So, long have people said of the Lancer and it's Mobile Arc "This is how PWTs should always have been!". I personally disagree with this for a few reasons, but this is not the subject of this thread. I am not here to discuss the mechanical, narrative or verisimilitude qualities of any PWT mechanics. I'm here to reveal the shocking truth that I recently uncovered! The Lancer-class ship would never qualify as a PWT ship, and Mobile Arc does not necessarily replace a PWT on it at all! Behold, a Lancer in it's natural environment!

Notice how the lancer as very clear forward weapon mounts? These are seperate from it's single dorsal turret system, but it clearly has fixed forward guns - in contrast with a ship like the Falcon, which is portrayed with only ventral and dorsal turrets, and then an added missile launcher, with no other "primary" systems - though in some old EU titles they could sometimes be fixed forward and cockpit operated or with other secondary systems (But the default in EotE is dorsal/ventral turrets). Thus, the Lancer does not necessarily act like ships traditionally given primary turrets do. IF anything, the closer comparison would be to the Ghost - which has a large forward weapon system, the ability to fire rear due to the Phantom, and also a dorsal bubble turret mount. However, rather than design another upgrade like Dorsal Turret, it would appear that FFG came up with a new mechanic which doesn't necessarily ignore that it does have regular forward firing guns but also allows it to have a turret-like effect, but with normal primary rules in order to give the ship more flexibility and open up the design space to do new things - the ship would probably be less creative without the Mobile Arc to tie to many of it's pilots and specific upgrades. That might also have needed to give it a cannon slot or allow for some other mechanic for it to use tractor beam tokens since it also has a tractor system which can be slaved to work in conjunction with the dorsal turret.

So basically, the Mobile Arc was a more creative and expansive way to portray the capabilities of the Lancer "as seen on TV" without necessarily tapping into the same well the game just did with the VCX-100.

Er, no. FFG talked on the Gold Squadron podcast about the Shadowcaster. There is a turret behind the cockpit there, but it is unmanned. The turret is controlled by the pilot in the cockpit. All the other ships with PWT are representing a crew focused on turret operation.

The Falcon has crewed turrets.

The Shadowcaster does not.

That's not a no, you're continuing to prove my point. I both explicitly state that it does have a single turreted weapon in addition to the forward weapons, and then implicitly state standard turrets on the Falcon are not cockpit operated.

If anything, what you said just expands on the logic and gives a more specific explanation than "it was more mechanically interesting" (while also the effect probably was more mechanically interesting).

7 minutes ago, UnitOmega said:

That's not a no, you're continuing to prove my point. I both explicitly state that it does have a single turreted weapon in addition to the forward weapons, and then implicitly state standard turrets on the Falcon are not cockpit operated.

If anything, what you said just expands on the logic and gives a more specific explanation than "it was more mechanically interesting" (while also the effect probably was more mechanically interesting).

You came up with the correct conclusion but you meandered to the point. The 'no' was for your explanation.

My preferred solution for PWTs is for FFG to make all turrets into mobile-arc ships, without the primary forward-fixed arc. Problem solved. While they're at it, stripping the forward arc from the lancer would also help game balance quite a bit.

The fluff of it doesn't really both me.

10 hours ago, CRCL said:

My preferred solution for PWTs is for FFG to make all turrets into mobile-arc ships, without the primary forward-fixed arc. Problem solved. While they're at it, stripping the forward arc from the lancer would also help game balance quite a bit.

The fluff of it doesn't really both me.

It wouldn't fix, them, it would nerf them into oblivion. That's no fix.

I don't think you actually understand game balance at all.

Adjust cost accordingly, done

But id keep the primary arc because they dont need to not have one

Esp cause rey would demolish without a primary arc restriction

The problem with the Lancer is that it really still plays like a PWT. That mobile arc is merely a mild inconvenience for the pilot. All you really have to do is setup on a flank and deny the opponent a chance to exploit your non-firing arcs. Throw in Mindlink and that action to rotate your arc is a moot point.

When you look at the WSF at 30 points and the Shadowport Hunter at 33 points, its clear FFG was a bit too aggressive in its pricing.

More like FFG screwed the pooch on the fringer independently of the caster

Then screwed it again in the opposite way via the scout

But PWTs have no skill

10 hours ago, Marinealver said:

But PWTs takes no skill

FTFY!