First, holy wall of text batman. I'll get back to the last 2-3 posts later...





We actually have considered making the hand part much like this. Instead of taking just less damage, it transfers far less (perhaps taking less as well). This means they could be "broken" off, so while the COULD be used to block damage, you could basically "disarm" an atlas from  very effective melee weapons if the pilot somehow tried using them like this. More than likely, this would only be done for the atlas and kodiak, as not only do they have CLEAR melee weapons with thier fists/claws, but it seems very appropriate to get literally pummeled by these two mechs, and is a nice balance. (more common, ie cheaper, atlases vs the jump capable kodiaks). 

In the other MechWarrior games it was not possible to repair you 'Mech on the battlefield.
I think it will be more usefull to back off and get to the repair bay than try to ram any other 'Mech.
Perhaps some people will also try to get out of a direct fight when armor is "melting" fast to get it repaired.

Yes, Mw3 had both mobile repair bays and stationary repair bays. This option was usually turned off in multiplayer.

We(the team) are in basic agreement with this. The repair bays will be in the mechbays, which are at each HQ and outpost. This also gives the unique strategic choice of retreating to repair, or hoping to fight your way to the next repair bay and capture it.

That leads me to an interesting idea for limited in game map customization.

Basically such a map would have a handful of simple triggers and scripts in place such as the following.

Clan_CaptureOutpostA Trigger
Outpost A is captured by Team_Clan
run Clan_CaptureOutpostA_1 Script

Clan_CaptureOutpostA_1 Script
Set Team_Clan_OutpostA_DropshipSummonCommand = 1

Team_Clan_OutpostA_DropshipSummonCommand
This enables a command to specified Team_Clan players to call their dropship to OutpostA

If the command is initiated then the game runs a background script to determine which of X locations the Dropship is in (you can't change course once it is inbound) and from that check it activates an appropriate path script pre-plotted by the level designers to reach the new destination.  Animations and particles are added to the dropship to have it take off and then maneuver over to the new location where it then lands and sets up a bunch of high-quality repair bays and mech facilities.

This allows players to risk the facilities normally well defended way behind the front lines by moving them to the front lines.  The cost is time, vehicle limitations (obviously you can't walk up to a Dropship while it's maneuvering to a new position in order to spawn your Atlas, so your team suffers a bit while it's enroute), and you risk having the Dropship shot down or destroyed on the front.  The benefit is that you can get the big, slow moving mechs, into battle quicker once the Dropship has been redeployed.

Basically, it's a lot like the Mothership in Homeworld.

... moving dropships around while the ´Mechs are in the field, or even to take the ´Mechs onboard just for moving to a more strategic point closer to the battlefield.
 It could be done, it could (with the added setting of an Dropship assualt with a dusin or so Dropships (and 120 players  )), but why moving it if it is not under attack, that thats the only reason I would deem that a well placed Dropship from orbit drop, would be moved. And the cost of momentarily dropping around with a Dropship would be humongusly big, (maybe an activation cost in C-Bills is neccesary...)
Yeah I recon that the Dropship adds the benifit for supportive fire if placed close to the battlefield, and sometimes a Repairbay! but ones damaged, the pilots are stranded?