GEnie Livewire e-zine/LW9411MM.ZIP/GAMER.TXT

Text File | 1994-10-30 | 7.7 KB | 198 lines

It's the ultimate answer to rush-hour traffic -- a
five story, 80-ton metal robot armed with a lethal
array of rockets, lasers and auto cannon. Nothing
can stand in its way. Except maybe another 5-story,
80-ton metal monster.

Go ahead. Strap yourself in, power up and feel the
earth move. Lock on target, hit it with rockets and
lasers, use the jump jets to avoid return fire, and
always remember to aim for the legs. Mass
destruction radiates from you in a deadly halo of
smoke, fire, and heavy vapor.

Be thankful it's just a game.

The Same But Different

This giant traffic eliminator is a BattleMech. And
the game is Kesmai's MultiPlayer BattleTech (MPBT),
an online graphics-based sci-fi game drawn on the
popular FASA series of role-playing games (RPGs).

FASA's BattleTech has been around for 10 years and
has seen umpteen variations, including numerous
tabletop games, four PC versions, two cartridge
games and a VR 'experience.' But Kesmai Corporation
has produced the one and only online multi-player
rendition. And it's available right here on GEnie
(Page 1135, keyword BTECH).

While it's based on the original FASA system and
draws on much of the BattleTech history, MPBT is
unique. According to Phil DeLuca, a member of the
MPBT support staff, the game uses a combat engine
derived from Activision's original MechWarrior
computer game. But new features, modifications and a
comprehensive role-playing shell have been added,
making it a completely different game.

Set in the world of the Inner Sphere, circa 3026,
the game world of MPBT is booming: Mechs are
plentiful and the various Houses are eagerly
recruiting new warriors to further their individual
political agendas. It's a target-rich environment,
with plenty of opportunity for fame and fortune.

Back To School

New players enter the game with nothing but their
ambition, starting out as members of a training
academy for one of the five Great Houses. The
academy provides the necessary mechs and sends the
trainee out on a series of solo missions. Successful
completion of the training missions is mandatory:
until you graduate, you can't pilot any 'real'
mechs.

Once the training is complete, you're assigned to
one of the House's military units, ready to take on
missions ranging from search and destroy, to rescue
and reconnaissance. But training doesn't end there.

MPBT employs three classes of mechs: light, medium
and heavy. Missions are categorized according to
class, and only those warriors who have been rated
in a given class can accept a mission requiring
mechs of that class. Most of the Houses provide
recruits with training in light mechs only. Players
earn the right to train in heavier mech classes by
successfully completing missions and earning
promotions.

The Politics of Play

The politics of the MPBT universe provide the basic
framework, with the five Houses engaged in an
endless struggle of conquest and conflict. But
individual goals and personal objectives give it an
added dimension. As Phil DeLuca points out, "Players
deeply entrenched in a House's military focus on
gaining rank and command, while mercenaries --
players not bound to any single House -- focus on
gaining money, mechs, and fame."

To paraphrase Von Clauzewitz, war in MPBT is a
continuation of political policy; combat consists of
a series of missions pitting one to four players
against one to four computer-driven 'droid'
opponents. Once the human players achieve enough
victories, a planet will be conquered. The previous
owners are then free to attempt re-taking it.

One exception is Solaris, where players can meet and
challenge one another in head-to-head duels or
structured tournaments. Solaris provides a diversion
from military service with the lure of competing
against other players. It's a kind of Top Gun
environment where only the best survive.

Command and Control

MPBT is completely graphics-driven. To play, you
must download the Front End software (Main Menu 3 on
GEnie Page 1135). Installation and setup are simple.
The two main program files are self-extracting, and
the terminal setup requires only basic input -- such
as baud rate, password and phone number.

The FE is equally simple. There are two elements --
the main screen, which allows for travel,
communication, and other activities; and the combat
screen, which puts you in the driver's seat of a
personal or assigned mech, ready to slug it out
against other mechs.

Getting around is a piece of cake. A cluster of
icons in the upper-left corner of the main screen
provide a graphic display of where you are and where
you can go. Your current position is always at the
center; icons surrounding it correspond with the
four primary points of the compass and represent
other possible destinations. To move to any
location, you simply point to that icon and click. A
descriptive text display informs you of where you
are and what's around you.

There are several places to go and numerous things
to do on each of the hundreds of planets you can
visit. They include banks where you can deposit or
transfer credits; various military HQs where you can
gather intelligence on other Houses, check unit
status or get current orders (once you've joined);
training academies where you can upgrade your rating
for a price; new and used mech showrooms where you
can buy or sell personal mechs; bars where you can
access public data terminals for news updates;
starports where you can select interplanetary
destinations with the click of a mouse; and
dropships, which deposit you and your mech on a
planet's surface to begin a mission.

Almost everything you do in the main screen, from
obtaining missions to choosing or repairing mechs,
is mouse-driven. Keyboard input is essentially
limited to a chat line for talking with other
players, or composing or responding to messages.

The combat screen is where the action takes place --
inside the cockpit of your mech. You're presented
with a control panel displaying weapons, speed,
direction and target status; a viewscreen that gives
you a glimpse of the landscape of the planet, and a
HUD (Heads Up Display) that provides additional
directional and target data.

The mech is controlled by a combination of joystick
and keyboard input, or just keyboard. The appearance
and operation of the mechs are similar to the
Activision game, and players familiar with that
version will adapt to the MPBT environment without
trouble. Players not familiar with the Activision
game will find the controls to be quite simple and
intuitive.

The Shortest Distance

As simple as MPBT is to play, it takes some time and
effort to master. To help flatten the learning
curve, there are a number of resources available to
new players.

First, a comprehensive player manual and
documentation is included in the graphics front end
download. An abridged version of this can also be
found by selecting and reading Menu Item 1, About
Multiplayer Battletech, at Page 1135.

Second, the Bulletin Board in the Multi-Player Games
RoundTable (MPGRT, Page 1045) offers two Battletech
Categories and dozens of helpful Topics dealing with
every facet of the game.

Finally, there are weekly Real-Time Conferences held
in the MPGRT, every Wednesday night at 9:30 PM
Eastern time. And for those wishing to immerse
themselves even further in the Battletech universe,
there's the FASA category in Scorpia's Games
RoundTable (SCORPIA, Page 805).

Careful Where You Step

Next time you're stuck in traffic on the infobahn or
looking for a quick release of pent-up energy, strap
on a towering 80-ton metal monster and kick some
serious metal butt.

Just be careful where you step.