368 replies to this topic

[Bianca Flowers]

back in the 1990s, there were basically fan-created text-based online BattleTech games that epitomized one pilot-one mech real time gameplay. Using ASCII text to create a map and 30 second cycle times for weapons and heat.

The big sites were BattleTech 3056 in 1993, an atttempt to create the entire battletech universe, then Luthien and Bryant MUCKs in 1993-1995, tne the rapid turnarounds of 3065, the simulator site.


Just wondering if anyone here remembers playing them, and if any of it should try to be incorporated here.

[Takashi Fuchida]

I used to play them all Bianca... and recall you... I am fairly certain you used the same name.
Personally, i believe they should incorporate the simulator pods for training and practice missions with your own corp members.. to get experience.

~Taka

Edited by Takashi Fuchida, 02 November 2011 - 07:14 PM.

[Bianca Flowers]

oh good, SOMEONE remembers them, and yes, I used teh same name there. Might try to recreate my Merc unit from then. The "Femme Fatales"

[Takashi Fuchida]

unfortunately i am not of that gender ... or i would join ... although i am more of a House Kurita bushi personally

[Roh]

Er, there are a few still going today. Never got very far in looking at them. Didn't like the design choices. Tempted again and again to try but each time the fact that most people are idling and I hate the mush platform drove me off.

[AlanEsh]

I remember them! My game names there were Scipio Hoth and Kelly Yukinov. I had a hand in designing the BJ-3 and VTR-9D for 3056. Also co-ran WD and commanded Alpha regiment there.
I also played on one of the Solaris type MU*s, won a tourney and got to design a custom mech for the game, was the Porcupine.

[Grei]

I played quite a few of them back in the day. Kinda feeling nostalgic for those days right now and was sad to see so many of them are gone.

Grei

[Brixx]

Would you mind explaining what you are talking about? I haven´t heard of what you are talking about as of yet. Is there something like this still availible to give it a try?

[Grei]

We're talking about the old text based Battletech MUSH/MUX/MU* games that were around back in the 90's and early 00's. They tended to be closer to the core Battletech rules than the graphical Mechwarrior games that came out during that time. And they came in different themes, like Solaris combat (back in the day, that was rather fun--nonstop battles) or different scenarios (two merc companies battling for domination over a planet by capturing bases, factories, etc).

Some were mostly about the mechs, others were mixed units of mechs and vehicles. One of my favorite scenarios (and my memory sucks for not remembering which MU* it was) had been mixed unit combat, but I specialized in naval and tanks on that one. Loved the Seawolf boat that I adopted as my own.

I kind of dropped out after the scenarios started losing their appeal and the grind on the Solaris MU*s got annoying, plus I had been trying to build my own game (had the code about 95% complete) when interest started waning. Ended up moving on to Star Trek MU*s after that--much of the skills I used in Btech RealSpace combat transitioned well over to Trek.

I did a search last night, only came across BattleTech: The Frontier Lands as having any real active people but haven't gotten past relearning what I used to know to really get a feel on how things are there.

Grei

[Brixx]

I googled for BattleTech: The Frontier Lands and it looks a lot like some sort of MegaMek and stuff like that. So its basically a close to boardgame rules adaption for the computer? Just like said MegaMek?

[Grei]

MegaMek came around later. The Btech MU*s are realtime combat, MegaMek kept to the turn based combat.

On the MU*s you are limited to what your sensors in your cockpit tell you (much like the designers of MWO are going for) and what your teammates tell you. The detail on the MU*s in regards to fog of war is a bit more in depth than MegaMek...since you can change your sensors to run in vislight, infrared, electromagnetic, etc.

There's more to it than that though. And the learning curve is quite steep, unfortunately--though it looks like they've got a fairly complete wiki that explains a lot of the things we used to have to learn through trial, error, and word of mouth.

Maybe Bianca or Taka can explain better than I have since I've been out of the community for a decade or so. Bianca was a legend back in the day--all of us got blown up by her at least once, sometimes (like in my case) repeatedly.

Grei

[Brixx]

Thank you... but this stuff sounds to hardcore for me to be honest. I will stick to MegaMek... when its going to be difficult I need time to think. So no real time. I am just too slow for stuff like this. But thanks a lot for clearing things up for me!

[Amadeus]

Hey there, blast from the past and present.
Game name over MU* was Yakko aka Dechan Fraser and also ran WD as Jaime Wolf on 3056.
Also more widely known as Jazz via 3030.

[Akira Jones]

The BattleTech Mu*'s still exist through a small group of hardcore players. I've been playing them on and off for almost 20 years and honestly, there is no other game which gives me as much satisfaction.

Trying to figure out what precisely is special or unique about them is difficult to quantify, but I think it is a combination of the timing, the interaction with the game, and honestly...the camaraderie. Being a small group of enthusiasts is fun...though like any family, there are a lot of personalities and conflict is part of the game.

I highly recommend it for anyone who really loves BattleTech and wants to take their play to the next level. It's difficult to learn, but once you do, it's a great game.

Join in at btmux.com port 2950

-AJ

Edited by Akira Jones, 03 November 2011 - 07:05 AM.

[Ikarus]

I have not heard the name Bianca Flowers in over a decade. Great to see so many familiar names popping up. I was in FRR on 3056 named Soklo Ryder back then. I also played on 3034 II as Wilson Ikarus. I have just recently logged in to btmux.com and started playing again. The Java base THUD makes combat and piloting so much more user friendly. It actually has a GUI feel to it.

If you have never played one of the MU* before you should give it a try. The learning curve is great, but the payoff is so worth the effort.

[Jack Deth]

I played on 3056 for a short bit. I liked those style of games, but got too busy at one point to play anymore and after never thought about looking around to see if any still existed. Good memories though.

[Bianca Flowers]

wow. More people than I thought!

Grei: thanks for the complement on my glory days. My reflexes aren't what they used to be, sadly. Modern MU*s also use solaris style variable recycle times, so my old, old tactic of firing ERPPCs at 22.9 hexes and jumping away until I'd recycled aren't QUITE as viable as they used to be. On the other hand, maps are smaller these days. No more walking across 5 200x200 maps in an AWS-8Q for 5 hours to get to a fight! (ah, the free time we had back in college!)

and the BJ-3 ascended back into real fandom, though the model we got wasn't QUITE the jumping baby Warhammer of the MU*s....2 PPC arms, 4 ML in the side torsos, max armor, and 11 double heat sinks, with endo steel. Was a FINE, FINE ride. My personal crowning moment came in that mech... 7 kills.

Edited by Bianca Flowers, 03 November 2011 - 04:51 PM.

[Cindi anger Lauper]

I still play on the site that AJ lists the url for. I been playing as long as AJ alias Anger, I am sure alot of you old school remimber me

[AlanEsh]

Bianca Flowers, on 03 November 2011 - 04:49 PM, said:

and the BJ-3 ascended back into real fandom, though the model we got wasn't QUITE the jumping baby Warhammer of the MU*s....2 PPC arms, 4 ML in the side torsos, max armor, and 11 double heat sinks, with endo steel. Was a FINE, FINE ride. My personal crowning moment came in that mech... 7 kills.

**** right that was a wonderful little brute
My St.Ives stint put me in the BJ-3 almost exclusively... ahhh memories.

[AlanEsh]

Amadeus, on 03 November 2011 - 06:55 AM, said:

Hey there, blast from the past and present.
Game name over MU* was Yakko aka Dechan Fraser and also ran WD as Jaime Wolf on 3056.
Also more widely known as Jazz via 3030.

Commander! *snaps a salute*