62 replies to this topic

[Koniving]

The laser depends on your weight. However that looks an awful lot like a huge energy weapon port on the mech's left which may hold an LL or LPL. It's known in previous Mechwarriors that Ravens always sport SRMs, but it stands to reason with the hardpoint system that you could swap SRMs with LRMs and perform sneak attacks like the Firefly in the opening video for Mechwarrior 3.

[Sedant]

Needs more 100 ton berserker!

[AdamBaines]

I still think the "Raven" head still looks more like a Greyhound head. But very cool either way :-).

[Alex Wolfe]

Redshift2k5, on 21 September 2012 - 03:30 AM, said:

Civilian ground transport.

You can just barely see a second one on the far right on the image (look for the row of windows). The one mostly off-screen is loaded with cargo containers and exiting (entering?) a mine.

This is on Forest Colony, and is a great example of how the maps are lovingly crammed full of detail and interesting locations, none of the maps are bland or simple. They're all loaded with tidbits and detail.

Yeah, it's on E3 Forest Colony.

I think it's the same thing that's on Caustic Valley, only this one's empty (grid G6/G7 on CV, to the right of refinery spawn... we're passing by it all the time).

Loving the screenshot BTW.

Edited by Alex Wolfe, 21 September 2012 - 02:59 PM.

[Patriarc]

That thing in the back looks just like a transport from chromehounds....i bet it does the same thing, but instead of transporting chromehounds,nit transports mechs.

[verybad]

JRR, on 20 September 2012 - 03:00 PM, said:

I wonder what that machine in the background does.

It's a Majestic Machine, it sits there and looks majestic. It makes cookies also.

[Acid Phreak]

a screenshot hm? i want the raven in a "dead from above" with the sunrise behind the raven and shooting a enemy.

[Zombie SixNine]

Is that the alternate map? I don't remember seeing any areas like that...i'll have to pay more attention next Forest run...

[Stryker04]

That quote is win lol mc2?

[Alex Wolfe]

Zombie SixNine, on 21 September 2012 - 03:37 PM, said:

Is that the alternate map? I don't remember seeing any areas like that...i'll have to pay more attention next Forest run...

If you get the hilltop spawn on FC, turn right and run downhill along the wall. It's right next to the spawning point.

Love it how maps are full of cool doodads like that.

Edited by Alex Wolfe, 22 September 2012 - 02:48 PM.

[walkingraven]

Looks like a container carrier.

[Gun Bear]

For some reason, maybe its just this computer, but this image has a borderlands feel to the graphics and color.

[ranasoft]

InnerSphereNews, on 23 October 2011 - 07:32 PM, said:

Welcome to Dev Blog 0!

Why is it called Dev Blog 0? Well, a lot has happened in the two years since we first announced MechWarrior back in 2009, and we felt a quick recap would help bring everyone up to speed on the events of the last 2 years. In order to make this blog a little more personal, we have referred to many people by first name.
The usage of we generally refers to:

• Jordan Weisman founded FASA and co-created BattleTech. Jordan has also been responsible for numerous other ventures including WizKids, and Smith & Tinker.
  
• Russ Bullock, Owner/President of Piranha Games Inc.
  
• Bryan Ekman, Owner/Creative Director of Piranha Games Inc.
  
• And sometimes the entire team at PGI, some 50+ awesome developers!

So let’s go back to the beginning before the 2009 announcement, when Piranha Games first began working with the MechWarrior license.
Rebooting Piranha Games

Three years ago, during the summer 2008, we put in motion a new strategy for Piranha, one that would focus our efforts on building killer original action games. With this ultimate goal in mind, we focused on three key areas.

• Only take on action based work-for-hire games, such as Transformers 2 and Duke Nukem Forever.
  
• Build an experienced development team, capable of creating fun and engaging products.
  
• Develop a game by acquiring or licensing an existing intellectual property (IP).

With these goals in mind, we began identifying properties that fit the bill. In October 2008, while looking into the MechWarrior rights, Russ, learned that Jordan was working on a new venture at Smith & Tinker. Jordan, through S&T had licensed some of the digital FASA rights back from Microsoft. Not long after the initial call, we began working with Jordan on a new concept, a major update to the MechWarrior franchise.
Rebooting MechWarrior

The initial ideas revolved around revitalizing or rebooting the series by focusing on two areas:

• Increasing the overall graphical fidelity of the entire game, especially the BattlMechs.
  
• Solve some of the long standing gameplay issues from previous MechWarrior games.

From these two key areas, early design pillars emerged in the form of:

• Urban Combat to address circle strafing and long range sniping.
  
• Dynamic Battlefield further expanded on the concepts of Urban Combat and mechs having roles.
  
• Dynamic pacing, introduced an early version of one of the final pillars, Information Warfare.

It would be designed for the Xbox 360 and PC. The game would take place on the planet Deshler, in the year 3015. Single player would revolve around Adrian Kohl and his exploits during an invasion by Kuritan forces. A gritty series of missions, designed to draw people deep into the rich vibrant and treacherous world of BattleTech. Multiplayer was a blend of features from previous MechWarrior games and modern FPS experiences. The package as a whole was the first step in making MechWarior cool again.
We continued to iterate on the design for several weeks, then started developing a plan of action.
Early on we decided to produce a marketing video that would demonstrate many of the core features and rebooted art style. We had three goals:

• Announce the project and generate a major buzz within the gaming community.
  
• Generate publisher interest.
  
• Increase Piranha’s profile as a quality developer with publishers and the community.

The marketing campaign contained 3 teaser videos , the final full length trailer, and a feature interview on IGN. We rolled out the plan during the second week of July, 2009.
The reaction was overwhelming. We anticipated the announcement would generate a lot of buzz, however the end result outperformed even our highest expectations.
Oh Yeah, Harmony Gold

Contrary to all the press and speculation that Harmony Gold was getting in the way of a deal or development, this had no impact whatsoever on development or signing a deal for MechWarrior.
Closing a Deal

The hard work began in earnest after the video release. We had an aggressive schedule to visit publishers and gauge interest. In the month of August we met with all of the major publishers, pitched the MechWarrior game to a captive audience and waited. The answers rolled in slowly, starting with the smaller publishers. Then word showed up from the big five. The answer was no.
We knew going in, there were two major risks. No PS3 version due to a Microsoft restriction, and the epic market collapse and major recession. In the end, it was mostly the lack of a PS3 option that did us in. The scope and budget required to develop a console reboot needed the support of a PS3 SKU and we just couldn’t convince publishers to take a risk. By late fall 2009, our dreams of making a MechWarrior game, began slowly drifting away.
Through the end of 2009 and into 2010 we rallied numerous times, reducing scope and budget, re-pitching the concept as a LIVE only title, etc. etc. In the end, nothing stuck.
To be honest, 2008/09 were some of the hardest times this company has ever seen. We spent a lot of time, resources, money and energy on MechWarrior, and it wasn’t looking good.
Then, in the spring of 2010, we secured the Duke Nukem Forever contract. This was a huge achievement and a cornerstone in our development history. MechWarrior played a large role in helping us secure the deal. A few key hires filled out our incredibly talented multiplayer AAA team.
MechWarrior took a back seat, as we focused on a very challenging and time compressed project.
2010 ended, and we rolled into 2011 without much fanfare as Duke Nukem Forever entered the final phases of development.
The Birth of MechWarrior Online

In the winter months of 2011 we assessed the state of MechWarrior. We came to the realization that any further work on MechWarrior would come at great risk to PGI. If we planned to take on significant risk, we needed to control the IP. After several sessions of deliberation, we decided to plunge in head first. Russ approached Smith & Tinker with regards to licensing the MechWarrior rights and within a few weeks, we signed a deal.
Not long after signing, we quickly realized licensing the rights was one of the most important and future sighted decisions made by us in the last 12 years. Offers were coming in from all over the planet, especially to make or license a free-to-play MechWarrior game.
Because of the overwhelming interest, we decided to spend some time researching what a free-to-play (F2P) MechWarrior game would look like. We spent some design cycles adapting our previous concepts and quickly realized a synergy between F2P and the BattleTech universe. We worked hard through spring, negotiating, designing, and rejecting a few potential partners. As it turns out, we didn’t have to look very far.
During much of the past 12 months there was a local group that also had a large amount of interest in developing and publishing a MechWarrior title. Once Piranha had become the license holder they came over immediately and met with us. From this point onward we decided to combine our efforts with Piranha as the rights holder and with them as the Publisher. After about 6 months of hard work together, funding had been secured, Infinity Game Publishing was born and development could begin.
The most positive thing that can be said about the relationship between Piranha and IGP is that both companies wanted to make the same game and Piranha was free to execute upon our vision.
The road to this Blog was an adventure filled with many hurtles and momentous occasions. We are excited and proud of the direction MechWarrior is taking as a PC F2P game. It offers us the ability to make a successor worthy of the MechWarrior name, and one that fans will enjoy for years to come!
Welcome to MechWarrior Online.

[ranasoft]

I liked World War Z, but not as good as Keene's Rising or Ellington's Zombie University, which as a short, but fun, read.

[Sorric]

Either this one or the shadowcat.

Always had something about light/medium mechs that are well build for scouting.

[Zedoth]

Can't wait to play this!!

[Tark989]

Ravens? Really? If I have to take a light, I'd much rather have the Koto. Tough little ****** built for the arenas of Solaris VII. Now that's a 'Mech!

[SyriaK]

"Damnit Sir, I need some help!"

"Here it comes..."

[Endrick]

Next screen shot suggestion:
A Stalker performing an alpha strike into an Atlas.

[Black Snowman]

Other than occasionally get trampled?