a little aggressive in his maneuvering. This puts the Mobula at a severe disadvantage to all other ships in the game since it needs at least two player shooting to present any sort of legitimate threat.

I propose that the Mobula be changed so that all three engines can be reached from the top deck, and there be a path from the balloon repair point to the hull repair point that does not involve going up then down a ladder.

The engines could be moved to the gaps between the side wings and the hull forcing the engineer responsible for the engines to run the width of the ship to hit all engines in a single repair circuit. The proposed side positions are close to the outer guns giving that engineer something to do when not actively repairing.

For the hull and balloon modification I suggest a catwalk be provided at either the front, back, or both ends of the ship so that an engineer can run between the two core components faster. Alternately the downstairs areas could be connected inside the ship, however it may be too easy to keep the ship alive if this is the case.

Thanks for hearing out my rant.

[LordFunPants]

to be honest, i was told to custom order some ladders for the mobula not to long ago in hopes to ease some of the tension here. as far as i'm concerned since the mobula is new its going to go through alot of evolving, and most of it will depend on "rants" as you call them like these really. at the same time we don't want to get to ahead of ourselves to fast cause that could lead to whole other series of problems. 

with that said, continue on with the good "rants" at the very least i'm all ears. i was actually on the look out earlier for topics such as these popping up to see how the ship is doing overall. 

[JaegerDelta]

The Mobula is generally considered an engineering nightmare with key components locates so far away from each other that two full time engineers are needed when the ship comes under sustained attack.

the spire also requires 2 full time engineers if it comes under any sort of serious attack. but you are not supposed to let the enemy have the opportunity to attack you.  In ships like the Mobula and the Spire you have to fight in a way that minimizes personal danger.

now as for the layout, i think its mostly fine. yeah its probably the hardest ship in the game. but its also one of the most fun

i think its main problem is that it is new. not to long ago, the lumberjack was a specialty weapon not used by alot of people because there was not many people who could hit consistently with it. now its one of the most feared weapons and there are people who want to nerf it.  unless i am mistaken, i dont think much changed with the lumberjack, only player skill with it.

[Spud Nick]

Every other ship in the game  has at least 2 components right next to each other. I don't think it would be over powered if the Mobula was easier to repair.

[HamsterIV]

The most ships still have both turning engines in one area of responsibility. I combined two gripes I have about the mobula in one post. That the balloon and hull are very far apart, and that the two turning engines are very very far apart. Most ships put some distance between the hull and balloon because it is too easy to tank all ship critical damage otherwise, so I am not all that put out by that feature of the mobula. However to put the two most important engines so far away from each other especially on a ship with such a large blind spot borders on cruel and unusual punishment. The spire can get by with two full time engineers because it has a Medium gun mount that can be relied upon to make a kill by itself. The Mobula relies on light gun mounts which must be used in tandem to for the ship to present any sort of credible threat. So any engineer on a Mobula constantly has to be asking himself, "Can I let the engine/baloon/hull drop while I get in these last shots?"

[Spud Nick]

Ladders on the back would do Just fine.

[JaegerDelta]

So any engineer on a Mobula constantly has to be asking himself, "Can I let the engine/baloon/hull drop while I get in these last shots?"

exactly, thats what makes the mobula a unique ship. without that internal dilemma of the mobula, its just a new model for the same old ship design. the mobula is requires alot of movement and coordination on the part of the crew. just because no other ship in the game is at that level of coordination does not mean its a bad thing. most ships have specified patrol regions for each crew member. while those regions exist on the mobula, they shift with the orientation and environment that the ship is in. 

more accessible components, while making the ship easier to crew, just leads to blandness. on basically every other ship the routes may be different but the movements are the same for the engineering crew. ship gameplay up until the mobula, is driven to be most interesting from the pilots perspective.  on the mobula, more decision making power is put in the hands of the crew.  it puts all the players on a more equal footing. but that makes communication and cooperation way more important than ever before.

going back on a new style of play the mobula offers would be a mistake. if it is butchered and made to behave like a "normal" ship, the gameplay of it just becomes more of the same and little more than different scenery to look at while you run around on a ship. what is the point in that?

[Calico Jack]

I've used the mobula a lot and have "discovered" a play style that works for me, but I would ask that there be a rear short cut out of the wings. On most other ships the engineer has secret paths he can use - ie the Squid has strategic gaps in the railings, Pyra has the gantry dive and the hole to the right of the upper cowling of the main engine.

Before the release I tried the Mob out on the dev app to specifically look for these paths. Jumping from the turning engine platform onto the turning engine to get up to the wing top /drive engine works, but not frequently enough that you can count on it.

I would also love it if you could dock another ship in the tail area, but in such a way that the docked ship won't have working guns (obstructed by the Mobs supertructure) until it undocks, a squid would definitely fit in there, probably a goldfish and possibly a pyra. It could open up new play styles.

[Zenark]

I would also love it if you could dock another ship in the tail area, but in such a way that the docked ship won't have working guns (obstructed by the Mobs supertructure) until it undocks, a squid would definitely fit in there, probably a goldfish and possibly a pyra. It could open up new play styles.

Must.... Resist.........
.
..
...
That's what she said.

[LordFunPants]

I would also love it if you could dock another ship in the tail area, but in such a way that the docked ship won't have working guns (obstructed by the Mobs supertructure) until it undocks, a squid would definitely fit in there, probably a goldfish and possibly a pyra. It could open up new play styles.

actually, i doubt any of those ships would fit there, assuming i understand what your saying. mobulas oddly enough actually one of the smallest ships, its just wide as all hell ,as wide as a junker is long . . . and yea. . . zenark. . resist anything about that statement that might come off wrong. . .

regardless, the ship was designed to be difficult to repair, but i never expected it to be so difficult it was a nightmare. when the ladders go in i'm hoping to get as much feed back as possible. its really hard to actually test this sorta thing with out players of all kinds giving it a shot. . . i only have AI to work with and somehow, somehow adding the ladders has made them even stupider -_-; you should see some of the drunken paths these guys take.

[Zenark]

Is this a possible confirmation of ladders being added in the back?

Resisting..... Innuendo..... Overload...

[shadowsteel]

okay zen. Just exit the thread ... slowly... there you go... you can do it. you should probably stay away from the mobula for a little bit okay buddy?

[Zenark]

B-b-but.... My puffer fish Q.Q

[Demigo]

I don't know about other people but I often find it annoying to try and get on a ladder in the first place. I would actually like to see stairs or a ramp put in the back. This would make it easier to get up to the top deck (at least for me).

Also I have flown the mobula several times. In terms of guns for the bottom decks I recommend using a mercury in stead of a gat if you're engineers are having trouble trying to balance between time spent shooting and time spent repairing (this also gives you a range advantage). Not to mention it helps to take out their guns before then can hit you. I personally don't see the need to have a buff-gineer on the ship at all. If you have 2 ain engineers and they each stay in their own hallway it becomes a fairly easy ship to maintain.

Would it be possible to add a window in the back of the captain's cabin? I often find my self wasting both time and effort trying to back up. I have to rely on my gunner and engineers to tell me where I'm going. This wouldn't be that bad if i didn't also need them to shoot and repair at the same time. I would turn around and flee but all of the guns are front facing and the turning is a little awkward.   

[Zenark]

Sometimes, when I get off of one of the bottom guns, I'll accidentally mount the ladder. I don't think this is bad ladder placement, I think it's just me being a noob. Do any of yall do this too?