Quick question, as I’ve been looking at this and have an insane amount of EB store credit saved up – how much does the custom controller add to the game? Is it a whole other world from playing it with the standard XB controller, or not that big of a deal?
You can’t play it without the SB controller.
Bloody hell, that’s a pretty big investment. Is the game really that good?
I’ve never played it, but - no.
The controller looks awesome though.
I have played it. If you’re a mech fan, yes. It’s the most realistic simulation of driving a mech that has ever existed outside of the old battletech pods - and this has much better graphics.
Imagine trying to drive a car when your only experience has been Grand Theft Auto, so you’d have no way of knowing you have to turn a key forward and hold it until the engine catches. This was what it was like when me and Dan were futzing around with Steel Battalions last night. I kept “flooding the engine” – as someone put it – while trying to start my mech.
And that just totally rocks. I think that’s when I knew I’d be ordering it the next morning.
-TomTom, would you recommend it to someone who’s never really played a mech game before but has always been kinda mech-curious?
I think the gauge, Gary, is how much you grok hardcore flight sims.
Steel Battalions appeals to the part of me that used to program my Thrustmaster F-16 FCLS and throttle combo for 100% white-hot HOTAS action in Longbow 2. If that’s not necessarily your bag, find someone who has a copy to see Steel Battalions in action first. It’s not for the mech-curious so much as the convicted sim-heads.
For the mech-curious, it would be much more financially prudent to work your way up through Mech Assault and then maybe Mechwarrior 3 or 4.
-TomMy sense of the attraction of Steel Battalion is that its not about the Mechs. The Mech-related-fu in the Mechwarrior/Mechassault universe is probably better.
The line I recall reading about Steel Battalion is that it is the “most realistic simulation ever published, which is amazing considering that it is a totally fictional subject”. In other words, what is cool about Steel Battalion is the insane level of grognard simulation factor (example, to start your mission you must go through a multi-step process of flipping toggles, hitting buttons at the right time and generally firing up your Mech, initializing the computer and starting the ignition). In other words if you find that level of detail helpful to getting immersed in the game, then you will enjoy it.
I typically prefer simple and elegant gameplay and am not a hardcore simmer by any means. But something about the whole experience caught me up and I really enjoy it. Also I am totally into the Mech-stuff now, so I like that too.
Bottom line if you really want a ludicrously hardcore sim experience, try it. If you want Mech-fun, buy MW4 Mercs :0.
Last example: to eject you must flip up a plastic faceplate and hit the eject button when it flashes: if you don’t your pilot dies and your save game is erased. Normally that kind of thing would make me crazy but somehow in this game it adds to the intensity of the experience. Perhaps b/c by throwing $200 at the game I am kind of admitting to myself that I am are in fact a hardcore gaming geek so why not just allow the inner geek free reign?
Dan
Well, it’s really the controller that’s got me all sexed up, so I’m thinking it’s this or nothing.
The flight sim analogy might be a telling one, however… I never used to have much fun with games like Falcon 4.0, where I couldn’t even get the fucking plane off the runway without crashing.
On the other hand, it’s really tough to look at a screenshot like this and NOT want to play it:
The flight sim analogy really works for this game. Situational awareness is key, with the current VTs out there you don’t have a god’s-eye radar, you need to find them before they find you, and if you do you can set up the duel to your advantage by flanking with your wingman or taking the high ground. Communication and team tactics are key, but since each VT has their own channel and there’s no global channel you’re switching back and forth, relaying messages.
This game isn’t too entertaining to watch from the cockpit view. I recommend everyone get some stick time for the full visceral experience and make sure you watch a replay or let the game go into attract mode to really see the detail and mech-stomping goodness that abounds. The replay mode is top notch and not only is good for eye-candy, but you have a much better understanding on how the battle unfolded and where things went wrong/right for next time. Also make sure you show off the F2 and F3 zoom modes to highlight the detail in the cockpit.
As far as difficulty piloting, you have to contend with three different aspects at the same time. Your legs can be pointed independantly from your weapons, and the viewport/camera is also independent. The foot pedals and shifter get you going, and LOC makes much more use of the shifter than the original game. You will be downshifting frequently to make it up inclines and to slow down for tighter turns. IMO it isn’t as hard as landing in Falcon 4, but expect to spend the first two or three hours just getting used to the control scheme.
I never was much of a mech fiend, I played Mechwarrior 1 and 2 a bit, but was never totally into it. I don’t really know why I bought the controller, maybe because it was rare and the thought of lurking through ebay later on to buy it for 2x the price just kills me.
I LOVE this game. It’s so intense, so detailed. The control took me about 6 hours to fully get (I’m slow). But now I’m starting to really get the hang of it.
LOC is good, I can’t wait till they kill these connection errors.
This is definitely my favorite flight sim and has been for the past 2 years :) One of the great things about this game is that the controller generally tells ya when you need to do something…change a magazine, BIG blinking light; jettison fuel, blinking light…FIRE on board?? Smack down that extinguisher button. Radio message? Tune in, etc etc. Don’t get me wrong, this game is MAJOR hardcore, but you get much better feedback than traditional peripherals. It’s Dance Dance Revolution for sim heads ;)
Glad to see they made use of the start up toggle switches in LOC. I love the fact that when you go stealthy, your oxygen supply starts to count down and eventually will run out (2 minutes in a Decider; could be longer/shorter for other VT’s).
Dagnabbit. You guys keep talking this up and I’ll have to find a job again. Sounds like a blast.
Anyone who doesn’t like the game who wants to trade it for a Wi-Fi Pocket PC? :-)
Why can’t “they” make something this detailed for a Battletech game?
Last I checked, “they” = owners of the FASA Battletech license = Microsoft. They already have a game for their console, so wouldn’t they be competing with themselves if they created a comparable PC mech game? Plus, I’m sure they’d much rather you bought an Xbox. ;)
- Alan
Why can’t “they” make something this detailed for a Battletech game?
Does it really matter? Unless you’re into the fiction of the Battletech universe, this is the definitive Battletech game, sans all that gobbledy-gook about clans and inner spheres and houses davion and some such.
Instead, it cuts straight to the giant robots clanking around beating the snot out of each other. Isn’t that what Battletech is all about for most of us?
-Tom
My God. I would break the controller, then the disk. My stress level is rising just from contemplating the idea. Isn’t that just a little too hardcore? :?
I don’t think it’s as bad as it sounds, Silverlight. My understanding is that when your pilot dies, the missions you’ve already played are still unlocked. You can jump in and play any mission you want. But you’ll have to play some of the earlier missions again to earn the supply points you’ll need to buy the better mechs.
Or something like that. Someone who has the game can probably explain it better. It’s not like getting killed completely resets the gamestate as if you’d never even played.
I think it plays to those of us who used iron man pilots in flight sims like Red Baron: if he got shot down, you started a new pilot and worked your way back up to ace.
-TomIn both the original game and in Line of Contact there are two game modes. The Campaign mode is where you advance through missions, unlocking / buying the VTs and maps. Free mission mode allows you to play any unlocked mission / map with any unlocked VT.
When you die without ejecting in Campaign mode, you do start over completely like you never played the game. From the bottom. No points. No VTs. No rank. But everything you acquired is still in Free Mission mode.
In LOC Free Mission your pilot is tracked as well stats wise, so if you die die in Free Mission you start over in stats, but you still have everything unlocked.
But IMO it isn’t that big of a deal. Yoy get to recognize the death animations pretty quickly. You will never have lightning bolts on the console from the cockpit unless you’re VT is going down. There’s also a farily distincitve alarm when it’s time to punch out. Also you have a good 10-15 seconds to flip up the cover and mash the button before your pilot get’s a coffin. I died once when I first played the game, and haven’t dies since.