I noticed a lot of people on these forums liked MechWarrior. I just recently got into it, I downloaded the fourth game a few days ago. I've been having a lot of fun.

I have an awesome-but-impractical Catapult that I'm using in the game. It has max lasers and max missiles with full armor. If I shoot the lasers more than three times in a row, though, I begin to overheat. But it shoot like 15 missiles at once. So I just need to ration my coolant and switch back and forth between lasers and missiles and I'm fine.

I've also downloaded the Living Legends mod for Crysis. I'm not very good, I've gotten three kills so far. One was complete luck with a VTOL Gauss shot, and the others were just me harrying people as Infantry. The graphics are great, though my compy can't run them very well.

I was thinking of possibly starting Classic Battletech with some of my friends, but I have a lot of other stuff going on.

So, what are your thoughts on the reboot? I think it looks good. I hope the resolve the legal issues soon.

I am excited. I have every MW game starting with 2 and 2 mercs all the way to MW 4 vengeance but not black knight. I used to have the mek tech packs and played on a global type thing. There was clans and rainds and such. Ecah clan or corp had limited funds and owned worlds. Each world was X amount of funds in such and such time.

I don't remember it all, it was a couple years back, but I will say those players where cream of the crop. The battles where played like if it was real, no re-spawns and drop weight limits. Every mech had a use, even scouts. Was great o know where the other guys where,.

Where as in normal Mp (before it shut down) I could finish in the top almost every game, these guys slammed me hard. I think before I quit, I was pretty high up in the rankings, like top 5-6 thousand. Can't prove it, might be wrong but I have no reason to lie and I am pretty sure that's where I was ranked on some maps and playlists.

A daishi loaded out with clan lbx 10 and 20's was simply devastation! I used that on small maps, on larger maps I prefered guass and missles loaded out on a cat or cat MK2.

Wow. That sounds... awesome. I'm terrible at games. Any and all games. I shudder to think what would happen to me in those matches. Oh yeah, I'd like to see what some people's favorite mechs and loadouts are. I've been using aforementioned Catapult, and it seems to be working pretty well...

In single player on recruit...

I eat and breath Mechwarrior. One of my favorite series of all time. I have 2 (with Mercs), 3 (with Pirate's Moon), and 4 (from the free release). I've beaten Mechwarrior 2 some 5 or more times. I love the manual. Its freaking 80+ pages long and written in an in-universe (as a Clan Pilot Training Manual) manner. You just don't get quality like that any more. In addition, Mechwarrior 2 has some of THE BEST music I've ever heard (just for fun, I'm going to post another post of mine that I saved from the frequent music threads that pop up around here. You should definitely listen to the music from that post. They're all great).

It makes me sad that I can't figure out how to fix my port forwarding to let me play Mechwarrior 4 online again. I had it down, then we got a new modem and I have to restart it all. Ugh. Need to bridge my connections.

Anyways, I am SERIOUSLY looking forward to the remake. If you haven't read it already, you should read the http://pc.ign.com/articles/100/1002164p1.html It really clarifies their position on the game and what they want to do with it. I'm very excited about their ideas for light mechs, as they are my favorite types to pilot. I enjoy the hit and run tactics while still using mechs like the Kit Fox (Uller, for you Inner Sphere scum) to get in the brawl and beat some faces.

As for Crysis, I was seriously considering getting it ONLY FOR Living Legends. I want to play it that badly. It looks freaking great.

Music post:
Mechwarrior 2 and Mechwarrior 2 Mercenaries have such amazing soundtracks. They are my favorite of any game ever. Jeehun Hwang did such an awesome job, which also shows his natural talent, as these two games were his first job in the industry. All of the music creates such excellent feelings of suspense, action, and mystery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM3MwpkVYKQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aboOgJSkrrw has to be my favorite.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fil6W5KGVA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V5Ssig2rQo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAQxocc8BMc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYu_HZxbfX8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB0oxICsbOI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX4G1RJYTi8 is pretty trippy with all its futuristic noises, but yet manages to build suspense greatly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqPjQBwQEB0 is really really awesome with good bass, and makes for a good track to skirmish to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSgpH-0L91Y is great for search and destroy missions. It really has a sense of mystery mixed with action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-XoZg5kQ8s: If you're in a trial of combat, this is the song to get you in the fighting spirit!

Really, they're all amazing, but these are most of my favorites from the game. Readers of this post really should give them all a listen, they're definitely worth it.

Now these later ones are from Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries, a stand alone expansion that took place on the side of Inner Sphere mercenaries, and Hwang did an amazing job of changing the music from Mechwarrior 2's mysterious Clan style to a new hardcoe and dirty Inner Sphere ruffian style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0u6_IYz7YQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiY1JPEkky4 really puts me in the mood for kicking some ass and saluaging some mechs. Sounds more like urban fight music to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsGsEvmWNgc is pretty suspenseful and works great for missions where you're going in blind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6A2QidyVco: All I can say about this soundtrack is MAIM KILL BURN AND KICK SOME ASS! It sets a perfect ass kicking tune. I've died more than my fair share of times in the game because this song got my blood boiling so much I just Ramboed in and fought as hard as I could.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hoJLhsP3Ks: What's not to love about a weird techno beat mixed with wailing guitars? Great for city fighting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8xgLh0pn1I: A great song to both kick ass to and think straight with. The short breaks from the guitar for the awesome bass makes for a good rest in the action before getting back to kicking ass. A must listen, really.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE5YPDFno4M is awesome for delayed action. Spends a little time building up and then busts into awesome. It makes the best impact on large open battlefields, where the slower sounds accentuate the longer range combat, but with heavy parts if you get into close fights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewb0r0KAxBI almost feels like it should have been part of Exodus. They both sound a lot alike to me, although Trojan Horse is slower.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFTHjZb5WBc is really suspenseful without having any real rise in the music. It worked great during several missions where you are fleeing the enemy. I felt like I was about to get stabbed in the back at any moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8c9IDQylBY: This song has got to be made for desert fighting. The low visibility but great chance for being attacked let this track be both mysterious and full of action, and of course the huge bass is great too. Coincidentally, the first time one hears this track is in a desert...with crystals all over the place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUIsg05nI80's slow start and almost droning music makes it excellent for desert skirmishes, which, of course, is where this song is most used in during the game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlp2VEUTTeI is a bit slower than the other Rock heavy songs, but pulls of a good feeling of being under pressure and not knowing what's coming against you. It worked well in game as a song for urban war (not skirmish) conditions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M698ENH-IVY is like Exodus in a way. Slow beginning with mysterious sound, and builds up to stronger and harder sounds. Works well in icy and desert environments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYd-DCOc3-Y is a tongue twister and great impending-massive-battle-of-doom music, and is also the longest Mechwarrior 2 track, clocking in at 4:16. It has a very slow buildup, and just keeps ramping up from there until you're in a full war. Of course, this music is used in the game under those exact conditions during some very awesome (and hard) and large war missions.

Oh, how could I forget! The http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X3GD0UnBCk (oh how I love it. "Its got a lock on me, ITS GOT A LOCK ON ME!), which has excellent music (I don't think its any of the tracks, however. I would love to have the music, though), and the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at9hxU864Fg&feature=related intro music is pretty great, too.

Wow, that was a mouth (post?) full.

^ is 100% right on, I LOVE the manuals, you just can't get them like that any more.


Anything you ever want is here.
http://www.mektek.net/


Anyway, back in my younger days, when MW 4 was still going strong I was pretty slick (imo) at it. I almost bought a dual joystick setup (legs/torso) setup, but I also played a lot of earth siege ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaltech:_Earthsiege ) as well as MW 4 mercs and vengeance.


If I could find my old notes I could give you some power house builds that worked well in MP, but Sp is different. Depends on what you like, but a good staple is the Madcat and Madcat MK2, both are great at just about anything. The Atlas is nice but more defense (as core mechs are) while the daishi is more on the offensive side of things. (as clan mechs are)
The nova works out well (if htats the right name?) for people who like beam weapons. Me I prefer ammo based weapons, but often its best to mix them for best results.

I have forgotten most of what i know about it though, its been at least 6 years or so.

Dual joysticks? Awesome! I have two joysticks. Hm... maybe... I dunno. Maybe I'll test that out sometime.

Yeah, the music is great. I'm thinking of buying MechWarrior 2 when I'm done with the fourth. Do you think it'd run on Windows 7?

I've played only Mechwarrior 3 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the newest system on which it reliably runs is Windows 98... I do frequently play Classic Battletech though, and it's really, really fun. You should download Heavymetal Pro and get some pretty big map sheets if you want to play it though. It makes things much easier.

isk, maybe. anything is worth a shot.

If I am not mistaken, there is/was a way to setup one joystick for leg movement and one for torso movement, I might be wrong but I think thats the way it was. you can also map buttons to fire each weapon or weapon group, and a alpha strike button.

It would be kind of like this.

mad cat (poor load out fyi)
2 clan LRM 20's left stick trigger
1 C-Lbx 10 weapon group 1
2-3 M-C-lazer group 2
2 C-Mguns group 1




Left stick is legs and speed mapped to a button set. trigger on left stick is missile weapon.
Right stick is mapped to move the torso, button set is mapped to weapon/weapon group 1/2 and trigger is alpha strike w/o missiles.

I have a http://flyawaysimulation.com/article3624.html and it works pretty well, especially for Mechwarrior 4. I tried using it on Mechwarrior 3, and it works, but my issue is that if I try using it I can't use the cursor aiming, which I really enjoy, unless I do some weird joystick + mouse combo, and that doesn't sound comfortable.

But hot damn, I still can't wait for the reboot. I really, really want them to get a hold of the rights to use the Unseen, but if they can't there are still plenty of great mechs for them to use. As someone else said: I can slag others just as well in a Hunchback as I can in a Warhammer. They also mentioned things like experience and perhaps leveling up. Done correctly (we've talked extensively about it on the Mektek forums), it could work really, really well and also provide pilots for a way to feel connected to their chosen path of mech type. If Weisman does even a quarter of his ideas about scouting, probes, electronic warfare, and other things, I think I could have an exciting time piloting a light mech even without getting into an actual fight.


The load out I have always used for the Timber Wolf (mad cat for you Inner Sphere scum) is
2 LRM 20s
4 ER Medium Lasers
4 Clan Machine Guns

Then again, this works best in Mechwarrior 2, as machine guns were actually useful in that game. You could fire a salvo of lasers, turn around to a light mech and leg it in under a few seconds with the 4 machine guns. The LRM 20s were the real hard hitters of your arsenal. I find myself taking out most enemies before they even get to fire at me.

One thing I noticed about MechWarrior is that it reminds me of Rogue Squadron. In the mission design mostly. Large, open maps with objectives all around. I don't know, that's just what it makes me think of.

Yeah, I'm looking in to Classic Battletech. I might test out the quickstart rules with one of my friends soon.

I've heard that MechWarrior 2 Mercenaries is regarded by some fans as 'The one that did it right'. What's your guy's favorites?

EDIT Dual ninja'd.

I've always been a big MechWarrior fan. MechWarrior 2 (with Mercs), 3, 4 and even... Steel Battalion (though that awesome controller sees little use since I upgraded to Windows 7).

Mechwarrior 2 and Mercs are masterpieces. They really make you FEEL as though you're in their universe. They're gritty, straight forward, and sometimes rather brutal. Mechwarrior 3, however, was also freaking awesome. It had a lot of the same feel as Mercs due to the salvage system. You had to work with what was given to you. The missions and presentation was also spot on. You aren't Master Chief. You aren't a 14 year old Gundam pilot. You're a veteran mech pilot, invading a planet, and you've got work to do against some pretty nasty odds. Gritty and realistic. Just like Mechwarrior (and Battletech) is supposed to be.

I was wondering, what are some of your guys control set ups? I've seen on threads that there are a ton of variations, and it totally depends on what you like. I personally use a basic FPS-like setup. W is accelerate, S is decelerate, A and D are turning. Mouse controls torso, Space is jump-jets. I'm just used to controls like that. I find them pretty easy.

For Mechwarrior 2:

D and G are for turning left and right. I use 1-0 for the throttle. R, F, T, E, Space Bar, and others are for targeting (there are a lot of targeting commands in most mechwarrior games, as I'm sure you know).

In Mechwarrior 3, I use R and F, D and G for movement (R and F, of course, being like FPS games forward and backwards). Same for Mechwarrior 4. The reason I do this is this allows for more buttons around R,F,D and G than if I were using WASD, as that only leaves for 7 immediately accessible keys, as compared to over 10 for RDFG. In addition, it allows my hand to be more towards the middle of the keyboard to faster access other commands and also to use the 1-0 throttle. In ADDITION, it lets my pinky rest on Z for zoom. Easier to remember and also more comfortable and gives my pinky a use, as Mechwarrior 2 and 3 do not use the shift command that often unless you go out of your way to use it.

Oh, that's an interesting scheme. It'd be kind of hard to adjust for me, though. WASD has been so ingrained into my brain.

What are some of the coolest moments you've experienced in any of the games? Its just awesome and scary to see an Atlas crest a hill when you're in a scout mech.

Atlases are just flat-out scary, come to think of it.

Naw, clan mechs are way worse.

Yeah. You see a Dire Wolf coming over the next hill and you're in less than a 50-tonner? Run, don't walk, the other way. The Dire Wolf may be slow, but its LRM missiles aren't.

I'm kind of lost lore-wise. I know that there are clans and the Inner Sphere and the houses, but I don't know exactly what role each one has in lore. Are there any books you'd recommend for getting into the Battletech Universe?

Yeah, but I got a thing for ER_PPC's.



http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page

Reading, lots of reading. and lots of looking around.

Heh, should've known. The Wiki Rule in full force. But still, are there any good books/series you'd recommend for getting into the universe? Its a lot more natural and I seem to remember more things if I'm introduced to them is a story or something, rather than reading the facts on a wiki.

No, because sadly I have a limited amount of time to live, and have yet to fit B.T novels into my life.
Hopefully, before I die Ill read a few, but right now I got other things to do.

I am sure some one can suggest a few, the only novels I can suggest are not related to M.W or B.T in any way. But I can list them if you want.

I was not trying to be rude with the wiki link, or now. I am just saying. Please don't take it the wrong way, its just how I look at life.

Lol, wiki again.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_BattleTech_novels

List of all novels.
personally, I am unsure what style each writer has, as I am picky about that sort of thing. I suppose you could read snippets from each one and see what one you like, and read it. that's what I would do, starting with the first novel.

Otherwise, these look good to me.

I Am Jade Falcon

Storms of Fate

Endgame



That might not have been what you wanted, but that's all I can give you.

Once again, I don't mean to come across as rude or snide, its just how I type and think. Good luck with finding a good book, i always enjoy one when I find (and get to read) one.

I'm sorry if I came across as thinking you rude or snide at all. I was just saying that I should've thought to search for a wiki. Almost everything has a wiki now and I was sort-of facepalming myself because I didn't search for one. 'The Wiki Rule' if you were wondering is that anything and everything that you can think of has a wiki. I love wiki's, they're great for absorbing large amounts of facts (fictions?) about universes, but I find it hard to really get into anything by reading large amounts of facts. I need a good book or something in order to really get started. Then I begin the fact-absorbing.

EDIT: Oh, and thanks for the link to the list of novels. I'll look through that.

Here's a short history:

After warp travel was invented, humans formed a coalition of sorts to protect themselves amongst the stars: The Terran Hegemony. As different countries and people's populated the stars, different factions such as the Draconic Combine and the Federated Suns formed. Eventually, the Great Houses (those separate factions) combined with the Terran Hegemony to form the Star League. The Star League considered was the height of humanities' power and technology, but it became increasingly becoming corrupt over time, trying to bring the Periphery worlds (the outside rim of the explored galaxy) into the Star League. Various factions broke out fighting the Star League, all the while the Star League was falling apart from the inside. Aleksandr Kerensky, leader of the SLDF (Star League Defense Forces) put out a call to all that would follow him and left with his fleet to outside of the Periphery, disgusted at what the Star League had became. His exodus would form the Clans.

As the Star League collapsed, it became a dark age. Wars broke out everywhere. Little progress was made in invasions, with borders staying almost exactly the same, yet lives were lost in the billions. Things settled down, and sometimes would flair back up because of various reasons (one of which is finding lost Star League technology, part of what is aiding in getting out of the ages of strife). That's basically all up until the Dark Ages, which are another issue all together, and one that a lot of fans weren't happy about. Most people who play Battletech, and most Mechwarrior games, take place between 3000 and 3050.

Also, remember that this is a REALLY REALLY REALLY short history. I mean, there's an entire wiki full of pages and pages of thousands of words describing the history, tons of source books describing what went on, etc. But that's about it. Everything is good -> everything gets bad -> essentially medieval times for hundreds of years.

Okay, thanks for the history. So, the Clans are what split off from the Star League, is the Inner Sphere what didn't?

I don't understand the last part of that question, so I'll answer what I can.

The Clans are what formed from Kerensky's Exodus from the Star League. He believed that the only way the Star League could live on was if he left with his most loyal followers and created a sort of "guardian" people.


However, when they reached the Periphery, fighting began to break out among his forces. His son (Nicholas Kerensky) led a second Exodus to escape the fighting. They happened upon 5 prime worlds that they decided to inhabit, called the Pentagon Worlds (or the Kerensky Cluster). The 800 forces that Nicholas brought with him would be formed into the clans by Nicholas. Their goal was to grow in size, power, skill, and to live by a code of honor. They believed that one day they would return to the Inner Sphere to save it from sure destruction and to reinstate the rule of the Star League. Of course, this definitely has not gone as planned, both from them attacking the Inner Sphere and with the Clans fighting amongst themselves, both in wars and in ideologies ("Wardens", those who wished to sit by and wait to protect the Inner Sphere in case of it nearly destroy itself, and "Crusaders" those who wished to invade the Inner Sphere in order to reinstate the Star League's rule). These ideologies would eventually cause the Clans to become a shadow of their former selves within a few decades before and after their attempted invasion of the Inner Sphere.