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Comparison Between Mechwarrior Online And Hawken


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#1 Dinre

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 06:57 PM

As a player of the old MechWarrior games, I was crazy with excitement when I heard about two new mech games coming out. I immediately applied for access into both closed alpha/beta stages. Now that MW:O is in open beta and Hawken is nearly so, I thought it was time to really start comparing. Here's what I have found:

THE MECHS
  • In Hawken, the mechs feel small, but they also feel really heavy. Momentum and falls really communicate a feel of weight.
  • In MW:O, the mechs feel bigger, but they feel more like rolling tanks than walking mechs. Momentum really isn't felt at all; you just have accelleration and decelleration. The falls are kinda nice, but the landings don't make much of a thump.
ATMOSPHERE
  • In Hawken, the cockpit, HUD, and environment feel gritty. The film grain and the textures add to a very dystopian outlook. Everything looks and feels battered. Also, the little things like concrete kicking up when you land or sparks flying when you grind against a wall add to the overall atmosphere.
  • In MW:O, the cockpit is pretty clean, and the hud is very technical. This fits with the complexity of previous BattleTech games, which I like. However, it doesn't feel very visceral. Neither does the environment. There are lots of little things that bother me. For instance, there are forests of trees that you simply walk through. I mean that you literally walk THROUGH the trees. There's no clipping or knocking over the tree models... just walking as if they aren't even there. And we're talking trees that are taller than the mechs. It just feels a lot like plastic models tramping around a plastic arena.
GAMEPLAY FEEL
  • In Hawken, the gameplay is fast and chaotic once the firing begins. I love/hate the fact that I lose track of other mechs during a firefight, because everything is happening too fast. With the Siege and Missile maps, there is a clear feeling of team coordination, although deathmatch and team deathmatch just feel like a mess.
  • In MW:O, no matter what the map type, it still feels like team deathmatch. You tromp around and fire more methodically, since it takes so long to take down a single mech. Small groups isolate players on the other team to take them down, and if you're the one isolated, you're toast.
OVERALL IMPRESSION
  • Hawken, I love you. I have said so with my alpha and beta participation despite the fact that I couldn't join a server while you ironed out issues, and I have bought a Vanguard pack. Hawken feels a lot like Counter Strike with mechs and with respawn. Respawn is important when you want players to feel free to experiment with tactics, and tactics is what I like.
  • MW:O, I'm currently feeling a little down about you. I wanted fast-paced action from Hawken, but from MW:O, I wanted an intimate relationship with my mech. I wanted something that felt heavier, bigger, and much more like a realistic simulation. Instead, I got a 3D BattleTech game that just feels like playing with toys. Where's the sim feel of the old games? There's no need to compete with Hawken; there's plenty of room for two, different mech games. Still, can't we get a more simulator-style mech game from the MechWarrior label?

Anyone have comments, disagreements, or other experiences?

#2 L A guns

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:00 PM

uh oh....

#3 The Silent Protagonist

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:01 PM

OH SH-
Don't worry guys, I built a nuclear bunker in my back garden, there's room for everyone! QUICK!

#4 siLve00

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:04 PM

hawken is actual so broken like MW:O ?

#5 J4ckInthebox

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:14 PM

Posted Image

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Lt XKalibur don't leave me there! let me in pleaaaahahahahaaase !

Edited by J4ckInthebox, 21 November 2012 - 07:16 PM.


#6 Boozifer

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:19 PM

I both agree and disagree.

While I find your analysis to be fair and founded, my conclusions at the end of it are opposite.
In other words, I agree with all except Overall Impression.

As of yet I prefer MechWarrior because I can configure my own mech, replacing components and balancing offensive and defensive armaments, armor, modules, and in general put a creation of my own on the battlefield. Which I can not do in Hawken.
In MW:O it becomes imperative that my mech is built in accordance with my own skills, my team, and the opposition, because once my mech is dead, that's it - I contribute no more. Which means proper tactics are all the more important.
In Hawken I can put whatever on the field and go crazy, because I'll respawn soon anyway (in a nutshell at least.. I know most kills win the match and feeding the other team is bad), so to me this is the less tactical notion.

Also, on a continued personal note, I have seen wheelbarrows and pickaxes with more technical and scientific complexity than most of the so-called "mechs" in Hawken. I prefer the "plastics" - as you call it - in MW:O over the "Scrapheap Challenge" creations of Hawken.

Add to that the sheer amount of unnecessary clutter and fluff on the screen in Hawken and you have a mech shooter that looks more like someone threw up on the burnt remains of a confetti factory.

So, in short: I tried Hawken. And I'm staying here. :)

#7 Shaddie

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:28 PM

Dinre,
Thank you for what comes off as a well thought out, and honest opinion. As a former administrator of an online game, it's good to see something other than a knee jerking - "I just got shot up so this game must be broken" - type of post :). It is nearly impossible to create a game that is going to be equally fun for every player, but I think so far they are doing a pretty good job (hell I'm just glad someone finally did it)

I haven't tried Hawken yet, but I definately plan to - I see it as the fast and furious game, while MWO should be the big tactical simulation (IMHO).

I have my "ah man"'s about MWO so far, but the fun I'm having far out-weighs them. This could be because since I stopped playing MW4 I have been jonesin for a Mech game (what is it, 10 years now?).

Now if I can just find some groups and have some organized team play - that will seal it for me

View PostBoozifer, on 21 November 2012 - 07:19 PM, said:

I both agree and disagree.

While I find your analysis to be fair and founded, my conclusions at the end of it are opposite.
In other words, I agree with all except Overall Impression.

As of yet I prefer MechWarrior because I can configure my own mech, replacing components and balancing offensive and defensive armaments, armor, modules, and in general put a creation of my own on the battlefield. Which I can not do in Hawken.
In MW:O it becomes imperative that my mech is built in accordance with my own skills, my team, and the opposition, because once my mech is dead, that's it - I contribute no more. Which means proper tactics are all the more important.
In Hawken I can put whatever on the field and go crazy, because I'll respawn soon anyway (in a nutshell at least.. I know most kills win the match and feeding the other team is bad), so to me this is the less tactical notion.

Also, on a continued personal note, I have seen wheelbarrows and pickaxes with more technical and scientific complexity than most of the so-called "mechs" in Hawken. I prefer the "plastics" - as you call it - in MW:O over the "Scrapheap Challenge" creations of Hawken.

Add to that the sheer amount of unnecessary clutter and fluff on the screen in Hawken and you have a mech shooter that looks more like someone threw up on the burnt remains of a confetti factory.

So, in short: I tried Hawken. And I'm staying here. :)


Eh - you can't configure your mechs in Hawken? As I just posted I was going to try that game as well.. but finding this out, I will be staying with MWO most likely... I am a noob by comparision to most, but I have literally sat for hours in the mech lab... blowing lots of money in the process, but loving it!!

#8 Dinre

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:30 PM

Boozifer - Fair enough. I'm actually rooting for both to succeed. I really want MW:O to become a more visceral and tactile on top of its awesome customization. It's definitely true that Hawken does assign the same value to an individual mech and is definitely not anywhere near the BattleTech universe.

Chris K - Not sure if I agree that a comparative review is "off-topic" and not "general discussion" about MW:O, but it's you guys' forum. Perhaps "off-topic" will keep this thread more civil. I'm really interested in other opinions and experiences on this.

#9 Bluescuba

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:38 PM

I have to say i didnt like hawken that much... that really is a mech version of CoD.

However, that being said, the OP has made a couple of very good points. Hawken does give a much better feeling of weight, and the mechs reach to their environs much better than in MWO. Also I agree that MWO realy should be more sim orientated; at present it feels like an amalgamation of various game types a jack of all trades a master of none.

#10 The Silent Protagonist

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:39 PM

View PostJ4ckInthebox, on 21 November 2012 - 07:14 PM, said:

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Lt XKalibur don't leave me there! let me in pleaaaahahahahaaase !

Quick! There's still time but the doors are closing soon!

#11 Dinre

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:44 PM

Shadinator - There is customization of your mech in Hawken, but not MechWarrior-style customization. In Hawken, you assign points and purchase equipment to augment and fine-tune your mech's performance. It's nothing like sticking heat-sinks in your feet to allow your mech to become a wading missile fountain. In other words, Hawken customization is much more in line with League of Legends where you're adding 3% here and losing 1.5% there in terms of specific performance stats. MW:O is much more interesting in this respect.
On the flip side, it's not possible to completely screw up your Hawken mech. I think both have their place but definitely not in the same game.
I still recommend mech fans try both games, and in my life, there is definitely room for both. I haven't quit MW:O, but I'm currently underwhelmed. I'll stick with it for a while yet, and I'm hoping to find a way to arrange a group of friends to all play on the same server. That alone may make it worthwhile.

#12 MEGABOT 5

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:48 PM

I hope MWO devs start asking people like me, who have already spent at least $170+ on their game, what we think should change!

I completely agree about the "walking through trees" thing, it really f's the immersion up. I want more damage effects and more mechs! If they added a new mech a week, I'd be spending like $50 a month on this game...

#13 Dinre

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 07:55 PM

View PostMad Pig, on 21 November 2012 - 07:39 PM, said:

Apples and oranges. We have a rich history, world wide community, a story line, and a whole lot of content that is still pending which will increase immersion as the game evolves.


Yeah, I'm definitely not worried about MW:O sticking around. The BattleTech universe has a very established following, and the core faithful probably have enough numbers and interest to justify continued development. I'm actually a little behind the times on my BattleTech lore... I may have to pick up some of the more recent books to help flesh out the feel of MW:O. I'll have to post a request for suggested reading.

#14 SerpentrasD

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 08:03 PM

huhaha hakwen is pretty easy to describe. Unreal Tournament with some crazy Hud. And wait Hawken is build on Unreal engine so? Next haha.

#15 Carmaga

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 08:24 PM

I love mechs in in all its forms (movies, cartoon, comics, manga, anime): Mechwarrior, Battletech, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Full Metal Panic!, Appleseed and so on. So you can imagine how exited I was about MWO and Hawken when I heard of them for the very first time.

Cause of the heavy fps drops in MWO, and because I don't have beta access to Hawken, I started to play PlanetSide2. My point is that Hawken seems so fast regarding trailers and gameplay videos on youtube. If it's as confusing as PlanetSide2 I would forget it. Imagine a scenario where 50 or more enemies are attacking from every direction and you are dropped out of the blue in the middle of the battlefield with no cover and no sense of direction -- meatball!!!

The most attractive point in Hawken is that it looks and feels like rugged steampunk mecha -- love it. By watching some concept art you can easily imagine a rusty old urban combat machine running and fighting in the middle of the city. It really excites my imagination. Hawken also uses Unreal Engine 3 (mass effect 1-3, borderlands 2 etc) and my computer can run it 100%. So yes, it has good points.

But I'm not sure do I want to play fast phased online action games. If it's like MW3, BF3, BO2 - camping and sniping friendly game I think I would go frustrated under few minutes. Because of this I love MWO. Instead of being depended on your reflexes you can use your brains and tactics and teamwork. Mechs are slow, areas wide and to win the battle you are forced interact with your team. There's no quick-scoping, no camping, no fragging and so on.

I hope the next patch of MWO would fix the issues with poor fps. Meanwhile, you can find me (constantly dying) on PlanetSide2.

#16 RFMarine

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 08:40 PM

i've played hawken a couple of times. one jarring difference from MW is that armor/defence is less effective. You can die from a few hits and that's why they have respawning

#17 SerpentrasD

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 10:12 PM

View PostCarmaga, on 21 November 2012 - 08:24 PM, said:

The most attractive point in Hawken is that it looks and feels like rugged steampunk mecha -- love it. By watching some concept art you can easily imagine a rusty old urban combat machine running and fighting in the middle of the city. It really excites my imagination. Hawken also uses Unreal Engine 3 (mass effect 1-3, borderlands 2 etc) and my computer can run it 100%. So yes, it has good points.

But I'm not sure do I want to play fast phased online action games. If it's like MW3, BF3, BO2 - camping and sniping friendly game I think I would go frustrated under few minutes. Because of this I love MWO. Instead of being depended on your reflexes you can use your brains and tactics and teamwork. Mechs are slow, areas wide and to win the battle you are forced interact with your team. There's no quick-scoping, no camping, no fragging and so on.



View PostSerpentrasD, on 21 November 2012 - 08:03 PM, said:

huhaha hakwen is pretty easy to describe. Unreal Tournament with some crazy Hud. And wait Hawken is build on Unreal engine so? Next haha.
Thats your answer , Hawken is Unreal Tournament with new sounds, Maps weapons and some game modes and the last thing. Mechanical suits like the PlanetSide 1 & 2 Heavy Armors or just like the Battletech Armor suits.

Ah and one other thing that not is about Hawken, since when get Appleseed mechas or like that when you don't count those mechanical suits to them. Ah and I hate appleseed for the story and those want to be hollywood story script and all other s*hit, to bad I buy this crap. When you love mechas try Patlabor 1-3 those are not the uba flying around a*ss kicking mechs. Behind those movies is much more than just the Mech. Really love them for the mechanic/hydraulic and electronic parts and not just stupid action.

#18 Adridos

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Posted 21 November 2012 - 10:28 PM

View PostDinre, on 21 November 2012 - 06:57 PM, said:

  • The film grain and the textures add to a very dystopian outlook. Everything looks and feels battered.


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