205 replies to this topic

[jezebel]

slayer, on 11 November 2011 - 01:13 AM, said:

I hope it wasn't me! Do you remember the Tech's name by chance? (Feeling all nostalgic now)

Oh jeez, I have no idea! it was at the Marietta Dave and Buster's near Atlanta. >_>

[leepus]

The poll is missing the "I've played so much I could have bought a house" option.
I think I've played every public release in the pods at least once, going back to the original Battetech Center at North Pier.
Hoping the planets align and something works out between VWE and pirrhana, smith & tinker, etc.

[Kumakichi]

Last time I played at DnB there were only 3 pilots. Me, a 55yr old lady and some dude in his 20s. Game starts and the old lady starts pounding on me! Who woulda know she would be a crack shot. And the younger dude is just sitting back poaching. With 3 people someone would always be caught in the middle. I made a move and eventually I was able to swing it around and get the young pup caught in the middle.

I won the round but not by much. Young pup came in last spot. It was a tough round but i couldnt let myself get beaten by someone in a skirt! To this day i still sneak up and try to trip Northwind Highlander pilots when they no looking

Edited by Kumakichi, 11 November 2011 - 01:15 PM.

[jezebel]

Kumakichi, on 11 November 2011 - 10:19 AM, said:

It was a tough round but i couldnt let myself get beaten by someone in a skirt!

[SLAYER]

jezebel, on 11 November 2011 - 07:24 AM, said:

Oh jeez, I have no idea! it was at the Marietta Dave and Buster's near Atlanta. >_>

The only other male techs from ATL I can remember are Mr Sinister and Orpheus. If I remember right the GM was Sapphire (Mmm mm) and the first day I was there we all went out drinking in Buckhead. No better way to get to know your new manager than holding her hair while she lays in your lap and vomits in a gutter. ;-)

[SLAYER]

Wicced, on 11 November 2011 - 07:20 AM, said:

That it was. Actually, I found her to be an excellent boss. I went in and told her I didn't like my job anymore and she helped me get a position as a level designer on MechCommander. In a very real sense she is responsible for my current career. She had a very strong sense of loyalty and was incredibly quick on the uptake. Good things to have in a manager.

I got the impression that she knew what she was doing and was a shrewd executive, but she seemed to have contempt for her "lessers" or at least that's the way it came across to us. I think a big part of it was that we were all bout the "mission," "translocation," and "adventure," while she was about "selling games." We were in love with the theme, the universe, the VGL. And even as I was handing her most of my life savings (hey, $12k was a lot for a 23yr old geek in '97) she acted as if it was all a bother to her. Even as groups of the CM pilots came in to help us get everything moved by the deadline, to save the last remnants of THEIR site, it felt as if she never understood the passion of the VGL member. Yep, they will always be members to me... never just a customer.

Edit: I remember I even BSed my way back into America Live (Sacramento Site) to wipe the drives of all the proprietary software and retrieve the backup DATs for Ronin when everything went to public auction, and this was when I was no longer an employee. Even with all the extras done for Corporate, she still acted that way towards us, and me when buying Costa Mesa.

Edited by slayer, 11 November 2011 - 12:57 PM.

[PropWash]

Are you the one who sold the pods to Bob Ross there in Sacramento?

slayer, on 11 November 2011 - 12:52 PM, said:

I got the impression that she knew what she was doing and was a shrewd executive, but she seemed to have contempt for her "lessers" or at least that's the way it came across to us. I think a big part of it was that we were all bout the "mission," "translocation," and "adventure," while she was about "selling games." We were in love with the theme, the universe, the VGL. And even as I was handing her most of my life savings (hey, $12k was a lot for a 23yr old geek in '97) she acted as if it was all a bother to her. Even as groups of the CM pilots came in to help us get everything moved by the deadline, to save the last remnants of THEIR site, it felt as if she never understood the passion of the VGL member. Yep, they will always be members to me... never just a customer.

[CasualT]

I have not been in any of the pods but I would love to try one day. When I get back to the states I'm going to look up where the closest ones are to my hometown and go check those out. But I won't be back for a little while yet.

[Munchausen]

Played at VW Chicago as early as '91. Followed those pods to D&B. Got my D&B gold card JUST as they dumped them. I was so p-ed. Then they started showing up at GenCon and all was happy again, except that the GenCon lines are insane.

Also played occasionally at Memorial City in Houston, which I point out because I saw somebody mention that they worked there.

[Kumakichi]

I kinda found that most people didn't know what it was and that they just didn't want to pay what they were asking to try it out. I want to say they were charging $20 for a 15 min. round but I could be mistaken. It was a long time ago.

[SLAYER]

PropWash, on 11 November 2011 - 12:57 PM, said:

Are you the one who sold the pods to Bob Ross there in Sacramento?

I sold them to Laserforce in the Sacramento area, owned by a husband and wife (Brian and Amber Barger), but I think I recall the Bob Ross name in there, like he was a silent partner with the owners? I still have the cameraship board somewhere heh. If I remember right, whoever ended up with them had them mobile at the California State Fair one year. At least I think those were my old pods.

[jezebel]

slayer, on 11 November 2011 - 12:39 PM, said:

The only other male techs from ATL I can remember are Mr Sinister and Orpheus. If I remember right the GM was Sapphire (Mmm mm) and the first day I was there we all went out drinking in Buckhead. No better way to get to know your new manager than holding her hair while she lays in your lap and vomits in a gutter. ;-)

Lol! Oh, Buckhead... ATL has got to be one of the drunkest cities. Sadly, I don't recall any callsigns at all... it was 10 years ago ;\

[Wicced]

SLAYER, on 11 November 2011 - 12:52 PM, said:

I got the impression that she knew what she was doing and was a shrewd executive, but she seemed to have contempt for her "lessers" or at least that's the way it came across to us. I think a big part of it was that we were all bout the "mission," "translocation," and "adventure," while she was about "selling games." We were in love with the theme, the universe, the VGL. And even as I was handing her most of my life savings (hey, $12k was a lot for a 23yr old geek in '97) she acted as if it was all a bother to her. Even as groups of the CM pilots came in to help us get everything moved by the deadline, to save the last remnants of THEIR site, it felt as if she never understood the passion of the VGL member. Yep, they will always be members to me... never just a customer.

Edit: I remember I even BSed my way back into America Live (Sacramento Site) to wipe the drives of all the proprietary software and retrieve the backup DATs for Ronin when everything went to public auction, and this was when I was no longer an employee. Even with all the extras done for Corporate, she still acted that way towards us, and me when buying Costa Mesa.

You are accurate but the important part is that she let it happen. The only time selling the pods to customers got vetoed that I know of was in Dallas. I know because I was the one that brought it to her and she said no, just sell them for scrap. I still don't know why, she brooked no argument on the matter.

[Tweaks]

Played it past my 50 missions and got my expert pin while there was one in Montreal around 1995... but then it closed down the next year or so. I was so sad

[Mr Sockpuppet]

I used to play at the Pasadena Virtual World site from opening day until they closed their doors (never played there when it was Fighter Town but I came and visited).

Although I've always been a BT fan, and played it in all forms; back then I wasn't in the pods playing Battletech as much as I was Red Planet but I played enough BT to get my Mechwarrior Guild pin and then some.

[cheese]

Played at the BattleTech Center at North Pier in Chicago IL where it all started, then played a few missions over at the Dave & Buster's on Oak Street when the pier location closed.

I still have my 25 mission pin.

Edited by cheese, 15 November 2011 - 09:05 PM.

[Forsakened]

While I know/heard of them, I never had the time or money to take such a trip to find one.

Edited by Forsakened, 15 November 2011 - 09:27 PM.

[Iron]

I was able to play at a lot of sites
At the Exhilarama in Houston
Went with some friends to VWE center in Dallas for there first master trials
Played at the VWE center in pasadena for a bit
went to vegas VWE a few times
played at the dave & busters in san jose and ontario ca

I loved playing in Houston. There was a lot of great pilots at that little 8 pod out post

[Jervinator]

I did a few hundred missions at the old San Diego site, both under 3.x (mech of choice:Loki v5) and Tesla (mech of choice:Blackhawk). I once fought Ted "Hunter" LaSalvia (then the reigning World Champion) in a duel that took three rounds to decide; the first two were draws. I perfected the Loki Shuffle and then, once Tesla came out, I honed the fine art of leg removal.

Then they closed down, and I didn't see any for about 15 years until a place near Seattle opened up with eight Tesla II pods, the new 5.x software, and variants. (mech of choice:Phantom C). My marksmanship is rusty, but I am probably the nastiest CTF runner at that site.

[EGG]

Argh! I was in Shibuya a couple of weeks ago and had no idea there was a set in Ota.

Is this pre-Firestorm..? The mechs don't seem to have the MW4 gait when moving.