GDC 2012: MechWarrior Online

[Steve Butts]

GDC 2012: MechWarrior Online

After a ten year wait, we finally get our next real mech game.

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[Clive Howlitzer]

So it plays like the worst game in the series and it looks like a visually unimpressive game!? And its basically an MMO with no singleplayer component? Wow, I sure can't wait now.

 

[Candidus]

It looks as though it plays like Mechwarrior 3, rather than 4. MW3 being undoubtedly the best MW game in the series (read: least arcade, most simulator). This is a good thing- no, a great thing.

I'm also glad that there's no single player campaign. They're going to add a running narrative informed by the outcomes of the competitive action? Sounds perfect to me. Can't wait.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

So it plays like the worst game in the series and it looks like a visually unimpressive game!? And its basically an MMO with no singleplayer component? Wow, I sure can't wait now.

I have always understood that Crysis 2 was in fact a very beautiful game. What makes you say it's visually unappealing?

I do agree with the MMO comment, though. I would love to sink hours into this game, but I would prefer at least some single-player. Sigh, maybe there will be DLC that offers a few missions.

 

[pickles2012]

Hey Steve Butts, you missed this:

http://www.mechlivinglegends.net/


Mechwarrior Living Legends has been out for years, built on Cryengine 2. It's a mod for Crysis Warhead. Similar ti MWO in that it has no singleplayer mode or persistence and only supports battles on maps with limited players (24?). However it plays well and has regularly added content I urge all Mechwarrior fans to check it out.

gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SGnH3sgHL8

fellow mech fans: http://nogutsnogalaxy.net/

 

[Sandytimeman]

So let me make sure I've got this right. It's kinda an MMO in the way that TF2 is an mmo? Where its just arena based PVP with items?

I was kinda hoping for open world PVP like on a WoW PVP server. Back in the day before battle grounds, when everyone was leveling up for the first time. Having to watch your back from similar leveled horde and dueling it out in epic escalating ganks and battles. THAT is the kind of PVP I long for. Arena based stuff bores me.

 

[Li Mu]

So it plays like the worst game in the series and it looks like a visually unimpressive game!? And its basically an MMO with no singleplayer component? Wow, I sure can't wait now.

I have always understood that Crysis 2 was in fact a very beautiful game. What makes you say it's visually unappealing?

I do agree with the MMO comment, though. I would love to sink hours into this game, but I would prefer at least some single-player. Sigh, maybe there will be DLC that offers a few missions.

Some people are just not satisfied with anything.
Remember when people used to say "WOW" at new graphics? I remember when I first saw Doom 3's characters and Half Life 2's water effects. I thought they were amazing.

Now we get games like Crysis 2 and Skyrim and people are immediately saying "THE GRAFFIX LOOK SHIT! TOTALLY OUT OF DATE" but are strangely unable to give you any examples of other games with better visuals.

Basically, we live in a gaming world full of people who will never be satisfied with anything and get a small buzz out of complaining on message boards. Oh well.

I for one am interested in this, despite having no prior Mechwarrior experience.

 

[TechTim]

not totally in love w the whole mmo only thing, but it deff has potential & really like the concept of shoulder mounted weapons firing on a mech over cover while rest of mech is hidden ULTIMATE SNIPER TAG!

 

[ssgt splatter]

Ok, I remember Mechwarrior from when I was 8-12 years old...I think I was that old, and I wouldn't mind getting back inside a Timberwolf and going all 2nd Admendment on the other mechs but what I don't have now is a powerful enough computer. At least I don't think it's powerful enough, it can run Starcraft 2 pretty well...oh wait, it uses the cryengine, yeah it's not powerful enough. Is this game a PC only game or will they put it on consoles too?

 

[Slycne]

So let me make sure I've got this right. It's kinda an MMO in the way that TF2 is an mmo? Where its just arena based PVP with items?

I was kinda hoping for open world PVP like on a WoW PVP server. Back in the day before battle grounds, when everyone was leveling up for the first time. Having to watch your back from similar leveled horde and dueling it out in epic escalating ganks and battles. THAT is the kind of PVP I long for. Arena based stuff bores me.

While on some level that sounds really cool, it would so quickly devolve into each side spamming LRMs and Gauss Rifles as each other. It's exactly what would happen in Planetside, with each side simply facing off at distances for hours at a time with nothing actually happening.

The old Tarren Mill world PVP only had interesting eb and flow because eventually one side needed to commit to sending in the melee.

 

[Mayhemski]

This I want so bad, and it sounds like it's being balanced well so could be great fun to play.

Any return to the Mechwarrior universe is welcome in my book.

 

[Chevy235]

I've been keeping up with it on their site. It seems to be very simulator-like, with first-person only views, throttles, etc.

I want.

 

[Li Mu]

While on some level that sounds really cool, it would so quickly devolve into each side spamming LRMs and Gauss Rifles as each other. It's exactly what would happen in Planetside, with each side simply facing off at distances for hours at a time with nothing actually happening.

The old Tarren Mill world PVP only had interesting eb and flow because eventually one side needed to commit to sending in the melee.

Very good point. I wonder how they will combat this.

 

[Parnage]

I encourage you blokes to actually head over to the mechwarrior online site and read over the FAQ and the Dev Blog Section of the forums.

http://mwomercs.com/forums/forum/24-developers-blog/

It's pretty much a good idea of what they are planning/how things will play out.

I would think of this as more a qusi EVE ish persistent world then a tf2 or wow. Considering a mech is worth quite more then the pilots themselves you are not going to be seeing mechs tromping about some virtual Inner Sphere style barrens.

However to note the Clans are coming, or will be soon that is. So the fun of living the Clan invasion(less you are you know the Free Rash folks..) will be amazing if done properly.

 

[LazyAza]

Considering I can identify and name 90% of the mechs from the Battletech universe I am pretty excited for this game. Oh how I spent many many hours with Mech4 and Mech4Mercs.

 

[loch belthadd]

As long as it has Urbanmechs I'm happy. Viva La Urbie!

Seriously, I field an entire lance of Urbanmechs in Battletech, and I only lose if there is a lot of open space on the map.

 

[KageRyuuUji]

They forgot the most important feature in the entire game on the review. Real Time Progressive Timeline. It will start just short of the Clan Invasion, and march on through one real world day at a time!

 

[Vigormortis]

The more I hear about this game, the more I want it.

At first, before we saw anything beyond concept art and press-releases of 'promised' content, I was pensive. I kept thinking, "This game will have a LOT to live up to if it wants to best MW:LL."

Now we get to see the game in action and hear about a lot more of what's going into the game. And frankly...this trumps MW:LL. Easily. If even just for the 'role-based' gameplay.

Like Steve Butts and Andy Chalk, I too can not wait for this and MechWarrior Tactics to release. As a long-time mech head I've been craving some decent mech action for some time. 2012 looks prepped to more than satiate my craving.

Ok, I remember Mechwarrior from when I was 8-12 years old...I think I was that old, and I wouldn't mind getting back inside a Timberwolf and going all 2nd Admendment on the other mechs but what I don't have now is a powerful enough computer. At least I don't think it's powerful enough, it can run Starcraft 2 pretty well...oh wait, it uses the cryengine, yeah it's not powerful enough. Is this game a PC only game or will they put it on consoles too?

It uses CryEngine 3, not CryEngine 1. (the latter of which is what Crysis ran on)

CryEngine 2 was a slimmed down, but no more or less optimized CryEngine 1. CryEngine 3 is a slimmed down but vastly more optimized version of the CryEngine 1.

Ergo, if you can run StarCraft 2 "pretty well", you can run this. I can all but guarantee it.

Also, it was initially planned for consoles, but being a game with a free-to-play business model, it just can't work on a console. So, for now at least, it seems the consoles builds were cancelled.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Got my fingers crossed that this is actually good.