Mechwarrior Online: Information Warfare Explained

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Mechwarrior Online: Information Warfare Explained


Piranha Games explains how "information warfare" will help rule the battlefield in the upcoming Mechwarrior Online.

All the firepower in the world doesn't mean much if you don't know where to point it. That's where "information warfare" comes into play: figuring out where your enemy is and what they're up to, while preventing them from doing the same to you. That sort of tactical chess game will play a big role in Mechwarrior Online, as players make use of the "BattleGrid" to manage the flow of combat information.

The BattleGrid is "a combination of command center and dynamic battlefield map" that will offer a scalable, top-down map, objective and waypoint markers, Friendly and Enemy unit markers, support units and orders. But not all information will be available to everyone, as each Mech will support "modules," linked to the Pilot Tree and unlocked by training various skills, that provide different types of information.

Targeting information will be available solely through "Line of Sight/Detection," or LOSD, which means that if nobody on your side can see an enemy unit, it is effectively invisible; lose LOSD in battle and you lose all current information about your target. But having LOSD doesn't mean you'll know all there is to know.

"Details about a target are not inclusive, and is now layered based on the type of modules and BattleMech you are piloting," the team explained. "The concept helps emphasizes using specific Mech and Module combinations to gain and share enhanced targeting information."

LOSD can be had through direct line of sight, radar, top-down satellite scans, localized UAVs, battlefield detectors and other friendly, non-Battlemech units in the field. Detection devices may also support multiple modes including night vision, thermal vision and "magnetometer assisted," which will be a huge boon in close-quarters urban combat. Countermeasures will be at hand, however, allowing players to block, spoof or even intercept and decode enemy communications and intel.

It all sounds very cool and anything that encourages proper mixed-unit tactics, as opposed to the traditional mad rush for the Assault class that these games usually devolve into, is okay by me. I'd be thrilled to take a Jenner into combat if there was a chance I could do something more with it than just be the first to die. A more detailed breakdown of the information situation can be found at mwomercs.com [http://mwomercs.com/news/2012/01/75-dev-blog-2-information-warfare]; the free-to-play Mechwarrior Online is set to come out later this year, exclusively for the PC.



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kurupt87

Fuhuhzucking hellcocks I'm good
Mar 17, 2010
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If the LRM decked out Raven-J makes it into a multiplayer game as a decent unit then by-gum have they made a good game.

The more I hear about this the more I like.
 

thenumberthirteen

Unlucky for some
Dec 19, 2007
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Hmm. This sounds cool. It'd be good to play a support role in a game like this. My interest in this game has increased.
 

Zachery Gaskins

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Mar 29, 2011
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So you could pick a skinny-fast-fucker Mech and use it to paint targets for things like Long Toms / LRMs? Or to indicate which components on a Mech are under-armored or damaged?

Do like.
 

Technocrat

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Nov 19, 2008
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Okay, I'm getting more and more encouraged. And it's free, so it's not like I lose anything by trying it!
 

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
45,698
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That was always the problem with Mechwarrior 2. (Yes, I'm dating myself.) Players would typically get stuck in a Jenner when they first joined a unit (assuming they played online) and the only goal at that point was to get out of and into something better. I was lucky enough to transition very quickly from a Jenner to a Rifleman to a Warhammer (I didn't suck) at which point I was actually of some use in battles, but it was a bit of a letdown in some ways because battle were always either heavy vs. heavy, or one-sided ass-kickings. If MWO can give meaningful roles to all weight classes of mechs, they'll really have something.
 

Torrasque

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Aug 6, 2010
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thenumberthirteen said:
Hmm. This sounds cool. It'd be good to play a support role in a game like this. My interest in this game has increased.
I've played so many games where I am "the big gun" that I find myself enjoying the role of "that guy who everyone knows, but no one sees" more and more. If this works the way I hope it does, then I've found a new favorite game.
 

fix-the-spade

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Feb 25, 2008
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They seem to to be paying close attention to World of Tanks class system where scouts have an advantage reaching objectives, while heavies, SPGs and tank destroyer are so slow that without scouts and mediums spotting targets they'd never find anything to hit.

Sounds like a good way to play to me, especially if tanks with jamming and LRM racks can get involved. Now just let me have my Clan Mechs...


Andy Chalk said:
If MWO can give meaningful roles to all weight classes of mechs, they'll really have something.
I remember Netmech! Eight year old me had a Nova decked out with something like twelve machine guns and one ton ammo for each.

Jet pack in, hit num-lock, jet pack out.

Made hilarious by a 33k modem and Netmech's total lack of weapon balancing. Teleporting touch of death? I should think so.
 

Vigormortis

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Nov 21, 2007
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Andy Chalk said:
That was always the problem with Mechwarrior 2. (Yes, I'm dating myself.) Players would typically get stuck in a Jenner when they first joined a unit (assuming they played online) and the only goal at that point was to get out of and into something better. I was lucky enough to transition very quickly from a Jenner to a Rifleman to a Warhammer (I didn't suck) at which point I was actually of some use in battles, but it was a bit of a letdown in some ways because battle were always either heavy vs. heavy, or one-sided ass-kickings. If MWO can give meaningful roles to all weight classes of mechs, they'll really have something.
My thoughts exactly. I've been with the series as long as you have. (or so it seems) And, I know exactly what it was like back then.

Hell, it's been like that for almost the entire MechWarrior video game series. The only exception being MechCommander 2.

The more I hear about this MWO, the more excited I become. If they can pull off all that they've promised, or even just a good portion of it, they'll have one hell of a great game on their hands. It being F2P is just icing on the cake.
 

Vigormortis

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Nov 21, 2007
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fix-the-spade said:
They seem to to be paying close attention to World of Tanks class system where scouts have an advantage reaching objectives, while heavies, SPGs and tank destroyer are so slow that without scouts and mediums spotting targets they'd never find anything to hit.

Sounds like a good way to play to me, especially if tanks with jamming and LRM racks can get involved. Now just let me have my Clan Mechs...
Oh my this. SOOOOO much this. I'm hoping the Kit Fox/Uller and the Shadowcat make an appearance. I'm doubting it, but here's hoping.
 

w00tage

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Feb 8, 2010
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Can't wait, we need to get tournaments set up like in the old days. Last one I heard about (in the 90s lol), a Japanese team crushed an American team in no time flat through top-notch teamwork.

On another note, MWO devs, we're gonna need some more viewscreen space, m'kay? That's like 65% cockpit instrumentation/35% viewscreen. We need like 70% viewscreen and 30% instrumentation, and the more screen you can squeeze for us, the better. Kthnksbacktocodingwithyou :D
 

Dirty Apple

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Apr 24, 2008
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It would be really interesting to see the dynamic switch from powerful solo mechs to tactical groups more akin to naval fleets. Imagine a cluster of heavies plodding along with nimble little recon units ranging ahead and support mechs dealing with any close range ambushes and fixed positions.

The very idea gives me geek-bumps all over.
 

MausGMR

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Jul 17, 2008
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http://www.mechlivinglegends.net/

shameless bump to keep you entertained until MWO is released ;)
 

Slycne

Tank Ninja
Feb 19, 2006
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Andy Chalk said:
That was always the problem with Mechwarrior 2. (Yes, I'm dating myself.) Players would typically get stuck in a Jenner when they first joined a unit (assuming they played online) and the only goal at that point was to get out of and into something better. I was lucky enough to transition very quickly from a Jenner to a Rifleman to a Warhammer (I didn't suck) at which point I was actually of some use in battles, but it was a bit of a letdown in some ways because battle were always either heavy vs. heavy, or one-sided ass-kickings. If MWO can give meaningful roles to all weight classes of mechs, they'll really have something.
The biggest issue has been that the hit modifiers for firing while moving or firing at a moving target never really transferred well from the tabletop game. So it was natural to gravitate to the most heavily armed and armored mech. Where as in the tabletop a pack of light mechs could still be a serious threat to a single large one.
 

silverdragon9

New member
Aug 25, 2009
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fix-the-spade said:
They seem to to be paying close attention to World of Tanks class system where scouts have an advantage reaching objectives, while heavies, SPGs and tank destroyer are so slow that without scouts and mediums spotting targets they'd never find anything to hit.

Sounds like a good way to play to me, especially if tanks with jamming and LRM racks can get involved. Now just let me have my Clan Mechs...


Andy Chalk said:
If MWO can give meaningful roles to all weight classes of mechs, they'll really have something.
I remember Netmech! Eight year old me had a Nova decked out with something like twelve machine guns and one ton ammo for each.

Jet pack in, hit num-lock, jet pack out.

Made hilarious by a 33k modem and Netmech's total lack of weapon balancing. Teleporting touch of death? I should think so.
yeah i love playing lights in wot so this seems right up my alley
 

silverdragon9

New member
Aug 25, 2009
113
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fix-the-spade said:
They seem to to be paying close attention to World of Tanks class system where scouts have an advantage reaching objectives, while heavies, SPGs and tank destroyer are so slow that without scouts and mediums spotting targets they'd never find anything to hit.

Sounds like a good way to play to me, especially if tanks with jamming and LRM racks can get involved. Now just let me have my Clan Mechs...


Andy Chalk said:
If MWO can give meaningful roles to all weight classes of mechs, they'll really have something.
I remember Netmech! Eight year old me had a Nova decked out with something like twelve machine guns and one ton ammo for each.

Jet pack in, hit num-lock, jet pack out.

Made hilarious by a 33k modem and Netmech's total lack of weapon balancing. Teleporting touch of death? I should think so.
yeah i love playing lights in wot so this seems right up my alley
 

Tombfyre

New member
Feb 7, 2008
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Sounds like a great bit of gameplay potential to me! All the information warfare shenanigans could really make light scout Mechs a great asset. Definitely looking forward to giving this a go when it comes out. :)