Ask the Devs Part 20

The questions and answers from the twentieth round of 'Ask the Devs' have been posted:

Q: Is there any idea when death from above will be implemented? [Atayu]
A: It's already there in it's bare form, but we'll be improving it over time. Can't say exactly when, but it'll be there. [Garth]

Q: Have you ever eaten at the Red Wagon in East Van? If so, which do you prefer, pulled pork pancakes or the pork bellies? [whiskey tango foxtrot]
A: I haven't, but regardless of eating there the answer is pulled pork sandwiches. [Garth]

Q: Are there any plans to actually knock down trees instead of simply clipping through them? [bunk3rk1ng]
A: It will be added but we do not have a solid date yet. [Garth]

Q: The 55 ton mech you are planing to add will be an IS? [Odanan]
A: We will be adding a 55 ton Inner Sphere Mech at some point, yes. [Garth]

Q: Are there any plans to add penalties to the heat scale before the ultimate shutdown, such as reduced movement speed, reduced weapon accuracy, etc.? [pesco]
A: There has been talk on it but no concrete plans. It'll depend a lot on testing. [Garth]

Q: Is it decided yet if there will be the option to have a changeable Clan-tag attached to your name so we don't have to rename every time we join other units? [RedDragon]
A: I actually answer this question here, but to reiterate - this will not be added until Clan Warfare is 'live'. [Garth]

Q: I still want to know what style crust the PGI team prefers when you guys all order pizza. [Gun Bear]
A: The entire team? No idea. Me? I get 'original' because I am not tolerant of lactose in any form. [Garth]

Q: There have been rumors floating and even a thread made at the suggestion of making the "Somethingawful Goons" the clan forces when they are implemented. Is this the case? [Shibas]
A: No, that is not the case. A goon told you that, didn't they? [Garth]

Q: Can you tell us what a "Hero Mech" will be? [Redshift2k5]
A: We'll answer this in a future post. [Garth]

Q: Is it possible to make a head shot at a mech if you are at his back? (of course only if his head/cockpit is high enough so that you can see it?) [Nash]
A: Yes - I've done this to Catapults while in a Jenner. Jump jet over top, fire down, headshot. [Garth]

Q: Since we've all seen the picture, and the NDA is gone, can you guys comment on what Highlander variants might be added?[Norris J Packard]
A: I can only confirm the HGN 732, sadly. [Garth]

Q: Will you add some life to the maps (driving cars..wind that effect trees, random rain, maybe some airplanes chasing each other in the air? Maybe sounds of MG and artillery fire from far away? and so on)? [Virisken]
A: We actually already have this - if you look in the background of River City, you can see and hear machine gun fire as well as explosions. So, yes. [Garth]

Q: Why did the Urbanmech cross the road? [AC Rimak]
A: To get to the curb for pickup? [Garth]

Q: Will there be changing weather conditions? For example, On the ice map you can occasionally have blizzards or on the forest a heavy rainstorm...etc...caustic map has acid rain... [Bakra]
A: There already are! In Frozen City, there are occasional blizzards that blow through, making it really tough to see. [Garth]

Via the Official Forums

My Comment: Not much new info this week, but confirmation that they will be adding more to the DFA (Death From Above) mechanic is good news. I've been DFA'd a few times by Streakapults in the past week, and to be honest it doesn't really do much damage at the moment.