Crab Concept Sketch

On this one, I think I prefer the PGI/MWO cockpit. I think it's more realistic, and more aesthetically pleasing.

Joshua Bressel

I don't know how I managed to miss this post. Over all I like it. It is a much needed visual upgrade. I am on the fence about the nose cockpit. But the glass is nice and flat so I can easily paint it up as Armour stick a hemisphere shape on to it represent an external camera mount like modern day CCTV system

Nyxus

If they above the level of the glass and are looking down and out through it then maybe tilt the cockpit inward a few degrees at the bottom? That would help with the pilot's view in that direction. Don't make me as for an internal view! ;)

William Minsinger

I actually preferred PGI's cockpit style on this, as I feel this is a bit too close to the Marauder and makes the mech look larger than a medium, but I do love the redesign overall.

Aaron Stevens

Let's be clear here Anthony. I don't plan on painting any of them. Guess my pilots won't will be able to see. Ha!

Christopher Eastwood

Definitely zero intent here to have the pilot eye level with the glass, so you don't have to think of contortions :)

Anthony Scroggins

Shouldn't be hard to glue on a tank cupola if you want and paint the nose as armor. If I'd modeled in a head on top that'd be a pretty stuck in option. I may like the nose glass, but I also did it so that people aren't locked into it either.

Anthony Scroggins

The big (non-canon) upside to me doing nose glass is anyone can simply not paint the nose as glass and you get the classic look. So the nose people are happy, the neutral people are happy, only those who specifically wanted an mwo head go away unhappy and that seems to be a minority.

Anthony Scroggins

A camera array would be really interesting! Unique, but still an opportunity for jeweling.

Carlos Sempere

Another spot on re design. It fixes the stick like arms and legs and beefs them up a little bit. The only sticking point I have is the position of the cockpit, it looks a little too weird.

That's a different take I dont think anyone was expecting. I don't mind it and the rest of it is stellar. The ejecting out of the back was dumb but I liked the idea of it being a windowless mech. What about having an array of cameras on the nose. You know, those ones that look like eyes.

Christopher Eastwood

the Nose Cockpit is a flop on what is otherwise a sorely needed visual upgrade to the mech. I would replace the sensor dish in the back with a tank driver cupola or some sort of armored optical periscope for "visual" targeting/Driving. then the small laser in the head can act as a gunsight, point where all the other weapons are as a cheap visual guide for the mechwarrior!

James Bixby

I agree on the tank cupola. I would argue replace the dis with an armored optical perisope for "Visual" piloting/Targeting augmenting the sensors. that nose cockpit just BUGS me. Eh? *finger guns*

James Bixby

Yea I'm not sure the nose-cockpit really does it for me; even if we assume the pilot is sitting pretty far back and 'low' it seems like it would require the pilot to be heavily reclined or even laying down to give any sort of useful view. I know it's supposed to be secondary to the sensors but it still looks uncomfortable to me. Otherwise I like the design.

William Minsinger

I dig it, but can't get past how it looks like it belongs in the Marauder family. Like a smaller Nightstar remodel. That being said, I'm glad you didn't go the MWO route because that version is just ugly. I do think this would look better with a very low smooth cockpit area between the shoulder blades. There's a spot in the image right below the sensor equipment, and behind that medium (small?) laser that would be ideal IMO. Maybe lower the laser and smooth it out a bit so it's not blocking visual from the cockpit in that area. Something definitely smaller and smoother and not in the the same spot as the MWO version. I like the idea of a cupola style cockpit there between the shoulders. My other critique is I would like to see the claws completely cover the laser lenses in the closed position for protection. I do very much like that you kept the smooth and sleek stylings on this and I think the overall image is a great remodel of the original 2750 design. Both Comstar packs were must have's for me in the kickstarter and so far the lack of smooth and sleek in some of the star league remodels has been a bit of a let down for me. Just a few of my thoughts, great work as always.

I really like that, a dose of the old with the flair of the new. Also, I’m a fan of the nose glass. Helps for the old lines of the model without adding in that new cockpit that PGI did

just read the comments above: Crabrauder!!! yeah, that´s a very good name

I like it a lot - I was never a big fan of the crab - but this one with its new cockpit looks „marauder-like“ - which is great!

Reminds me of the District 9 mecha suit, I like it

95% like? 2 tweaks I'd shoot for would be: 1) 5-10% reduction of the diameter of the upper arms 2) Rear mounted tank commander cupola cockpit instead of the nose. Then it would be 100% (IMO), but as they say, YMMV...... the cockpit at least I think I can modify via green stuff, kind of like adding the sensor ball turret to your Wolverine.

Benjamin Myers (Bishop Steiner)

same. For me it's the one thing throwing me off. I just really like the cockpit on the waaay back for Crab

Benjamin Myers (Bishop Steiner)

When I first saw the cockpit location, my first thought was "Marauder". The blocky new claws add to the resemblance. I'm going to start calling this boy the "Crabrauder" - and that's a good thing!

Kanrei13

I like this so much it physically hurts.

Yeah that last bit is big. We'd lose a lot of variety options if we always went purely logical.

Anthony Scroggins

A lot of it is hollow claw, I think that throws people off.

Anthony Scroggins

Also is it just me or has this crab been doing some pushups?

A fair opinion, as neither is wrong.

Anthony Scroggins

Hmm personally, like the MWO cockpit, but this is dead good too!

Joe Wright

also i always attitude the " safer" ejection, was a corporate tag line , or feature, to sell more mechs

My initial thought was "why wouldn't you do the MWO top-mounted cockpit?" but your decision to maintain the smooth carapace of the original is a good idea that sounds logical enough with the rationalization of cameras to see. I like when things don't seem too logical at first but have an in-universe explanation for their quirkiness. Always using the more obvious or realistic designs will just make everything too similar.

David Razi

It looks very cool. Just seeing that you didn't go with an MWO design just makes it feel that much better.

Andrew McKenna

I like the MWO placement of the cockpit, but this one is growing on me too. The cockpit placement keeps the Crab in line with the re-design of the King Crab.

Brian Sausley

To me, the arms feel just a tad chunky. Maybe about a 7-8% reduction in size would balance it out I think..

Can’t say I like that front glass look. Much prefer the top cockpit.

Steve McNabb

Snib Snib!

I love everything but the cockpit placement. I think Alex had the right idea in that regard for placing it on top.

Chris

Not a bad update. A real improvement over the original.

Tyler Erickson

First key is to remember that formula-1 cars are not in any sense tall. You can fit a lot of pilot quite easily in this mech. Second is that you don't need cockpit glass strictly for aiming forward. In many cases you're going to want to be able to see the ground. Should you really need that view mid combat (you're almost dead anyway) you can simply tilt the mechs chin up.

Anthony Scroggins

Now wait a minute, I need to see visually how the mech would fart out the pilot. I didn't know this was a thing and now I refuse to u think it!

My first impression is that the scale is all wrong. If that glass represents cockpit glass, there isn’t a heck of a lot of room for a 2 meter person to sit in there and still have armor/structure around them. Even if the pilot were further back, having the glass there would imply they were almost laying down or the glass would at / in front of their feet and not at convenient emergency eye level. Given the scale of mechs and pilots, it would seem like the pilot should be positioned around the second or third 'segment' and the glass should be a little bit in front of that.

Maarten Broekman

My first impression is that it’s a little too busy. Looking at the original mini (which I like a lot), I think that one looks nice and clean because the hull has all the visual mass. In this new one, the bulkier arms and thighs make sense but they’re also distracting. I don’t know what I’d do… it’s a tough one. I liked the original centerline medium laser, too, but I do like this cockpit concept.

Carlos Sempere

Fair point. We've made large lasers quite a bit bigger in this redesign project. Considering the mechs size they're still not too big though. If the legs look too small in 3D we'll scale em up.

Anthony Scroggins

love it

wiski

I’d like the claws open so he can shoot

Richard Jensen

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. Maybe it's that the arms are beefier than the legs?

Mike

Seeing in my minds eye images of Jim Carey “ birthing” out the ass of that dummy rhino in Ace Ventura 2!!! Like the redesign. I’ve never liked the look of this ‘Mech until this version.

Aw hell, it's the Crab, possibly my favourite medium. You could draw anything and I'd love it

Alex F

Love it. And it’s a good reason to always know where your exits are, just in case there’s a fusion reactor in the way.

Crab Battle!