Piloting one of Virtual World’s BattleTech simulators isn’t just some video game. It really is a simulation, especially on the advanced setting. At the basic level, you have a throttle lever on your left and a joystick on your right. The joystick controls steering and has buttons for the ridiculous array of weapons you’re carrying. On the screen ahead of you is the battlefield, which can range from cities to jungles to the enormous arenas of Solaris VII.
You’re not alone out there - up to 11 other jocks are trudging around the countryside trying to unload a barrage when you’re not looking. You’ve got to check your radar screen, swing around, lock on and fire off some flaming death of your own. And never, ever stop running, or you’re A $6 mission lasts about ten minutes, and tracks points based on kills and damage done. Basic mode is relatively simple, playing out sort of like a first-person shooter. If you get fragged, you’ll respawn quickly and rejoin the fight. But if you really want to experience ‘Mech to ‘Mech combat, advanced mode is for you.
Advanced mode activates a number of additional controls. More realistic weapon cooldown times play a role, as well as overall heat build-up (which means any bodies of water always end up as choke points). You’ll use extra screens displaying advanced information, each surrounded by functional buttons needed to control your walking war machine. Pedals are used to steer, so with all four limbs in action you can run in one direction while blasting in another.
In addition to multiple map types, there are hundreds of ‘Mechs and ‘Mech variants available, along with weather conditions, team games, capture the flag, base assault, king of the hill and other modes.
Pod collections can be found scattered throughout arcades in North America. The set at Origins has only been traveling recently. They originally came from Chicago. In their original configuration, it could take two to three hours to set up each pod. They’ve now been modified for mobility, so the entire suite of 12 pods can be set up in under three hours. Under the hood is a Pentium 4, but there’s a lot of customization involved.
This isn’t an entirely new thing. These particular pods were built in 1995, and were since refurbished into what is known as the “Tesla II” configuration. Virtual BattleTech has actually been going on in various forms for 20 years.
So what’s it like? When the door to the pod slides shut, you find yourself in an incredibly immersive experience. From the hearty screech when you fire your missiles to the metallic clank when you shift the ‘Mech into reverse, you can easily imagine that you’re sitting in the head of a giant humanoid machine. There’s so much going on in that cockpit it can seem overwhelming at first (even on basic), but the staff gives everyone training before you start, and you get the hang of things quickly. It’s the kind of experience that leaves grown men babbling like excited six-year-olds afterward. “And then Billy came up behind me and shot his Hellfire missiles, but he didn’t kill me, so I fired my jump-jets and came down facing him and fired off everything, but then Roger was there on the other side and shot me too, but I got off one last shot and took out his gauss rifle, and then…”
The pods at Origins are tentatively scheduled to be at Gen Con later this summer. You can check out the offical Virtual World website for more info.
Официальный сайт: http://www.virtualworld.com/
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