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Career start date: 15th of February.
About me:
I started in this franchise with Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries and worked my way backwards to Mechwarrior 2 and its expansion. I played MercNet at a competitive level.. if there ever was such a thing in those days.
I moved on to Mechwarrior 3, but I couldn't bring myself to master it like I did with Mercenaries. Mechwarrior 4 was a great return to the franchise and I joined an online guild, but those were days of studies and beer and parties.. and commitment wasn't exactly... a priority?
Somewhere along the way I stopped buying PCs until recently. And of course, that had to include battletech games.
After playing the Mechwarrior 2 series again (I had to quit playing Mercenaries because of the bugs) I'm joining MWO.
And.. Wow. It's an absolutely amazing game. I'm blown away! The only downside of it, is that I find it hard to tear myself away from the computer once I started queuing up for the quick games.
Weekend 1 - The need for speed.
After trying a few trial mechs, the speedy laser ones stand out. There is the Wolfhound and the Phoenix Hawk. I'm impressed that such mechs are kept relevant in the game (bravo to balance). On the other, it always feels a bit nasty to outrun the guns
Though I gave every weight class a go, I seem to zoom into the speedy mechs. Back in my mercenary days, speed and piloting were my preferred focus. I guess it still does, and the game certainly offers a great experience in that.
I finish my cadet runs with over 10 mil C-bills.
Week 1a - Getting all the attention
- "We should push! Come on! Fine, I'll lead with my heavy!", he said.
"I'm joining you!" I responded as I ran past him, "with a Lighty" .
Adrenaline pumping, I run in first, thinking I'd have to dodge fire in ways that might put a professional ballerina to shame. And that's what I did.
I rushed onto the stage of Grim Plexus like a ballerina going in for a solo. I grabbed the audience's attention with my coup-de-pied that put 4 medium lasers in a King Crab's face. That 5 degree turn towards a rock felt like a triple twirl in the air.. and I knew I was the center of attention! The enemy team's 2 assault mechs and 3 heavies facing me were a clear hint to that.
I strike a pose in a stand-still and the curtains drop. I'm safely behind a rock. The crowd roars with an applause of LBX and laser fire which shudders the curtain but leaves unblemished.
The slow rolling push of my team responded. By the time the enemy turned, they lacked the heat or time to react and were completely decimated.
And I learned that I don't need kills to enjoy the game.
Week 1b - Last man standing
Everyone gets to be a hero some day. This time, it was my turn. The domination fight of the Frozen City left my Wolfhound alone against 4 enemies. The enemy riflemen was burning badly from my earlier shots but he walks on, bravely, to my hiding post. Two large laser shots take him out of the fight.
I turn to face a Kit Fox and a Jenner IIC coming for me. I charge them, showing guts like I'm wielding a LBX-20. Surprisingly both flee for cover. I shoot the Jenner from its exposed back and score a welcome kill.
The timer forces me to abandon safety however, so I twist my empty arm as a shield against the Kit Fox's fire as I dash for the domination zone. Suddenly, a Stormcrow emerges from the domination zone! My heart stops for a moment but as the armless bird fails to kill me instantly, I gamble that its out of ammo on its torso weapon.
The Stormcrow attempts to pin me down with collisions but it ends up blocking the Kit Fox's line of fire, and buys me the time to cool down. After a few miserable shots, the Kit Fox seeks refuge in a nook under the bridge. Another opportunity presents itself. I run under the bridge, cutting off the Kit Fox's only path of escape and finish the cornered mech. A moment later, I'm the only mech standing, welcomed to the sound of applause ... or facepalming. Probably both.
