All Kinds Of New Coming At You By Pat Willis#224534

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Pilot Interview with David Linton # 345508

GG:I’ve managed to make my way through the celebratory carnage back here at Heroes Prime base and have managed to track down Dave Linton, C.O. of our Light Brigade for a bit of a catch up.

First off, congratulations on a very solid silver medal in the Mechalympix. How did your guys find it?

DL: Well most of the guys found it different and time consuming having to wait for the right moment to jump in but it paid off in the end.


GG: Fair Call. I’ll come back with a few more questions on the war in a second, but first off let’s get some background. Apart from being a regular player, You are the 3rd highest ranking C.O. in the Heroes family and also act as our defacto recruitment officer. How does your regular play differ from the rest of us with those additional duties?

DL: It doesn't really differ that much. The only difference is I have to spend some time looking through circuits to see what active players are out there without a clan and try to recruit them for the clan.


GG: The other thing of note is that like myself, you are not a part of the large block of U.S. based players. Does that have any impact on what you can and can’t do?

DL: Not really as some of the clan members are from other regions as well and I regularly post in the clan Comcenter and message them as well to keep everyone up to date.


GG: Now one of the things we are having a push on here at Galaxy Gathering at present is a focus on new pilots, and as mentor to our own newest and brightest you are n ideal person to get some advice from. As a medium term goal for young pilots, which mechs should they look at bulking up on and why?

DL: It all depends on your style of play really as to what Mech you go for. The one I like the best is the Oggun. It’s a good solid 50 ton Mech


GG: And do you have any personal favourites in your own line up?
DL: The Ammonite; they’re a good all-round Mech with a good amount of equipment slots that if you use right can significantly improve the mech.

GG: Any in particular that you are hoping will be available to snaffle in the upcoming raid?

DL: There’s quite a few but I’ll just have to wait and see what the raid has to offer before I get my hopes up. But an Antithesis or an Ignis would be nice.


GG: Change of pace with some random questions, pilots need to think on their feet sometimes. So hypothetical tactical appraisal, which would win a fight between a badger and a baboon?

DL: I’d have to say a badger. They can be quite dangerous animals when cornered.


GG: And what is your stance in the debate on the strategic use of raccoons?

DL: If it works for you then go for it as it can’t hurt and every bit helps.



GG: Do you have a favourite snack food that you take in the cockpit while you are fighting?

DL: Chocolate biscuits and wine gums.


GG: We should probably leave the randomness there for the time being. I guess since we are here we should talk about the recent Mechalympics. Initial thoughts with the benefit of hindsight; good, bad, indifferent?

DL: Some good and bad. The points system was good but the ten days was a bit too much. With a few tweaks I think it would make a good change once in a while.


GG: Looking over the results, were there any surprises that stand out? Clans getting better results or worse than you maybe would have been expecting?

DL: Not an easy one to say as some clans didn't take part and those that did were like the rest trying to work out a good strategy to win as no one had taken part in this type of competition before.


GG: When you take into account the bonus mech, the gold and silver bonus weapons and the niodes for entry into each circuit, do you feel that was a reasonable pay out for the extra time spent on the event?

DL: The ones that won a lot of them would say yes and the ones that didn't would of course say no. It all depends on how you look at it. Just for myself getting all the extra Noides was a bonus in its self


GG: And both as a player and clan leader, are there any suggestions you could give to the devs in regard tweaking the format to make it better?

DL: Less days and try to group the actual player’s levels so you don't have a level 120 in the same circuit as a level 20.


GG: We should probably look at wrapping up now, so I’ll hit you with one final question. Raid wish list, if there was one single piece of gear (not a mech) you are hoping for on the prize list, what would it be and why?

DL: Would like to get S.M.A.S.H. 8 for the cockpit of my Gigus but anything would help really.


GG: I guess you are right, any loot is good loot. Hey, thanks very much for your time, and I’ll let you head off and sleep of the celebrations.

Submitted by David McCallum #701548

Monk Malone's Cockpit Quotes By Monk Malone/Ron Frye#879655

Submitted by Ron Frye#879655

Dread Review by David McCallum #701548

Carrying on with my focus on reviews for up and coming pilots, let’s look at the Dread.

Now unless you have been active in KOTM events and hit gold or are part of a clan and have had either a gold under your belt or have struck lucky at raid time, this is going to be the first mech that you have a chance of striking it lucky and gathering as a prize drop from Cogwerk Port.

Now I’ve mentioned the prize part first because at a book value of 90 Niodes, 700 Bioptics and 1125 Ferrite, quite frankly at low level it’s expensive and you have far bigger priorities for your hard earned resources. But as a freebie, it’s a keeper.

Out of the crate it has +1 speed and a +5% missile damage bonus, so as you have probably guessed, this is a missile mech. Now I’m not a fan of them, they are notoriously slow and I much prefer the speed associated with a projectile mech, but one thing to bear in mind is that with this being a niode mech it has far more weapon slots than any of the crystal based stuff you will be using. And more weapon slots means a higher rate of fire and this wee beastie can fair pump them out.

Add in the fact that by the time you have it up to your current level and deployed, you should have another 8% missile damage and a 15% trample ability PLUS the fact that you should be getting splash or fork from your missiles, then you are going to be throwing around a lot of pain at a nice fast rate. Yum!

Now the crying shame is that I see so many of these mechs scrapped for the niode value purely to feed the insatiable war machine that is higher level mechs. I did with the first one that I got, and regret it now… to be honest it was so long arriving due to the luck of the draw that I never thought I’d get one. I was into my 80+ levels when I got another, and yes, there is still a use for it.

The original plan was that it would slot into my 50 ton specialist formation and it still will. It might even be viable as a rear ranker in my 70’s. But during the Mechalympix we were introduced to a new weight bracket, the 45 ton category.

“Oh no!” came the cries. “What do I do? My Oggun army is useless and I’ve only got Holmeses!”

Hah.. pop that little Dread on the scales will you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by by David McCallum #701548

A Brief History Of Mechas And The Development Thereof By Karen Iksenslet#889315

Mankind has always used labor saving devices as long as man has had a will to do so. Mechas, as we understand them, are merely an extension of that. Before the discovery of the Forerunners, before the discovery of the Gateways, before the science of niodes was understood, there were mechas.

Since the time that humanity went out exploring the solar system, and then the galaxy, there was conflict. Be it with other species, or with other humans. Standard human infantry was incapable of fighting and winning a battle with a race or group that far exceeded what the infantry could bring to bear. The great equalizer was the advent of the mecha.

Pre-niode and pre-ferrite techology, mechas were huge machines that required the use of the Voltronic module connection system. This modular design system enabled separate smaller mechas to join together to form a gestalt mecha. The downside was the sheer amount of smaller modules that were required for some of the larger mechas. Some of the largest gestalt mechas required upwards of 25 different mechas to form a single large battle mech.

Needless to say, that was not an efficient way to fight a battle. When Forerunner technology was discovered, and when humanity learned to exploit the Gateways, science and engineering was always at the forefront taking an active and obsessive interesting on how to utilize what was learned. New techniques in ferrite fabrication were discovered. Tests on niodes were done and mecha size could be scaled down, yet improved from a combat efficiency standpoint.

Soon, small solo pilot standalone mechas were built. Using what was learned from niode technology, and pushing ferrite manufacturing to the very limits of engineering, a mecha was built. This mecha would be the first mecha to be widely used as a main battle mech. It was called the Red Ant, standard light infantry mecha. The second mecha built, which was more specialized, was the War Horse, a heavy infantry mecha. And the third mecha was the Anzu, the fast light scout mech.

Ultimately, these three mechas were the first mechas that any pilot ever got to drive, and from them, came the development of all other mechas built by man. Any mecha pilot worth their salt will tell tales of how they cut their teeth piloting the Red Ant, the Anzu, and always their first mecha, the Warhorse. Eventually, new techniques were discovered, and previously un-thought of designs were brought to fruition. Every mecha built by man after the first three were spectacular displays of innovation and skill in mecha design engineering. And so it was, until the bio-mech mechas were discovered, but that’s a different story.

Submitted by Karen Iksenslet#889315

Cockpit Quotes By Monk Malone/Ron Frye#879655

Submitted by Ron Frye#879655

Imech Review by David McCallum #701548

We’ve had a subscriber passing comment on the fact that we aren’t doing reviews for new players, so I thought I’d make a start on putting that right.

Now the first caveat is that it’s been a long time since I’ve played with my Imechs, but this war just gone I had the chance to bring them out. Admittedly it was to backfill a new formation but you know what?

WHAT AN ABSOLUTE BOBBY DAZZLER THIS MECH IS!!!

Let’s start with a look at the book value; 40 Crystal, 600 Bioptics and 1350 Ferrite and you get a 30 ton mech with speed, projectile damage and built in crit kill out of the packing crate. And as it goes up in level, you start getting built in slow and built in shields. What is there not to like?

Now this is available at level 12 so you can get to it pretty quickly. And looking back over my old mechs, I found that this model for some reason was the first one that I started buying big multiples of. There must have been a reason, and the reason is that it’s fast, it’s tough, it’s a projectile specialist so its weapons are fast, and it slows its opponents making it… FAST!

The thing is, yes, you will outgrow it.. but being the sensible pilot you are, you don’t throw them away because you need them for specialists. And I’m going to let you in on a secret. 35ton class, people are going to buy Holmes… lots of them. But they are missile boats and they are slow… and with their complete lack of shields, you might as well ride a plum pudding into battle. Or your granny. You’ll get the same speed, handling and staying power.

I’ve just seen an Imech… admittedly a very high level Imech, take on 2 Luisons. Twice the mechs, 3 times the tonnage. The Imech was the one left standing.

I’ve just ordered seven new Imechs…

                                                                                      










   Submitted by David McCallum #701548

Cockpit Quotes By Monk Malone/Ron Frye#879655

Submitted by Ron Frye#879655

The Man With The Golden Gun By David McCallum #701548

My name is, or was, Probationary Pilot Lee.

I don’t know why I bothered telling you that, because you’ll have forgotten it in five minutes time.

I’m a reserve pilot in one of the lances in the Heroes clans. My senior pilot is Lt. Mac, who by dint of being the clan’s biggest pain in the ass means we get shipped around a lot every time our current C.O. gets sick of putting up with him.

I pilot an Imech. The Grissom. At one point it was the bosses personal mount, but that was a long time ago. She’s the second oldest mech in his fleet. Well, at least by ownership, because there are prizes he’s won that are older by build date. She’s a solid old bird, upgraded way past the manufacturer’s specs. The boss is good like that, he makes sure everyone is up to scratch and nobody is left behind.

Surprising really, because the Grissom spends more time crated than she does out of her box. What with the constant shipping and the fact that she is now only used for training runs or as a mid line mech in a 35 ton specialist formation, there’s not a lot of call for us. In fact the sum total of times we’ve been called on to face a 35 ton enemy specialist has been zero. We have therefore never seen combat. Sorry, I’ll correct that. Grissom has seen plenty of combat, just not with me. I’ve never seen combat.

Until today.

The powers that be threw a new formation into the mix and the boss had to scrape together a 45 ton group. Sure he had some sensible picks from his 50 ton formation like Luisons, and there were the new Dread and Novum to throw in there, but the bulk ended up being drawn from the 35 boys. I was the last to be called up. Tail end charley, rear rank, one of two with a Holmes class alongside me. We’d had no time to drill in this formation. We were more than likely going to be facing massed ranks of Vizi and Nephilax mechs and the only reason we existed was to try to grab some bonus points if the opportunity arose.

The boss had already been out with the heavies and he had partnered with Senior Pilot Kyrouac. Hunting together they had managed to score a pair of tentative bronze medals and now was the time to look for targets of opportunity. I’d already gotten into the rhythm of going to the toilet every twenty minutes when the klaxon went to call us to action stations.

We hit the fields and it was immediately apparent why the boss had jumped in when he had. We took six wins in a row because pilots had registered and were eligible for challenge, but they were sitting in their super heavies. Six capitulations and I still haven’t fired a shot.

The next fight was different. The enemy at least had some valid mechs, but they were interspersed through heavier mechs that were disallowed. I saw the fire and explosions in relief over the top of the ranks in front, but nothing came near me. Seven wins, no losses.

SP Kyrouac was seven and one. He’d lost to a Star League pilot with a higher threat rating and better tonnage. We were going to be trying him next.

It started out well enough. Squadron chatter had us getting kills at a faster rate. The thing was we needed to because he had more mechs. The sound and explosions crept closer. I could see them two ranks forward of me now, and that was past our good stuff and into my 35 ton squadron mates. The boss had already had to eject and we were fighting by rote and training. I kept reciting the training litany… Fire, cycle weapons, fire… get ready to sway if you see them about to take a shot.

Word came down that we had hit his back rank, but he had his heavies there. Luisons, and they stopped us in our tracks. Two ranks went down before them, and suddenly the explosions were in front of me as mechs were snatched out of the line ahead. They advanced into fire and caused damage, but it wasn’t enough.

There weren’t any more friendly mechs in front of me. I don’t recall advancing, but I did. Me and my running mate against his final two Luisons. One of them lit off, and the Holmes next to me cooked off.

Fire, cycle weapons, fire… I sighted up a Blast Plate and thumbed the trigger. The shot was good and the Lui in front of me staggered, but didn’t go down.

Cycle weapons… why am I worried about a full bladder at a time like this? Grissom had been fitted with one of the new MAK-47s that the boss had hocked up deeply to be able to deploy. It flashed active and I fired again. The shot went straight in through the hole that the Blast Plate had left in the armour and his power plant went critical. I didn’t have time to stop and think.

What came next… ready to sway? The last Lui had me lined up and I saw the flare of a flame weapon ignition. I panicked. I jerked the steering yoke and soiled myself.

The Grisson stumbled with my rough handling and the autogyros had to kick in to keep her upright, but the sudden motion had been enough and the flame swept wide.

I had forgotten to cycle, but I only realised that afterwards. Lucky for me the autoloaders had done their job, and I waved my gun arm in the direction of the Lui and pressed hard on the trigger in desperation.

The round went straight through the canopy screen and suddenly I could see his cockpit had been redecorated in red. I remember vomiting over my steering yoke.

The next thing I remember is the cockpit being opened and I was gasping at the cold thin atmosphere. Somebodies hands were gently prying my thumb away from the trigger. I noticed that the autoloaders had been clicking uselessly, trying to feed ammo into the MAK that I had long used up.

The boss was leaning into the cockpit, telling me I’d done good. He was shaking as bad as me, but his was dump shock. He told me we’d be facing Kyrouac next and we’d be ceding the field so I wasn’t needed. He told me to go and re-arm, then get a change of clothes and get the techs to hose down me and the cockpit. He said we weren’t finished and he’d try to make sure nobody else got into our back lines, but he couldn’t promise.

The circuit was still open when I took the line again. We were ahead by a point with a clean slate, but Kyrouac needed to be fast off the mark because he was dead even with the Star Leaguer. In a tied match, precedence goes to the one who got the challenge and therefore the kill first.

The next two registered were both still sitting in their heavies. We challenged and they ceded. The last one in the circuit actually came to fight, but he was lighter than us. The boss was true to his word and made sure nothing got past him.

By fluke, our scratch formation that was there to simply grab some bonus points had run the gauntlet and we had a clean slate. The powers registered our gold medal and the congratulations came in over the clan channel. Just as important, SP Kyrouac had been the quickest off the draw, and his kill was registered first to give him a silver.

Three shots, and my war was over. So I thought. With a gold locked in because nobody could get more kills and we had precedence on a draw, I thought the boss would recall the heavies and attempt to defend the tentative bronze. I was wrong.

Intel had it that there were only two pilots that could displace him, and the big hitters in that circuit had no reason to swap to lights and get caught out of formation. Therefore they would be defending our placing by default. But here in the 45s there were still a number who could clean sweep the board, especially with so many out of formation. The boss had made the call that we would make a stand here. We had proven we could win, and if we were the strongest available to deny an attack we should do so. Everyone we bounced would no longer be able to displace Kyrouac’s silver.

Of course that did mean we had to answer the challenge of anyone running against the boss in heavy formation. He told us to treat it like dump shock training and roll with the shots. At least I had nothing left to evacuate.

I didn’t want to go into the pilots mess afterward, but the boss ordered me to. I was expecting jeers and catcalls after I had… well… made a mess. When the standing ovation started, I had to check behind me in case somebody famous was there.

Everyone looked like crap, but they were all happy. The General was there, so was the Colonel and the C.O. of Support. The General pinned Junior Grade Pilot pips on me, and all three saluted. Mac just grinned and threw me a beer.

I said I didn’t think I deserved all of this for just three shots. Mac laughed and said he would have to buy more MAK-47s, because the techs were busy hard welding mine onto the Grissom. The Colonel just shrugged and said I was wrong, and that in all battles there is a pivotal moment. The outcome of my three shots were the point when the gold medal was decided.

The General actually seemed to listen. Then he said that some Heroes were the bravest. Some were the best. And sometimes a Hero is just the poor bastard that’s in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up neck deep in shit but still does what has to be done because they are the only one who can.

Now I’m no longer a probationary pilot, I have the right to be identified by call sign rather than the name of my mech. I should be entitled to choose my own, but that’s another downside to being in Mac’s lance. He tends to come up with names that he can remember people by, and they always end up sticking. He told me my call sign. When I said I didn’t understand, he laughed and told me to go and look it up.

Because I know you’ve forgotten, just like I said you would, I’ll remind you now that my name is Pilot Junior Grade Lee. I pilot an Imech with a customised MAK-47 hard welded in, a gun that has only fired two golden kill shots in combat.

My call sign is Scaramanga.

Submitted by by David McCallum #701548

Equipment Review - Synaptic Boost By Joel Parras #637457

The Synaptic Boost cockpits are finally here! For 95ton mechs & now catering for the new as yet unseen 100t niode mechs. While boasting a decent mixed set of perks from a Precision of +4, Trample of 3%, Crit-Kill of 2% & a Speed reduction of -3. Priced as a smaller crystal component (Considering the tonnage!) at 1057 ferrite, 2131 bioptics & 87 Crystal.

Synaptic links to your mechas are common place these days to give many pilots the extra sensory input to better assess their targets & surrounds. The Synaptic Boost integrates itself yet deeper into both pilot & mecha giving an competitive edge on Crit-Kill & trample with still decent precision with higher ton class mechas already plentiful cockpits. Just don't forget to include some nice fast engines when you shop for these before your perceptions are so overloaded that you get frozen before you get a shot off!

Submitted by Joel Parras #637457

Equipment Review - V.E.E Core By Joel Parras #637457

Geared for equipping on 70ton up to 80t mechas the Very Energy Efficient Core engine loads Speed of +9, Fork of 5%, a Fire vulnerability of 4% & a bonus missile damage of +5%. Quite reasonably priced for 1111 ferrite, 999 bioptics & 42 Niodes.

Keen buyers will notice there is a limit to 30 currently in the marketplace! While an engine speed of +9 for any 70ton mecha isn't perfect on a 75-80ton beast this nifty little engine may not make your missiles much faster if at all but it will increase their fork potential along with damage!

Simply built on recently acquired solid fuel reactor technology it's over all low maintenance & running costs are appealing. The V.E.E Core has a small 4% vulnerability to fire so word on the street is Inferno's will love finding these on the battlefield
.
Always remember to compensate for any weaknesses you incur & don't forget if your not fast enough to shoot first you better at least dodge it or take it on the chassis & take down the mecha that hit you & the one next to it with a nice fork!








Submitted by Joel Parras #637457

Commander's Log-NWHL Mechalympics, Novum Or Bust By Deborah Roaché-Hudak#289133

Even before the new Circuit Wars aka Mechalympics began, reports were coming in from most factions about this new event. How could there be just five divisions? Why are L80s pitted against L20s? So many questions I had no answers to but those repeatedly came up, with many more. Every group is filling so slowly, for some it is painful to wait. Those who have not bothered to show up have either forgotten the limited time, only a day for each circuit instead of the typical three days given, or may be sitting out in protest one might assume. It is going to be over reaching for some to be there consistently. We all may as well drop in to claim those niodes before the window closes but it is not enough for some it appears.

The range in player level is much greater than our usual Clan Wars. Even Faction Wars may not have seen such gaps but the limited divisions is the reason of course. No doubt super prizes will go to a select few, for once it will be true that improvements have been made in that department I bet. The irony of the same old prizes for the runner ups will not go unnoticed if it occurs as I suspect. No betting either this time, too few winners to choose compared to all others before. The prize would be too low since way too many could predict just four divisions compared to a dozen or more as before. Really wouldn't be worth doubling your bet but a double or nothing may have interested some. No doubt the extra work involved was a breaker. I would not want to try juggling more than necessary, the new event may have enough involved as is. If testing is being done for future events, not many are excited by the prospect. It's one thing to have a circuit every other day but this marathon of battles, sometimes two in a day, is a bit much. Finding the time to do everything is taxing on both ends, not just the players I'd imagine. No doubt the Gold winners would enjoy a repeat in the future, just never know how it will drop if it does. More divisions could make it more interesting but the number of entries may need adjusting with less total in each division. They've just filled so terribly slowly, that could be problematic.

Players move around within Factions all the time but this Wars saw more than average. Stacking the deck isn't new but the increased low level tag-along’s continues. Sneaking players into a division they could never hope to win battles in for the sake of the prizes has gone on nearly since the dawn of the games. New clans popped up to try their hand at claiming Gold, some only renaming existing clans. Many long standing members of clans shifted to more level friendly associates. We've kept our crew together in the most appropriate clan and some Wars it works better than others. The men have worked well together, through the good and the bad. Many have grown tired, some need R & R leave to be with family. All have made sacrifices to be here over the past few years. How can I continue to ask them to stay when we don't even know what we are fighting for? For far too long the delay in posting prizes has been an issue. Despite all the disgruntled pilots complaints, no improvement has come. In fact, it may be worse than ever. If we go through half the event without seeing what we are fighting for, it would be the same as seeing what we get at the end of a normal Clan or Faction Wars since they are only five days long-factoring in the two off days between war days.

~note gather the numbers tally for war days completed

Who can say if knowing the prizes in advance would influence anything. We never get the choice during Wars. There are some who no longer participate in KotM like they did before the changed. Maybe that is why we must lock in Wars first, then you are stuck until the end if you're unhappy. Most hoped to see something by day three but no word has come down and we're in the sixth day now. Won't need until the end to see who the winners will be. There could be an upset here or there but for the most part, it will be set way before the end. It seems more biased the longer they take and every event seems to take longer. A few things may be useful but much gets recycled into something more appropriate. Prices keep rising, now a normal sale will look like the old price of an item before a sale began. Revenues have gone up, if you are willing to work for it. Joining others honor guards pays much more than it used to, as does collecting on a friend's level up. There's more crystals to be had in normal circuits as well but the harvesting of them is still limited. The higher your level, the higher the cap is but when buying new items that require crystal, you can deplete your stock quicker than you could imagine. Any who do the trade for other resources will put further strain on the crystal supply. It's the one resource that is least accessible without needing to drop hard earned money. The niodes will always be first since they do help acquire the best available.

When the Wars first began, the prizes were always useful and more level appropriate, albeit sometimes a bit stronger than some would have liked. That is perhaps why things became so reduced. Diligent pilots with the time to devote had the opportunity to do more with those prizes. We all look to improve so replacing worn out weapons is always on the mind. It can be embarrassing to lose to a pilot you should dominate. It will happen to everyone eventually, your luck will run out and be ever strong for another so there is no way around it. It's just a matter of time and for some, it could take much more time. We've all that random wiggy battle where nothing was working right and all possible damage seems to be taken. If you're lucky, you watch it happen to someone else. The goods received as payment for our Wars efforts has declined dramatically, it happened long ago. Before 3276 we anxiously joined the Wars effort, knowing the bounty would help in the next Wars. Now much needs to be recycled so very little becomes useful compared to what is turned in. You never get enough to catch up like before. The demands continue to increase as we grow, most choose to do so slowly out of necessity.

The improvements to mechas has helped many veterans keep newcomers at bay. When you have all you need, it's much easier to control the battle. Some of my men most definitely have what it takes to be Ace Pilots. They have put in the time and expense necessary over a very long period of time. A few came in and learned the ropes quick, even though they've not maxed out level they are tanks for their division. They can be steam rolled by the big boys but if you're near them, you may find yourself outmatched. All clans have a bit of variety but a select few require more. You'll not get in those circles if you have not spent enough to excel. The association between them is self evident, every member moving back and forth strengthens the ties they create. Some do what is required but choose to not be with those clans. There are also super stars that burn out as quickly as they appear. Others have built their reputation and maintained over time. Some move quicker than others but none are able to remain stationary forever. Even the best campers are seen sprinting towards a new goal now and then. Those who last longest learn how to pace themselves, then keep up with that pace. They realize what is required and figure out how best to accomplish those goals. The rest fall to the wayside and remnants are visible as you continue your journey. Well known names seem frozen in space, never battling or moving up in level. You'll pass by them as you move up. Some have emptied out the hangar, leaving a barren bay for others to trample through. Others stay dressed, showing off the best they achieved before calling it quits.

There is only one direction, ever upwards. You can tread water only so long, then the swift current will take you. The rewards are much sweeter at some points than others. All enjoy adding to their field and improving the fleet, even if many moan about the expense. It should be a time to strengthen but for some it's becoming a drawback. I knew what to expect when I started my own personal race. I was already a powder puff so staying that way for some time didn't bother me. Many have followed in the path I've blazed, some excelling where I could not. While time and devotion do help, nothing beats a good backer. If you have a sponsor, you can literally reach for the stars and beyond. The mercenary work many do limits how much time they can devote to their fleet. When you're out there earning what you need for your mecha, you aren't working with the mecha to improve what it can do. Only so many hours in a day even with all the improvements in the universe now. Some can juggle it better than the rest, they are elite with medals and awards to show for it.

The newest event has shown new medals given for participants, every day there's another opportunity to improve your standing, or fall from grace. Those already at the top have the task of staying there as long as possible. There is only one way to go after all when you at the top, besides staying there. All who get to bump them off enjoy the glory, even if only for that day. The shiny Gold will remind them of the victory achieved, in a new arena of battle. Those who never joined in Circuits before now have a massive taste of what they are like. The entry award has remained the same, expectations are high for the victors. Gold winners will see something special, extra prizes have been added for Gold and Silver winners. The weapon will be added into hangar after the event ends, along with whatever else we'll be receiving. This could be a make or break event, we are witnessing something that can create or destroy pilots motivation I believe. For some, enough is never enough. It wouldn't matter if they received their own personalized mecha, with all the bells and whistles one might expect of a one of a kind item, they would want two. Can't leave your mate out of the fun after all, right? If there is something new under the sun, sure hope it shines soon. We could use the extra light.

~end of entry

Submitted by Deborah Roaché-Hudak#289133

Kaos Beam Weapon Review By Dan Laffoon#876122

I was taking a shortcut through an alley on my way to my favorite Bar for an interview when I stumbled across this thing of absolute beauty. I can't believe someone would just throw one of these things out, but it's found a home in my Smilodon's rack and I've zeroed it in on a few poor unsuspecting ants, so it really is mine. I also filed the serial number off but shhhn I don't think anyone's looking for it.

Anyway, this Kaos Beam man, it's like someone gave a Galaxy Eye drugs. The good kind like they've got from the labs on Novum, not the snavrum snot concoction they make on Rizpah. Yeah, it's better than a Galaxy Eye--that weapon so good they have to limit how many you can buy. I can see you salivating already.

It shares a type and abilities with the Galaxy Eye, just tweaked to cause, well, Kaos on the battlefield. The crit kill chance is dropped to a mere 3%, but it gains an extra two slow bringing it to 12. You're still not sold on my claim, I got ya. 7% more crit is totally worth 2 fewer slow. You have to look beyond the abilities of this weapon to see its strengths

At 109 speed it's one of the first weapons to go off, but at 55 damage it just might be the last thing you see. If it's not, prepare to find every system in your mecha responding sluggishly, because not only did it fire first it delayed when you would fire back.

109 Speed is incredibly rare on weapons in the first place, 109 speed on a weapon with slow? That's positively cheating. Do you know how fast that is? I gotta take a trip to Novum...











Submitted by Dan Laffoon#876122

Mechalympix Interview By Jack Meyers#396694 / Mark Wiseman#12304

Welcome fans on carnage and mayhem.  This is Jack Myers with a member of the Black Star Lycan Rangers Spaaace Ghooost.  Can I get your player ID please?

12304

Welcome Space Ghooost.  How are you enjoying this Mechalympix clan war?

It's good to have a different format for the Clan Wars, but I'm finding the level-split in my Division to be rather disadvantageous to me. I've been working hard to try and land a gold medal, without success. I was sure I'd have a good shot at one in the 45-ton circuit but I got my @$$ handed to me - think I came in 6th place. I thought my 35-ton Specialization would help carry me through that one, but it proved to be more of a difference than I thought it would be.

I agree, it does bring a different set of challenges. I personally am not sure i would want to do this one on a regular basis.  It takes a lot of time and patience to wait on a circuit that is possibly winnable.  I see your in division 2 which is currently being run away with by Orion Nebula.  I'm personally a bit suprised to see heroes running away with second.  What are your feelings on that?

Good on ~Heroes~ for their showing in the circuits, I say. They took us completely by surprise in more than a few events. I think we edged them out for 2nd place on day 3, but then Bunnies came back the next day and bumped us into 4th.

Most satisfyingly, I see that there are 2 or 3 {AFF} clans which are having even worse luck that we are. That always makes the cold vacuum of space feel just a little bit warmer.

I love that rivalry, not sure who will have bragging rights this month without a head to head match up though.  Are there any thoughts or ideas which you think would improve the Mechalympix?

Personally, I would like to see a Snavurm Rodeo competition. I mean, everyone's a tough guy when they're sitting back in their cockpit with 3 Cup-Holders and a bottle of Hatoraide - but how many of them could actually ride a Snavurm better than me, or Brak, or Moltar? We would clean up in that event, no doubt !!!

lol, yes sir, I do believe you would.  I thank you for your time and best of luck with the remainder of the event

Thanks, I'll need it.

Submitted by Jack Myers# 396694 / Mark Wiseman #12304

Level Gap Analysis For Mecalympix, From A Dropper's Perspective By James Waddington #714295

First of all, I'll come right out and say that tightening divisions would be the best way to help with the level gap, getting it closer to what an actual guild war would be. It doesn't have to be groups of 8 necessarily, I mean I can understand bigger divisions so there's more variety in opponents... but currently it's 4x as big as a normal pool for div 3&4, and if 30+ teams are fighting for one gold, it leaves a lot of heartache on the table and makes people feel cheated. similarly., It's bad enough when someone is at the bottom of a bracket of 8 teams, but at the bottom of over 30 is pretty rough just due to the average level difference over 30 teams.

Onto my response to other "solutions"

From someone who uses a high level / dropping strategy and is currently in first place in div 4 with it, I would not use it again. A team that gets 16 silvers has a 50% point advantage over a team that gets 8 golds. pretty much everyone realized that you want to bring a team of 16 to the mechalympix and you want them all to be able to perform well. Sure, hero level dropping is still somewhat effective in the format with the right balance, but far more people failed trying level dropping strategies than succeeded. So it's risky and squeezes the number of effective resources you can bring. With a proper level gap, this wouldn't be as devastating of a strategy as it is against a team that is already 10+ levels below your average - even though you'd be able to beat it by even more points with a standard death squad of 16.

If a team brings in a few ridiculously high level players, that is all they will get for point accumulation, besides a few sub-bronze scraps here and there, and they will fail as a group.If there's one guy who's twice your level, it's easy enough to avoid him, let him overkill that circuit, and then just join the next one for whatever medal you were going for anyway. Honestly, it's not a good strategy for this kind of event - Immortals are working extremely hard to outplay our competition from a place of disadvantage, and we wouldn't be winning if we didn't actually sit down and come up with a bunch of solid tricks and strategies to maximize our points. Of course this would work a lot better if we had 16 people earning us points, and it's a good thing brotherhood and acolytes landed at the bottom of div 3 or we'd probably be getting creamed by them.

But hey, it's the first of its kind and we're all experimenting. I say, if someone wants to hurt themselves with a bad strategy like we did with our hero level dropping, let them! It's so rare that I see people demanding a ban to a bad strategy, and it makes me laugh. Immortals are only doing it cuz we wanted to bring everyone we had together into one squad. it's kinda like in faction wars when a guild brings along everyone they have between level 10 and 100 and hope for the best - I mean it's fun to play with everyone together but it's definitely not the most effective strategy you'll find.

So from someone who vouches for level dropping, who likes using it whenever possible, and has had reasonable success with it, this is an event where I highly recommend against using it from personal experience, that is if you want to actually be competitive (or make things unnecessarily hard on yourself).











Submitted by James Waddington #714295

Monk Malone's Cockpit Quotes By Monk Malone/Ron Frye#879655

Submitted by Ron Frye#879655

Monk Malone's Cocpit Quotes By Monk Malone/Ron Frye#879655

Submitted by Ron Frye#879655

What Does Our Audience Want? By Pat Willis#224534

Hello folks, we had a discussion with the Devs not that long ago. The subject matter was interviews, and clan liaison officers. The Devs would like to see more interviews, as well as active clan Liaison officers. We have had such before for clan wars, conducting interviews through their clan. But for whatever reason those individuals have fallen off to the way side with little to no rhyme or reason as to why.

So what is a clan liaison officer and what do they do? It is a person nominated by the clans who participate in this, to conduct interviews during clan wars amongst their clan members. Recently we here at Galaxy Gathering are looking to expand this position to include regular interviews on the off weeks of CW. This would mean for the individual in question submitting regular interviews on the clans advancements, movements, highs, lows, incoming and outgoing members etc,etc,etc. Such would allow for downtime between CWs, keep people appraised on your clans progress, and keep tabs on the movers and shakers within your clan.

So we leave it to you our readers, do you have a preference for how interviews are conducted? Are you tired of just CW correspondents and interviewees? Do you want more or less from any Clan Liaison officers who may pop up? Do you want to keep it just at the editorial staff level? We nee to hear from you, and get some feedback on this matter. Let us know in the comments section which you prefer and why please. Also don't forget to include your player ID# so we can credit you a niode or two for sounding off on the matter. As always happy hunting and good fortune to all.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Sgt Ron's Question of the Month By Ron Frye#879655

I noticed something unusual in the wording of the clan war event (mechalympix). I've only been playing for a little over half a year now, so excuse my ignorance if I missed this one.

In the description it states, and I quote, " Clans will receive Prizes and Raids as normal (Based on their division and performance). Top clan per division will get Gold Clan War Medals, Gold Prizes, and Gold Raids. Next clans will get Silver, etc."

"...and Gold Raids?", Is this a poorly worded statement or are raids based on medals? And is this a new development or has it always been the case?

Just Curious,
Sgt Ron

Submitted by Ron Frye#879655

Mechalympix, Future Or Failure By Monk Malone/ Ron Frye#879655

(An attempt to impartially analyze the opinions of the organizers and participants of the Mechalympix.)

The Mechalympix event organized and hosted for the clans of the galaxy, was designed to allow those groups the opportunity to test their skills and equipment against one another in a safe yet challenging environment. The concept for the contest was for a series of varied competitions, each highlighting a different functional combat situation in order to allow all combatants the chance to display their individual specialties and abilities. Reception of the event thus far has been varied and overall negative.

Most participants feel that balance of the levels of skill between opponents is horribly out of sync, and that the mechanics of the method used to determine the placement of medalist winners is broken. Sadly, what most pilots do not see is that this event is only the first attempt at implementing new systems to meet the requests of large numbers of the community to bring variety and new challenges to a largely repetitive system. The only problem I have seen is that the event was too rushed. It should have been left in the planning room for a few more months before being introduced to the world. Also, the organizers of the event need to take into account all of the errors in the system and fix each individual aspect of said errors before repeating the event again.

Specifically, the level of combatants needs to be more balanced, as this seems to be the largest bone of contention amongst the majority of combatants. I think the community at large needs to remember one thing tho, before casting any more stones; This event would not have happened if a majority of the community had not wanted it to happen. The leadership involved in this event were only attempting to implement changes that their community wanted.

Think about it, Monk Malone

Submitted by Monk Malone/ Ron Frye#879655

Get Rocked

CHOP Technology Report By James Waddington#714295

This event seems to have taken many completely by surprise. Some clans were straightforward about their strategy, while others tried getting tricky. Some of those who got tricky succeeded, and others didn't. It seems like the border between div 3 and 4 was pushed much further down than anticipated, and a lot of people were planning on just barely undercutting it.

The attached blueprint explains where the cutoffs were anticipated to happen. From what I can tell, a lot of other people did their math on divisions too and shot for that cutoff. After some clans decided not to participate, it resulted in a cutoff that, based on last war's 18-division layout, is a full division lower (12½) than anticipated (11½). With exactly the same teams and layouts as last war, the cutoff would have been around level 36-37 instead of around 32-33.

Barring a few last minute participation confirmations, the CHOP Immortals strategy was fairly simple - bring together everyone we've got in our little group, and maybe get a couple extra to make sure we bring a full squad. It happened to work out pretty well, with a conservative average of 30 while the top contender in the division had a 32.6. This way we have all our members along in one place, and that is usually more fun when many of you can be sitting in the same room during the event.

We're going into this event with 8 players considerably above the average level, and 8 way below it. Many teams brought a full 16 players ready to rumble, so technically they have twice as many points available to them. A guild that gets 16 silver medals (128 points) will stomp the pants off a guild that gets 8 golds (80 points).

I like this new format. It's a nice change of pace and ought to be fun, even if the "grab everyone and go in together" approach isn't that great for it.

Submitted by  James Waddington#714295

Regis Spotlight By Kyle N April Harrison#765035

I love laser mechs so naturally when I received my Regis he went straight into my army. He is now at level 93 but he reaches his peak at level 154, so I will be doing my report on what I will be doing when he reaches that point.

Once Regis hits level 154 he should have 50 weapon slots. With these slots I would probably fill them with the highest level crystal weapons I can get with the prices you will have to pay to get the equipment. I would probably do all 50 slots as Blurring Beams, which is a crystal Laser weapon. If you buy all 50 in bulk it would cost you 2760 crystals.

For his cockpit I will have 2 Psychic Enhancers, 2 Haptic Interfaces, and 3 S.M.A.S.H. 8. For his chassis 3 Midori’s Boots and 3 Energy Aura. For engine I have 2 Caged Singularities and 4 Precision Drives. For shielding I have an Artic Delta, Caudata Delta, and MNTN Delta. If you want to put in another shield for the 4th slot you can but this is how I have it. I believe that everyone should set shielding to their own preferences. With this equipment set up my Regis will have these stats:

Laser Damage + 90%
Fire Damage + 48%
Proj. Damage + 39%
Missile Damage +24%
Ice damage + 24%
2X Damage 20%
3X Damage 16%
Speed + 8
Fork 20%
Freeze 42%
Trample 22%
Auto Repair (16)
Precision (67)
Crit-Kill 22%
Dodge (53)
Shield (119)
Trample Shield 40%
Proj. Shield 23%
Ice Shield 6%
Fire Shield 29%
Laser Shield 16%
All of this equipment totals to 1,073 niodes so it is a pretty big chunk in your pocket.










Submitted by Kyle N April Harrison#765035

All The Plans Of Men and Mechas Commander's Log-NWHL by Deborah Roaché-Hudak #289133

No matter how much you plan, life seems to get in the way sometimes. You can know when a raid will come but making it there is another story. Same may hold true for this next war. Eleven days of battles, albeit limited, could be a deal breaker for more than a few. Some choices in specialty circuits will be available with unlimited for those still unprepared for the specs. I realize how much time and resources it takes to work up mechas, making fleets of any one type can be taxing to say the least. Not many will slowly work over months like I do but it's the only economical way for me right now so I keep at it. Others may not have the luxury in the daily chores and it's showing over time. No doubt by now most could have everything prepared yet some still aren't able to do half what others have. No way to create more time for anyone so it is what it is.


The score keeping has me wondering what kind of logistical nightmare we may be looking at soon. Keeping up with the simpler CWs was bad enough, FWs was just the beginning of more to come. This new circuit wars will require much more time I'd think. Checking each bracket at days end, adding up the rounds. Glad so many have helped in the past, makes it easier knowing we have capable men for the task. Some step forward without saying a word, it's encouraging. Tally's are turned in and comparisons are made with previous wars. Knowing who should go where is always dependent on what they are able to do this wars, previous ones can only show patterns to look for. As if three days wasn't enough, we had a break in between and now we'll have over a week straight.


Any who enjoy intense battles will excel, this is truly going to be a matter of stamina as well as strength. Planning which path to go before making a step is essential. All will hope to bring honor to their clan, opponents should never be underestimated. Watching the mechas on the field, seeing who's gone before you, so many details. It can be a thrill to see a brother overcome a tough round. This new arena will be very different however. We can't watch the battles as we normally would. We also won't have the same opponents each day, nor a day to rest in between battle days. This will be a different war indeed. It's not likely we'll know what will be gained from all this effort until it's already begun, can only hope none are disappointed again.


Talks of mergers abound. The potential is endless if you are willing. Some would never expect to be fighting side by side but do. The factions have muddied the waters as it were. You must set aside squabbles if you are to work together but in the end you'll go back to your respective sides for future wars. All other wars depended strictly on battles, the new circuit format requires a minimum energy supply I worry some may not have. There are no second chances either. If we're lucky, future circuits will offer prizes above and beyond the entry gifts already being offered. The potential participation may be more diligent if the change was implemented. Perhaps this wars is more testing grounds with more to come in the future.


Keeping up with all the specialist formations has been daunting at best. Mid level players and lower won't have as many weapons to equip or as many mecha to bring to the field but there are still multiple formations to set up. I spend over three months prepping any new mecha. None make it to the field typically until they are ready for battle. No one needs more time than I do. I almost expect bells and whistles to go off when I finally reach the end. As I click for the last time, tunes roll through my head. Knowing I won't need to do it again until they all need another level up is a relief. The resources taxed when working up a fleet of mechas cannot be judged by one resource alone. Limitations have been placed on every one of them so gathering all has become taxing. Pathways have been cut off that lead to accessing some of the most precious resource for many of us, self included. We were able to find another way once, now that is inaccessible too. Motivating the troops is difficult in the best of times, these are no longer those times. I hope this new format will breath new life into the wars, many have become battle worn and tired.


~note finalize count for upcoming CWs


We can't anticipate participation among the other clans with this format being so different. The range in level for each may be more than expected. If the increased prize makes up for the diminished total number of prizes, it may pan out. So many 'ifs' to consider. Hate wondering what if, too many disappointments lately. I have no control over the choices. If complaints help get it off their chest, I don't mind listening but not sure it's doing much good anymore. Proposals to and from the Senate haven't brought about many changes, major or minor. No matter the times, seems bureaucracy still has limitations. Many fine ideas have been brought forth there, I've been witness to some of the dialogue as new ideas were born. Most never make it past the dream stage. Some would be too difficult to use. Hard to believe it's over a year since it began, some have been in wars for nearly three years now. We used to get a month off each year but it's been well past that already. This year may not have a month off, men were tired enough when we had more breaks. Now an eleven day circuit war will eat more time than ever. If any need to sit out, there won't be any issues about it. Ranks will be filled with veterans as usual. We've been known to divide and conquer before. History and precedence make claim to many fortunes, both made and lost.


The gambling arena will be haywire I suspect. If any can pull a perfect ticket, it may be a miracle this time around. It's one thing to know who has head to head combat, now all will be free to enter with opponents only in a specific level range. It'll still be much greater than some expect no doubt. We never had spectators in our wars before, I wonder if they'll sneak in on the circuits. There are way more questions this wars than ever before. When the specialists formations wars came out, that is as close to now as any wars has been. Most were routine and even the specialists have become so for many lately. Nothing routine about sending men into combat for the first time once again. These are virgin territories, some have never been in the circuits. I just hope no unexpected glitches arise.


Half the glory was watching battles during CWs, if we can't see other battles, not sure how interested any will be. Some won't stick around once they've done their rounds. I suspect the only songs written about this wars will be sung by only a few victors. If you can't see the action, it's hard to write about it. We may only have numbers to signify the status of a brothers standing. I wonder if this is a statisticians dream come true or nightmare in the making. Most would rather see the dance, watch the firepower as one player overtakes another. Seeing the maneuvers as mechas are frozen and set on fire, bullets piercing plating and damage being absorbed is where it's at. Watching crit hits bring down opponents and wide fork shut down rows can be thrilling. I hope more will write about these adventures since we'll never see all the action. It's like looking through a periscope and only your battle is viewable. Not sure the men will enjoy being sardines in a can of another new ideas being applied. The novelty may be enough to keep them interested in coming back if we need to do this again in the future. Sure hope it's not soon.


Need to double check the rosters for any not locked in. Number crunchers will be watching all over, not just from our base camp. Everyone has a vested interest in knowing how all are doing. Each day brings potential points to be earn for each clan. Every player counts. Every point adds up. The change in points had many complaining, lost points for some positions will make a difference no doubt. Seeing it all unfold will be interesting, not normal circuits for the wars. Time will tell how this new twist works out. Although there will be fewer divisions, I suspect more groups will be present for each division. Wonder how the raid may change, if at all. Look forward to seeing what the men bring home.

~end of entry

Submitted by Deborah Roaché-Hudak #289133

The Salamander by Karen Iskenslet #889315

Sailing over the planet Terra Azul on the good ship ‘Cosmic Creeper”, Karen saw how cynically apt the name was through the dura-glass of a porthole. The planet was blue. Blue trees, blue oceans, blue savannas and plains. Even the polar ice caps were blue. What made it worse was that even the atmosphere of Terra Azul had a bluish tint. Something involving the ions or some such. Karen was not a physicist or meteorologist, so science techno-babble wasn’t really worth listening to.


“Taking it in, Ms. Iksenslet?” asked a voice behind her.


Councilor Tang, of the Terra Azul Colony League. A short man with frizzy white hair and map-like wrinkles, prone to billowy robes with long blousey sleeves and a deep hood, which was, of course, blue. “We appreciate your…services, Ms. Iksenslet.”


“It’s Karen, Councilor. Just Karen. You’re paying good money for this, so let’s just understand that I’m not being altruistic. Mama needs a new mech, and they don’t pay for themselves.”


“Um. Yes, then. Karen. The Captain tells me that we’re two hours from the drop point. Have you been briefed, perhaps, on how that works?” he asked.


“I can’t say I’m comfortable with it,” she said, glaring at the Councilor. “The downcheck, the complete shutting down, and the cold restart takes hours. Does all the power have to be off?”


“It would seem so, Karen. The atmospheric electro-magnetic interference apparently doesn’t allow for high voltage equipment to pass through it and if something like your mech was to do so, the EM would burn out the power systems entirely. Something, I think, you’d like to avoid. But we’re providing the equipment to restart your mech. Now, you of course know what it is you’re contracted to do, yes?”


“Yeah. Kill a salamander. As if you can’t handle your own pest control, you call me to kill some sort of lizard, is it?”


“Yes. And a terrible lizard at that!” Tang answered. “Our Patron wants it dealt with cleanly and quickly. The Patron was very clear about that.”


“Grr, I despise lizards. Councilor Tang, at the LZ, will there be someone to pick me up?”


“Oh, yes! Most certainly!”


“Fine. I’ll be in the hold, turning off my mech.”


Shutting off a mech, even a relatively simple one like a Red Ant took time. All the actuator motors, the heat sinks, the coolant systems, the primary and secondary CPUs, the redundant systems, the weapon systems, life support, communications, and all the other little things that made a mech function was an exercise in patience. Patience was not a virtue that Karen possessed in any real meaningful way. After 45 excruciating minutes of having warning alarms shrieking at her, there was the manual lockdown, which meant crawling around with a power wrench and locking the motive systems in place, which was not an easy process.

       

“HEY! Excuse me! Hey, missy!” yelled a tech. “This thing yer’s?” He was carting a strange apparatus.


“Yes, I think. They said it was a ‘manual restart generator’.”


The apparatus in question was pedal/chain mechanism which appeared to have a control yolk and a saddle-like seat, in which the operator sat upon and used their legs to physically move a crank device that in turn pulled a chain that was connected to a small dynamo turbine which then generated a small electrical power flow. She’d never seen anything like it.


“Whatever. Cap says it goes with you in the drop pod. The instructions are all written down anyway.”


“Sorry, but I fell asleep during the briefing. How does the drop pod work? How’s this thing,” she gestured at the apparatus, “supposed to work?” she asked.

       

“Lady, I just load your shit.”


“Uhn,” she grunted. “Fine. You’ve been as helpful as you are vague.”


The technician scratched himself through his coveralls, grunted, and spat out a large amount of mucus. He was just looking at her mech, as though he’d seen it’s like before, and wasn’t terribly impressed.


“Hey, lady,” he started. She glared at him.


“Look, pal. I’m kind of busy here, so if you would be so kind as to either get a wrench and help me out, or go off and find something to keep you occupied while I do some real work.”


The tech grinned and spat. “Ya know, I like you mech drivers. Don’t get me wrong, but you’re all the same. Think you’re all hard and bad. Yup, you do kill some shit, and some of y’alls do good work, but you freelancers, yeah. All the same.”


Karen put the wrench down and mentally braced herself.


“But, as I was saying. See, yer problem is that for all you do, you got a real high opinion of yourself. You hear of ole Herc the Merc? Big guy, does heavy killing for the Consortium?”


She squinted and slightly nodded.


“Okay, so this one time, Herc was being all uppity, saying ‘Put this here’ or ‘Attach that there’ and just being real impolite, and I know ‘cause he wasn’t real nice to me about how his guns was. So. He was landing at this shithole world, like, I don’t remember, Nutsack Prime or some such. He was gonna kill some overlord that did something stupid there, and when he got to wherever the hell it was, well by golly gee. Seems like he forgot to really check to see if his ammo was loaded. What a shame that was, let me tell ya.”


“I see. Well, would you be good enough to please help me?” she asked, grudgingly.


“Heh. Nah, lady. I got something to keep me occupied.” He spat again and sauntered off.

       

“Dammit,” Karen cursed. “I need to join a clan…”

       

Five minutes shy of two hours later, and all of them involving split knuckles, Karen came to two realizations: 1. She needed to learn more about how mechs actually operate and; 2. She should’ve negotiated a better offer. She wasn’t completely clear on how “the appreciation of their Patron” translated to actual money, but a deal was a deal.


“*SsssSSSSHHHshhhcrackle* Would Associate Iksenslet please report to the loading bay. Again, Associate Iksenslet to the Loading Bay.” Hmm, she thought. Time to go.


The four flights of stairs, a cargo elevator, and nearly getting run over by a hauler tram operated by an apparently insane driver later, Karen huffed and puffed her way while sprinting to the drop pods. The drop pods were egg-shaped large cargo containers. Ceramic exterior plating, carbon composite interior hull, non-ferrous structure members. Nothing that could conduct magnetism or electrical fields. The primary function of the drop pod was to carry equipment or people and then stay intact long enough to make the drop. The pods came with parachutes that were automatically deployed using a clockwork timer mechanism. During free-fall, nothing electrically powered would work due to the electromagnetic waves that circulated in the atmosphere all the time. Karen wondered how anyone could survive, much less thrive, on such a weird planet. She looked to a grinning man waving at her to come over.


“Associate Iksenslet! So glad you’re here! I’m Load Master Claus. This is your drop pod. Your mech is loaded already.”


“Wait. How…I left the main hold before it did. How did it get here before me?”


“Did you not know that the elevator comes down here?” asked Claus.


“No, they told me…oh, nice. No. No, I did not. I’ll have to remember that next time.”


He blinked in confusion, then continued. “Well, you’re here and that’s what matters. Your mech has been checked and is good to go.”


She asked, “Are the weapon systems and ammo load set up in de-powered manual fire?”


“Yes,” he replied. “Of course. Why wouldn’t they be?” He looked vaguely hurt that she might have been questioning the professionalism of his loaders.

       

“Hey, it never hurts to check.”

“Fair enough,” Claus answered. “In the meantime,” he handed her a document folder, “here is a bit of light reading to keep you occupied while we wait for a storm to clear up.”

It had been years since Karen had actually seen paper, much less text printed on paper. The document was called “Terra Azul: A Brief Overview”. As she thumbed through it walking to the drop pod, Claus cheerily said, “We hope you enjoy your flight! A ride through the countryside in a wagon is always lovely!”

Karen screamed just as the pod closed, “WHAT? A wagon?!?”

The crane that lifted the pods to the launch area dropped down, picked up Karen’s pod and deposited in the launch catapult. With a hydraulic hiss and a loud bang, the catapult retracted and was ready for launch. Claus could see Karen staring daggers at him, and he quietly mused that it was better her than him.

Claus waved at the catapult operator and yelled, “Open the pod bay doors, Hal!”

Submitted by Karen Iskenslet #889315

Interview With Skywise #688792

Dave: I've managed to track down our elusive clan mate and current talk of the barracks Skywise, latest inductee to Legendary Pilot status and the first of the Heroes clan to do so.

Sky, congratulations on the recognition for your skill in Ammonite piloting. How does it feel being inducted into the pilots Hall of Fame?


Sky: Thanks David.  I'm just lucky I guess.  I fought hard in the King of the Mountains and the tournaments and it's nice to have tht recognized.


Dave: You use Kongregate as the underlying operating system for your combat AI, which is one of the less common options. For those of us unfamiliar with it's setup, how does it differ to what most of the rest of us have?


Sky: Actually  , I'm an email- address only player.  I don't even get the advantages of Kongregate. I don't have a Facebook account, so I felt it was the best option. My dad doesn't want me on social media yet but I like to watch the mechs blow up.  You don't get friends for honor guards or to collect your crystals,  so you have to make sure to harvest yourself every day, a and you ahve to spend niodes for honor guards.  You don't get gifts either but the developers make sure that we get an allotment of stim packs, hatoraides, etc.

But you have to budget those carefully because you don't get as many as you would get as gifts


Dave: I stand corrected, thanks for that. Getting legendary status needs a proven track record on your chosen mech type in terms of victories. Has being an e-mail only player had any effect on that?


Sky: you just have to play smarter.  sometime you have to pick your battles and just know you are fighting with one hand tied behind your back not being able to get an honor guard to give you that boost. you have to look for advantages, like entering ones where you are at the top of the level range for a division.

You also have to find a strategy and stick to it.  I've focused a lot on building crit-kill units because I find it to be an effective strategy.  It's one of the reasons I like the ammonite so much.


Dave: Funny you should mention that, as it leads nicely to my next question. So for the benefit of pilots up and coming, what was it that drew you to Ammonite in the first place, apart from the crit kill aspect?


Sky: The fact that it does good damage with any weapon due to the 2x/3x damage bonuses the mecha gets. Also the fact that it gets good defensive bonuses inherent in its build.  It makes it VERY durable.

It can be flexible in a lot of formats which makes it useful in things like Clan Wars too.  If you have to switch to a weapon specialty, you can plug and play in the right weapon type


Dave: A sound appraisal. Are there any other mechs that you would recommend to the new blood?


Sky: Of the crystal mechs, I find Ogguns and Luisons to be useful because of that same flexibility.  Luisons are surprisingly underrated. I use specialty mechs, but if you are looking for a more flexible option, those are two to look at.

Among the niode mechs,  megazomes and smilodons are also good flexible units.


Dave: Any of the big boy mechs you have your eye on that you haven't had the chance to use yet?


Sky: I have a prize niode mech coming into the fold for this Circuit war.  interested to see how it performs.  What it is you will just have to see...


Dave: Fair enough. Change of pace with some random questions, pilots need to think on their feet sometimes. So hypothetical tactical appraisal, which would win a fight between a badger and a babboon?


Sky: Babboon.  It has the ability to get vertical to escape if needed.


Dave: And what is your stance in the debate on the strategic use of raccoons?


Sky: It works for some people.  If you believe in a talisman of some sort, go with it.

I'll believe in a good blaster over some hokey raccoon, thanks.


Dave: Your father may disagree, but we'll move along. Do you have a favorite snack food that you take in the cockpit while you are fighting?


Sky: Cheetos.  or Sour cream and onion chips, or what you on the far side of the world call crisps.


Dave: Oh, good call young man...

But since its on the event horizon, I guess since we are here we should talk about the upcoming Mechalympics. Looking forward to it?


Sky; It's going to be a grind.  Ten days in a row? I love the game but that is a lot for players without a break.

We aren't but some people might want to go camping on a weekend or fishing or something that takes a chunk of their day and might not be able to participate.


Dave: It's certainly going to be a longer affair this time. How do you think people are going to cope with the time-frame, and do you think there is a chance of boredom or burnout before the end?


Sky: Some people won't play because they don't like the format.  Some people might get burned out on it by the end.  I don't know how I will feel after it's over.


Dave: Can you see any changes in the results compared to the usual clan war format?


Sky: I don't know at this point.  Some of the clans who usually do well will do well.  This is so different from any other format that I don't know how it will play out


Dave: Fair call. We'll leave that topic for now as our time is almost up
.
Now, we've been clan-mates for around a year and a half now, and we were both pretty low level when we met. Looking back, did you prefer fighting in the lower divisions or do you get more of a kick out of fighting at the higher level?


Sky: I like to fight.  each level has its challenges.  I'm starting to get into the levels where it is going to be a bigger climb but I welcome the challenge


Dave: One final question from me, If there was one piece of kit that you could walk away with as either a raid or medal prize, what would it be?


Sky:I'd like to get a few Cherenkov rays. Big laser, big critkill

Course I'd love to get more niode mechs but that's a given.


Dave: Yeah, I should have put that caveat on the question, shouldn't I? Anyway, any last words for the viewers at home?


Sky: See you on the other side... of my targeting sights!










Submitted by David McCallum #701548