Musings on the Past Year by David McCallum : #701548

So, another year draws to a close, and what a suckful one its been.


Not only another year putting up with the mild alcoholism and drive by abuse of Patrick, but to make matters worse I now have to put up with the inane twitterings of Kenneth.


I mean,  Patrick you can cope with by throwing dirty looks, insults, crockery or area effect munitions at, depending on the level of escalation necessary and how severely he is being an insufferable ass.


But Kenneth is so... happy! I've seen puppies and kittens give up and commit sepuku at his enthusiastic approach.


If one of them did its business in his shoes before it popped it's clogs, he'd consider it to be a gift of free fertilizer, then joyfully apply it to one of the multiple potted plants he decided the office needed to 'brighten things up'.


And I swear, as in I make this my New Years Resolution, if he tries to rearrange the desks according to his Feng Shui book once more, I shall increase the flow of of his chi through prolonged use of  Hex Cannon.


Speaking of prolonged use of weaponry though,  I think we can all agree that while its nice to have free weaponry, perhaps we would have preferred not to have had reason to receive a Grabthar's Hammer, Purple Rain, Vulcan Phaser or Liea's Blaster.


And let us not forget those who no longer ride their battle beasts with us...


Anyway, by the time you read this, from my particular time zone, the year will be done and I will be able to give you an indicator if the new one is any better.


So, let your incoming fire be light, your shielding be heavy, your alcohol and ready ammunition never run out and your admirers be willing.


And since we at the G.G. offices are all inclusive, you may make your own choice.


Let the laws of nature always be on your side, or let the deity of your choice walk alongside you when you need them.

Submitted by David McCallum : #701548

Circuit Fight Update by David McCallum : #701548

Following on from Sgt Ron's article the other day, there have been more updates to the circuit fight rules, a lot of them after what appears to have been reasoned comments from the community.


The first addition was a new quest:

Win 4 Circuit Medals from Dec 27 thru Jan 25
Reward 30 Niodes.


Ah, there's nothing like a Niode reward to get folk crawling out of the woodwork. Don't think I can recall the circuits being so competitive.


Next up, the XP gain on losses has been removed. Can't agree more, you don't gain XP for a loss anywhere else.


The system for Niode rewards has also had a shake up. There are still a possible 4 up for grabs.

You gain 1 Niode on entry. 
You gain 1 additional Niode after winning 2 battles. 
You gain 1 additional Niode after winning 8 battles. 
You gain 1 additional Niode after winning 22 battles. 

So for the lazy slugabeds, an entry niode is back, not the 2 we had for so long. Fair enough say I. Its a reasonable compromise for those who want to camp vs those who want to be competitive. Also note that in line with the removal of gained XP for a loss, you now need actual wins (rather than just attacks) in order to get the other tiers of Niode reward.


The last change, and this is an absolute stoater for free players, Crystal rewards have gone from double to triple the XP gained for a win.


Now that is a game changer, and I'm not certain if it's good, bad or indifferent. You see, I am certainly aware of players who are leveling nicely, but perhaps a little faster than they may like. The reason they wish to level slow is due to maintaining a Niode income in line with their needs to be able to level and then equip both existing and new mechs.


By the same token, they are choked of crystal income and need to hit circuit fights to not only level their Crystal mechs but also to convert over to Bioptics/Ferrite because leveling takes its toll on those as well. Let's face it, people just don't farm like they used to.


But now, is there going to be any need to farm at all? I'll be honest, I have gotten out of the habit. To be honest this is mainly due to being able to use prizes or hand-me-downs to equip new mechs and I level fairly infrequently. The 40 a day plus a few seeds serves me fine. But those seeds can account for up to 50 Crystal a day (not that I've had that amount in ages mind you...) but even loosing the 1 or 2 seeds is the loss of a few hundred crystal a month.


With no XP at all.


I guess we'll have to see if there are any farmers left in a few weeks time.

Submitted by David McCallum : #701548

The Scorchers by Steven Firebird # 960653

Sometimes, squad commanders in Mecha Galaxy name their own squads. This is a story of Steven Firebird and the squad he calls The Scorchers.

Return from Santa, No thanks

CARLSEN CITY, CAISSA
September 23, 3318

The 144th Caisson Light Cavalry responded to protect civilians from the Mecha force sent by Evil Santa. This military unit was called “The Home Team” for a reason, and they were here to protect the planet, destroy these evil Mecha and keep the civilians safe.

Offshore, the Caissan Navy guided missile cruiser CMV-31 Tempest was bombarding the shoreline with ICE weapons and lasers. Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics (ICE for short) slowed Mecha operation and occasionally froze Mecha weapon systems and kept them from working correctly. Lasers, as pinpoint weapons, minimized collateral damage. These weapons had been chosen to minimize the fight so that citizens could evacuate.

On deck, painted reflective colors of ice blue and white for combat, the hunched, insectoid form of a ninety ton Jadoon model Mecha known as Destroyer stood watch. Inside the cockpit, Steven Firebird was smiling. He knew his Mecha well. Agile for its size, with speed and dodging ability as both its defense and offense, it stood ready and waiting. Time and time again, opponents of every size and shape had tried to take down the Destroyer and failed. With pit marks and dents painted over, Steven thought the wear and tear brought out the character in Destroyer, telling its story long before battle was engaged.

All of his Scorchers were as they waited for retaliation from the Evil Santa Mecha force. Yet the counterattack was not coming as quickly as Steven Firebird expected. With lasers and ICE fired into the city, the naval attack designed to scatter the evil mechas from the military bunkers they’d taken around Carlsen City, the expected response wasn’t coming.

Steven Firebird contacted his unit commander, Michael Stephen Janus. “Commander, this is Firebird, what is your ETA? Over?”

A crackle came over the commlink. “I have ten Mecha, ETA ten minutes. I am at the central bunker, so I can refine Mecha builds here. What conditions will we be facing. Over?”

“So far, Commander, we are not experiencing much retaliation from the Evil Santa Mechas. We’re on board the Tempest, offshore, and are shelling the peripheral bunkers with ICE weapons and lasers into the city to get the Mecha out of the bunkers. Over.”

“Can we punch through or bypass the city bunkers and secure the Gate. Over?”

“I believe we can, we are two minutes from the city and I’ll lead my squad to the east and force them your way, Commander. Over?”

“All right. Let's try to pin them between the city and the cliffs below the bunker. Hopefully the naval bombardment will force them against the wall and we can rain down on them from above. Over.”

“Aye, commander. Oh! Commander, there is a special package in your Mecha that I placed before leaving. Over.”

“I'll check my cockpit, sir. Good luck down there. We're reconfiguring our weapon ports for ICE weapons now. ETA eight minutes. Over.”

“Aye, Commander, and godspeed. Over.”

“Janus, Out.”

As the CMV-31 Tempest maneuvered closer to the shore, Steven Firebird gave the command to scramble to one of the mobile piers that the Tempest had on board. They had to move quickly to set the trap and still draw fire away from the civilians. Caissa had never been invaded by any Mecha force before, and no citizen in the city seemed to know what to do. As the mobile pier lowered into the water, Firebird could see that already the outgoing coastal highways were jammed to a standstill.

Steven Firebird’s squad of Scorchers landed on shore and stomped into the east part of the city. As the Tempest kept up the bombardment with their naval ICE weapons and lasers, dozens, hundreds of Evil Santa Mecha came boiling out of the military hangars and bunkers to face the Scorcher squad. While many of the Mecha were standard military issue, Evil Santa had built some of his own to look like Christmas trees, gift wrapped boxes, and reindeer. It would have been silly if these Mecha weren’t armed to the teeth.

The battle began. Outnumbered, outgunned, the Home Team started fighting back. Firebird knew that he had the advantage even then. While the oncoming force had the upper hand in weapons and defensive armor, Clan Mecha were designed to end combat early and return to the special Craftsmen built bases that ran Mecha, regardless of model, through a quick assembly line process of simply replacing exterior armor so that they could return to battle in mere minutes for another sortie.

The oncoming horde did not enjoy that advantage, and as the waves of smaller Mecha were cut down… they stayed down.

As the Scorchers were driving their opponents westward, Steven heard a chirp from his commlink. Three hundred yards away, a fifty ton Oggun Mecha turned to watch glints of light landing atop the snowy cliffs overlooking the city. Hundreds of tons of Mecha were landing, snow clouds spreading out in distant puffs as each heavy Mecha landed. Inside the cockpit, lit by the reds and greens and blues of the weapon displays, the tall Scorcher named Reaper, swept back his long black hair and toggled the mike inside the skull mask that covered his nose and mouth. His dark grey eyes glittered, as his tattooed hands gripped the controls. The trap was sprung. “Commander Janus has landed on the west side of the city!"

As the Commander’s forces were fighting from the west, providing covering fire, and the Scorchers from the East, taking the brunt of the early front line fighting, waves of Evil Santa’s crazed Mecha forces were being pinned down and obliterated.

They weren’t stupid, and so north and south suddenly looked inviting. As the Evil Santa Mecha force was trying to flee away from the battle, Reaper broke off from the formation, changed his Oggun’s direction and came from behind to blow out the back of a Mecha shaped like a Christmas tree. It jingled as it went down. Reaper activated his commlink. “Another one bites the dust, Commander.” As Reaper came back to the battle, dragging the fifty ton carcass of this Christmas Tree Mecha back with him, he keyed his mike again. “Can I have this one as a trophy?”

Steven Firebird gruffly responded over the commlink, “Leave it to the side for now, Reaper. We are not done yet.” Firebird turned his Destroyer Jadoon to watch garishly painted boxes with feet, larger than cars, thump through the streets toward the sea.

The smaller force that went south met the guided missile cruiser Tempest. The cruiser had gone silent. Swarming out onto the open beach, the Mecha watched as naval guns and missile batteries pivoted into place, the true weapons of the mighty Caissan Navy. With one calm word from the captain, the beach of Carlsen City, lined with Mecha from shoulder to shoulder, exploded. Armored legs and arms spiraled into the sky, trailing smoke and fire.

The greater force escaped the city, northward bound. What they found was worse. Chessmen. The mass of the 144th Caissan Light Cavalry, roaring down from the cliffs, came wave after wave. Squads led by experienced arena fighters like John Merchant. Illya Ring. Scott Heyward. Ronny Widjaja. The Metal Warrior Twiki. The mysterious Red Hot Applesauce. Squads of ten and twelve rolled into the battle lines one after the other, each one retreating just long enough to repair only their exterior armor and to reload at the Craftsmen bases before rotating back to the front line, fully repaired and loaded.

And angry.

The Evil Santa Mecha had no such luxury, and the 144th Caissan Light Cavalry was on home ground.

As Commander Janus and the Scorchers finally met up in the center of the city, looking for hidden fox holes, fifty more Evil Mecha stormed into the central square to prepare a final stand against the two platoons. Fighting back to back, both squads dealt heavy damage to the Evil Santa Mecha, bursting them into parts, scattering the area as ejection pods arced toward the sky. As they whittled their opponents down to the very last Mecha, Firebird swore he heard a sizzling, crumpled Xmas Tree mech emitting a radio frequency from its exposed cockpit, repeating, "You haven't heard the last from Evil Santa. Hooooo, hoooo, hoooo!" over and over, like a broken toy.

As Steven Firebird pointed the Punisher Missile Pack to the last Mecha, he scowled at the recording that mocked him. Before the Mecha could repeat its singsong taunt again, he pressed the fire button on his console and the array of missiles destroyed the final Mecha. “Commander? Mission accomplished.” With that, he turned his “Destroyer” Jadoon toward the cliffs, returning to base to access damage and repair.

He had the brooding thought that it still wasn’t over. Something wasn’t right. Something was missing from the hidden eye.


Submitted by Steven Firebird # 960653

Winter's Grasp Weapon Review By Pat Willis#224534

This  niode ice weapon comes equipped as standard weapon load out for the Boreas mecha. The Boreas actually has two equipped. The speed is pretty standard fare for an ice weapon. Seeing as many ice weapons are in the high 90's for a speed rating the 100 is a welcome sight to see. But not the fastest given other weapon classes like the Projectile, and Laser selections often have weapons above the 100 mark.

The built in abilities are pretty slick especially given the 50% freeze. Factor in that the Boreas doesn't have a built in Freeze capability and this weapon provides a much needed boost to its mecha. On the other hand a highly leveled Boreas mecha is capable of +100% ice damage just on mecha build bonuses alone and suddenly this becomes a very nasty weapon indeed. The slow is just there to add a little fun to the mix. Couple it with the right equipment and you could make a nice quick mecha get stuck in the slushy mud. Overall a solid weapon.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

A Dish Best Served... by David McCallum : #701548

... with fava beans and a nice chianti.


I'm reasonably sure that's how the old saying goes. Maybe not.


I'm talking about revenge of course, and I must admit, I may have inadvertently started something.


It started innocently enough.


I was bored.


It's been a while since I've had some down time, and with wars and coal and fat evil red people I hadn't really had  chance to sit back and take stock.


I am currently Tail-end Charlie in our clan, and while I don't do badly, I still need to check to see who I can sensibly attack when the need arises. So I had an idle flick through the pilot rosters to see what my tally was against those around me.


Not too shabby in a few cases, but there have obviously been a lot of folk who have pummeled me quite handily in the past and I'm only now able to start redressing the balance against.


And as you scroll up through the list, you note the ones which are regular rivals. We have a clan-mate nick-named 'Leghumper' who states publicly the need to regularly test against us, but all it feels like is yet another run in with your Granny's terrier...


There's the regular war rivals who have a crooked score... their wins when they test against you during scouting and the corresponding losses when they have been stupid enough to attack you when you've been in a specialist formation. Else it would probably be a sensible nil all draw.


Oh, and other rivals that if you looked at the lopsided tally you would never attack in a month of Sundays, but you will cheerily tilt at them on The Mountain. There's a few of those, and I'm sure you all have your own... the ones where you groan when you suddenly see you are going to have to fight them again and you just know its going to be a hard day at the office. But you love it just the same.


 So I scrolled higher and higher up the roster, idle curiosity compelling me to check to see if there was anyone up amongst the gods that I had scored a victory against, when I happened across a name that I recognised back from when I very first started.


Deborah Roache-Hudak, tally of 609 unanswered victories against me. You have to laugh because that's just an obscene number.


It was then that I remembered a particular in-game tab that I'll be honest, I think I've checked maybe 2 or 3 times ever.


Under 'Battle', you will find the 'Vengeance' option.


Now I'll be honest, I was expecting this to be a list of all those who have beaten you and you have never won against, but it is actually just a list of the people who have beaten you last and you have yet to get around to giving them a good kicking in return.


My list stretches back a long way, and like most folks I would reckon a lot of the entries on there are by folk who have long since retired judging by their level.


But one particular name popped out.


Now I'm reasonably sure we've only faced each other in actual battle once before, and that would have been in a Faction War just after I first joined the staff here. I seem to recall a certain amount of ribbing when a certain person decided he would go 'easy' on me and leave out his 1200 formation for me to try and have a go at.


At least I can claim he needed a a re-spray for his paint job after I'd finished.


I'm talking of course about our esteemed Editor in Chief, Patrick Willis.


Now, I suppose its an unwritten rule that apart from the petty larceny, general snidey comments, bickering, bitching, backstabbing and on one part, occasional bouts of sobriety, we do need to on occasion show that we actually know how to pilot these beasts. Otherwise how are we supposed to be able to give a professional (or coherent) review on things.


So I decided to have a pop, just to see who's opinion should actually hold weight... and admittedly to see if I could do better that to scratch the sott's paintwork.


I might have miffed him a bit, because when I woke up this morning he had counter attacked. That made us 1 for 1 on the exchange. I guess that makes us both reasonably competent when it comes to giving an opinion.


Well, except maybe for the fact that an even exchange between us means that I have to give the old drunkard a 1/4 honour guard and 8 level advantage.


Still, it got him back on the Vengeance list...

Submitted by David McCallum : #701548

Onyx Mech Review by David McCallum : #701548

Right, let's get a few things straight.


The Onyx in my hanger is mine. I have the ownership papers and despite what you say, the ink is not still wet on them. Feel free to prove otherwise, the Legion hasn't been able to.


Yes, as a pilot for the Heroes, I had the chance to run one of these before they came on the open market. Pat and Kenneth can go and sulk all they want because despite how much they whine or attempt to pull (nonexistent) rank, they don't get to play with my toys.


And no, this is not a Galaxy conquering mech... it was never designed to be.


You see, we aren't the richest clan. We don't have the funds of the likes of Zeon or Fusion, nor are we as numerous as the AFF or Dragons. We get by.


To get by, sometimes you need to invest sensibly in mechs that can do as much as possible for as little outlay as you can get away with. We love mechs like the Oggun or the Ammonite that can be configured for any role you need. Just bear that in mind.


When we found out that new mounts were being developed to help in the Heg-Shogun Trade Wars, we had some very definite stipulations, a lot of them defined by the need to "get by".


If you can't afford to buy or equip BFM, you use something a little bit lighter in the hope you can shoot first because those things are slow. 85 Tons is still strong enough to exist in the line of battle and has access to a raft of gear that you will have picked up over the years. 90 tons might well seem better, but it's a royal pain trying to put anti trample defenses on that kind of platform.


Speaking of defense... love a shield. I may have said that before. Better than you get intrinsically on either the Dreadnought or the Torrent. In built trample shielding would have been nice, as would auto repair, but there's only so much you can put on any bare bones chassis. There is an extra hard-point though, making it the heaviest shielded of the 85 ton niode mechs.


Its not going to stop one of the 9 X supercharge shots favoured by the BFMs, but anything less you have a chance of walking away from... or alternatively not being there in the first place, because a good dodge is a good defense. Perhaps not as agile as the other 85 ton niode mechs, it still has an edge with the equipment available to its weight class compared with the big heavy boys.


The best defense of all however is a good fast offence, and our guys were rightly impressed with its speed. Not quite as good as the Dreadnought, the Onyx is at least in the same ballpark with its higher throw weight, and it is miles ahead of the Torrent or any BFM.


You see, we learned a while ago that the way to combat the Great Wall of Torrent, or the later Wall of Boreas was to use something fast and get of the first shot. Hopefully do something to stun them, and just keep hitting until they fall over. You may not kill them all, but you can break the line and the guys behind you can finish the job. We earned a whole of Dreadnoughts from constant silver medals, and they are absolutely brilliant for that job.


The Onyx slots right in there, especially when you take into account it's intrinsic abilities to slow or freeze. Add in the extras with a cockpit suite the same size as the torrent, and you can very easily give this a heck of a lot of (albeit temporary) stopping power. Well, apart from that intrinsic crit kill which can stop anything in its tracks.


Now you're probably under the impression that I'm going to keep going on about how brilliant the Onyx is and simply gloss over any downsides. That's not the way we roll.


Lets start off with that in built stopping power. Intrinsically the over charge capacitors from the engine suite can give you either X3 or X1.5, so a X4.5 overcharge shot is the best you are going to get. I wouldn't guarantee that's going to one shot an undamaged BFM (although it will hurt it..) so you really need to invest some add-ins that will fill in the missing X2 overcharge area.


The other big thing is the lack of dedicated damage to any particular weapon. Now this is both a curse and a blessing.


The downside is that you are going to end up hitting with less power than most other mechs. There's no getting away from that, even if you spend a small fortune on enhancements.


The plus side however is that you aren't shoe-horned into a particular weapon type or to completely discard a huge amount of bonuses by shoehorning the chassis into something it isn't and losing a lot of its power.


I've seen the ice and fire builds that our respective specialists have come up with, and they aren't bad at all. My own preference is along other lines, but to be honest I was really tempted to use it as a true stop gap.


You see, one thing I've noticed. While everyone always keeps up to date with the best weapons they cam, there's always a weapon type that is under used... you just don't have the chassis to fit them on, and you end up with a whole slew of high damage weapons that you have nowhere to place.


Now you do. It's a perfect stop-gap make-do chassis, not quite as good as  specialised type but better than having nothing at all by a long stroke.


Think of it like this. You can have the most amazing meal, a total gastronomic delight. But right at the end, just to completely satisfy you, what you need is a slice of bread and butter to soak up the last of the gravy.


Here's the Onyx, an honest to goodness bread and butter mech.

Submitted by David McCallum : #701548

New Circuit Battle Rules and Rewards by Sgt Ron Frye #879655

Go check out the battle circuits. Chef just put one up and he has changed it up again. Now, if you place Gold, Silver or Bronze, you get prizes in addition to the crystal earned in the battles themselves. Still a major XP fest, but now he has made it far more valuable. Open to players level 10 and up.


Entering a Circuit pays you 10 Crystal on entry.

Winning Circuit Fights pays crystal equal to double the energy spent.

All Circuit Fights (win or lose) pay XP equal to the energy spent.

You gain 1 Niode on after your 5th and your 15th battle (win or lose).

You gain 1 additional Niode after winning 7 battles.

You gain 1 additional Niode after winning 22 battles.

Up to 4 Niodes per Circuit.


To pass someone in rank, you must win more fights than them.
Ties go to whoever got the wins first

If 2 players both have 5 wins, the player who got 5 wins FIRST is ranked higher.

GOLD PRIZE:

Free 2X Upgrade Kit +
90
104
Amnesia Torpedo
COMMON
Amnesia Torpedo
3X Damage 7%
The ultimate in fire-and-forget missile technology. Direct hits are devastating.

SILVER PRIZE:

86
104
Phyrenado
COMMON
Phyrenado
Burn 12%
Uses local airflow to create wind and turns it into a spinning vortex of flame.

BRONZE PRIZE:

81
104
Incinerator
COMMON
Incinerator
Splash 12%
Equipped with a nozzle that sprays boiling oil to damage additional attackers.


....so.....in summary.....10 crystal if you enter.......loads of crystal if you fight, but xp too.....up to four niodes for playing.....a highest end crystal weapon for gold, silver or bronze.....and a x2 upgrade kit for first place.

Also, there is now a divisional level spread, offering us the opportunity to not only test formations against equally powered opponents, but actually paying us for the effort we would be expending on ordinary side battles anyway.

A big improvement. What do you think? Post your input!

Submitted by Sgt Ron Frye #879655

THE 144th CAISSAN LIGHT CAVALRY [RND] Michael Stephen Janus#952521

The RND, amid much chaos, has reemerged on Caissa as one and only one solidified unit. The recommissioned 144th Caissan Light Cavalry, affectionately called "The Home Team", is now fully operational.

Displayed is their new unit patch. The ringed planet is clearly the planet Caissa. The white star within the ring system represents the moon Fischer, and the dark star represents the darker, larger moon Kasparov. Mecha of the 144th in full dress or gaming livery sport a color changing coat that varies from an almost black midnight blue to a much brighter cobalt blue as the Mecha moves. Shoulder pauldrons, arms and legs are lined with broad stripes of matte black that are bordered with white-gold stripes. In the field, Mecha of the 144th typically sport camouflage with a disruptive pattern of pixelated white, off white and ice blue, each of the colors having a different reflective value to mirror the reflections of glare from the ice, snow, glaciers and bright water common to Caissa. This camouflage is the same as that newly used for Caissan Navy aircraft, personnel and ships since 3312.

Tasked primarily with planetary defense and militia training, the 144th is newly working alongside the Caissan Navy, and more closely than any other RND unit has historically. This signals a vastly improved relationship with the planetary government. Mecha pilots are now practicing new methods of combined forces combat involving naval bombardment and island fighting. Mecha are now part of naval beach landing operations on mobile piers. RND trained planetary Mecha can now be seen on the main decks of naval craft acting as missile turrets.

As an independent Mecha unit, the 144th is now operating and refurbishing the original RND cliffside bunkers, and the snow covered training arenas are busy with commanders who are honing their Specialty formations for the next Mecha Galaxy game. Raid coordination and Honor Guard satellite networks are improving, and the 144th is quietly recruiting under old RND standards to forge a new breed of Chessmen.

Whether the RND can repeat past glories is uncertain, but the core practices that created it are being put back into place.

Submitted by Michael Stephen Janus#952521

Ammo Cookoff Weapon Review By Pat Willis#224534

This was a limited edition Niode based laser, which at the time of its release saw 313 released. It then became a prize weapon for CW/raids, then as a weapon reward in KOTM, and finally it was last seen some time ago in the mystery vortex. It was for levels 44 and up, and would have cost you 1,776 Ferrite, 550 Bioptics, and 42 Niodes. Bulk purchasing was also available here with 5 for 168 Niodes. A limit/restriction had been placed here of 13 per customer total. It had a straight damage of 75, a speed of 99, and featured the abilities of Splash at 4%, and burn at 12%.

The straight damage is pretty good, and seeing as this is a Niode laser you would be best served giving it to a mecha who specializes in laser damage. The Bishop, Jadoon, come to mind off the top of my head. Realistically you can couple them with any mecha and achieve results just seeing as it is a laser, laser based mecha are the best way to go. As usual build stats, skill point allocation, and equipment load out will go a long way to determine your damage here. Heck with the burn rating you could even try it on flame based mecha to see what kind of results you can get for damage. A solid buy at the mid tier levels when it was available..

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Merry Christmas from The Galaxy Gathering

Well, since Kenneth is indisposed in a fairy costume at the top of the tree and Patrick is upside down in a drunken stupor claiming to be Godzilla after having cracked open his emergency flask of absinthe, it looks like I'm the only one who can do anything vaguely sensible with a keyboard.

So from our offices, have a stonking good holiday, may you and your families stay safe and get everything you wish for.

Give the fat sod and his minions a good kicking and make sure you shake them down for the last bit of loot you are able to, and we shall see you all on the Fields of Glory in the near future.

Submitted by David McCallum : #701548

Rudy Mech Review by David McCallum : #701548

Well, you have to hand it to old Beardy McPudding-Face, he certainly knows how to turn a perfectly brilliant mech into a turkey.


I mean, look at it!


What are those antlers for? Is somebody trying to compensate for the fact that he has to use a mirror to see his.... boots?


Sum total of antler usefulness, zero. Unless you want to hang your washing on them or try and disguise yourself as a tree.


There must be a good 5 ton of useless metal there. Ten minutes with a hacksaw would give me a usable cruiser mech, but oh no, he'd rather have somewhere to perch a parrot on than listen to me.


Sigh.


But instead of pining over what could have been, lets look at what we actually have.


Now its at this point I would normally list out the sale price. If, however, like me you were sensible, you would have procured one by gathering up some large lumps of the coal that appears to by lying around all over the place these days, popping them into a stocking then applying it vigorously to the skull of the original pilot while he was bent over puking up the eggnog that these clowns seem to use instead of Hatorade.


Suffice to say that you are now the proud owner of a 75 ton Niode mech.


Primarily a fire mech, you do get a bit of missile and laser thrown in, but not enough to be worth it. It should be noted it has a higher damage bonus to fire than both the Inferno and the Gigus, but that could well change when those models eventually get their long overdue upgrade package.


A bit of built in shieldiness, especially for Fork, Trample and Ice makes it a good choice off the bat for rear rank duties. Once you've got it decently upgraded there's also 5 extra hard-points to mount on what you want, and being at that crux point you have access to decent Delta shielding.


Speaking of mounting extra gear it tops out at 6 cockpit and 4 each of chassis and engine.


All in all, I suppose its not the worst mech I've seen. The problem it has is that in the 75 ton arena you already have some of the best mechs in production.


Ammonite, solid as a rock with extra rocks on top.


Sever, nasty icey beasty.


Rook on missiles and Dilophus and Bishop on laser.


Well, at least it fills a gap. And if you are of the level of expertise where you are still using Cindrons and Poryphorus in you line as a matter of necessity to get the best out of your fire weapons and you managed to snag one of these, it's a nice upgrade.


And there's a few choice bits of equipment that are directly transferable... just saying.

Submitted by David McCallum : #701548

Rednose Laser Review By Pat Willis#224534

Looking back through my image files of limited release Niode weapons I happened to find this little holiday gem. So I figured even though we may not be able to purchase them any longer, doesn't mean we can not review them. The image and information are all correct for when the weapon was released but please note it is no longer available (minus coming equipped on one of the Reindeer mecha this CW.)

Well lets look at the weapon available below it. This is a level 50 and above weapon so the next niode laser weapon down would be the Flavian Spear, available at level 45. Which has a damage of 70, a speed of 100 and a crit kill ability of 15%. The Rednose laser burys both the speed and damage, adds another ability by giving you Precision perks, and gaining a 14% 2x damage rating, so you only lose 1% of an ability.

The one up from that is the Black Widow Laser, it's available at level 57. It sports 85 Damage, 101 speed and the ability of Crit kill at 17%. Again the Rednose laser comes out on top in both speed and damage. and again the weapon abilities are a slight trade off in percentage, to gain a mecha perk when firing this weapon.

As always your skill point allotment, mecha build stats, and equipment load out will play a huge factor in how this weapon handles for you. But just doing a straight up stat comparison this looks to be the superior laser when compared to both the niode lasers available in levels beneath and above it. It is a limited release weapon to coincide with the holidays, so if you are going to get one I'd suggest doing it now.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Jurassic Thunder Weapon Review By Pat Willis#224534

Currently these wicked missile systems are only available on the Apatotron mecha, as a weapon system for a 100 ton mecha they need to be bad assed to be standard equipment. These do not disappoint. They sport a Speed of 90, a Damage of 126, and have Wide Fork of 20%, as well as freeze of 51%.

Now as folks know I am not a fan of the new big mecha, or more to the point not a fan of the less than stellar equipment available for them at the time they were released. However the weapons they have on them can be pretty devastating if used on other mecha. For instance I have 4 of these I swap back and forth between my missile boat mechas like the Anubis, or mechas I have modified for missile usage like Frozen Dream my Frigis. In the case of Frozen Dream he utilizes multiple Hawkeye M.M. Targeting systems in his cockpit slots which allow for +7% missile damage. Spread that across 4 cockpit slots and my Frigis winds up with a small +28% bonus to missile damage.

Not much, but more than enough to cause a mess when things like its inbuilt  x3, x2, crit-kill, or fork ability go off . Seeing as we're already dealing with a high damage weapon the modifiers going off are just really icing on the cake. No they aren't the fastest missile system out there. the Sniper Rack, Arbalest, and Metal Mamba all have speeds at 100.  But for damage and abilities I would say it has competition in the Arbalest missile system. Which does 125 damage, the previously discussed speed of 100, and the abilities of Fork at 84% and Splash at 12%. All in all a hell of a weapon and if you find your Apatotron not being of much use aside from soaking up enemy fire, well why not go ahead and part the weapons out to mechas who can use them and their equipment effectively?












Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Lizard Brain Weapon Review By Pat Willis#224534

Today we'll be looking at a nasty Niode fire weapon available to levels 67 and up. All prices in the image are current, and there are no more sales going on for weapons. As usual we'll be comparing this weapon to what is available beneath it, and above it level wise.

So lets jump right in with the Kojin Stove, the niode fire weapon available to pilots level 59 and up. It sports 85 straight damage, has a speed of 105, and has weapon abilities of Burn at 33%, as well as Splash of 5%.

Well the Brain here has 95 straight damage so a win there, looses out by a point in speed, but has  higher Burn and Splash percentages. So the Lizard Brain is definitely an upgrade from the Stove.

Above the Brain available at level 76 we have the niode fire weapon the Hephaistos. This weapon does 105 Straight damage, has a speed of 104, and abilities of Burn at 38%, and Splash at 11%.

Needless to say the Hephaistos is indeed an upgrade from the Brain as it sports more straight damage, the same speed, and the abilities of the weapon just seem to go up in percentages as they go up in piloting level. So the end result is that the Lizard Brain is exactly where it should be between these two offerings of fire, and a worthy addition to any fire based arsenal.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Khron Weapon Review By Pat Willis#224534

Please note this picture was taken during a 15% off sale, and is not reflective of current prices.

We have a genuine Niode ice weapon of awesomeness available to levels 87 and up. As usual we will be determining the weapons usefulness by comparing it to the similar weapons beneath and above it in level.

So how does it stack up? Well beneath it at level 80 is the Sikuliaq niode ice weapon which deals out 105 damage,has a speed of 99, and has two weapon abilities. Freeze at 35%, and Slow at (6). So the Khron is a nice step up, and worth the upgrade as it has better damage, the same speed, and  better abilities by 5%, and 1 point.

Going up to the next Niode ice weapon we have the Boreas main weapon the Winter's Grasp sitting at level 101. It has 125 damage, 100 speed, and Freeze of 50%, as well as Slow of (9). The Khron is soundly beaten across all areas by this upgrade.

So what we have here is a higher mid range weapon that sits comfortably between its  lower, and higher counterparts, just as it should. It isn't overpowered, or under-powered . It does exactly as advertised and on the right mecha probably a bit more.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

In Depth Equipment Round Table By The Galaxy Gathering Editorial Staff

This week's topic for the round table discussion is a follow up discussion to the arguments surrounding the issues of penalties to weapons, gear, equipment and mechs. How do you feel about the concept of balancing the game and reflecting the size and power of higher tonnage mechs and gear by increasing the amount of slots that heavier gear takes up? For example: A 50 ton engine takes up one slot, but a 100 ton capacity engine would take up two slots *twice the power, twice the size, twice the amount of space required*. The floor is now open to questions, responses, and commentary.

(the beer is in the ice cooler to the left of the snack table and the hard liquor is in the cabinet under the bar)

Ken -  I'm all for common sense penalties with gear and weapons as , well... they make sense. Examples being flying gear being susceptible to missiles, freeze gear being susceptible to projectiles, etc. I even agree with niode gear and weapons having a significant advantage over it's crystal counterparts.

What I find highly annoying (I believe I used the phrased "Pissed Off About") is limitation on the numbers of certain weapons that you can obtain. Do you have a full line of Fexts? Well unless you dump a shit tone of $$ into niodes, you'll be using lasers 40 levels below you to compensate for the numbers. Have 5 Ignis? Which is even more plausible since it's been a prize for so long? Same thing. You end up filling weapon slots with weaksauce flame-spitters. Unless a factory was taken out due to sabotage or incursions, putting a limit on the number of weapons manufactured is just idiotic.

Ron - Limitations on weapons is a raw topic for all of us....the previous round table on that one left us all with a bad taste in our mouths....I'm with you....if there are going to be any limitations on weapons there needs to be a sound and solid reason for it.....but, what I am asking in this discussion is should heavier gear require more slots than lighter gear

Ken - In a way, I feel the limitations are built in. An engine for a light mech will give you +25 speed while the comparable engine for a 100 tonner gives you +5. Why? Size.

Processors for light mechs will give you a +4 or +6 precision while processors for larger mechs go up over +10. Why? More room for processing chips.

Now at the same time, I do see inconsistencies to this formula. mech cockpits over 80 tons seem to suffer in the precision department as opposed to getting better. Why...

Without going back through, several pieces of gear exclusively made for 100 tonners suffers as opposed to the 80-95 ton gear range, when it had been doing nothing but improve up to that point.
This is an inconsistency that makes no sense. It's like we're being punished for fielding larger mechs.

Pat -  Bigger equipment pieces to take up more slots and deliver more actual stat mods as opposed to the crap show we have now hell yes I'm all for it. Limits to me make no sense as I said in the last convo if you can afford it you should be able to buy it. Now if said item is on sale in the mystery vortex you have a chance at getting it so technically it is still available beyond the limits listed in the shop. But that is a one in however many chance. I want an option past the shop, past the pirate controlled vortex, gimme....a junk dealer! Yeah a junk dealer don't you see? Then we can go over the limits listed and the parts make sense to be vulnerable or take negatives to stats because they are refurbished parts.

Also we need to know basic stat limits of mechas . Okay for instance does the formula for mecha speed have a top number the rng just doesn't go above? What is it? What is the upper limit for things like Precision? Where is the line for dodge?

See that is what makes this game so frustrating, we have an idea of what we want the mecha to do in game and how it should look stat wise. But unless you seriously crunch the numbers and get all spread sheet with it no real explanation has been offered up. For instance.... Okay what does dodge do? It allows you to avoid incoming fire. But how? your number has to beat theirs and throw in some random luck with the rng. Okay well how do we build those numbers up, what effects what, where are the numerical cut offs and what past that is a waste of resources? Cause by rights I have a 129 Precision rating on my fave Boreas, and he hits maybe 50% of the time. I want to understand in game rules why he is missing, what I can do to correct this and how to pad for future fights. See that is a problem I'm level 117 been playing for over two years and still have very simple basic rules questions. Imagine what it is like for a newbie?

Ron -  Now that opens up an entirely new possibility Patrick....used and refurbished parts.....bonuses and penalties based on the quality of the item in question....examples: poor, standard, above standard, premium.....giving mod.s of -5, 0, +5 and +10 to the speed bonuses on an engine.

David - I'm just making sure I have the topic right in my mind... would you be wanting to fit a 100 ton piece into a 50 ton chassis, on the understanding it will take 2 slots on the 50 instead of 1 on the 100?

Because to me, you already have larger 'sized' slots on bigger mechs, that's why they can take gear in the larger tonnage range.

Besides, bigger mechs have more slots anyway, so as an example, to get +10 speed, a 100 tonner has to use 2 x kinetic converters at +5 each vs a single Max Torque in a 75 ton.

Ron - True.......but if that is the case, then why does a 100 ton mech use one slot to equip an engine that is geared for 90 to 100 tonnage and also uses the same entire slot for an engine that is geared for mechs 50 to 95 tons? Seems to me you could fit two of those smaller engines in a space that large....or vice versa.

From there the discussion devolved into a comparison of mecha schematics and builds mixed with copious amounts of alcohol. Tune in next time....

Submitted by Ron Frye#879655, Kenneth Hicks#846092, David McCallum#701548, Pat Willis#224534

Kanabo Weapon Review By Pat Willis#224534

This monster weapon is a slug thrower for levels 113 and up. It costs 2,600 Ferrite, 900 Bioptics and 58 Niodes. It has a limit of 70, and a bulk option to buy 5 for 232 niodes. It does 125 straight damage, has 105 speed and does 3x damage at 30%, with Trample at 6% for abilities.

By way of comparison the Chronysis Rail is available at level 92, does 115 straight damage, has a speed of 107, and  packs same x3 at 30%, but has Precision of 9 as opposed to Trample of 6%. So the Kanabo packs more punch, at a slightly slower speed with a bit extra on the back end for abilities. Recommended for solid artillery heavy mechas to get all the bonuses you can out of it.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Revenge of the Fat Jolly Git by David McCallum : #701548

One of these days, we will actually finish off an enemy bent on Galactic domination.


It really is bad form the way we just give them a good kicking, then they slink away only to come and annoy us at the most inopportune moment.


Still, its not as if we were hoping for a holiday or anything like that. Just because we've set the Unification forces in retreat, doesn't mean we aren't ready to leap reindeer like to everyone's defence... again.


Yes, it's around that time when old 'Red 'n' Tubby is showing his fluffy face... I wonder what he's after this time, apart from making himself a right royal pain in the posterior?


Still, the Military is on to it, and any pilot who wants a head start in getting to a readiness state can partake of some wargames to see how they are going to fare.


General Nova’s EVIL SANTA XMAS CHALLENGE

Evil Santa and his minions have recently been sighted in several locations around the galaxy. Pilots in the area have reported hearing strange songs playing over the comms and galactic authorities are investigating these tunes to see if they contain any malicious system viruses, but have so far found them to be benign. 

Many pilots believe that it is likely that Evil Santa will attempt another conquest of our galaxy soon. Evil Santa has a history of causing trouble wherever he goes. 

During Evil Santa's last attempt, Gen. Nova managed to get his hands on a few of the mecha left behind. He has decided to host a Xmas Challenge to assist the Mercenary Clans with preparations to fight Evil Santa.

All pilots now have a chance to test their strength against a few of the mecha Evil Santa is known to use. To take advantage of this opportunity, deploy a single line of your best mecha against Evil Santa’s mechs. For an extra challenge, use less than your maximum tonnage and prove that you are an elite warrior.

Single Line Lowest Tonnage:

Level 32-61
Level 62-99
Level 100-129
Level 130-158
Level 159-199
Level 200+

Single Line Lowest Level:
Level 32-61
Level 62-99
Level 100-129
Level 130-158
Level 159-199
Level 200+

Lowest Level (Up to 350 tons) Level 1-31
Lowest Tonnage (Unlimited Formation) Level 1-31

RULES TO PARTICIPATE: Attack General Nova and then copy the permalink from your battle feed for the battle that you want to submit. All pilots level 32 and above must use a single line of mecha to attack. Please note that the single line may be any line in your base, as long as all your mecha are in one (vertical) line. It does NOT have to be your front line. 

General Nova will accept only one (1) entry per player. Your entry will be considered in BOTH categories (Lowest Level and Lowest Tonnage) for your level group listed above.

Please be sure that your entry is the one you want to use before you submit it to General Nova. If multiple entries are sent in, only the first will be counted. Spamming General Nova may be considered grounds for disqualification.

This event will run from server reset (00:00) on 12/10 to the end of the day on 12/12 (23:59). 

TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY: Message General Nova through his profile (using in-game mail) and include the permalink for your submission in the message. Please state your level at the time of the battle in the message subject line.

PRIZES: The Lowest Level pilot and Lowest Tonnage formation in each grouping to defeat the challenge will be named the winner for that group and will receive the prize listed. Only one prize will be awarded per player.
In the case of a tie, the entry submitted first will win. A higher mech count will also be used as a tie breaker (Ex: 4 Ogguns will win against 2 Reapers.) 


Winners will receive a free weapon: 
Level 32-61 (H. Blast Plate)
Level 62-99 (Glace)
Level 100-129 (Silencer)
Level 130-158 (Sniper Rack)
Level 159-199 (Phyrenado)
Level 200+ (Leviathan)
Lowest Level (Up to 350 tons) Level 1-31 (Res Laser)
Lowest Tonnage (Unlimited) Level 1-31 (Ol' Willie Pete)


So, we may as well start getting into the spirit of mass destruction (either by firepower or alcohol)... looks like us pilots have another grind ahead of us.
Submitted by David McCallum : #701548

Breaking the Fourth Wall by David McCallum : #701548

Here's a few questions for you.


Is Patrick:

A) A drunken sot / slave-driver with delusions of greatness or

B) A guy who likes sci-fi, big mechs, monsters and is dealing with a job that has cruddy hours that he quite enjoys?


Is Kenneth:

A) Easily conned into doing the menial and degrading jobs around the office or

B) A Gamer with a new job he is seriously enjoying but is taking up a heck of a lot of his time which his rather large ginger cat is going to make him pay for in the only way that cats can?


Am I:

A) Heck, just generally awesome in all respects.

B) See above.


In game, your answers should have been all A's. However real life, it is of course B's.


Except question 3... A would have been acceptable for that one in either case.


The thing that gets me about this community is that when it comes to communicating, we swap between 'in character' and 'breaking the fourth wall' with consummate ease. I respect that in a community that enjoys its escapism, but is well grounded enough to step out into real life to deal with actual issues.


Heck, we could be playing 'World of Warcraft', then things would be going seriously psycho. Talk about not being in touch with reality.


One of the best examples are the dev team.


If you think about it, especially over the course of this year, they have constantly churned out new material... not just game tweaks and page layout enhancements (think about the moving of the $$$ buffs away from the lottery button enhancement) but new story lines, solo play mission zones and the temporary mission pages that you can earn Niodes for spotting first.


The creative work behind that must be intensive and somewhat draining. And immersive, because each and every piece must be 'in universe' and 'in character'.


And yet if there is a game mechanic query or bug report, the wall is shattered and it gets attended to.


And you know what?


The odd flame war aside, its not just the devs that do it. We all do.


Just an observation from a pilot who has been out on patrol for 4 days straight and is seriously looking forward to his own bed sometime within the next 24 hours...

Submitted by David McCallum : #701548

We Need Your Submissions By Pat Willis#224534

Hello folks, yes I know I've covered this issue before in no small detail. However the fact remains this is a player fueled and run site. As such we need more players chiming in. A lot of you say well I'm not that great a writer. You don't have to be.

Look writing is pretty simple write how you would talk. So you can't think up a story line for pilot stories. No problem do a review. Probably the simplest thing we have on this site are the reviews. Start off with I like this, or dislike this weapon/equipment piece/mecha because.... and insert your reasons. Before you know it you can have a decent length review written up and ready to submit. We just ask you keep the language PG-13 as this is a more open audience.

Clan lore is another good one. There are many well put together, and groomed clans out there. We want to know more about you all!! Get some clan lore together. What are your rules, do you have them at all? How do you operate, what faction do you support? Who is in charge, who are the grunts, any legendary pilots in your ranks? What is your clans back story, how did you all come together? Memorable battles, wars, raids, or KOTM? Any logos to go with it all?(that last one try to keep it as original and non copy write protected as possible.) Got any rival players, or clans that are a thorn in your clans side?

As if I have to mention it we of course pay out niodes for submissions. Unless all you want to do is hear myself and my editorial staff ramble on day in and day out, or see us have to close up shop for good we need your submissions. Writing isn't too hard, writing an opinion is even easier. Try it, send it to us, lets us be the judge.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Typhoon Clan Logo By Germán Jaramillo Pulido#685605

Submitted by Germán Jaramillo Pulido#685605

Leviathan Clan Logo By Germán Jaramillo Pulido#685605

 Submitted by Germán Jaramillo Pulido#685605

Fafnir Clan Logo By Germán Jaramillo Pulido#685605

Submitted by Germán Jaramillo Pulido#685605

Tiamat Clan Logo By Germán Jaramillo Pulido#685605

Submitted by Germán Jaramillo Pulido#685605

Square Flame Weapon Review By Pat Willis#224534

Damage-30

Speed-103

2x damage 2%

3x Damage 2%

One of the corner stones of any effective flame based arsenal. This weapon is fairly fast firing and for its level the damage is actually pretty good. The bonuses included in their abilities of course can be further augmented by equipment and specific mech types.

It is a solid performing weapon and can be relied on with no worry. The selling point on this one is all speed though for a flame weapon it is very fast (flame weapons like the diablis nozzle and rupture shot clock in at 105 speeds by way of comparison.) So you really can’t argue with a quick shooter.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Tradition and Superstition by David McCallum : #701548

We compete. We play games.


Ergo, we are superstitious.


It may be little things.


A mech you can't go into battle without.


Hitting a different mission after you get a duff one like 'Blank Stare' or 'Nothing to Report' so it instantly breaks the bad run before it starts.


Not attacking the same player twice in a row in case luck swings the completely opposite way.


And it's infectious as well with people feeding off each other.


I started one myself.


I normally fight as a specialist, so much so that before this war, I can't actually recall the last time I wasn't one.


We don't like getting caught out of formation, so a reminder is normally sent over clan chat. Most of the guys respond to confirm they have seen it and are all set. Sometimes they confirm before the call goes out.


My confirmation is 'cruisers on the field', due to the spec type I normally use. It seemed funny not to be declaring that this war... almost setting my teeth on edge.


And then one of the other guys declared he had set his spec, somebody who normally uses a weight class a little higher than mine.


'Heavy cruisers on the field' was the call.


The raccoons were not my fault. A clan mate had one as his profile picture eer since I joined, and his luck in raids was obscene. Then he changed the picture and his loot dwindled to nothing. We suggested he put it back, the loot arrived again.


Now my raid luck was not abysmal, but it was below average. I changed my profile pick to a raccoon, and I had a run of loot luck that was so far into the top of the bell curve that I lost sight of it.


Suddenly we were overrun with raccoon profile pics.


We formed a new clan at the bottom end, the Raccoon Rangers.


The clan chief stayed diplomatically silent on the matter. The 2IC was far more vocal and either dismissive or mildly annoyed at the frivolity of the situation.


It must have been maybe... 20 minutes? before that particular war started that we got notification that 'somebody' had changed their profile picture. The catcalls on clan chat were intense to say the least.


Under the circumstances, trying to use the reason of 'It can't hurt' doesn't cut the mustard with our lot.


And there must be more out there. Weird, wonderful, just downright strange or 'in jokes' that need to be explained.


Come on folks, fess up. Note them below and we'll even pay for them.



Submitted by David McCallum : #701548

To Our Readers By Pat Willis#224534

Hello one and all,

I am writing this to simply have a heart to heart no BS talk with each and every one of you. You see this site is maintained by less than a handful of people. David, Kenneth,and myself. Joel and Ron are consultants and occasional contributors but are no longer full time staff. As a result we are all subject to different time zones, availability, and even free time.

This leads to us trying to put out content for you, with trying to maintain a 2 post per day minimum (now down to just the A.M. post.) not an easy task. Yes there are weapons galore in the game, as well as a variety of equipment to cover.

 However we're more than just a tech manual. And to be honest while quick and easy to write up such reviews may be, they can become tiresome to turn out day after day. We have other options available to write up as is evidenced by our site navigation bar, but we would rather the bulk of that stuff come from you the readers.

We want to know your pilot stories, actual in game events, or made up sorties, we want to know your preferred mecha, reviews on it, hell share a build. By the stars especially if you think you'll be retiring from the game share your builds! Pass the knowledge on rather than leaving newbies and up and comers grasping in the dark. Got a commentary? Toss us an editorial, but please try to keep it this side of civil.

In a nutshell there is only so much we can do as small group of editors and advisors/contributors. We need you, we need your submissions. We need your clan lore and logos, your news, hell even bragging rights, or issuing challenges. We need that to stay here as a network for mecha galaxy. Otherwise we simply will run out of things to print or publish and all you'll be left with once again is A.N.N.

I was hoping that won't be the case as so many seemed keen on having an alternative network to run in competition to A.N.N. from the get go. And lets face it no disrespect or offense meant to them but, they carry a bias and always kind of have. ( I used to work for them I know.) But think of it you kind of have to to get your stuff implemented as they do in game. They are very  much THE Mecha Galaxy news. Why? because about 60% of the time they are making it and are able to keep in touch with the devs. All well and good.

Us? Never claimed to be THE news of anything. I may have an ego but I am not that egotistical. My sights were lower, more humble if you will. I just wanted to be the voice of the players. Make sure every one and every side was being heard. Not ram new rules and events down your throats with continuous stories and endless bombardment on the game page. We just have always wanted everyone to be heard in as calm and relaxing manner as possible. For a war game where everyone is against everyone else this is about an neutral and unbiased as it gets.

As I said however we can not maintain this indefinitely on our own, we need you ladies and gentlemen. Otherwise to be honest this will just have been a brief experiment in free press. So please consider what I have said here, look at your own, as well as your clans exploits and give us a transmission. We pay, we have solid views per day, so I know this will be read, so you have nothing to loose with us. Nothing more than you would in submitting to the other guys, and risk perhaps having it omitted due to conflict with the "official" narrative. Think about it, I'll keep this running as long as I can. Without submissions however closing shop is inevitable.

Happy hunting one and all,

Pat Willis#224534

Fraction Wars Interview with Colin Toenjes #650451

It is my lot in life to be yelled at.

If it isn't Pat, it is my clan leaders who, for reasons known only to themselves, refer to me not by my given name but as 'Number One Suspect'.

The fact that I am completely innocent in all cases is a given, but it doesn't stop them trying.

Except on this one occasion, when I managed to find my current C.O. in a far more talkative and less voluble mood, and we actually managed to have a decent chat.

GG> So, change in format and you ended up with a command position this time. To start off with, what are your thoughts on the format itself?


CT> I actually liked the smaller group format.

It left less room for error, true, but we saw a lot of closer fights.  less true blowouts.
made it more exciting in many ways.


GG> It's funny how peoples perceptions are different... it seemed as if it was pretty much a foregone conclusion if it was pay players vs free players and only a chance of being close if you were both in the same bracket. No chance for upsets... very formulaic.


CT> Well, I'm not a big-pay player, neither is anyone who was in my group this go-around, and we did OK, coming home with a silver.  You're going to have a disparity between the groups with long-term success or big wallets and the other groups in almost any of the war formats.

Mecha Galaxy is at such a level of maturity now that you've got tiers that have evolved because of the disparity of prizes over the long term of the game.  Success truly does breed success in this game.
It can be overcome with hard work, but that curve gets steeper with each war.


GG> OK then, so how was it more exciting, given the stated disadvantage your group would have started out with?


CT> We had a better chance of being competitive with the smaller versions of the top tier clans.  Even in those clans there is a spectrum of abilities,  and when you find someone in that group who you can beat, those wins can become important if you can string enough of them together.  It gives you more of a fighting chance.  In a 9 versus 9 match-up, those top tier clans can "conceal" those weaker players and having a bigger preponderance of players who are ton for ton stronger than you, those weaker players giving up a few losses doesn't matter as much.  But int this format,  those losses or a mistake like being out of formation can turn the tide of a smaller battle and surprises can occur.

I know we saw that in some of the other fights in the Heroes family, in one case where a fight was determined because we caught someone out of formation just long enough to earn 2 wins, 2 wins that made a difference.  And those kinds of close fights happened in a number of divisions, which made it exciting overall.

I'd bet we see a lower payout on the niode bets when they are resolved because of that uncertainty and closeness of combat levels.


GG> Ah, now you mentioned the close matches... we are currently sitting watching 3 fights in overtime that won't be resolved by the time this goes to publication.

Care to place any last minute predictions on those fights?



CT> Let me take a look at the contenders...

Division 7, I'd expect Death's Dealers to win out over the Brotherhood.


GG> Hah, Pat's fighting in that one, so I'd expect the big editorial crayon to be brought out on that comment.


CT> Defenders of Bunny and Phoenix in Division 7 looks to be going to the little carrot munchers.

which is the division 14 fight?


GG> 110th vs Death's Acolytes.


CT> I think the 110th will prevail there.


GG> Time will tell I guess.

Now, going back to an earlier comment you made about catching folks out of formation...
apart from that one instance, do you think that specialists actually played a huge part in this war at all?


CT> Yes I think they did.  With the small formation sizes, having a good spec could prevent attacks to your formation, where having a bad spec could open you up more.

I saw that happen in at least one of our Heroes family fights, the one with my son in it.  Our spec didn't get attacked at all, where their spec was easily attacked by all of us.  It made the difference there.

It was a case of Proper Planning Preventing Poor Performance.


GG> Pretty postive you missed a P there...


CT> Keeping it clean.


GG> No probs... although you obviously aren't privy to our staff meetings.

The way its coming across, it almost seems as if you are quite a fan of this smaller format?

Or is it just a case where a change was as good as a rest?


CT> It's a nice change.

Do I want it to be permanent?  I could adapt to it.

Different strategies, new ideas.


GG> OK then, I guess it begs the question of what other 'one off' changes do you think would be viable?


CT> I wouldn't mind seeing the return of the Mechalympix format, as long as it was shorter.

I'd love to see some way to do a tournament where it was based more on a combination of the individual skills in a Clan rather than PvP combat.   If the wave challenge could be made to somehow work better, having each member of a clan run through that and aggregating the results across the clan would be a fun challenge.

perhaps a competition to see how fast a clan could complete a raid-style event.
only the normal limit on stim packs, no buying of energy or video refills.


GG> I was just thinking of a raid style with progressively harder waves... 3 duck eggs and you're out,
medals determined on total kills


CT> Possible. I don't mind seeing things being shaken up. It adds a new level of complexity.


GG> There definitely seems to be two camps on that... the ones who relish change and the ones who just want it static because having to re-arrange every war is a pain.


CT> That's just human nature in a lot of ways.  Some prefer being progressive, others are more conservative or reactionary.


GG> One final question before we wrap up.

How are you feeling that the story-line has progressed and integrated with the game over the course of this year?


CT> I think it's been better.  We're seeing more story being fleshed out across the bones that were already there.  If I may, I see quite an analogy to another mech centric game I enjoy in Battletech.

It started out as a beer-and-pretzels big-stompy robots game with some framework of fluff and then grew and built story around that.  I see something similar happening here.


GG> Yeah, love a story myself, and its certainly good to see so many clans getting the chance to become a part of the in game lore., especially the ones who maybe aren't as outspoken as some of us.

Anyway, I'll leave you alone now.. good to actually have a professional chat rather than just get yelled at.


I covered my ears at that point and beat a hasty exit...

Submitted by David McCallum : #701548