The Gun Counter

Mechwarrior Online started open beta/release today. LINK

It still has a lot of bugs but it's free and fun to play.

A couple of tips.
Use the arrow keys and right control key to group your weapons. Arrow keys to highlight, RCtrl to select/deselect.
W,A,S,D are movement controls. X to stop. C to center torso to legs.
Use the R key to target.
Changing the controls and key mapping can only be done from the main mechlab menu.
Stay in a group.
Don't chase light mechs.
Don't get caught in the open. (Long range missiles will rain down on you!)
Watch your heat!
Friendly fire isn't!

I played the closed beta. I thought it sucked. Hopefully they've fixed A LOT of problems.

I fear they will turn it into a mech shooter, and remove the strategic in favor of the tactical.

LRMs are still broken IMO.

I still maintain that Caustic Vally is the worst map of the bunch, and that LRMs are way too powerful for the amount of skill you require to use it.

I used LBX-AC10 Hunchback and a PPC Raven in the closed beta. Used my funds when they reset it to buy a catapult to see if LRMS were really that imbalanced. They are....

I realized too late that it is a Windows only based game.

After I had already signed up.

Hmm, set during the Clan Invasion.. Is clantech available?

It's ok Chris. I can often date pictures of WWII infantry by what they are wearing.

Heavy Gear > Mechwarrior


... That is all

(Sprays defecate all over thread)

I played a few of the table game campaigns long ago when we hung around with a FASA designer. As much as I enjoyed the stories and the idea, I could never shake the feeling that a few current (even 15+ years ago) crack US tank groups (with infantry support) and tank killer choppers would make mincemeat out of most of the mechs. The described weapon accuracy _sucked_. "We still have FTL travel, sorta, landing craft, and FTL comms, expensive, but we can't make a guided missile worth caca."

That and when the computer versions came out they were all pc/windows. Blech.

There's actually a fanfic roundrobin of Tom Clancy's Earth ISOT'd into the Battletech Universe. And proceed to upset the applecart.

There's been a few things postulated, and actually based on game mechanics and descriptions provided by designers..

1)Computing: Their history diverged - instead of focusing on Silicon, it focused on Quantum computing. Hence some of the odd numbers(IE 1 ton computers, that do tasks that are flat out impossible.
2)Armor is much tougher. So instead of 1 round kills, you have to chew through it. To put it in perspective, a Otobreda 76mm cannon would be considered an AC/5.
3)Battletech Explosives are better than ours.
4)ECM, and ECCM got ridiculous, so alot of went back to eyeball mk 1, also they never had developed the kind of cheap, lethal guidance packages we now have, because of the computing issue mentioned above.