- Joined
- 16 Dec 2009
- Messages
- 3,137
- Age
- 34
I know that we have a few BattleTech addicts (including myself) here, so I thought people would be interested in this. I discovered it while surfing teh Intertubez a month ago and have been playing it since then.
Some of us have played BT based games before. We have our little MW4:Mercs fangroup, and a few MC2 gamers. These games are a lot of fun. Unfortunately, they aren't as close to the original game as some people wish they were. And there is no way to play classic BattleTech on a computer.
... Or is there?
The Open Source project MegaMek is just that, a Java implementation of classic BattleTech. You get the full experience of a BT game with all of the stuffs, options, variations and dice rolls. All of the 'mechs and weapons are there, you get lots of non-mech vehicles, a boatload of maps, classic BT rules...
Just don't expect amazing graphics. MegaMek gives you a 2D overview of the battlefield, with the units represented by icons. You don't get more than there was in the original. Still, it is an exciting game. The best thing about it?Since it's open-source, it's completely free. You don't have to spend any money. The downside? Occasionally there may be bugs in it. These are usually removed after a few weeks, as there are constant releases ("development snapshots").
MegaMek is a very complex program because it allows you to do so many different things. Play against bots or against human gamers, via LAN or the Internet. The only thing it can't do is make new units, but even for that there are free tools available.
I have been playing it for quite a time. So let me tell you one thing: I am a bad gamer. I mean, really, REALLY bad. Having never played the original, I figured most of the stuff out over the time, but I still lose against the bots. But even losing is fun with this thing.
Are there any veterans of the tabletop original around? (well, TF for one...) Then you should take a look at MegaMek. And maybe tell me a few tricks.
Some of us have played BT based games before. We have our little MW4:Mercs fangroup, and a few MC2 gamers. These games are a lot of fun. Unfortunately, they aren't as close to the original game as some people wish they were. And there is no way to play classic BattleTech on a computer.
... Or is there?
The Open Source project MegaMek is just that, a Java implementation of classic BattleTech. You get the full experience of a BT game with all of the stuffs, options, variations and dice rolls. All of the 'mechs and weapons are there, you get lots of non-mech vehicles, a boatload of maps, classic BT rules...
Just don't expect amazing graphics. MegaMek gives you a 2D overview of the battlefield, with the units represented by icons. You don't get more than there was in the original. Still, it is an exciting game. The best thing about it?Since it's open-source, it's completely free. You don't have to spend any money. The downside? Occasionally there may be bugs in it. These are usually removed after a few weeks, as there are constant releases ("development snapshots").
MegaMek is a very complex program because it allows you to do so many different things. Play against bots or against human gamers, via LAN or the Internet. The only thing it can't do is make new units, but even for that there are free tools available.
I have been playing it for quite a time. So let me tell you one thing: I am a bad gamer. I mean, really, REALLY bad. Having never played the original, I figured most of the stuff out over the time, but I still lose against the bots. But even losing is fun with this thing.
Are there any veterans of the tabletop original around? (well, TF for one...) Then you should take a look at MegaMek. And maybe tell me a few tricks.