It's a Mechwarrior Online Multimedia Meltdown!

[Andy Chalk]

It's a Mechwarrior Online Multimedia Meltdown!

[gametrailers=727869]​

The first Mechwarrior Online gameplay trailer is out, along with a bunch of new screenshots that are nothing short of stunning.

The great temptation here is to just point at these screens and make gurgling noises. That's really all that needs to be done, but since a certain standard of professionalism [or at least a word count] is expected of me, I will endeavor to do more.

So what have we got? An Atlas, a Hunchback, some great-looking environments and a couple of cockpit shots that are giving me serious flashbacks to the insistent beeping that says a whole mess of missiles is about to smash into your face. The lasers look great, the missile launches look great, it all looks great.

[gallery=665]

And then there's the gameplay trailer, which looks fantastic too, although I'd like to see more than just lasers and rockets in action. The vast difference in size between the various mechs is especially noteworthy; Piranha Games President Russ Bullock said something in the trailer about how "role warfare" will allow the small, light mechs to hold their own against the big boys, but I was too busy watching the giant fighting robots to pay much attention. Can I please play this now?

Alas, the answer is "no." Mechwarrior Online [http://mwomercs.com] won't be out until later this year.


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[Qitz]

OOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooh. Shiny.

I'll have to keep an eye on this, looks pretty entertaining. Hopefully it'll be Free-to-Play or Buy-to-Play.

 

[Meight08]

OOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooh. Shiny.

I'll have to keep an eye on this, looks pretty entertaining. Hopefully it'll be Free-to-Play or Buy-to-Play.

It is free to play.
Im so excited for this i just hope i can use a joystick.

 

[AndyRock]

With HAWKEN coming out this year aswell, It's going to be a good year for mech fanatics, can't wait for this.

 

[Angel Molina]

Wait!?! Did that man just say, open beta?
Yes... HELL.. FLIPPING... YES!!! =D

/Disconnected: current user experiencing massive seizures.

 

[Wintermoot]

I never played MW but this looks awesome!

 

[Dirty Apple]

Those screens look gorgeous. I wonder what the PC requirements are gonna be? If it's running on the crytech engine they must be steep. Either way this is definitely one to watch.

 

[Vigormortis]

As soon as I saw this game-play video, the first thing I did was boot up Winamp and start playing songs likes these:

Spoiler

Followed by a bit of waxing nostalgic and eagerly anticipating the beta.

With HAWKEN coming out this year aswell, It's going to be a good year for mech fanatics, can't wait for this.

MechWarrior Online, MechWarrior Tactics, Hawken, Reign of Thunder...

Tis a good year to be mech fans indeed.

Those screens look gorgeous. I wonder what the PC requirements are gonna be? If it's running on the crytech engine they must be steep. Either way this is definitely one to watch.

It's using the CryEngine 3. Crysis used the first CryEngine. Crysis 2 used the CryEngine 2, which was a slimmed down but not too terribly optimized version of the CryEngine 1. CryEngine 3 is CryEngine 2 with a hefty dose of optimization.

So while the minimum requirements won't be "low", they won't be too terribly high either. Most low-mid to mid-range computers will handle it just fine.

 

[Webclaw]

Crysis 2 used Cryengine 3 if memory serves, and Crysis 1 and Warhead used CryEngine 2

 

[AzureRaven]

Yes yes yes yes!!
Oh right, I don't want to get nailed for low content so let me just say that I freaking want this game SO bad. And it's free...yessss

 

[Chairman Miaow]

Heat levels critical.
Shutdown imminent.
Shutdown sequence initiated.

-headsplosion-

 

[Antari]

It really looks like they are on the right track with this game. But I remain suspicious as most game companies seem to take more pleasure in disapointing people as of late. I am not sure if I want to get excited yet or not. Right now atleast it is the only game I am even considering getting excited over, so that says alot.

 

[Andy Chalk]

I've been thinking about that too, because the trailer felt just a little bit "off" to me. I think it's a combination of sound (or lack thereof) and the fact that the mechs don't seem to be putting much effort into it. But it could also be the difference between watching and sitting in the cockpit while the shit hits the fan all around, too. The videos (and the screens) are undeniably gorgeous, I just hope the game captures the appropriately visceral "feel" of mech combat too. The old Netmech games were absolute white-knuckle affairs, and I'll be some disappointed in MWO isn't at least that good.

 

[Shinkicker444]

Mmm, Beta... yes please.

the 'off' feeling might be that it doesn't seem fast paced compared to most games these days? But audio does make a big difference. Having the AI yelling at you all the time is important. Also, missiles knocking your mech/cockpit around too.

I always found the Heavy and Assault mechs to have that.. floating along feeling myself, even in the older games. You had to stick to mediums and smalls or the smaller heavies to get the more visceral feeling, because they get knocked around a lot.

 

[Andy Chalk]

I love that split-second feeling of "fuck" before missiles crash into your mech in MW2. The noise, the alarms, the rocking cockpit - I think that's really all that's missing from that video. There's nothing quite like being there. The difference in scale between the Atlas and the Jenner is surprisingly pronounced, too. Hard to get much of a read on it from this trailer, but I'm looking forward to seeing how they really stack up, side by side.

 

[demalo]

Will scouts be able to paint targets for larger tanking mechs? True support role mechs should be able to jam the enemy lance targeting systems, provide weapon reloads (resupply abilities) for other mechs, camouflage systems that would be appropriate for smaller mechs. Camouflage could be active deployment (netting, attachments, position changes - crouch and prone, possible cloaking, etc) or passive systems (chameleon skin, silent running, eccm to prevent radar detection, etc).

AOE support tools:
Area ECM and ECCM
radio comm interference and interception (granted someone isn't using a 3rd party comm tool)
visual interference systems - smoke and lighting
Temperature adjusting - cooling and heating affects

Support weapons:
Both Cooling and heating - Liquid, air, gel
Heating - microwave, x-ray, gamma ray emitters. Flame Throwers are already a staple, but napalm rounds (or something like them) would probably make more sense. Plasma streams or plasma grenades would also be possibilities. Heat generating reactors would be appropriate that could be attached to enemy mechs.
Mines, traps, and decoys (images and false heat signatures - multiple or singular)
Visibility disruption - direct enhanced lighting, oil or adhesive substances sprayed onto cockpit.

Mech Abilities:
Grappling - to slow down or tow other mechs, using either appendages or tools (hooks and lines). While immobilizing (or mobilizing) the grappled mech it leaves the grappling mech at a disadvantage of being hit too. Both mechs could suffer AOE effects, critical heat overload could take the other mech or severely damage it. Breaking a grapple could result in damage to grappling device or appendages as well as systems associated with said appendages.
Melee combat weapons - including checking, punching (kicking with some mechs - though not very effective), jump jet landing does damage (could be used in conjunction with grappling)

Maybe some of these are already in the works. Anyone else have suggestions?