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MechWarrior dev vlog talks inner sphere quirks, faction switching
If you're a MechWarrior Online fan and you've got a spare 20 minutes, you might want to catch up with the game via the ninth installment of the MWO Dev Vlog. Piranha president Russ Bullock is interviewed regarding the changes to the inner sphere quirk system, while lead designer Paul Inouye updates us on community warfare -- including the ability to switch factions. Click past the cut to watch the full dev vlog!
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MechWarrior Online's Bullock on golden mechs and future content
Pirahna Game's president Russ Bullock is listening to the playerbase of MechWarrior Online. He is very aware of the number of complaints that have come in after a recent announcement of the pre-order sell of Clan 'Mechs, with prices ranging from under $30.00 to $500.00 for a gold-plated version. Although the complaints come from a range of topics, many concentrate on the timing of the announcement. After all, the developers only recently announced the Project Phoenix pre-order program. Some players see this new DLC pre-order only as a chance to make more money in lieu of producing more content. Other complaints stem from the prices of the pre-orders, and it's easy to see why. When we sat down with him recently, Bullock explained the costs in a few ways. First, the highest-priced items are simply collector's items. They look cool and do not have extras that go along with them that give them an advantage during combat. Second, all of the 'Mechs on the list can be paid for with in-game funds once released, minus some of the non-combat bonuses attached, meaning that any player who wants to can continue to pay nothing at all. Bullock wanted to emphasize that despite all of this, he knows that what the playerbase is really asking for is community-based features.
Piranha Games on why MechWarrior Online is getting a third-person mode
Sometimes you find yourself railing against something at one point only to support it later on. That's the process that Piranha Games president Russ Bullock went through regarding a third-person viewing mode in MechWarrior Online. Bullock addresses player concerns about the inclusion by detailing his own experience with the project and how he went from vehemently opposing a third-person view to arguing that its inclusion is necessary for the long-term health of the game. One of the key elements to understand about movement in MechWarrior Online is that your machine moves more like a bipedal tank with an independently rotating torso. Bullock states that he's watched new players trying the game in first-person and third-person modes, and being able to see how 'Mechs move on the screen instantly translates to better play. He also remains adamant that the inclusion of this new view mode is not meant to unbalance the game by allowing players to see things outside of their normal fields of vision. [Thanks to Dire Phoenix for the tip!]
MechWarrior Online devs talk Update 15, new UI, new mechs
Mechwarrior Online is about to hit its fifth month of open beta, with promises of a late summer launch. With that launch comes continued production, new content, plenty of bug fixes, and tweaks. With all of the new content -- said to be delivered on a regular schedule -- comes plenty of challenges for the developer team. We sat down with Piranha Games' creative director, Bryan Ekman, and president, Russ Bullock, to talk about how things have been going and where they're going in the future. Not only did we get the scoop on the next community-designed Mech to be released, but we also found out about new HUD improvements, aid for players who suffer from high ping, and much more. Click past the cut for all the details!
MechWarrior Online video dev diary on the four pillars of warfare
Feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of handling your first multi-ton machine in MechWarrior Online? Piranha Games president Russ Bullock understands that the concept can be intimidating at first. To help, Bullock stars in the first MWO video dev diary, which boils down the game's "four pillars" to an easy-to-digest segment. Don't be fooled by the name: The four pillars of MechWarrior Online have nothing to do with story. Instead, Bullock gives an overview of how Piranha is making combat more than tab-targeting and button mashing. These four MWO pillars are mech (the build of your battle machine), information (battlefield awareness), role (taking on a specialty role in combat), and community warfare (engaging in the conflict outside of the game). The explanation of the four pillars is interspersed with in-game clips, including a neat one of a 'mech powering up. You can catch up on your MechWarrior Online knowledge after the jump.
MechWarrior Online dev Q&A covers beta, grouping, and combat damage
MechWarrior Online's devs aren't quite ready to disclose specifics on the game's minimum specs or beta process, but news for both is coming "soon." These vague assurances were the anomaly in a recent community Q&A, during which Piranha Games President Russ Bullock and Creative Director Bryan Ekman spilled on all of the minutia that fans were dying to know. The duo said that they're "working very hard" to get MWO servers into every major region and that information about beta will be coming next week. They did confirm that there will be an open beta at some juncture, however. Other details disclosed included the fact that players can form groups of up to 12 'Mechs, that legs cannot be blown off (but can be immobilized), and that the launch matchmaking system will be very basic and won't take into account player skill or records.
MechWarrior Online to use the CryEngine
A game like MechWarrior Online positively screams for a good graphical engine. You want something that can show you every single scorch mark you leave on your enemy's chassis, after all. So if you're one of the many players looking forward to getting into the cockpit, you'll be happy to know that the game has just such an engine for its graphics. Piranha Games officially announced today that the game will be using the CryEngine 3 by Crytek. According to the company's president, Russ Bullock, the engine perfectly delivers the functionality that the team was looking for, especially in the realm of physics-based modeling. It's all but an assurance that whatever else might be right or wrong with the game, a salvo of LRMs will still produce an appropriately satisfying fireball and falling debris. Unfortunately, players will still have to wait some time to see the graphics in action -- but with any luck, they'll be worth the wait.
