Post Round 1 Interview Zeon

Ladies, Gentlemen and Galaxy wild ones; We're here in one of Novum's more delectable drinking haunts bringing you a post-round 1 clan wars interview. I'm Steve Ross# 162076 and with me I have Rick Hoffer#182594 of ZEON fame. Rick, thanks for your time today. How's things with you?

Rick Hoffer - Great mate thanks for the time

Steve Ross - No worries. Well, the divisions were announced and I think there was an air of trepidation with some of the opponents many clans were facing. How did you feel seeing such heavy competition in your division?

Rick Hoffer - Ya I was a little concerned but truth be told it has been like this for the last 3 Clan Wars we have been coming in under the radar but it has worked well for us for have to see defeat  against some great Mech pilots and groups.

Steve Ross - Good response. I for one felt a small knot in my stomach with the heavies in our div. Now, your first round was drawn against the BlackWatch branch of the Northwind Brotherhood. These guys have some serious renown and brought some very heavy hitters to bear against ZEON. Did you really expect a win, and moreso such a weighty one at that?

Rick Hoffer - Well as far the battle went I believe we stood a good chance but did not expect the numbers we posted..But all said done people will take notice we fight together and fight smart Mech pilots take heed we are disciplined make and leave all on battlefield in the midst of the chaos we are Zeon and a team in every sense of the word.

Steve Ross - 'Team' is fast becoming the apparent strong point of the ZEON camp. You guys appear to throw out surprises with every encounter and it is producing some outstanding results. I spoke with your clan leader T.J. just before the wars kicked off and quizzed him about the fact that ZEON has pulled in a lot of new talent of late. As one of the lower levels in the clan, do you think the new gear are slotting in nicely or would you suggest any hints of discord with the integration of fresh guns so close to these wars?

Rick Hoffer - Well I must say with the new guns in Zeon have fit in very well with us but even with some great Mech pilots that have joined its not just the skill on the battlefield they have been a great fit to the Clan in every sense of the word Mech pilots would need to see our logs we have Veterans with the New blood and looking outside you would be able to discern who they  are by the way we are together as Pilots in and out of the battlefield.

Steve Ross - Seeing the silver lining in the darkest cloud. Fantastic response to a situation that can, in many cases, cause concern. Well said Sir. Now, coming a bit closer to home and personal, how have you found prepping your own mecha and troops for such a monumental division hike? Have you had to majorly re-think a lot of what you, as an individual, do? or, being a regular specialist of your clan, do you find such preparations something of a formality? Your views on the 'specialist effects' as one yourself could really help the junior combatants coming up the ranks.

Rick Hoffer - Ok  so here is the question I have been waiting for in the last few wars my numbers have not been that high offensively as i face off against Mech pilots well above my level but my defensive wins due to the specialists class have been staggering.Tuning my Mechs to squeeze every inch of defensive and fire-power to maximise my combat is challenging but the Tactical side cant be left no your opponent watch the loggs if there heavy on laser power stack your mechs to compensate and ect ect  not mention the blazing Bagpipes screaming thru my Mechs sound system may throw them off a wee bit too lol

Steve Ross - Hahahaha! Brave Heart meets Gundam. Spoken like a real class act Rick. Love it. I'm sure the fans will appreciate every syllable there. I'd like if I may to touch a slightly raw and ongoing nerve with the competition now; There have been the usual post fight mutterings that the cash is dominant. ZEON is very clearly a high cash clan with some serious top end tech in their arsenal. Do you believe that money guarantees the victories. Is it so valid an argument that the richer fighters are quids in?

Rick Hoffer - Ya I look at  it this way some spend some don't were not the Donald Trumps of the Mecha Galaxy's thats for sure lol but money does not mean  victories you need to have the right set-ups I look at some of the real spenders out there from all groups and you no what I say thanks for you spent the money to find out works while it cost me less to see my Mechs far better at the less cost and at the end of the day it does not matter what u spend or how many players u stack or sheer numbers Its how you Fight as group is all that counts You can have the best weapons the best gear but if your not fighting side by side with your mates it amounts nothing does it not???

Steve Ross - A view I do share myself. If you can work a low cost squad well, and have the best support possible from your clan then the less expensive gear can knock out all cash no brains over and over. Totally agree.One final question before we wrap this up then; Do you have any personal predictions for the remainder of your division and what pearls of wisdom can you give us for the rising stars seeking to make it big in the Galaxy?

Rick Hoffer - Aye laddie pay close attention Zeon is on the rise and while we move up in Division are records speak for themselves for we do lose but we do win alot more and better yet when you see that Kilt wearing pilot  storming the battlefield take heed he will leave it all on the battlefield like the great Warrior Poets of old for it will not be for the thrill of Victory bit in the battle it self...  Mark well you will see Zeon soon.

Steve Ross - Philosopher, Pilot, Romanticist and Death Dealer. Ladies and Gents I give you a very good friend and long time colleague. Rick, thank you greatly for your time, patience and honesty. See you in the Mess for a few cold ones. Take care Rick.

Rick Hoffer - Aye lad it has been a pleasure mate for sure your buying the drinks btw lol.

Submitted by Steve Ross#162076 and Rick Hoffer#182594

The New Boss Fights Are A Joke

I just got done wrapping up Cogwerk Port, and the Dark Hawk Boss fight and let me tell you it was ridiculous. Nerios, Troopers, Imechs, Anzus, and WarHorses with the HP ranging from two and a half thousand to a little over nine and a half thousand. That isn't including the final boss fight which consisted of Luisons, Namtars, Megazomes, and a Sever with HP ranging in ten thousands to the Boss himself in a mecha that had twenty three thousand HP. Now all that in and of itself okay fine it is supposed to be a boss fight after all, you have to expect a certain advancement of difficulty.

What I did not expect was the majority of those low to mid grade troops having insanely high dodges, they hit just about every time or the fact that when they weren't blowing me up that majority of the fights actually timed out. In what world does a Nerio take down Torrents, Ignis, Dreadnoughts,and Regis mecha with consistency? Granted they poke you for minimal damage 18-20 something but every fifth poke like that will be a crit-kill, so you watch your finely groomed and tuned troops get destroyed by sub-par forces. Never mind you also have crit-kill weapons, your precision is in the high 70s or above, you just will not hit them, but be assured they will hit you and they will crit-kill you no matter how you are set up. If you do manage to make it through that, then you will most likely time out, and have to re-enter the fight to finish them off.

Now I know the game is skewed towards niode gear for advantages so I equipped accordingly. Most of my troops being niode mecha with niode weapon load outs and equipment to some degree. At worst half niode and half crystal, at best full niode everything on niode mecha. That got me the timing out fights.  Seriously? I go in packing the stuff that clearly is designed to give an advantage and I get to time out the fight? Now there has been discussion upon discussion of this on the players page, and people were told this whole thing will be looked at and readdressed at some point in January. Which is fine, but that does little to nothing now for the people trying to slug their way through this mess. I am a level 92, on the second mission zone, and  I had a hell of a time getting through this. Can you imagine what the higher zones are like for players who are lower leveled or even higher level who have slaughtered these mini bosses multiple times? It's got to be a nightmare.

Even though the difficulty has jumped tremendously on these bosses/mini-bosses the rewards and pay outs still are pretty crappy. It is still low level  gear that at best is sold off for niodes at a much reduced price. If you are going to augment the difficulty to such a degree at least make the pay outs worth while according to level, or the ridiculous jump in difficulty.  As is right now the missions are not really worth doing, at best you get higher and higher fights for minimal niodes, at worst you get a headache trying to kill bosses who are very obviously skewed towards making you time out, if not set to straight up obliterate you, with you landing only a handful of shots at best before they crit-kill you. That kind of fight for minimal rewards we are used to seeing in after CW raids, dare I say it almost expected and pretty well known. But for mission bosses, gimme a break. Oh but hey, they added a new background to Cogwerk for the fights so at least you can look at something new as frustration mounts.

Suggested fixes have been cap the mini-bosses/bosses at a certain point, increase the pay out according to difficulty/level, make drop rates higher according to level/difficulty, turn the fights back to how they were and go about your day, or just stop doing the missions after a certain point. We shall see if anything gets taken into consideration or how "fixed" this gets in January.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Advanced Alloys Equipment Review

A crystal piece of chassis equipment for higher tonnage mechs (Min tons of 80 to Max tons of 95). It will cost you 1,832 Ferrite, 431 Bioptics, and 53 Crystals. It provides Dodge of (4), Laser Shield at 5%, Ice Vulnerable of 5%, and Speed of +4. It's a pretty cheap piece of chassis equipment for the heavier ton machines, also the additional speed boost is nice, as we all know heavier mecha don't move too fast.

The ice vulnerability is negligible given the shielding available. The dodge isn't much but combined with other equipment pieces it could develop into something worth while. The Laser shield is nice but not very high, then again this is crystal equipment so you really can't expect much. Really the only decent bonus to this is the speed the rest is just kind of there and either requires further boosting from other equipment or better shields to compliment it. But hey it's cheap.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Story Time Part 7 Clan Wars Edition

We reach the gate around ten minutes before the advance guard (My squad and one other) were supposed to attack. We should have been there half an hour ago. We had no idea how our allies were doing, as they were using a different gate, to try a pincer maneuver.

“I want a break”

“Shut the hell up Kardin. We haven’t even done anything useful yet, and we’re STILL 30 minutes behind schedule. No thanks to YOU changing all the clocks in our hanger.”

“I said I was sorry.”

“Which explains why my clock is currently displaying 25:93.”

“I didn’t do that.”

“We will discuss this later. Garron, do you have the right gate key? We don’t want another Zyto to happen.”

“I triple-checked before we even considered getting ready to head out.”

There is a mumbling over the channel, What was that?”

“I said I though Zyto was funny.”

“Jen, you’re the only one who does.”

“What was Zyto?”

“Before your time, Daine. Jen switched the gatekeys for a routine pirate hunt, and sent us to a small planet called Zyto. We discovered that Zyto was colonized by a small group of Rook pilots who didn’t like outsiders. That was not fun. Now, everyone get in the gate, before you discover how unfriendly friendly fire can be.”

Finally, we gate to the planet. We come out surrounded by low level mechs, "WALKING SCAP! CHARGE!”

“Wait, Kardin-”

“FOLLOW HIM!”

“No, guys, wait-”

“DEATH TO OUR ENEMIES!”

Despite my protests, we decimate a bunch of small, unprepared squads. After the battle, my team are still jumpy from adrenaline.

“Let’s go find more stuff to kill!”

“How about no.”

“Buzzkill.”

“Pardon, Raleigh?”

“Buzzkill. You.”

“That’s not the response I was gunning for.”

“I know.”

“I’ll take out communications.”

“Clanise, not aga-”

A very loud siren sounds, “YOU IDIOT! YOU DID THIS IN THE LAST WAR TOO!”

“How was I supposed to know that it had an alarm?”

“Because, I don’t know, it’s exactly the same station as the LAST one you destroyed, and OUR long-range Comm stations?”

“We’ll take them all on!”

“Would you like to know WHY we’ve been running weird missions across the galaxy against random people? We’ve been testing out our potential opponents. These squads were all we could defeat. Now, anyone else that comes from their side is able to take us down easily.”

“Sir, transmission from the other captain on advance guard.”

“That’s not a message, that’s a recording.”

“What?”

“Our long-range mechs are programmed to tell the other squad if we’re forced back through the gate we came through. If we don’t retreat now, we may not live to see sunrise.”

As if on cue, a missile explodes in the center of our squad, “Run. Now. That is an order.”

We are forced back. We return to our hanger, to repair, and rest. We receive a transmission from our leader telling us that despite his best efforts, our army is losing.










Submitted by Toby Easterbrook#844872

Veridian Beam Weapon Review

Another weapon we previewed yesterday and that went on sale last night. This Laser is for levels 36 and up. It will run you 540 Ferrite, 432 Bioptics, and 15 Crystal. Or bulk buy 5 for 60 crystals with no limits. This laser features damage at 34, speed at 102, and the ability of Slow at (4)

Granted the ability isn't very much but consider this, it is on par speed wise with the Cherenkov Ray, both coming in at 102 speed. The damage falls between the Snavrum Laser and the Galaxy Eye, so it fills a gap there of levels and damage. All in all it is a pretty solid weapon stat wise for the low-mid level pilots, chances are we will see more of these being fielded, as they are reliable, and inexpensive.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Old Gold Gun Weapon Review

We previewed this weapon yesterday, and last night it was released. For levels 39 and up this slug thrower will set you back 750 Ferrite, 600 Bioptics, and a mere 17 Crystals. As always bulk buy 5 for 68 crystal no limits. Featuring a damage of 36, and a speed of 104 with no abilities this is a rather solid gun.

The speed is real nice as it is actually faster than the higher level M2Z Assault cannon which is available for level 49 and up, and only sports a speed of 100. It also fills the gaps as the Rail Gun is available for levels 32 and up, Ferrite Storm the niode gun is for levels 36 and up, and before this weapon the next jump was to the Rail Cannon at levels 42 and up. So this weapon fills the level gap rather nicely. It is also comparable with the Rail Cannon damage wise as both are no ability weapons but pack a straight 39 damage. So a lower level weapon is on par with a higher level weapon, and only a couple points slower as the Rail Cannon which comes in at 106 for speed. So definitely worth it and pretty cheap considering the bang for your buck on this one.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Member Of The Craftsmen Guild Blames North Korea

During the last half of the first hour of the two hour KOTM tournament tonight the scoreboards crashed, mechas lagged out, and access to the battle field was limited.  Speculation ran wild as to why this was happening, and on the eve before Clan Wars at that! Was it a Forerunner trick? Was it a new clan/guild trying to show superiority by taking over the tournaments? Did Zeon drop a colony on major power plants and bring the entire grid down?

The answer to what happened came from our esteemed Craftsmen Guild spokesperson, Nick Shapiro. He was quoted as saying, "Yes, I blame North Korea." Apparently the old earth communist nation had some fanatics on the orbiting station Nimbus-5. In a extreme show of force they took control of the station and all related KOTM transmissions. During the fight with station security they threatened to use Plasma phase grenades to detonate the control signal broadcast tower. Eventually security rushed them only to find they held  just Ferrite pipes and were banging them on the control consoles to disrupt communications. Order was quickly restored and plans for the continuation of the latest CW got under way.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Big Drummer Boy Weapon Review

A new slug thrower coming your way friends requiring a minimum level of 31 to own and operate. It will cost you 777 Ferrite, 300 Bioptics, and 36 Niodes. Or simply buy in bulk of 5 for 144 niodes. at the time of this writing there are 253 left out of 350. This beauty has a Damage of 63, a Speed of 107, and the abilities of 3x Damage at 4%, as well as 2x Damage at 4%.

Now for the all important question, is it worth it? Well for a level 31 minimum I would say just based on straight damage and speed alone yes. Granted the x2 and x3 abilities aren't that high but we all know if you equip right and you watch your build stats these numbers can climb rather fast. Given it is a limited release weapon I would say this is priced to move, and designed for effectiveness. Yes you can find bigger, badder and faster cannons out there but you will only be able to drool over them at best for now due to level requirements to own them. this is quick, hard hitting and if done right has the potential for so much more. So why are you still reading? Go buy some now, before they are gone!

.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Zeon Pre-War Interview With Mick Coxon

Good day Ladies, Gents and Mech fans. This is Steve Ross#162076 with another behind the lines interview from here in the Zeon compound. With me today, I have ensign Mick Coxon#657279. How's it going Mick?

Mick Coxon - Well thanks, eager to see who we have in CW.

Steve Ross - Indeed. We're on the brink of the twentieth such contest. This will be hotly fought over. Do you think ZEON can produce another crushing performance?

Mick Coxon - Judging by interview posts we have seen from other clans, everyone is expecting it. We even have others re-arranging their clans to take us on. Myself I'm looking forward to trying out my new front line.

Steve Ross - A new front line eh? Some enhanced goodies for the enemy to play with. I'm sure we'll all be looking forward to that. Now, as a relatively new comer to the ZEON family how are you finding it fitting in with such a prestigious and hard hitting fan favorite as ZEON?

Mick Coxon - Hey it's awe inspiring to watch this team. Everything from advice on set-ups to minute changes to formations. It's pretty daunting being a "crystalizer" in this clan but everyone is always eager to help improve the teams statistics.

Steve Ross - It always helps to have close support in a clan, I agree. As you say, you are a crystal player foremost. Do you find this hinders you in any way along side some clearly very heavily nioded colleagues, or do you think that the clan as a whole is bending the specialist classes to cover such issues?

Mick Coxon - Utilising the Specialist role in my particular circumstances is largely an equaliser for our clan. The Boss uses it to entice D wins as it's pretty much one shot kills with 10 ton special at our level.

Steve Ross - Very true, and a tactic I daresay is exploited by many. The last wars displayed some surprise defensive wins from many who might have been ruled out. It must have been something of a trial by fire for yourself would you agree?

Mick Coxon - With Zeons advice, on my set up, I clearly had a few lucky wins but that's the gamble and any help that I can return back is helpful.

Steve Ross - Yeah, ZEON do have some seriously seasoned talent to offer words of wisdom.
Of late there have been some serious clan based lockouts in the top end of division 3 KotM's. Do you feel that energy extends into the clan wars rounds?

Mick Coxon - Absolutely, the clan are like dogs after a bone when going after those wins. Difference in this clan, as opposed to my last, is that everything has been tested against each other numerous times before the best formations get used in CW. Critique is acted upon to the benefit of the clan members. Several of our members collate the data received into spreadsheets so that performance can be improved and passed on to us all. There is a real vibe going on in Zeon that's infectious.

Steve Ross - Outstanding angle there Mick. It's always great to hear of clans pulling together like a well oiled machine.Before we wind this chat up I think it's time to prod the tiger slightly; Are there any opponents you fear/admire and any that give you concern when you see their names pitted against you guys?

Mick Coxon - I would love to get revenge on some of those higher levels that "farm" me but it's all part of the game and I'm still developing. I admire many, chat with those that get their two daily nibbles in against me but fear none. Although there may well be a little tremour of delight if AFF get pitted against us.

Steve Ross - Indeed. T.J. seemed to be chomping at the bit over the friendly rivalry with the AFF boys and girls. Okay, finally, can you give any advice to our up and coming crystal heavy players perhaps seeking to gain a place with the bigger fan favorite clans?

Mick Coxon - There is some great advice out there so take all that can be gained. Don't chase levels as the bioptics and crystals come with some heavy exp to upgrade. Never sell spare mecha as they all come in useful now that the rise of the specialist has been instigated, indeed I'm now re-buying them to fill Specialist roles for CW.

Steve Ross -Wonderful words and as blunt and honest as any good wrecking ball. Well, thank you for your time Mick, I daresay we'll swap tips and tricks over a beer in the officers mess before Friday's drop zone comes around. Thanks once again Mick. Good hunting and take care brother.

Mick Coxon - Go forth and wreck Mecha my friend.

Submitted by Steve Ross #162076 and Mick Coxon #657279

Interview With Clint Blackburn OF Clan Bacon Addicts

Joel - Everyone please welcome Clint Blackburn (Sgt. Major) #364132 of Bacon Addicts here with us tonight for an in depth perspective from clan wars & raids. Thank you for taking the time for all of us Clint, I’m sure your experience could be informative for many.

Clint  - Thank you for allowing me to be here Joel.

Joel - Great to have you here Clint. So with Bacon clans & pilot’s moving from strength to strength lately how have you ladies & gents been finding this last Clan Wars compared to your recent wars?

Clint - Last Clan Wars... was the best I have seen as far as turn out. There were so many new Clans and bigger Clan numbers in Divisions, it was going to be a monster mash from the start. I liked how the old favorites for each div didn't get the fights when they wanted, added some good confusion and kept us on our toes...

Joel - Indeed Clint! Turn outs have been impressive & I too hope it's a sign of things to come & I must also agree it was exciting to watch some clans get a well earned gold & hard fought silvers. Many including myself had a share of betting upsets. With the competition among lower divisions becoming greater I'm sure Bacon's mark is yet to be truly felt. How are you finding the addition of specialists to the recent wars? For most clans it can pose a challenge.

Clint - Just playing the game with a team of friends that respect each other and really work well together, it is always more about the team than the individual. There is no way a single player can get into the top 10% without a good Clan. Specialists are something that you don't want to just play around with, I think there is a reason for them being called that. I know there has been a lot of negative feedback from them, but with time I'm sure most players will start to understand them.

Joel - Playing with close friends in a solid clan or factional group is by far in my opinion one of the most impacting factors when it comes to clan & player effectiveness for sure. Team work is #1 throughout the galaxy & we've both seen it earn gold. There does seem to be a gap with some specialist understanding with some players & clans, I think it's nice to see who's working at all the angles possible while keeping track of changing formations & staying on our toes. It's added fun so long as you know what you’re doing & although it can take a lot of time & resources to meet a specialist requirement I hope too that in time things will improve as player understanding grows. With betting as a factor now I think it opens up much more potential for a player that wasn’t available before. I hope you've been having luck with your bets if any. We had a few changes in prizes offered this Clan Wars in some divisions. Did you notice anything surprising on your end?

Clint - The potential for players to increase in the game has gone up tenfold since I first started. Even though the game has gone through many changes, with rewards and experience being gained per fight it is still a challenge. I noticed one thing that stands out more than anything, bigger mechs being given out on all levels... that really makes the balance you know...

Clint - Those raids have paid off for a lot of junior players. Makes the fight worth the fight man!

Joel - Yeah for sure it does make a big difference & it seems that maybe a balance has been found with raids & experience gathered from mecha kills. In many aspects Mecha Galaxy is far from the same game either of us started playing & it does keep things challenging & interesting for everyone. How do Bacon clans deal with their raids? I hear many players struggle when they hit walls of mechs with thousands more armor points.

Clint - There really isn't a balance... most raids have a wall around the 60% stage that requires heavy hitters to bust through......

Joel - Lately I've noticed many raids interspersing the harder waves. It makes for some interesting cooperative dynamics. Is there anything else you'd like to add or are expecting for this upcoming Clan Wars 20 Clint?

Clint - I am looking forward to CW 20, I believe that the Clans are really going to tighten up and come out swinging for the fence this time. We had some serious opposition during last war in the final round, so I'm expecting a few changes and a harder fight for sure...

Joel – For sure Clint clans are tightening up already & it’s sure to be a fight for the finish as always. Thanks so much for your time & thoughts Clint I know there is a party with some bacon waiting for you so I won’t keep you waiting any longer. Good luck to you & all of Bacon come December Clan Wars!

Clint - Thanks again, it was fun. Cheers man!

Submitted by Joel Parras/KiloToneRecoil #637457

Anzu Mecha Review

This review is on the Anzu. At level 75 this 15 Ton mecha has +22 to speed with 4 engine slots which is the ONLY positive thing this mecha has going for it. In your beginning of getting to learn this game you get to know a little about this speed beast.

It does not cost crystal to purchase but with its built in kickback that only gets WORSE as it levels I know of no one whom uses it for long or like I did does not DELETE it from their inventory as they gain in experience rather then wasting their resources. This mecha carries no shields and by level 75 gets only 1 cockpit and chassis space.

I rate this Mecha as the worst one in the Game and give it a poor rating because of the kickback and the lack of armor.








Submitted by Scott Eggers # 785483