A short time ago, at a computer terminal far, far, away, wrote:
>willday@rom.oit.gatech.edu (Will Day) wrote: >>Actually, I'm seriously tempted to see if I can't graft something >>together with the Mercs tools. We could probably make do with game shell >>that will (a) keep track of your merc unit and stats, (b) generate >>random missions, or choose from a player-contributed collection, (c) >>negotiate the mission with you. I see a problem trying to make salvage >>work, though, as I imagine there's no way to get the sim engine to >>report back the details of the mission result. > >Sounds like what you want is Multiplayer Battletech, currently on >Genie, or SVGA Multiplayer Battletech, currently on Genie and >Compuserve. Check Kesmai's web site for more information.
Actually, I just tried the openbeta of Kesmai's Solaris MPBT last night. I was fairly impressed. For one, it did the joystick control _right_, by not forcing the auto-centering as MW2 does. I'd forgotten how satisfying and exhilarating mech combat can be when you have exacting controls. I can twist, turn, and backup all while flawlessly targeting a catapult jumping toward, over, and beyond me. Sure, it takes a little more practice to use than MW2's simplistic controls, but the rewards are immeasurable in terms of flexibility and realism, not to mention accuracy which _is_ measurably greater.
Of course, I wrote countless posts on the topic of the joystick control when MW2 first came out, as others did as well. The response from Tim and the other Activision posters at the time were almost identical to the posts we see today in response to criticisms of Mercs' futile salvage system and forced-retirement. They're "sorry to hear that it's frustrating people", and they're "looking at changing it". Well, apparently last year they weren't sorry enough, and never got much farther than the looking, because the forced-centering is no less forced now, a year and two games later.
I can't reasonably put much stock, then, in Tim and Jack's hopeful responses. Of course, I never mind being proved wrong.
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Will Day