Role-Playing Games
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Computer Games
Battletech: The Crescent Hawks' Inception
Game Type: Role-playing, Turn-basedOperating System: DOS
Created by Infocom (creators of the first Zork games) for FASA, this was
the first computer game to come out based on the Battletech universe. Set in 3025 during
the Third Succession War, the player took on the role of Jason Youngblood, a Mechwarrior-in-training
who suddenly finds himself leading a guerilla war as his home planet is invaded by a rival House.
The game kept to its roots both in terms of the mechanics and background, but the player was limited to a selection of light to medium mechs. If you lost your ride, you could go on foot and try to take on an enemy Mech (always an interesting situation) with anti-armor weapons. Movement through the game world was accomplished in real time, but it would switch to turn-based movement once combat was engaged.
For its time, Battletech was one of the most interesting RPG games for the PC AT and the Commodore 64, and as good as can be expected of an Infocom product, even for novices who have never played the pen-and-paper version.
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Battletech: The Crescent Hawks' Revenge
Game Type: Role-playing, Real-timeOperating System: DOS
The sequel to the first Battletech game came quite some time later, and made good use of the newer technology developed for the PC, while retaining the elements that made it a great game. While no longer strictly turn- based, the game could be played at a slow enough speed that made moving a large number of units manageable. Unlike the original game, the experience of play was not continuous; it was divided into parts and played on separate maps instead of on a single game map as with the original. Many of the 'Mechs that appear in the 3025 Technical Readout of Battletech are featured, as are a number of support vehicles like hovercraft and tanks.
The story continues where the first game ends: Jason Youngblood, now officially a commander of a lance, is on a personal mission to rescue his father held prisoner by House Kurita. This time around, Youngblood is equipped with better equipment, but so are the Kuritans. Added to this is the complication of dealing with a mysterious new enemy: the Smoke Jaguar Clan.
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Heavy Gear
Game Type: SimulationOperating System: Windows 95
Based on the RPG of the same name, Heavy Gear uses an enhanced version of the Mechwarrior 2 engine.
Gears are smaller and more lightly armored than Mechs, so combat is fast and furious. New maneuvers
such as skating, crouching, sidestepping,
and standing after a fall, plus new weapons like mortar which allow for indirect fire all combine
to make Heavy Gear a different experience.
Whether the difference is enough for you is the question. Anyone who has played Mechwarrior 2 will
already be familiar with the general feel of the game. The Gears do have some interesting tricks
up their sleeves, but they are also less customizable (this could actually be inherent in the
Heavy Gear system) in that players have to pick from stock engines, chassis, and limbs. This may
be more realistic, but it does make Heavy Gear seem a less complex game than Mechwarrior. The
missions seem easier to complete as well. While on occasion the AI exhibits
unusual ferocity, in most cases it is not much of an improvement on Mechwarrior 2.These gripes aside, the game is at the top of its class in its own right. Heavy Gear's only real folly is that it has been hyped as a whole different experience than Mech2, which may leave some players disappointed.
Download the demos at Activision's Heavy Gear Website, or find out more about it at The Gear Pit, a Heavy Gear fansite. You can also go to Mechworld's Heavy Gear section.
MechCommander
Game Type: Real-time StrategyOperating System: Windows 95
You can check out the Mechworld's section for the latest info on MechCommander.
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Mechwar
Game Type: Turn-based StrategyOperating System: DOS
A computer game version of the Battletech board game, Mechwar is more or less a freeware effort by programmer Klaus Breuer. Version 1.12 was fairly advanced for its time, as it allowed you to create your own map and even let users create a script file. Version 1.2 added the full complement of support units and some of the new technology. The latest version is currently still in development (that is, if there is enough support).
You can download versions 1.12 and 1.2b at the Mechwar Home Page.
Mechwarrior
Game Type: SimulationOperating System: DOS
Probably the first mecha combat sim ever created, Mechwarrior was an enjoyable diversion for its time. It ran in something like 16 colors (which looked good enough at the time), and the Mechs were made up of simple flat-shaded polygons. I never got to use a joystick on it, but keyboard control was good enough. Mechwarrior set you in the role of Gideon Braver Vandenburg, heir to a world with a Mech factory (which makes you important in the Dark Ages of the Inner Sphere), but recently driven out of your homeworld through an involved conspiracy. While there was a specific quest to complete in the game (discover the identities of those who framed you and destroy them, basically), it was actually open ended. Even without finishing the main plot, you could continue playing on with your team of characters (as long as you didn't return home, that is).
Unless you have an old 386 lying around, it will probably be impossible to play this vintage. On newer computers it runs at lighting speed.
Mechwarrior 2
Game Type: SimulationOperating System: DOS, Windows 95
Despite the long schedule delay, Mechwarrior 2 was well-received nonetheless when it finally
came out in 1996. The plot put you into a Clan Mech on the side of either the Wolf or the
Jade Falcon clan, fighting for prestige and the fate of the Inner Sphere. The story
progressed linearly (missions have to be completed one after the other), but was faithful to
the FASA timeline. Although the look of the game was spotty (textures come and go at a whim),
gameplay was excellent. While the AI tended to do stupid things and was not very aggressive,
the missions had enough surprises to keep the player on his toes. There was also a facility
to completely customize your Mech (although not all the hardware in the Battletech
pen-and-paper system were there), which gave it some longevity.
The greatest disappointment was that the multiplayer functions were not completely finished when it was released. Multiplayer options were later made available (there was even a controversy surrounding the fact that it was supposed to be a free patch), however, and Mech2 showed itself to be an excellent multiplayer sim as well.
Seeking to capitalize on the game's success, Activision released an add-on, Ghost Bear's Legacy, which I'm sure everyone else bought as well. It added new units and equipment, and also enhanced the briefings by adding some audio and video. Unfortunately, the plot itself was not very interesting, and the voice acting was, quite frankly, pathetic. GBL's missions and AI were more challenging, so in that way GBL redeemed itself.
Activision has a Mechwarrior Series Website which has the latest patches for both Mech2 and GBL. You can also visit Mechworld, where all real Clanners come to die a glorious death.
Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries
Game Type: SimulationOperating System: DOS, Windows 95
The last of Activision's Battletech-based products, Mercs is more of an upgrade to Mechwarrior 2 than a sequel. This time around Mechwarrior 2 Mercenaries puts you in the shoes of a hired gun, so the objective is no longer prestige, but money.
Activision bundled the Multiplayer feature with the game this time around, which was a nice change. The designers also tweaked the engine to add multiple light sources, better texture mapping, and real shadows. The improvements come at a cost, of course. A 486DX4 or even a P75 simply will not suffice, especially with the Windows 95 version.
While there are a lot of new 'Mechs to choose from (most of which are less advanced Inner Sphere designs), the Mechlab interface has been changed for the worse. The too-great advantage that the LRM system had was corrected, though, and a handful of new weapons were thrown in for good measure. Also, 'Mechs will now fall when they lose one of their legs. The designers neglected to give players a way to stand up from a fall (unless the Mech is equipped with jump jets). All in all, while there were a few annoying changes, Mercs remains an essential addition to the Mech-head's game library.
Check out Activision's Mechwarrior Series Website for details. You can also visit Mechworld, the Merc's best and only friend in the cutthroat business of interplanetary war.
Mechwarrior 3
Game Type: SimulationOperating System: Windows 95
The soon-to-be-completed sequel in the Mechwarrior series, Mechwarrior 3 promises to be a worthy successor as Microprose builds on the popularity that Activision has created for the series.
Recently, Mechworld posted this snippet from the GameCenter Underground on their Mech3 section:
It's Official ... MicroProse and FASA Interactive have announced they are turning over the development of MechWarrior 3 to Zipper Interactive (DeathDrome), based in Redmond, Washington. Why? MicroProse hopes to make MechWarrior 3 a hit in late '98, and Zipper has the killer 3D engine to make this happen. FI's president, Denny Thorley, says, "While we would have liked to continue with the development of MechWarrior 3, we knew Zipper had the right engine for the game." FASA's MechWarrior 3 staff has been reassigned to other FASA game projects, including Shadowrun: Assassin, BattleTech, MechCommander, and MechWarrior 4.
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Mechwarrior 4
Game Type: SimulationOperating System: Windows 95?
No details are out yet, but Micropose has committed itself to producing the follow up to Mechwarrior 3, the work-in-progress recently turned over to Zipper Interactive.
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Metaltech: Earthsiege
Game Type: SimulationOperating System: DOS?
Apparently perceiving that the anticipation that Mechwarrior 2 generated could be capitalized on, Sierra had Dynamix create its own mecha game, the result being the Metaltech game. Earthsiege (and its multiplayer counterpart Battledrome) was a simulator based on the Metaltech universe. Players piloted HERCs (remarkably like Mechs) against the Cybrids, human-made robots that have evolved and run amok.
Not surprisingly (considering that the Dynamix team created the first Mechwarrior game), Earthsiege had very much in common with Mechwarrior. Despite this, it did not achieve as much success as the game that it sought to upstage.
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Metaltech: Earthsiege 2
Game Type: SimulationOperating System: Windows 95
The sequel to Earthsiege continues humanity's war with its creations, this time in Windows 95. Adding an air unit and a few other enhancements, Earthsiege 2 was a minor improvement on the previous game and somewhat of a case of "too little, too late".
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Metaltech: Earthsiege 3
Game Type: SimulationOperating System: Windows 95
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Riot: Mobile Armor
Game Type: SimulationOperating System: Windows 95
Check out the screenshots of the work in progress at the Official Riot Website.
Septerra Core
Game Type: Role-playingOperating System: Windows 95
A CRPG with a decidedly different game universe: a massive, engineered planet with concentric layers, whose core holds a crucial secret to be discovered. Septerra Core combines elements of cyberpunk and magic, and features an interesting cast of characters, including some mecha (which are actually NPCs). The game world and characters are pre-rendered in a 3/4 perspective view. According to the designers, they are going to make a simple interface that will be an improved version of the ones used in console RPGs.
The Valkyrie Studios project, previosly in limbo after its parent company was dissolved, recently acquired a German publisher, Topware, and development is continuing on both an English and a German- language version of the game (it will also be translated into other languages later on).
There is an unofficial Septerra Core homepage where you can read about the detailed game universe, characters and screenshots. Valkyrie Studios has the official Septerra Core pages on its corporate website.
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Starship Troopers
Game Type: SimulationOperating System: Windows 95
Even as it continues its work on Battletech and Mechwarrior games for FASA,
Microprose is reportedly developing a 3D sim game loosely based on the Starship
Troopers book. Up to 25 players will be able to take on hordes of
bugs using battlesuits. Being developed by the same team involved in
the recent Top Gun sim, the engine is also being designed to
be able to handle a massive number of units and give players a longer
field-of-view, all
in order to be able to handle the large number of units called for
by the battles described in Heinlein's novel.
Starship Troopers is slated to be completed by the summer of 1998.