Multiplayer BattleTech 3025
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Multiplayer BattleTech: 3025 is a PC MMORPG developed by Kesmai during the same period as Microsoft's MechWarrior 4: Vengeance. The game occupies the fictional 31st century universe of BattleTech and focuses centrally on the large robotic war machines called BattleMechs ('Mechs) and the individuals who pilot them. The game was released as a beta in 2001 and shut down with little explanation on December 6, 2001.
[edit] History
Multiplayer BattleTech: 3025 is the third online incarnation of the BattleTech series. The first was Multiplayer BattleTech: EGA, available on the GEnie game service, followed by Multiplayer BattleTech: Solaris.
Kesmai originally farmed out development of the title to Israeli developer 2 AM, but the resulting product was considered a failure and resulted in the game being pulled back into Kesmai studio under the lead of Nick Laiacona and Matt Shaw. During this period Kesmai focused on reengineering the 3D combat portion of the game to use the studio's internal K3D rendering engine. Development continued after Kesmai's purchase by Electronic Arts and included an overhaul of the galactic conquest portion of the game.
Multiplayer BattleTech 3025 gained a decent following during its beta test period in 2001, but on November 7th, 2001 EA announced that the game was to be shut down. EA provided little explanation for the move; legal issues between Electronic Arts and Microsoft over licensing for use of the BattleTech franchise may have played a part. EA may also have elected to close as many of its nonprofitable services as possible in order to reduce its bottom line, a move supported by market information and EA's own press statements at the time.
Following the shutdown, some 3025 fans began a project to recreate the game themselves. Called Inner Sphere 3028, the project sought to emulate most aspects of the original game and was largely driven by volunteer programmers. WizKids with cooperation from Microsoft obtained the rights to the game sold by EA, but difficulties obtaining financing and programmers prevented it from reaching completion. The project was halted in 2005.
[edit] Gameplay
Players of 3025 connected to an MMOG-style server, selected an affiliation in the form of a Great House, selected a planet, then descended to the surface to engage in a virtual four-on-four battle with opposing players. The results of such battles were planets being won and lost for the five major houses, shifting the borders of various factions in the Inner Sphere. 3025 used many more of the original BattleTech rules than the MechWarrior series.
Gameplay tended to be fast and furious with battles sometimes lasting as little as 30 seconds. Players started the game in a standard light 'Mech and fought in battles to earn currency (C-Bills), which they would spend to upgrade to larger and more powerful 'Mechs. Some income also flowed from the number of planets controlled by one's faction.
Light 'Mechs with all-laser armament and jump jets were popular, as were medium 'Mechs with long-range autocannon or missile armament. Few players advanced to the heavier 'Mechs during the lifespan of the Beta tests, since there were also several restarts of the server. Long-range weaponry had an advantage over their board-game counterpart, due to the 'zoom' function for targeting in the game. This made highly accurate long ranged fire targeting the head possible with weapons such as the light autocannon. The game also had an 'ammo bug' where, unlike in the board game, ammunition could explode even when the armour of their location was not penetrated.
Some popular 'Mechs in the game:
Commando (COM-2D): The default starting light 'mech, this was fast (97.2 km/h), with a decent short-ranged armament (1 Med. Laser, 1 SRM/4 and 1 SRM/6), but lacked the jump jets, range or armour to stand up to more serious opposition. Players tended to upgrade to the Urbanmech or Javelin as soon as possible.
Urbanmech (UM-R60): Decent armour and a good range and punch with its Autocannon/10 made it the king of the 'Commie Wars' after a game reset, acting as a (none-too-fast) jumping pillbox. Most players preferred however to go straight to a Javelin. It was also vulnerable to the ammo bug, leaving it jump furiously and fire the left-arm Small Laser while praying for the best. Affectionately known as the 'R2-D2'.
Many well-known 'units' (MMO player guilds) from the earlier incarnations of the game made an appearance, which contributed to a strong sense of community. Some of these, and the Houses they fought for, were the Bloody Clans, the Black Roses (Liao), the Head Hunters (Davion), the Disciples of Carnage (Steiner), the HSoDs (Davion), the Warpig Mercenary Company, House of Shadows, The Fallen and the KnTs (Liao). The game itself had no formal guild or unit system, which was based purely on relationships between players. To designate that they belonged to certain units, it was common to add unit initials after one's game name, such as 'BR' or 'HH'.
