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[Amethyst Blade]

In 1984 I picked up CityTech, my first RPG type game. Since then, if it's had the word Battletech on it, I think I've seen it. I had the good fortune to meet the Catalyst Games team in 2007 at GenCon. I spent 300 hours this Christmas programming a character generator for A Time of War (it's being reviewed). Here's my 10 cents about this game.

I love this game (Mechwarrior Online). It's not just the amazing graphics, quality sounds or streamline play. There are other really good games. It's that you've captured the FEEL of Battletech. The Pulse Lasers are clearly more effective at hitting. The autocannons really rumble. Moving really does make it harder to be hit. Starting off in a crappy 'Mech and working up really gives us a feel for the system and an appreciation for double heat sinks.

The game is complicated. You start off a noob, dropped into the middle of a battle, never having even fired your weapons before. These new players are silent because there is so much to learn that the chat commands take a back seat. And make no mistake, you remain a new player for a LONG time. There are many commands and features to learn. There is a lot to learn about combat, where to shoot and aim and when your LRM indirect fire is just slamming against the side of a building or punching holes in that Atlas. Each new 'Mech requires a real learning curve which is quietly rewarded with Pilot skill improvements. Jump Jets require more care than just leaning on a trigger. Lasers requires you to paint your target for a short period of time. LRMs really do have a minimum range and graphic to remind you that you just wasted a volley of missiles. Weapons have a speed, and however fast, require compensating for the speed of your target - which basically means sometimes you have to fire in front of where they are.

Let's drop the other Leg Actuator. I really don't feel like I have anything bad to say about this game. There are things I would like to see though. Many of these things are probably already planned and many others will already have asked for. But it's my soap box.

Jump Jets: For the most part jump jets feel like they make one a better target, not a harder target. Changing direction while jumping is either impossible or I have not figured it out. It's hard to land without taking damage to the legs. However the damage does not seem to be crippling. The slow takeoff speed makes you extremely vulnerable when you start a jump until you build up enertia. Realistic, but in the game Jump Jets are supposed to make you harder to hit. However, Jump Jets are really good for navigating down cliffs and around buildings to throw off pursuers.

I notice when you upgrade the engine, it does not increase the number of Jump Jets you can mount. I assume at some point this will be changed. With the release of the Spider, I'm not very concerned about it. 12 jump MP is already a LOT of fun.

Rear View Mirror: Can we please have a rear view mirror? With the addition of the ECM unit, being surprised by light and medium 'Mechs has become a regular thing for someone who doesn't wind and circle or makes the fatal mistake of comming to a stop for too long. But getting surprised by an Atlas? Well, that's just starting to get embarising. I want to climb out and duct tape on a pair of side mirrors so at least I KNOW a mountain of armor and weapons is lumbering up behing me ready to swat me like a fly.

Chat After a Match: Thank you! I've been waiting for this for some time. If just for a few seconds, it lets people cheer, complain and make other comments after the match is over. It would be amazing to have a temporary chat room we could enter which would only be availible for people who were in your last match.

Little Guns Seem Useless: I know the boardgame system very well so I was surprised when I noticed a marked improvement in my kills when I switched from 6 Medium Lasers (30 damage) to 2 Large Lasters (16 damage). In part this is because my target is practically always in range, but I notice more damage from the Large Lasers. This might be because it's so concentrated. Going down a step, no amount of damage from 4 Machine Guns seems to serriously damage an opponent, although I am hoping I'm scoring more criticals. It's hard to tell. By the time criticals start, usually the opponent is going down from other fire anyway.

Hard Points: These are very effective at creating balanced 'Mechs. It stops the scout comming in with 20 Machine Guns. However I planned a design based on the Clan Behemoth (2 guase rifles and 2 PPCs) and only at the end did I realize it couldn't be done. I spent weeks grinding to buy an Atlas and upgrade it. I checked that it supported two ballistic weapons and two energy weapons. I used the Heavy Metal Pro 'Mech generator to double check that the build could be done with Inner Sphere parts. I finally bought the Atlas and named it Behemoth. Only then did I notice that the ballistic weapons are constrained to both being in the same torso. You can not put two gause rifles on any Atlas. The 4th main weapon on an Atlas MUST be a missle launcher. I wish there was a way to modify hard points, even it it was a Mech Cash to move them from one location to another.

Case: This will be an odd comment. I've never blown up from cooking off ammunition. I don't think I've ever died from an ammunition explosion. It takes off the torso section but then stops... ...excactly like case is supposed to do. Of course I realize with all the new players out there, ammo cooking off would create mass suicide as every new player red-lined early in the game and then exploded.

Head Shots: I have tried to deliver head shots on multiple, multiple occasions. While I haven't been able to keep track of the hits on all my opponents, I've never taken anyone out with a concentrated volley to the head. I realize the head has 9 extra hit points in Mechwarrior Online, so it's really going to take more than one hit. I guess that cuts down on the easy kills.

Paint: Paint is really, really expensive in Mechwarrior Online. I have millions in upgrades I want to do. I will never paint my 'Mechs. Not this year anyway.

Command Consol: Just an idea. This feature should let a spectator interact with the game. possibly taking over movement or weapons.

Footprints: The addition of 'Mech footprints in the latest patch is very very cool.

Thanks for the Game.

Mark Charke