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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Artanis's Avatar

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    Default Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    A lot of people have been doing LPs recently, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon try to do one as well. I chose MechCommander 2, the sequel to the classic MechCommander (aka MC1). The name is about as apt as it gets: in the MechCommander series, the player is a MechCommander, and his job is to...command mechs.

    Shocking, I know.

    In less smartassed terms, MechCommander 2 is a small-scale RTS set in the Battletech universe. The premise is that, while the Mechwarriors drive the mechs and shoot the guns, the MechCommander - me - tells them where to go and who to kill. Between missions, I also handle the purchasing, decide on the team and the loadouts, and pick who goes in what mech.

    MechCommander 2 is set at the start of the FedCom Civil War, during which the "united" House Steiner and House Davion decide they hate each other after all and start killing each other. In particular, MC2 looks at Carver V, a planet in the aptly-named Chaos March that's divided between Houses Davion, Steiner, and Liao. So far, it's more or less at peace, largely because the Davion and Steiner leaders are good friends and Liao sucks at fighting. Lately, however, some bandits have been making life hell on the Steiner forces, but House Steiner can't send reinforcements for fear of touching off a war there. The solution? Mercenaries.

    That's where I come in. I play a mercenary MechCommander brought in to fix the bandit problem without looking threatening to the Davions.


    tl;dr version:

    The MechCommander 1 intro shows what a MechCommander like me does.
    The MechCommander 2 intro shows the situation that I'll be doing it in.


    So, with the initial pleasantries out of the way...Let's Play MechCommander 2!



    List of Updates:




    Artanis's Supporting Cast

    Spoiler
    Show

    The Mercenaries



    Diaz is Artanis's Tactical Officer. Usually the voice of reason keeping the trigger-happy nutjob dashing and brilliant Artanis in line, she also takes care of negotiating contracts and signing new Mechwarriors.




    A cynical, hard-bitten veteran of Tukayyid, Cash runs the outfit's Mech Bay. An expert on weapons both classic and cutting-edge, he makes sure that the team goes into combat with the loadouts that Commander Artanis demands.



    House Steiner



    Colonel Renard is the leader of the Steiner forces on Carver V and Artanis's first employer there. Once cool and competent, having a massive war spring up around him drove him thoroughly insane by the end of the contract. It was at his suggestion that Jason Cho attempt to kill Artanis, ultimately costing the Liao commander his life.



    House Liao



    Mandrissa Anita Cho is the nominal ruler of Carver V...or would be, if Liao held the planet. Terminally ill and now childless, all she has left is a crumbling kingdom and revenge against Artanis for the death of her son.




    Captain Jason Cho was the commander of Liao forces on Carver V and heir to the Mandrissa's throne. His incompetence led to the near-destruction of the Liao armies, forcing an alliance with Steiner. He died in battle trying to carry out one of the terms of that alliance: the destruction of Artanis and his mercenaries.



    The Resistance/House Davion



    Baxter is the leader of a resistance movement fighting for Carver V's independence. He has managed to gain the backing both of House Davion and the revenge-seeking Artanis, giving him an edge that he hopes will lead to the liberation of his world.




    Major Susan Kelly is the leader of Davion forces on Carver V. Once a subordinate of Colonel Renard, she does what she can to avoid Davion-Steiner bloodshed, but to little avail. She is currently supplying Baxter with funds and letting Artanis draw on her stash of Clan OmniMechs.
    Last edited by Artanis; 2010-02-16 at 10:36 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
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    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Oooh, the Mechcommander games are a series I've never managed to get my hands on. Are we going to be making realistic Mech load-outs or load-outs like mine (the 4 Clan ERPPC - 1 CSTRK Nova Cat)? Oh, and how much reader participation are we talking here mr. holy kitty?
    Current Sexy Reya Dawnbringer avatar by Edwin, thanks for the awesomeness.

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    For loadouts, lots and lots of lasers and pulse lasers, if I can help it. A big part of the MechCommander games is salvaging the mechs you kill, and you can't do that if you overkill the mech too badly. Unfortunately, PPCs - especially Clan ERPPCs - are really, really bad about turning their victims into glowing powder

    For audience participation, probably not much. I can try to work people in as characters, but I don't know how much I can manage
    Last edited by Artanis; 2009-11-16 at 06:58 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
    Show
    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

  4. - Top - End - #4
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    ==STEINER CONTRACT, MISSION 1==


    ==MISSION BRIEFING==

    Spoiler
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    TYPE: Search and Destroy

    LOCATION: LZ Alpha - Steiner/Bandit Border





    TEAM:
    --HACKSAW, Bushwacker
    --LONGSHOT, Bushwacker
    --FLASH, Razorback





    ==MISSION LOG==

    Spoiler
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    Talk about a rude awakening. Dragged out of bed and over to my console whilst being told that a mission was already in progress. My Tactical Officer, Diaz, blamed it on Colonel Renard, our employer. Frankly, it didn't matter right then who was to blame: I was getting paid a large number of c-bills to do a job, and that job needed doing right away.

    At least the team wasn't that bad. They'd be using stock configurations - which I generally hate with a passion - but two stock Bushwackers should be enough to handle anything on a test run like this. The Razorback would provide some sensor coverage, and had some decent firepower for a 30-tonner.


    As Renard and I traded the formal pleasantries typical of a new business relationship, Diaz suggested a weapons test to make sure that my console was hooked into FedCom's systems correctly. Renard agreed, and I set about levelling a nearby abandoned airfield, sparing only the hangar.



    I was then told that the hangar was what I was supposed to destroy, and that everything else was what I was supposed to spare. Spoilsports.


    After destroying the hangar, I ordered the team to proceed towards the nominal objective for the mission, hunting down and killing a bandit patrol in the area. Yes, the bandits had apparently sent tanks and mechs to make sure no enemies were on a deserted atoll a million miles from anywhere. It's missions like these that every mercenary loves: getting lots of money for blowing up blithering idiots.

    Lightweight vehicles came in ones and twos as the team circled the atoll, but no real resistence surfaced until the team was halfway to the extraction point. There, two Urbanmechs, backed up by a Centipede hovertank, were waiting for my forces. Unfortunately for the bandits, they were outweighed about 2:1, and the area was far from urban, screwing over the Urbanmechs.



    The Urbanmechs tried, but never really stood a chance.


    That left the last island, and the extraction point. However, as the team headed for their ride home, the supposedly-defeated bandits gave it one last go. A Starslayer was waiting across the channel to the last island, and it had a handful of hovertanks and LRM Carriers as support.

    Such a force had no real chance to actually win a fight against my team, but they could cripple - or even destroy - one or two of my mechs in the process of dying. They advanced quickly, giving me little time to decide on a course of action.



    I chose to book it back inland, leaving the LRM Carriers stuck on the other side of the channel. With the enemy firepower cut in half, Flash was ordered to take out the tanks while Hacksaw and Longshot focused on the Starslayer. This fight lasted a lot longer than the Urbanmech fight: Starslayers are pretty tough for Liao mechs, and the Bushwackers' stock weaponry meant that my side was pretty much relegated to waiting for the slow-ass LRMs and PPCs to recycle.



    Sadly, when the Starslayer went down, its engine blew, meaning no salvage. I had to content myself with the salvage claim fees that I would save by sending the recovery plane after an Urbanmech instead.

    With the Starslayer dead, its buddies were easy pickings for 140 tons of mechs, and then all that was left was waiting for Meat to get what was left of the "new" Urbanmech to the extraction point.


    When all was said and done, a rude awakening resulted in 43,000 c-bills, plus an Urbanmech that would be worth another 34 grand when I suckered Steiner into buying it off me.





    ==MISSION COMPLETE==
    Last edited by Artanis; 2009-11-23 at 12:15 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
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    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

  5. - Top - End - #5
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Heh, this takes me back.

    Longshot was always my lucky mechwarrior. Give her a 5 ppc madcat and watch everything go boom.

    Personally, I'd have picked up the starslayer there, but that's applying knowledge of the game from many, many play throughs.

    "What's in this empty box ?"
    "Youth and talent is no match for age and treachery."
    Mechwarrior by Elder Tsofu


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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    I always try to grab the Starslayer, but this time the reactor blew
    Last edited by Artanis; 2009-11-08 at 01:50 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
    Show
    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    I've been wanting to play this game for so long. It's free now?

    How difficult is it? since I'm actually horrendeously bad at strategy game. But if this game is turn based at least I can think my way out of my conundrums.
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    It's real-time, but you can issue orders while paused.

    Also, I though it was a pair of Harassers with the Urbanmechs?

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Fri: For me, the default difficulty in both games is just about right for me: not too hard, not too easy. In MC1, the easy and hard difficulties also seem right about where an easy difficulty and a hard difficulty should be as well. MC2 not quite so much. But hey, they're free, so it can't hurt to try, right?

    And yeah, you can give orders while it's paused. I think there may be a few screenshots here and there that I take while it's paused, for that matter.



    Errant_Polearm: Harassers, Centipedes, something along those lines. I did the writeup quite a while after actually taking the screenshots, so I forgot which of the little ultralight hovertanks they were
    Last edited by Artanis; 2009-11-09 at 11:54 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
    Show
    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Thank you for introducing me to this game. At first, I didn't think too much of it. The Tutorial missions were terrible. But after the first misson, I was hooked. Good luck on your lp.

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Thank you, I appreciate it


    Also, if anybody has comments on stuff, I'd love to hear them. I like to think I get better as I go along (the third installment should be quite a bit better than the first two), and constructive criticism would go a long ways towards improving things


    Mission #2 should be ready and posted within an hour or two, just a couple last tweaks and new screenshots in areas that were lacking, plus trying to incorporate any advice I get in the meantime
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
    Show
    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

  12. - Top - End - #12
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    ==STEINER CONTRACT, MISSION 2==


    ==MISSION BRIEFING==

    Spoiler
    Show

    TYPE: Secure Hostile Area

    LOCATION: Base Gemini, Adam Sector - Bandit Territory





    TEAM:
    --DAGGER, Bushwacker
    --LONGSHOT, Bushwacker
    --PALERIDER, Razorback





    ==MISSION LOG==

    Spoiler
    Show

    Oh thank God, this time I got to the mech bay before we launched, giving me a chance to change our mechs' loadouts before the mission. Although Steiner's selection had little variety - not even Pulse Lasers! - they did have a near-infinite supply what what they did offer. That gave me and our head tech, Gunnery Sergeant Cash, free reign to make our loadouts not suck...which for the moment meant loading up on lasers and LRMs.

    (Note: I'll spoiler my explanation of my assessment)

    Spoiler
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    Right now, I have access to a small number of weapons: non-Ultra autocannons, lasers, PPCs, and missiles. Well, and flamers and machine guns, but flamers are worthless and machine guns are only useful if you have literally nothing better to put in a slot.

    When customizing a mech, there's two constraints: space and heat. Each weapon has a size and a heat rating, and I have to fit all the gear into the available space while not going over the maximum total heat rating. Autocannons' advantage is low heat, but they're big. Energy weapons are small, but generate tons of heat. Missiles are too few in number and too varied to really generalize as a category.

    The problem with autocannons, however, is that you can also trade space for heat capacity by adding heat sinks. This offsets energy weapons' primary disadvantage to the point that you can get about the same firepower for less space and/or less heat...and no ammo usage. The most egregious offender is the Clan Ultra Heavy Autocannon: it's so big that you can get 90% as much firepower by filling that space with heat sinks and Inner Sphere Pulse Lasers.

    PPCs are good weapons overall, and the big, solid smack they deliver is really good at popping mechs really fast. The problem with them, however, is salvage. A major aspect of this game is salvaging mechs, and you can't do that if you overkill the mech and the reactor explodes. No, you want to do juuuuust enough damage to down the mech, and PPCs don't "do" non-overkill.

    That leaves lasers and missiles. LRMs have overkill problems since they fire in volleys, but they're the best long-range option I have until I pick up some ER laser weapons. Since I prefer to fight at the outer edge of medium range, that means I'll be using LRMs to support my Large Lasers for a good long while.


    The new loadouts were a big success with the pilots: the trigger-happy Longshot loved her Bushwacker's higher rate of fire; Dagger, the promising (if still green) new pilot of the other Bushwacker, liked not having to worry about ammo as much; and Palerider, the sensor specialist assigned to the newly-long-ranged Razorback, loved being able to stay the hell away from things wanting to obliterate the little scout.


    The first objective was to capture a resource bunker near the LZ. By "near" I mean "within LoS of the drop point." 4500 C-bills for a short walk? Yes please!



    Of course, I would've grabbed the RP building even if I wasn't being paid to do so. RPs aren't like C-bills: I usually start a mission with a few, can get more by capturing RP warehouses and the like, and then use them to call in support like repair trucks, in-mission salvage and refit, and airstrikes. So I was basically being paid in exchange for accepting an IOU for free goodies. Such are the sacrifices made in the mercenary line of work.


    Diaz then officially put the primary objectives on my console: retake Base Gemini, namely by killing everything that moved. For all my faults, skill at omnicide isn't one of them. There was also some stuff about HQs and sensor controls that I was sure would take care of themselves.

    Gemini South was the closest of the two halves (two halves? Gemini? Get it? Oh, the legendary Steiner wit!) of the base, so it was going to get cleared first. Palerider informed me that there was only one mech in the base, so I had him hop the wall and grab the gate control. The Bushwackers stormed in, and the fight was on!



    Well, not so much a "fight" as a "merciless slaughter". With the main resistance coming from two LRM carriers and an Urbanmech. The LRM trucks blew almost the moment that Longshot and Dagger caught sight of them, leaving the Urbanmech and a couple ultralight vehicles that had wandered in. The team's missile racks alone almost outmassed the Urbanmech, so you can imagine how well that turned out for the bandits.

    Once the smoke cleared, the aforementioned sensor control building did, indeed, take care of itself, being about three feet from where my victorious mechs wound up. I had a few extra RPs, so I used some of them to call for a repair truck. After all, the team had used about 20% of their missiles, and those bandit bastards had scuffed Longshot's paint!



    One down, one to go. Gemini North, while smaller than its southern twin, was much more heavily defended. Tanks, mechs, and even infantry sat within its walls (which, unlike Gemini South, were actually still intact), and the front gate was guarded by three medium-weight vehicles and four SRM turrets. It would be a tough nut to crack with only two Bushwackers and a scout. Just as I was preparing to order the frontal charge, however, I noticed that Gemini North had a fatal flaw...



    The turret control was accessible by jump jet and COMPLETELY UNGUARDED.


    Palerider was the first to volunteer for the dangerous mission. Of course, by "volunteer," I mean "had no choice because he was the only one with jump jets," but I digress. He hopped his way across, took an SRM hit as he jumped into the base, and captured the turret control. An entire base's worth of combatants turned towards him, and to buy Palerider time while the Bushwackers punched their way in, I spent some RPs to give him fire support in the form of a Long Tom artillery battery.



    As artillery and laser fire tore into bandits at the rear of the base, the Bushwackers ran straight into a rarity in war: a plan working to perfection. Thanks to Palerider, the base's defenders were being destroyed by their own turrets.




    Smashed by mechs on one side and pounded by artillery on the other, bandit resistance fell apart. Longshot and Dagger easily smashed their way through to relieve the beleaguered Palerider.





    And in less than two minutes, Gemini North was in our hands.





    With the bandits all destroyed, all that was left was to recapture Steiner's HQ. I put that off for a while as I spent the rest of my RPs to salvage four mechs - three Urbanmechs and a worthless POS Fire Ant - before Steiner could charge me for the recovery. All in all, it was a dream come true: lots of salvage, lots of cash, being paid twice (once for the RP warehouse and once via the salvage fees its RPs saved me), and we even got to be the "good guys" for once.






    ==MISSION COMPLETE==


    Notes: A couple of bits of info that may be of interest:
    *The lower-left holds a LOT of useful information, namely the minimap. The big circles on it are sensor radii, with the really, really big ones being the local sensor grid. When I cap the sensor control, it turns from red to green, showing that it's
    my grid.
    *You can also see in a couple shots - such as the one where I'm calling in the artillery battery - the support tab, where I, well, call in support. RP buildings are worth 10,000 RPs, and you can also capture RP trucks worth 4,000. The Long Tom cost me 8,000 RPs, and an in-mission salvage is a full 10,000. The repair trucks are 6,000 RPs each.
    Last edited by Artanis; 2009-11-23 at 12:17 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
    Show
    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

  13. - Top - End - #13
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    If you use Twitch, thats my dream team reassembled.

    Longshot, Palerider and Twitch. Longshot was always my lucky charm as she can be in every single mission. The other 2 - Palerider because by the end, he's just awesone with the sensors and Twitch is just awesome anyway.

    But not as awesome as Longshot, she always got the highest kill count for me.

    "What's in this empty box ?"
    "Youth and talent is no match for age and treachery."
    Mechwarrior by Elder Tsofu


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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Jade Falcon was here.
    Inner Sphere is a loser.



    You should play the rest of the game with level 1 zellbrigen. It could be like hard mode.

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Quote Originally Posted by Fri View Post
    I've been wanting to play this game for so long. It's free now?
    Really? Where? I only ever played Mechcommander 2 briefly when I was younger, so playing the entire game would be nice.

    ...And I'm the only one who didn't use Longshot well, aren't I?
    trill in da playground

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    The link is just a few posts up (post #3). Downloaded it myself, looks like a lot of fun.
    Last edited by SilentDragoon; 2009-11-10 at 12:12 AM.

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Quote Originally Posted by SparkMandriller View Post
    You should play the rest of the game with level 1 zellbrigen. It could be like hard mode.
    ...what?


    Quote Originally Posted by Anatharon View Post
    Really? Where? I only ever played Mechcommander 2 briefly when I was younger, so playing the entire game would be nice.

    ...And I'm the only one who didn't use Longshot well, aren't I?
    Probably

    She's got such stupidly high gunnery skill that she's pretty much the obvious first choice to use. Stick her in a mech with jump-jets for piloting practice, and you've got an Ace in no time flat.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
    Show
    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

  18. - Top - End - #18
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Quote Originally Posted by Artanis View Post


    Probably

    She's got such stupidly high gunnery skill that she's pretty much the obvious first choice to use. Stick her in a mech with jump-jets for piloting practice, and you've got an Ace in no time flat.
    Does she kinda remind anyone else of Starbuck?

    Just asking.
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Quote Originally Posted by Artanis View Post
    ...what?
    No focus fire.
    No artillery.
    No breaking line of sight.

    Final destination.

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    I approve of this Let's Play.

    I haven't played MC2 in a very long time, should install it again, good game. I remember Worm in a Raven is awesome . Also remember reloading countless missions to get my first Mad Cat.

    As a suggestion for more viewer involvement. How about letting us choose your pilots and mechs for each mission? We promise not to screw you over .
    Last edited by BooNL; 2009-11-10 at 07:03 AM.


    Recently resurrected. Sorry for bailing on you guys.

    "Never play leapfrog with a unicorn"
    Awesome OOTSatar by Crimmy, masterfully done.

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    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Artanis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    The problem with that is that I wanted to make sure I finished the game, so I...kinda already did so
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
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    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    If I Recall Correctly...

    There's an annoying hick pilot with a hillbilly accent called Rooster...in MechCommander 1, I believe he's a noobie light-mech pilot. And then, in MC2, you run into him as an elite assault-mech pilot, right? Kind of an inside joke. I cringed whenever I heard his voice on the comms.

    "Rooster here!"

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    You only have to use him once i believe.

    IO always liked claymore. he was funny.

    "What's in this empty box ?"
    "Youth and talent is no match for age and treachery."
    Mechwarrior by Elder Tsofu


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    Artanis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Yeah, Rooster was really bad in MC1. And you don't actually have to use him, especially if you have other veteran (or better) pilots, which you usually do by that point in the game.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
    Show
    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Quote Originally Posted by Artanis View Post
    The problem with that is that I wanted to make sure I finished the game, so I...kinda already did so
    That's too bad, though it is fortune that you have already finished the game. Means more updates!

    Anyway, subscribing as I'm interested in seeing how this pans out.


    Recently resurrected. Sorry for bailing on you guys.

    "Never play leapfrog with a unicorn"
    Awesome OOTSatar by Crimmy, masterfully done.

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Is there a way to set units to different task groups for quick selection?
    Playing the game without them on hard is a nightmare and I couldn't figure out how to do it

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    ctrl 1 - 9 i believe. It's been a while though.

    "What's in this empty box ?"
    "Youth and talent is no match for age and treachery."
    Mechwarrior by Elder Tsofu


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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    ==STEINER CONTRACT, MISSION 3==


    ==MISSION BRIEFING==

    Spoiler
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    TYPE: Ambush

    LOCATION: Carroll Sector - Bandit Territory





    TEAM:
    --DAGGER, Bushwacker
    --FLASH, Bushwacker
    --LONGSHOT, Hunchback
    --PALERIDER, Razorback





    ==MISSION LOG==

    Spoiler
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    So it turns out we weren't so thorough with Base Gemini as we thought, because a few people survived to be interrogated. Turns out there was a big convoy wandering around that included a Mobile HQ vehicle, and Renard wanted it captured. I wasn't sure why he was having me do it, since "delicate capture operation" and "people who drop artillery into explosives-filled combat areas" don't usually go together. But then, I wasn't about to turn down a few grand in c-bills over it.


    For this mission, we stuck with the Razorback + 2x Bushwackers that had worked so well thus far, but we had enough tonnage (and c-bills!) available to buy and send a Hunchback as well. Palerider and Dagger kept their Razorback and Bushwacker, respectively, while Flash was put in the second Bushwacker. Between its jump jets and (once I replaced the HAC with a loadout that didn't suck) its massive firepower, the Hunchback was the most powerful mech I was dropping. As such, it got my best Mechwarrior, Longshot.

    Between four mechs, I had three front-liners, three fast mechs, and two jumpers. Diaz also gave me some strange looks when I gave her the mech assignments, but simply rolled her eyes when I asked her why.



    When the team dropped in, Diaz took control of my console to show me something rather interesting: there was a bandit checkpoint just north of the LZ with heavy turret cover and a hill nearby. However, the bandits were also morons, and had put a big fuel dump right next to the turrets' generators. Suddenly, Renard's choice made sense: the turrets would rip a normal commander to shreds, but a trigger-happy pyro more daring one like me would blow the fuel tanks, destroying the generators and thus shutting down the turrets.

    Exactly three seconds after the team crested the hill and reached LRM range, the turrets were down.




    To their credit, the bravery of the bandits' warriors was almost as great as the stupidity of their architects, and the checkpoint's defenders charged up the hill to defend their post. Unfortunately for them, I had the high ground while they had Fire Ants. That meant that I was raining missiles and laser fire into their cockpits while they were giving my mechs a gentle foot massage with flamers and machine guns.






    The fight actually lasted a surprisingly long while. The Fire Ants were tenacious little bastards, and it turned out that they were backed up by a decent number of tanks, and eventually even an Urbanmech. One of the tanks even managed to burn away some of Longshot's leg armor. By the time the checkpoint's defenders were gone, Diaz was telling me that the convoy was just moments away from entering the engagement area.

    Unfortunately for the bandits, the convoy's escort was a smaller version of what had been guarding the checkpoint...and I still had the high ground.






    The Mobile HQ held some interesting info that Diaz quickly decrypted, and by "interesting," I mean "the entire bandit command structure." Apparently, the bandits were led by a guy named Vong, a former Liao officer. Imagine that, the suspiciously well-armed bandits attacking Liao's enemies were led by a "former" Liao officer. Just as quickly, Renard's intel staff decrypted the bandits' local maps, and he came on the line to tell us that there was a weapons facility to the northwest that he wanted captured.

    A weapons facility. The sort of thing that House Davion would put OmniMechs around, and the bandits had one? I wasn't about to argue, though: whatever plans were in there, I could use to make - or force Steiner to sell me - new weapons.


    The bandits were once again let down by their architects. The base guarding the weapons facility was absolutely surrounded by high hills. For a moment, I felt sorry for the poor bastards who kept getting assigned to defend these places. Then that moment ended as I remembered how much even a salvaged Fire Ant was worth.



    When the dust settled around the smoking ruins of Fire Ants, tanks, and an Urbanmech, we were in the process of capturing the weapons facility.

    Cash was absolutely giddy - relatively speaking - as he called me up and told me that the facility had a boatload of pulse lasers and large pulse lasers. Looks like we'll be doing a bunch of refits before the next mission!

    (Note: I like Lasers better than PPCs because they fire faster for less damage per hit, meaning more salvage. I like Pulse Lasers better than Lasers for the exact same reason. The downside? I might need a heat sink or two to offset the higher heat cost.)

    (Note: That's Cash in the upper-right.)




    Remember how I said that weapons facilities were really important? Well, the moment the team captured it, Diaz informed me that a counterattack was inbound. With little time to spare, I patched up the team, called in a Long Tom battery, and considered taking a nap as I awaited what I assumed would be another beatdown.

    But you know what they say happens when you assume.

    After a few minutes of waiting, Palerider reported a single sensor ping. But then, he reported more pings. And then more. And then even more. It was the biggest bandit force I had yet seen. Fire Ants, LRM carriers, tanks, and even a Starslayer swarmed towards the base, using sheer numbers to get through the Long Tom's kill zone and smash against my defenses.



    The vehicles proved easy prey for the artillery barrage, but the mechs got through to the base's very walls. Lasers and small arms hammered my defenses, and a reactor explosion nearly took out the Long Tom. At that point, I decided that a different tactic was called for and sent new orders to the team: "All units, CHARGE."



    Laser fire downed one Fire Ant. SRM turrets downed a second. Then nearly a dozen LRM racks and almost as many lasers came to bear on the Starslayer. Durable though he was, the bandit couldn't withstand so much firepower, and quickly fell.


    And then, just like that, it was over. All three medium-class mechs had suffered damage, and Palerider's armor had mostly been replaced by scorched holes, but the bandits had broken. We had won.

    Exhausted but victorious, it was time to call in the salvage teams and go home.





    ==MISSION COMPLETE==
    Last edited by Artanis; 2009-11-23 at 12:18 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
    Show
    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

  29. - Top - End - #29
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Really enjoying this LP, keep it up! *Suscribed to*

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    Default Re: Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    I will admit, I am contemplating going back and starting a run-through the "normal" way from mission 5 onwards. With the experience I'm gaining, I find myself wanting and/or needing new screenshots to go with the posts better, and wind up going back and replaying missions anyways.

    Plus, it'd let me get a little more audience participation.

    What do you guys think?
    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesegear View Post
    Girlfriend and Parents: Why do you spend so much money on that stuff?
    Me: Would you rather I spent all my money on alcohol like others in my peer group?
    G&P: You keep spending as much money as you want!
    Spoiler
    Show
    Bossing Around Mad Cats for Fun and Profit: Let's Play MechCommander 2!

    Kicking this LP into overdrive: Let's Play StarCraft 2!

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