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Destroy All Podcasts ST Episode 10 - MechWarrior for SNES

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16 comments posted
I own PC-based "MW-III",

I own the PC-based "MW-III", and it is a good first-person sim (but I still wanna get the newer "MW-IV").

However, if you like the original tabletop games where you can control/direct more than one 'Mech at a time, you have to play the PC-only "MechCommander" and 3-D "MechCommander-II" RTS games.
I actually do own an original '80s tabletop version of Battletech (where they use 1 1/2" cardboard stand-ups for the 'Mechs), but it's a 2-person game and I've never found anyone to help me through it.
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EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 16 April, 2008 - 02:15
I always wanted to get it on

I always wanted to get it on the PC but back then i could not run it so one day many years later I got MW3 and the expansion packs and i was like F**K yeah and then when 4 came along I was hooked to playing it online in the super light classes doing kamikaze runs. also i think they were some of the first games I played to the end

i did have the first mech commander but i could never get into it (or rather i sucked a lot)

_____________________________________________________________________________
Transformer and other robot art by me on my DA site blitz-wing.deviantart.com

Blitz's picture
Posted by Blitz on 16 April, 2008 - 06:12
I have a bunch of Battletech

I have a bunch of Battletech stuff and actually tried running a few games with it. If you want to play the board game on your computer, there is Megamek, a Java based version that is 99% accurate to the board game. It even has bots so you can play solo games. If anything, playing Megamek makes one realize just how broken the rules are.

-Andrew

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 16 April, 2008 - 10:19
I played the first PC

I played the first PC Mechwarrior years ago.
From what I remember, it didn't have a story to play with, but I still enjoyed it.

Daikengo's picture
Posted by Daikengo on 16 April, 2008 - 10:59
Modern Mecha Combat...

with a lot yet to be improved, thou, here:
www.exteel.com
Anybody plays?

REACTIVE ARMORED

..NXS..'s picture
Posted by ..NXS.. on 16 April, 2008 - 14:35
O.o! Whoa-! I gotta look

O.o!

Whoa-! I gotta look into that. What's your take on it?
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EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 17 April, 2008 - 15:40
I'm a little confused here about Battletech

Hey there, Look I'm a little confused here about the background history of Battletech.

You said like HG and Revel, the defuncted FASA has ripped-off mecha designs from anime shows like Macross, Dougram, etc. to use as the basis for their classic Battletech RPG in first flight but legal threats from HG had forced FASA to come up with their own mecha designs that we know today as 'mechs'.

My question to you is that since using Macross and Dougram stuff was a no-no from the law, then why didn't FASA just simply commissioned Studio NUE (the creators of Super Dimension) to create the original mecha designs for their origin Battletech series to begin with? Why wait til the last minute to do the smart thing by getting Studio NUE involved? That would've save them the trouble of getting sued and spat on by the Macross fans, right?

-Rodimus

Rodimus78's picture
Posted by Rodimus78 on 16 April, 2008 - 23:33
I'm slightly familiar with

I'm slightly familiar with how 'Mechs work out, so I may be able to partially answer you.

Some of the 'modern' 'Mechs still slightly resemble Macross or Dougram designs- Heavy-class 'Mechs Loki and Thor from the [Destroid] Tomahawk, certainly the famous Mad Cat on the Glaug, very much-so the Jagermech on the [Destroid] Defender, the Medium-class Centurion on the Battroid Valkyrie, etc- albeit heavily modified.
The reasoning, as I understand it, was the anime mecha-ver. still existed in-universe, but all future publications and productions by FASA and Co. could no longer mention or reference them. That way, you could still have a Phoenix Hawk (aforementioned Battroid) and not be accused of cheating because it wasn't "official" anymore. (But I doubt you'd see anyone using a Phoenix Hawk anymore even though they have that choice.)

BTW, as a tabletop game, is Battletech 6'-under nowadays? I'm sure Games Workshop (Warhammer 40K, The Lord of the Rings, etc.) has something of a monopoly on the tabletop RPG market, but is Battletech too old school now?
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EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 17 April, 2008 - 03:37
The actual court case

The actual court case between Harmony Gold and FASA is online. The only really hazy thing is just what FASA bought. Some company called American International Imports or something like that. As far as I can tell, that company had acquired the Nichimo 1/200 scale Macross kits and some box art. If you look at all of the artwork in the old Battletech books is just traced artwork except made to look blocky and shitty. Some of the Nichimo kits were released under the Battletech line of models which is pretty rare.

I'm not really sure why FASA decided to spend the money getting these designs rather than make their own. Of course the funny thing is that most of their early original designs were either some kind of VF-1 Valkyrie ripoff (Panther and the Victor Battlemech) or a Destroid like design or just plan shit. See the Vulcan or the Charger. As far as the Un-Seen designs go, they actually released a book called Project Phoenix which reintroduced all of the contested designs with new artwork. The new versions are just ok. If anything it's weird that they didn't attempt to make them look like they fit the 3025 era artwork.

As far as Battletech's popularity, it was pretty much the thing back in the 80's and 90's. I can imagine that when they tried to part it over to Japan it was quickly swept under the rug by the fifty other hex based robot games, most of which were based on popular franchises like Macross, Dougram, Gundam, and even Megazone 23.

-Andrew

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 17 April, 2008 - 13:38
It's funny that you chose

It's funny that you chose this subject for the ST episode. I was just in a Books-A-Million today in central Florida, and they had a starter set and Technical Manual for "Classic BattleTech." I searched for a FASA logo, but none could be found, so I assume they no longer have the rights. Instead, it said W.K. Games or something similar. That brought back memories.

I had the Third Edition I believe as a kid in the 80s. Good stuff. I had no one to play with, so I used to make my little sisters play with me, then I would kick their asses because they didn't even know what was going on.

My favorite part of BattleTech was getting the mech books and looking at the giant robot pictures and reading their histories. I could spend hours doing that, along with using the rules to design my own mechs and drawing pictures with friends of our designs. Seriously, one of my favorites things from childhood.

GogDog's picture
Posted by GogDog on 17 April, 2008 - 20:54
FASA, I think, was

FASA, I think, was absorbed by Microsoft, which is why "MechCommander II" has their logo in it. FASA is now more of a trademark and department name synonymous with Battletech, kinda like Touchstone Pictures is with The Walt Disney Company, or Relic Entertainment (Homeworld saga, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series) with THQ.

Or am I way off...?
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EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 17 April, 2008 - 22:02
Well, the tabletop gaming

Well, the tabletop gaming industry had fallen upon some hard times so FASA itself had to close. The fact that the board game is full of esoteric rules built up from years of additions and crap that makes it difficult to jump in and play. All of the new computer games kinda faded away after that. And very few of them ever let you engage in melee combat, which was the only thing I ever wanted in those games.

-Andrew

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 18 April, 2008 - 22:30
Front Mission

I never played any of the video games that simulated BT table-top rules, but I LOVE the Front Mission series, its pretty similar in concept, turn-based, and you can melee to your heart's content while being pretty darn effective. :)

GogDog's picture
Posted by GogDog on 18 April, 2008 - 23:09
Well in the board game you

Well in the board game you can potentially pick up objects if your Battlemech has hands and club your enemies. You get search rubble for a girder, uproot a tree, or pick up the leg of another Battlemech. It's actually not as effective as it sounds since all it did was let you deal kick damage (tonnage divided by 5) to the upper body. The other upper body attack is punching which does damage of tonnage divided by 10 with a 1 in six change of hitting the head. Oddly enough anything can punch in that game. Even the Catapult whose arms are missile boxes has a small chance of landing a punch. What me and my friends used melee combat for was to just kick people over and then kick them while they were down.

-Andrew

Destroy All Podcasts DX's picture
Posted by Destroy All Pod... on 19 April, 2008 - 20:40
I've often wondered while

I've often wondered while playing "MW-III" why it is that the 'Mechs have models for hands, but can't engage in melee-range combat. Same with commanding the 'Mech squads in the "MC" games; they can't go melee-. You can use Flamers, Short-Range Missiles (and Streak-SRMs), puny-ass Machine Guns, and maybe even small Lasers & Pulse Lasers, but the heaviest-hitting short-range weapon is always a Heavy Autocannon (which plays like an oversized/overweight shotgun).
I mean, of all of them, you'd think that at least an Assault-class Atlas could go melee, but no!
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EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 19 April, 2008 - 23:03