Battletechnology

[the_foul_fowl]

MW4+Expansions to be released free online:

http://battletech.catalystgamelabs.com/200...battletech-com/

[wolfx]

I'm excited on this new Mechwarrior game but not to rain on people's parade, may i remind you that this is just a sorta intro movie and not really the game's engine. Mechwarrior games have a history of having very impressive cinematics and this is no exception. But that doesn't make the trailer we see to be in-game footage. I'm hoping it will be somewhat near in-game footage though.

I hope they do more to build up the look and feel of battlemechs. Like how the armour melts when getting hit by lasers and how a chunk gets removed when hit by a LBX20 and the same spot will be more vulnerable on the next hit.

[shiroikaze]

I never have really played Mechwarrior extensively, but are the customizations really in-depth and visual compared to the Armored Core games?

[kaiotheforsaken]

I'm excited on this new Mechwarrior game but not to rain on people's parade, may i remind you that this is just a sorta intro movie and not really the game's engine. Mechwarrior games have a history of having very impressive cinematics and this is no exception. But that doesn't make the trailer we see to be in-game footage. I'm hoping it will be somewhat near in-game footage though.

I hope they do more to build up the look and feel of battlemechs. Like how the armour melts when getting hit by lasers and how a chunk gets removed when hit by a LBX20 and the same spot will be more vulnerable on the next hit.

It says in game footage right on the video though. Unless they are basically...well lying and mean that it's "in game cinematics" or something than I'd say that means it's the actual engine.

The graphics are good for Today's standards, but I would say they are lacking for high end FMVs. I have no reason to suspect that it isn't the engine based on the tag present on the video.

[wolfx]

Hmmm...i didn't notice the "in game footage" thing. @_@;;

Even so, i'll reserve my comments till i see a gameplay demo. But it does look promising.

[kaiotheforsaken]

I really hope it is, I want them to knock it out of the park on this one.

[Syngyne]

It says in game footage right on the video though. Unless they are basically...well lying and mean that it's "in game cinematics" or something than I'd say that means it's the actual engine.

The graphics are good for Today's standards, but I would say they are lacking for high end FMVs. I have no reason to suspect that it isn't the engine based on the tag present on the video.

If you read the interview on IGN, yes, that's in-game. It's running on Unreal Engine 3.

[Cent]

Shiroi, according to one my Armored Core junkie friends, MW's style of customization is not on the same level as AC. Even with the most customization you've seen in the MW universe (since it varies between games), AC supports more customizations.

[wolfx]

Well i'm pretty impressed if that's in game footage as some of u claimed. But i wished that damage is better represented.

[shiroikaze]

Shiroi, according to one my Armored Core junkie friends, MW's style of customization is not on the same level as AC. Even with the most customization you've seen in the MW universe (since it varies between games), AC supports more customizations.

Thanks. In that case, I really do think they ought to step into Armored Core's direction with customization, it'll probably please alot of mech junkies.

[Cent]

I really wish they wouldnt name it just 'Mechwarrior'. I hate it when reboots do that, because there is no way to distinguish it from the older title. Give your reboot a SUBTITLE at least. Cmon.

[Chowser]

I'm ok with just the name Mechwarrior. Now, we're in 3015 on Deshler. I'm kinda glad they are limiting the variants and making it harder to make my own variant. It makes you make do with what you get. Given the timeline, it's harder to get mech parts, mechs were passed on, etc. I don't think most people are going to be thinking about Activision's Mechwarrior from 1989 when people mention mechwarrior today. Most gamers today are too young to remember back that far anyway.

No pulse lasers, I don't think the Inner Sphere had pulse lasers until after the Clans showed up.

I think I still have mechwarrior 1 on floppy somewhere. Oh where are you Gideon Braver. I doubt it will run on my system now. I think I tried to install it once on WinXp and the fights just moved so fast, it was over before I could do anything. I've got 2, 3, and 4 and all the expansions lying around here. Hopefully when MekTek.net releases the free version of 4, it'll work better with vista. I haven't tried to load any of the MW games on a vista machine yet.

I kinda preferred the MW4 mech building over the MW3 version since the MW3 version let me put anything I want anywhere on the mech. Pulse lasers in the legs??? I thought it was odd, but I did it anyway.

I wonder if my Battletech I and Battletech II would still work? I know I have those somewhere too, I just found the box and manual (old style copy protection, ha!) for it when I moved, but the discs are somewhere else.

Edited July 10, 2009 by Chowser

[Einherjar]

Anyone need a refresher course on how to pilot a mech before number 5? Then look no further because Mechwarrior 4 is coming out again, FOR FREE!

http://kotaku.com/5311399/pay-nothing-get-mechwarrior-4

http://battletech.catalystgamelabs.com/200...battletech-com/

I might as well try it out when it's ready.

[taksraven]

Rather than a subtitle, maybe if it was "The Mechwarrior".

Sounds kinda daft but it sounds different at least....

Mechwarrior Zero?

Mechwarrior Plus?

Mechwarrior Seven?

Do You Remember Mechwarrior?

Super Dimensional Mechwarrior?

Taksraven

[kaiotheforsaken]

Well since they already "borrowed" some things from Macross why not borrow some of the title?

I really hope we see a nice variety of Mechs though. Since this is a reboot I'm not sure how the time line would work, but I'd love to see some of the designs from MW3 and 4. Never been too savvy on the time line though so this may be out of the question.

[eugimon]

I'm hoping the individual weapons get modeled and if you customize your mech's weapon load you'll actually get to see those changes reflected.

[Cent]

Well Eugi, if they are using the predefined variants system, then they probably will reflect their different weapon loadouts. I can see advantages to both variant system and full-customization... It just seems more... free-roaming if you get full customization like other games. I liked that concept a lot in EVE Online. Blowing up other mechs but trying to salvage rare weapons you can't buy to build up your own mech to suit your style. Oh well

If they stick to the timeline, then no clan weapons or clan mechs will show. That'll really put a dent in some of the more interesting chassis, but it means you dont get the spindly mechs covered in tiny lasers >_>. However, it might also mean that those new to the franchise will feel bored by the Inner Sphere selections. It's give and take here. They can cheat a little if the single player storyline progresses through the timeline quickly and reaches 3050 or so. Or they could just include the clan mechs in multiplayer modes, where the storyline doesnt matter. But I somehow doubt they'll spend the development time on extra mechs when they don't have to make them for singleplayer.

[thegunny]

Just hope the game is more accurate to the date they show at the start than the intro clip is.

Atlas - C is a 3060 era mech and Warhammers or any other mech for that matter don't have recon probes.

The pulse laser comment before would only be applicable if they decide to use Star League designs as IS mechs didn't start using them again until after 3050.

Another point of fluff vs game play would be the targeting of individual areas as suggested by the comments of why didn't they shoot them in the legs. Targeting computers did not become available until after 3050 (except for some Star League variants) so accurately hitting a specfic location on the move would be more good luck than good shooting.

Hopefully not too much fluff will be lost to game play but I doubt it as they will want to attract as wide an audiance as possible and for that fluff needs to suffer

Whilst it's nice to be able to customise your mech you have to remember that IS mechs of this era are of fixed desighns and not omni-mechs but I would say that's one area that will not stay fluffy as they've done the customising thing in Mech 3 & 4.

Bit of a bummer it's X-Box exclusive . Let's hope they see reason and make it available for real PC's.

[Cent]

Its not xbox exclusive.

The recon probes were added as a common element to spice up gameplay. I think they know its not canon.

[kensei]

Mechwarrior 3 was the best of the series imo, I really hope that if this is in fact a new MW game (and I hope it is) that they really go all out.

I loved the damage and the over customizability, but the pulse lasers sucked.

I'd love a return of the mechwarrior series. Even though they were buggy as hell they were a lot of fun.

Sure were.

MechWarrior 2 is a classic and one of the best PC games of all time. I still have the entire MW2 soundtrack on my computer and on my iPod

I also liked MechWarrior 4, especially with the two mech expansion packs. I played a lot of MW4 multiplayer

I'm still waiting for Assaultech to be finished, I can't wait to have an updated version of that game.

According to IGN, this is indeed Mechwarrior 5. I hope it has widescreen support, and that the new computer I'm building will run it.

Stuff widescreen, multiscreen baby! I got four waiting to all be used.

That mech in the third trailer looks like a Jenner.

I always hated the fact that a Jenner had legs like a bipedal with arms rather than bird like legs.

Awww, looks like I have to get stuck with playing Davion AGAIN!?!?!

I hope not. There are much better things happening around the other parts of the Innershpere. I hope that this is the beginning of many series to come.

[big F]

The fact that it is a reeboot means they can bend it a little. Whats to say they wont have the Clans show up a little early.

MW4 for free I got all the packs and unofficial packs from Mek-tek, from my Clanning days with the Jaguar Task Force. That game was what got me into online gaming.

I'd like to see a MW4 with updates and more realistic environments and graphic to match todays graphics cards that have more memory on board than most peoples P.C's did when MW4 was released back in 2000. Add in the ability to earn C-bills to pay for upgrades and staff, then give a multiplayer interface that give us a game like MW4 with an overseer as in Mechcommander and I'd be stoked.

As long as they have something like Narc beacons. I used to love running into the enemy group and tagging everyone in my stripped out Bushwacker then yelling "Pull" over the comms to all my clan mates waitng out of sight on the otherside of a hill. The sight of hundreds of LRM's streaking in is cool. Although getting caught in the blast wasnt.

We won a few close matches like that.

As long as they don't dumb it down because of the Xbox. Mechassult was enertaining but the arcade nature meant it was short lived for me.

[kaiotheforsaken]

Hopefully they wont, if they can figure out how to get Oblivion to play on it (you could hotkey soooo many things in that game) I'm sure they can come up with a viable control scheme without compromising the game.

Or hey, maybe they'll go the Steel Battalion route and just include a crazy controller with 200 buttons.

Mechassault was fun, but it didn't really feel like a MW game. Hopefully the trailer gives us some indication of what we might see actually playing the game as that footage has some very traditional elements in it.

[taksraven]

Its not xbox exclusive.

The recon probes were added as a common element to spice up gameplay. I think they know its not canon.

That recon probe and the view that you got from it reminded me of the little probes you could launch from your carrier in Carrier Command that would let you target your big missiles. Anybody else notice that or am I the only dinosaur here?

Taksraven

[Cent]

Damn I almost forgot about the NARCs. awesome stuff.

I swear they should just do a multiplayer mechwarrior again with a persistent C-Bill count. I know its kinda MMOish, but whats wrong with an MMO battletech anyway? EA canned their version too early.

Mechassault was a MW game adapted into a deathmatch shooter. Its nice as a breather away from the more restrictive gritty universe.

[thegunny]

Whats to say they wont have the Clans show up a little early.

But they did

Wolf's Dragoons anyone?

At around the time the game is set they are working for the FWL but had just finished working for the Davions a few years earlier, so a bit of Star League/Clantech might show up in the Davion forces.

[Syngyne]

I kinda preferred the MW4 mech building over the MW3 version since the MW3 version let me put anything I want anywhere on the mech. Pulse lasers in the legs??? I thought it was odd, but I did it anyway.

Yeah, that's what bugged me about going by straight board game rules. You could do some pretty silly things that only made sense if you were trying to minimax your 'Mech.

Well Eugi, if they are using the predefined variants system, then they probably will reflect their different weapon loadouts. I can see advantages to both variant system and full-customization... It just seems more... free-roaming if you get full customization like other games. I liked that concept a lot in EVE Online. Blowing up other mechs but trying to salvage rare weapons you can't buy to build up your own mech to suit your style. Oh well

If go with completely free customization, though, it eliminates the difference between the chassis of the same weight glass. Every 40 ton 'Mech is basically every other 40 ton 'Mech, since you can outfit them all the same.

However, it might also mean that those new to the franchise will feel bored by the Inner Sphere selections.

There are quite a few 'Mech chassis to choose from in that era (assuming that they go off the 3025 listing, which is close to the game's time period). I keep harping on this point, but if anything, being able to totally customize a 'Mech if anything would contribute to people getting bored by the chassis selection, because again, one 40 tonner is going to be the same as another 40 tonner if you can load them out completely the same.

Or hey, maybe they'll go the Steel Battalion route and just include a crazy controller with 200 buttons.

Weisman said in the interview they're definitely not doing this. He said he did it before, it was called the BattleTech simulator centers, and he didn't feel like doing it again.

Edited July 10, 2009 by Syngyne

[Dangard Ace]

But they did

Wolf's Dragoons anyone?

At around the time the game is set they are working for the FWL but had just finished working for the Davions a few years earlier, so a bit of Star League/Clantech might show up in the Davion forces.

Technically you're right for that time period but they were really Wolf Dragoons of Clan Wolf.

As for SL/Clan tech in any IS hands, no. Wolf Dragoons jealously guarded their tech and let nobody learn their secrets. It was that mystique that made them that fabled unit.

[kensei]

Hey! Anyone noticed the Neurohelmet type view in the trailer? That's Fully Sik!

[Robelwell202]

Another thing to ponder for us RTS fans...

Given the quality of the presumed In-game footage, I wonder how long it'll be before they throw out another 'MechCommander' title.

That would be sweet as hell, too!

[big F]

Technically you're right for that time period but they were really Wolf Dragoons of Clan Wolf.

As for SL/Clan tech in any IS hands, no. Wolf Dragoons jealously guarded their tech and let nobody learn their secrets. It was that mystique that made them that fabled unit.

I'd always assumed from the novels and game info that Jamie Wolf and the Dragoons were kinda the eyes and ears for the clans in the inner sphere. It was kinda conveinent that the Dragoons were not to far away, when the clans jumped in system for the first time.

[Mr March]

Yeah, that's what bugged me about going by straight board game rules. You could do some pretty silly things that only made sense if you were trying to minimax your 'Mech.

If go with completely free customization, though, it eliminates the difference between the chassis of the same weight glass. Every 40 ton 'Mech is basically every other 40 ton 'Mech, since you can outfit them all the same.

Or worse, everyone picks the 40-ton mech with the most favourable options all-the-time and never choose anything else

I liked the MW2 and MW4 customization systems in different ways. They both had methods for controlling the direction of customization, such that it was a bit more true to the actual design/purpose of the individual mech rather than some walking salad bar of weaponry. After all, there wasn't much point in choosing a Timber Wolf/Mad Cat if you didn't want to mount some type of missiles on the thing

Edited July 10, 2009 by Mr March

[Greyryder]

My biggest problem with the MW4 weapon slot system, was that it prevented some official variants, like a PPC carrying Bushwacker.

[promethuem5]

Or the Catapault K2, I think.

[Chowser]

I'd always assumed from the novels and game info that Jamie Wolf and the Dragoons were kinda the eyes and ears for the clans in the inner sphere. It was kinda conveinent that the Dragoons were not to far away, when the clans jumped in system for the first time.

Yeah, the Dragoons picked up a bunch of old Star League era mechs from caches on their way into the IS, but they were surprised that their mechs were still more advanced than the rest of the IS who let their tech knowledge get lost. They guarded their mechs and resupplied when needed. after the fourth succession war, the dragoons were ordered to cease all contact with the clans and prepare the IS for a clan invasion.

The new game takes place in 3015. The Dragoons came in 3005. In 3015 they were working for the free worlds league during the marik civil war, so they could be mentioned about in the game. after that they went to work for house steiner, so i don't see them getting close to deshlar in 3015 since it's right next to house kurita.

either way, i'm happy to have a new mechwarrior game to play. now i need to find my cable to hook the pc up to the big screen again.

Edited July 11, 2009 by Chowser

[Letigre]

Yeah, the Dragoons picked up a bunch of old Star League era mechs from caches on their way into the IS, but they were surprised that their mechs were still more advanced than the rest of the IS who let their tech knowledge get lost. They guarded their mechs and resupplied when needed. after the fourth succession war, the dragoons were ordered to cease all contact with the clans and prepare the IS for a clan invasion.

Actually they were outfitted at their inception with equipment that the Clans falsely assumed would have been average. They themselves did leave a cache of more advanced weapons and equipment on their way, only to be further shocked by the state of decay in the Inner Sphere.

They also managed to revitalize Outreach, a planet that held a Star League-era industrial complex.