54 replies to this topic

[impaler]

So how many people here have actually played in one of the simulation pods back in the old days?

I used to go down to North Pier in Chicago and play every week, mostly on Sunday's. I even helped in the beta testing back when FASA was not an MS entity. I also have a key chain with my name and rookie champion title.

I still use it to this day. The engraving needs to be redone but it's still my favorite. lol!

[Hikaru]

Search the threads for Virtual World.

Hot summer weekends in Old Town Pasadena, at ridiculous per game rates. $120 is like chump change compared to the cost of a round of games with your friends.

[Torcip]

I remember those things, they use to have them at the local Dave and Busters, it cost and arm and a leg to play compared to all the other games but was such a blast to play. It's my dream to one day build one of those for a multipurpose mech/fighter jet cockpit, one can always dream.

[Hikaru]

http://articles.lati...1_virtual-world

Ha, Bing for the win.

[Veliah Truard]

I wish. Never seen them before.

[Turbo]

I also played at the VW @ North Pier in Chicago. It was awesome! The only down side? when you go back home and play a mech game without the full pod now lol.

[daniel castelo]

That would indeed be AWESOME!!!


We would just need to adapt a computer monitor (mine's a 24 in) and then boom!!!

Also, how are those machines on electricity consumption ???

[Church]

I just played in some Tesla pods about a year ago at The Airlock (Local place here in Seattle, WA). Was so awesome to be able to lock myself in that little pod, and just become one with the mech. It's too bad we can't really replicate that kind of experience at home

[impaler]

There were 2 different kinds of pods when I played. First came the low to the floor pods. Then came the huge alien pods, man they were the greatest things to ever play in. Playing with your friends and some of the best pilots on the planet. I remember: Manfred, Grimson, Darklord, Doc Holiday (whom I think was one of the dev's at the time), $1.35 plus tax, Blackbook, Darkside1, Whisper (he was insanely good), and that's where my mind stops.

My call sign at the time was Sandman.

[Aoi Esq]

Back in the early 90s, my father and I would make occasional trips from MN to Chicago just to play BT for a weekend at Navy Pier. Absolutely fantastic experience. Fished a 500 mission pin out of a closet the other day, and somewhere, hiding, I have a gold ID card from the pre-Virtual World days (a dollar off, I think it got you?). I also remember some of the people who worked there: Banshee (probably the best pilot I ever saw, and a heck of a nice guy), Yip (of "Yip's Yahoorama" fame), and a couple other guys whose names I no longer remember (it has been two decades, after all). And, like you, I even remember beta testing something for them one time, at a facility a little ways away.

Good times, and the reason I was so psyched when I heard about MWO.

impaler, on 20 June 2012 - 05:21 PM, said:

There were 2 different kinds of pods when I played. First came the low to the floor pods. Then came the huge alien pods, man they were the greatest things to ever play in. Playing with your friends and some of the best pilots on the planet. I remember: Manfred, Grimson, Darklord, Doc Holiday (whom I think was one of the dev's at the time), $1.35 plus tax, Blackbook, Darkside1, Whisper (he was insanely good), and that's where my mind stops.

My call sign at the time was Sandman.

The names Doc Holiday and Whisper ring bells. Was Doc Holiday an older guy who looked a bit mad scientist-y? I could be thinking of someone else, but I definitely remember both names...

[impaler]

Aoi Esq, on 20 June 2012 - 05:30 PM, said:

Back in the early 90s, my father and I would make occasional trips from MN to Chicago just to play BT for a weekend at Navy Pier. Absolutely fantastic experience. Fished a 500 mission pin out of a closet the other day, and somewhere, hiding, I have a gold ID card from the pre-Virtual World days (a dollar off, I think it got you?). I also remember some of the people who worked there: Banshee (probably the best pilot I ever saw, and a heck of a nice guy), Yip (of "Yip's Yahoorama" fame), and a couple other guys whose names I no longer remember (it has been two decades, after all). And, like you, I even remember beta testing something for them one time, at a facility a little ways away.

Good times, and the reason I was so psyched when I heard about MWO.



The names Doc Holiday and Whisper ring bells. Was Doc Holiday an older guy who looked a bit mad scientist-y? I could be thinking of someone else, but I definitely remember both names...

Yeah that's I what I remember as well. I'm not sure where my pins are. I have a bunch but I have something in my closet that trumps all of that.

I have an original pilot suit, with patches, name tags, the whole nine yards. I have to take a pic of it.

[Divine Madcat]

Last i checked, a local place here (Hinkle Fun Center) still has their Tesla Pods.. damn those things were fun! Nothing like getting non MW playing friends in, and then toasitng them something fierce..

[Aoi Esq]

impaler, on 20 June 2012 - 05:41 PM, said:

Yeah that's I what I remember as well. I'm not sure where my pins are. I have a bunch but I have something in my closet that trumps all of that.

I have an original pilot suit, with patches, name tags, the whole nine yards. I have to take a pic of it.

I have a jean jacket with pins, patches, and my pilot name stitched on. And there's no way I'm taking a pic of it (though if you post a pic of yours, it's possible I will confirm/deny similarity).

Funny - if you were there on weekends, we probably played at least a game or two together. Remember a random white 12-14 year old, there with his dad, the entire day every now and then? I went by Akira or, at one point possibly, Bry, if memory serves...

[CarpeMortis]

PropWash is the current owner of VWE, and he can be found on these forums occasionally. they just re-released Red Planet for the Tesla II's in Feb... Now if only there were sites in CA.

[Chupacabra]

Can't wait to play again at GenCon this year...they roll them out every year now. I understand they were even at Origins this year!

[ORIGINAL SteelWolf]

Turbo, on 20 June 2012 - 05:06 PM, said:

I also played at the VW @ North Pier in Chicago. It was awesome! The only down side? when you go back home and play a mech game without the full pod now lol.

Been there.
As well in Austin. I also attended Mechcon'98 entrant and Mechcon'99 as a staffer. Mechcon99 had Charlie Hill from activision sporting a table of Heavy Gear items and we rented a large meeting room for the convention. Only about 20 people showed. Many of the same people showed for both. I still have my ID badge from 99. I drove from Idaho to Austin TX. Both times. I hit the pods in '93, '96, '99. I'm working on the plans to make my own "pod" Version 3 style. The box.

Edited by ORIGINAL SteelWolf, 20 June 2012 - 05:55 PM.

[impaler]

Aoi Esq, on 20 June 2012 - 05:49 PM, said:

I have a jean jacket with pins, patches, and my pilot name stitched on. And there's no way I'm taking a pic of it (though if you post a pic of yours, it's possible I will confirm/deny similarity).

Funny - if you were there on weekends, we probably played at least a game or two together. Remember a random white 12-14 year old, there with his dad, the entire day every now and then? I went by Akira or, at one point possibly, Bry, if memory serves...

Off the top of my head no... but I was predominately playing Sunday nights against the Master's. We played until close and sometimes a bit after that.

I did take pics of my stuff and found my pins. I need to upload them first and yes I will share them.

[RajelAran]

I play Battletech: Firestorm in the Tesla II pods on a semi-regular basis, with the MechCorps guys (http://www.mechcorps.com). I also volunteer at their local mobile deployments at various cons.
Full uniform, patches, pins, 1-minute training spiel.

So much fun to be had, with the regulars, and in introducing the newbs to the glory of mechanized combat!

[Voss Korgan]

Once...it was like a dream come true.

[Asteljar]

Haha! I used to play in that little strip mall by Navy Pier too! My friends and I would take the train downtown and play on the weekends. One time we rented the place out for half a day or something like that... it took forever to save up all that money. I think I used to pilot the Loki most of the time, but I started out in the Madcat. I'm sure I still have my card somewhere in the house. I remember stubbornly refusing to get a new card when they changed them at some point, so I have 2 stickers on mine, one with my first call sign (the very original "Ace", because that's what I'd put into arcade game top scores, lol arcades!) and the other was Headhunter. I was always so jealous of those guys and girls that got to work there. I also bought all four of those Mech posters. Did anyone else get them? I also remember there being a couple of different control sets, where advanced controls were possible if you knew about them (or if the staff told you), I think things like alpha strikes, individual weapon management, overriding automatic shutdown, etc. had to be "found" it wasn't part of the regular control set up. Did anyone here play in the leagues? Man I wish I was older and had money back then, because I would have lived at that place!

Ahhh good times!