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Step inside MechWarrior Online's MechLab and choose your weapon
Over the past weeks, we've been seeing a steady drip of information about MechWarrior Online's various BattleMechs and the customization options available to players to make each 'Mech unique. Today, Piranha Games is giving players an inside look at the MechLab, which is the in-game interface players will use to modify their machines of death and destruction. The MechLab uses what the studio calls a hardpoint system, which essentially means that weapons can only be swapped out for other weapons of the same type. For instance, energy weapons can be swapped only for other energy weapons, while ballistic weapons can be changed out only for other ballistic weapons. 'Mech customization also relies on a weight system meaning that each 'Mech has a maximum weight that it cannot exceed, so players will have to pick and choose between numerous lightweight enhancements or fewer, heavier ones (or some combination thereof). The full system, as fans of the series undoubtedly expect, is quite robust, so hop in the cockpit and jump-jet your way over to the official dev blog for the full details.
Center your sights with MechWarrior Online's latest dev Q&A
MechWarriors, start your engines. It's time for another Q&A session with the fine folks at Piranha Games, the studio behind the upcoming free-to-play MechWarrior Online. Combat is the name of the game today, and developers Matt Craig, Paul Inouye, David Bradley, and Garth Eriam have taken some time to answer players' burning questions. The Q&A covers topics ranging from the game's reticle convergence mechanics to how exactly one goes about disabling an enemy 'Mech, and just as there's more than one way to skin a cat, there are myriad methods with which to bring destruction to your foes. Players will be able to bring down an enemy BattleMech by destroying the head, disabling the torso, or literally bringing the 'Mech to its knees by crippling its legs. But of course, that's much easier said than done. The game's reticle convergence system will require players to aim their shots well and time them even better if they plan to survive for long. The full details, for those interested in the mechanics of combat, are available for perusal at the official MWO site.
Scope out MechWarrior Online's high-octane action
It's one thing to hear about how exciting an upcoming game might be, but it's something else to see it for yourself. While we were certainly impressed with what we heard and saw about MechWarrior Online from this past week's GDC, we weren't able to show you how the game actually plays. Until now, that is! Piranha Games just released its first public video showing in-game footage of MechWarrior Online. In it, three 'Mechs -- an Atlas, a Jenner, and a Hunchback -- are duking it out in one of the game's wilderness arenas. While the video is short, there's plenty of sweet details to pick out, such as a barrage of missiles arcing toward a foe, battle-damage on enemy 'Mechs, and serious-looking warnings that pop up on the player's HUD. MechWarrior Online is slated for a summer 2012 release. You can check out the gameplay video after the jump!
GDC 2012: Locking on to MechWarrior Online
The notion of strapping oneself into a massive battle robot chassis and duking it out with other 'Mechs appeals to the inner child in all of us (or it should), so it's hard not to feel a tingle of excitement when the makers of MechWarrior Online promise that we'll soon be able to do just that. We caught up with the Piranha Games crew at GDC to become one of the very first non-studio witnesses of MWO's in-game footage and to hear why this is a title that should be on all of our radars. The team is filled with huge fans of the MechWarrior and BattleTech franchises, so the devs were eager to construct a proper MechWarrior title when Piranha got ahold of the license this year. The studio seized upon the free-to-play model early on as the best way to draw in as many potential 'Mech pilots as possible. It also snagged the CryEngine 3 to provide the best possible graphical fidelity for its product. Unfortunately, it's going to be hard to categorize MWO as "massively," as its non-persistent arena maps will host up to only 24 players in 12v12 fights. Setting-wise, MechWarrior Online begins in 3049, but that date will keep tempo with the real-world calendar (so tomorrow it'll be March 9th, 3049, and so on). As events happen in the story according to the game's canon, the game will change to reflect that in real-time. Read on to hear what the devs had to say about two of the game's four pillars: mech warfare and role warfare.
MechWarrior Online kicks off Mech Warfare Month
Driving a multi-ton battle 'Mech isn't like picking your friend up at the 7-11 in your dad's Prius; it's a massive, complicated war machine that has to be understood before it can be wielded against foes. So if you think that piloting one in MechWarrior Online will be as simple as hitting the WASD keys and the occasional 1 or 2, think again. This is why Piranha Games has launched Mech Warfare Month on the official MWO site, giving us a full run-down of how movement and combat is handled in the game. Concepts such as 'Mech "torso twists," jump jets, environmental obstacles, and heat management have to be taken into account from the onset. To bring down the hammer on enemy 'Mechs, players will use a balance of energy, projectile, and ballistic weapons -- and they have to keep track of ammo while doing so. Piranha wraps up the post with a lengthy list of keyboard and mouse commands that will be necessary to learn for safe 'Mech operation. While the full list of controls and HUD details may send some running for their nearest touch-screen device, this level of detail is exactly what attracts such a devoted fanbase to the franchise. We're speaking with Piranha Games at GDC this week, so stay tuned for an in-depth interview as to how this game is shaping up! [Thanks to Nimsy for the tip!]
First official MechWarrior Online trailer drops into action
For some time now, the folks at Piranha Games have been teasing us with 'Mech reveals, Q&As, and steady info drips. Now, finally, we get to see those big badass 'bots in action, as the studio has just unveiled the first official trailer for MechWarrior Online. The short teaser trailer takes fans inside the cockpit of one of the game's monumental BattleMechs as its pilot prepares for an aerial drop. But you know what they say -- a picture's worth a thousand words. We're not sure what a video's worth, but we do know that we don't have that much room, so just click on past the cut and feast your eyes on MechWarrior Online's premiere trailer.
MechWarrior Online previews BattleMech upgrades and pilot skill trees
A couple of days ago, Piranha Games -- the studio behind the upcoming MechWarrior Online -- gave us a look at the role-based warfare and character progression we can expect from the robot-fighting title. As we reported last week, players in MWO will fall into of four roles: scout, assault, defense, or command. Today's update on the game's official site gives us a closer look at the various ways that players can earn XP and on what they can spend it. For instance, every 'Mech will have an upgrade tree, which is divided into tiers. Players must spend experience in order to purchase all of the upgrades on a given tier before they are able to access the subsequent tier. To get a look at the various abilities and skill trees through which players will be progressing when they finally find themselves in the cockpit, just click on through the link below to the official MechWarrior Online site.
MechWarrior Online delves into the art of role warfare
Last week, we got to take a look at MechWarrior Online's freshly introduced CN9-A Centurion BattleMech. This week, however, the folks at Piranha Games want to give you some insight on what to do once you're seated in the cockpit of your giant robot, so they've dropped a new blog post titled Role Warfare for fans' consumption. The post first introduces players to the various roles available to MechWarrior Online players: scouting, assault, defense, and command. The roles are exactly what they sound like. Scouts gather intel, while assault 'Mechs assault and defense 'Mechs defend. Command mechs, believe it or not, command their respective teams. But how do you customize your 'Mech to fill one of these roles? As players progress through their matches, the BattleMechs that they use in battle will gain XP according to their battle performance. This XP can be spent to unlock upgrades in the BattleMech's tech tree. Each BattleMech will have its own distinct tech tree, and therefore its own distinct upgrade options. At certain points within the Tech Tree, players will receive Pilot Points, which are assigned directly to the player's pilot avatar and are used to purchase pilot abilities in the Pilot Skill Tree. Finally, players can purchase BattleMech modules with their C-Bills, which allows for the final layer of specialization on the customization cake. For the full details on the game's customization and upgrade system, and to get a run down of some recommended loadouts for various roles, click on through to MWO's official site below.
MechWarrior Online unveils the classic CN9-A Centurion BattleMech
Giant robot fans everywhere are getting pumped up for Piranha Games' upcoming MechWarrior Online, but what's a MechWarrior game without lots of badass BattleMechs? Boring, that's what. Fortunately, however, there's plenty of giant robot lovin' to go around in MWO, and today the team is revealing the newest (though we use that term loosely) addition to the roster: the Centurion. The CN9-A Centurion is a long-time favorite of anyone who has hung around in the MechWarrior universe for long enough, and it's easy enough to see why. Armed with weapons suitable for any range, the Centurion is a force to be reckoned with no matter where he is on the battlefield. Whether it's launching LRM-10 missiles across the battlefield or wrecking someone's day personally with its AC/10 autocannon and medium lasers, you can bet the Centurion will be making a triumphant return in MechWarrior Online. For the full details on the newly revealed BattleMech, just jump on over to the game's official site. [Thanks to nimzy for the tip!]
MechWarrior Online Q&A gives you six devs for the price of none
MechWarrior Online continues to unleash a steady barrage of new information with today's newly released developer Q&A. Piranha Games has outdone itself with the latest post, which brings you answers from not one, not two, but six MWO developers. The devs begin by giving fans some insight into how BattleMech modules will work to augment pilot abilities; for example players can sacrifice night-vision distance for higher visual detail. The remainder of the Q&A covers a great wealth of different topics, such as intelligence-gathering, the BattleGrid, and -- most importantly -- hula girls. For the full Q&A, just click on through the link below to the MechWarrior Online official forums.
MechWarrior Online interviews a trio of devs, hilarity ensues
Piranha Games, the studio behind the upcoming MechWarrior Online, has Hposted a new developer interview with not one, not two, but three members of the MWO team: David Bradley, Bryan Ekman, and Paul Inouye.The devs give a short history of their gaming industry experiences before being pelted with a barrage of questions detailing what they bring to the game, what makes MechWarrior Online different from their past projects, what playstyles they prefer, and more. There are a few nuggets of good information in the post, as well as some great humor as the devs banter with and antagonize one another. For the full Q&A, just head on over to the MechWarrior Online official forums.
MechWarrior Online fights with knowledge as well as lasers
In any combat situation it is key to be as well-informed as possible: to know where your enemy is (hopefully not right behind you), what resources you have on hand (dual Twinkies), what you're up against (spouse aggro), and so on. The makers of the upcoming MechWarrior Online have devoted their second dev blog to the importance of information -- or as they put it, "knowledge is power!" To aid with information warfare, the designers will provide to players a key tool called a BattleGrid, which will function like a pumped-up interactive map during in-game conflicts. Through the BattleGrid, players will be able to get a good idea of what's going on in the field quickly and what orders are coming through for the attack. The blog post also mentions the concept of "modules" that allow pilots to customize their 'Mechs, and it gives a brief overview of the line-of-sight targeting system and how players can work together to share battlefield information as well as how they can confuse the enemy. Hiding and seeking in the game will require a good combination of both detection and "spoofing" modules to keep your team alive while exposing the opposite one. [Thanks to Nimsy for the tip!]
MechWarrior Online rolls out the '12 Catapult
Some people like to drool over car statistics, with their V-8s and turbo-injections and rearview adjustable mirrors. Others like to fawn over every last detail of fictional battle robots as if they were coming soon to a dealership near them. Both, in our opinion, are acceptable. If you're in the latter category, then you're going to love MechWarrior Online today, as the devs revealed the latest in the 26th century lineup: the CPLT-C1 Catapult. This heavy 'Mech may be a tad on the slow side, but it more than makes up for it with firepower and 10 tons of armor. The two-legged Catapult boasts missiles, lasers, and jumpjets, although it can only go a little less than 65 kph on the battlefield. The Catapult will be available to the Terran Hegemony and seems suitable for those who prefer slow, powerful brutes to quick, nimble machines. If walking piles of death metal are your thing, make sure to catch up on our preview of MechWarrior Online.
Previewing the nuts and bolts of MechWarrior Online
MechWarrior Online might just be one of the most exciting titles to be announced in recent times. If you have ever played any version of the game or have ever enjoyed stomping around in the Battletech universe, you'll be happy to know that, yes, the new online game is actually being made. While the IP will soon turn 30 years old, it's still very popular. Some of us remember painting metal figures to place into our tiny lances, while others have fond memories of jumping and shooting, jumping and shooting, jumping and shooting. Massively joined the press roundtable for the game this week and snagged some juicy information. We talked with Piranha Games' President Russ Bullock and Creative Director Bryan Ekman about how the development process is going, how their philosophies influence design, and how the game will actually play. Click past the cut, and watch out for heat!
Randall Bills talks about shaping the future of MechWarrior Online
For die-hard MechWarrior fans, it must be a relief to know that the upcoming MechWarrior Online is in good hands of people connected with the board game. One pair of hands in particular belongs to Catalyst Game Labs' Randall Bills, who is deeply involved with the MechWarrior and BattleTech franchises, and he emerged to participate in a very lengthy interview about the game and his love of multi-ton mechs. Currently, Bills says that he fills two roles on the team: continuity editor and fiction content manager. In the former, he helps to inspect what the developers are working on and give them feedback and notes from his well of expert knowledge on the subject. In the latter, he's spearheading the team responsible for writing the lore behind the online game universe. So what would Bills like to see happen in MechWarrior Online? Orbital insertions ("That's a level of action and immersion that would take MechWarrior Online to a whole new level.") and physical attacks ("It shouldn't work very well and be hard to pull off... but when you do pull it off it should be a move everyone in the game talks about for some time to come."). As for what he's most excited about in the upcoming MMO, he's just glad that he'll be able to emulate the board game in a virtual environment: "To know that I can jump in a light 'Mech and do exactly what you can pull off in the board game (and just as important, what the fiction depicts for the universe) with a true melding of multiple tactics to achieve victory... that'll be a truly spectacular geek-out moment to experience." Look for our own upcoming interview with the MechWarrior Online team coming soon.
MechWarrior introduces the DRG-1N Dragon BattleMech
MechWarrior Online's steady media drip continues today with a short lore piece introducing the DRG-1N Dragon BattleMech. This particular 'bot is a result of the work of the Draconis Combine, and through the flavor text, we can pick out a few details about the new addition. The 'Mech is described as a "long-range focussed 'Mech capable of handling threats at all ranges." The Dragon comes armed with "a Telos DecaCluster LRM-10, an Imperator-A Autocannon/5, and two Victory 23R Medium Lasers." The brief states that "the Dragon will be able to bring down most foes before they even get into the range of its two Victory 23R Medium Lasers" through the use of the long-range Autocannon/5 and the "indirect-fire capabilities" of the DecaCluster. To get the full details on this new 'Mech, just head on over to the game's official site.
MechWarrior Online developers answer forum questions
If you're looking forward to the future of warfare today, you're probably keeping a close eye on the development of MechWarrior Online. And the developers are no doubt aware of this, as they've just posted a lengthy set of answers on the game's official forums, covering a broad range of topics from update speed to character development. While the answers confirm that at this point the software is still yet to see an alpha test, there's still a great deal of information therein. Aside from a few answers that are likely to prove discordant come launch (such as plans for biweekly update patches), the team is aiming at starting off with a strong PvP environment with persistent world elements in a similar fashion to MAG. PvE will not be in at launch, but it is on the table for later release. That's only the barest summary of the information in the full set of answers, which should keep any intent pilot eagerly anticipating his or her personal 'Mech. [Thanks to nimzy for the tip!]
MechWarrior Online concept artist Alex Iglesias interviewed
MechWarrior Online has only been recently announced, but already interviews with the game's dev team are beginning to roll out. A Q&A with one of the game's concept artists, Alex "flyingdebris" Iglesias, went up on the forums today. The interview covers how Alex came to work for the MechWarrior team to begin with and grills him on the challenges of redesigning the game's iconic giant robots. For the full interview, head on over to the MechWarrior online official site.
Piranha: MechWarrior's F2P model not pay-to-win
Concerned about the free-to-play nature of the newly announced MechWarrior Online title? You shouldn't be, according to the latest Piranha Games dev blog. The big wall o' text comes courtesy of one Bryan Ekman, who says that the new battle mech game will definitely not be pay-to-win. "One of our core pillars is role warfare and [it] is designed to, well –- level the playing field –- another concept from our original design. We're doing away with the arms race and making battle mechs of all shapes and sizes have a purpose and role on the battlefield," Ekman says. Why should players spend any money, then? That's not as clear, though the blog does touch on the usual F2P bullet points of convenience and acquisition speed. Get out your PR decoder rings and head to the official MechWarrior Online website for more info. [Update: A second blog post outlines the team's reveal plans in the coming weeks. Thanks to nimzy for the tip!]
This Week in MMO: MechWarrior edition
In this week's TWIMMO, Mike B aka Fony, Josh Allen, and Mike Schaffnit join host Gary Gannon for Gamebreaker.TV's weekly chat about recent MMO stories. They kick things off by pondering how a video stuffed with anti-gay slurs slipped by Blizzard Entertainment (and a lot of the folks in the live crowd, as well) at BlizzCon. They also gush like fanboys about the newly announced F2P MechWarrior Online MMO before spending some airtime on PlanetSide 2, World of Darkness, and RuneScape. Hit the break for the full show!
