Terror Crane Fantasy Mecha By Allen Davis#165610

 The 85 ton Terror Crane resembles its predecessor,the Dreadnought, and uses a revolutionary design delivering the awesome firepower of a projectile armed mecha with the extended battlefield fight time gained using heavy lasers.  By sacrificing armour, more shield generators can be installed for superior shielding. The Terror Crane is designed to withstand the laser, flame, and ice weapons of the best front-line mechas, with the heavy projectile weapons on the Crane ripping holes in enemy lines while the extended lasers play havoc on the enemies weaknesses.  The Star  Factories address the loss of speed and agility in the heavy Dreadnought and give the Terror crane cantilevered legs with ultra joint actuators to cut down the large target profile of the larger mechs.  the low slung profile lets the Crane carry less armor and more shielding and increase speed dramatically.

By using the reverse canted bird style legs to give matchless stability, recoil compensation, and a low targeting profile similar to four legged mechs along with an Atlas Jumpjet (upgraded Midori boots), an upgrade available after lvl 50, the potential of advanced speed and superior battlefield maneuvers makes this one of the swiftest heavies on the battlefield.

The Terror Crane uses one articulated arm as a heavy laser and projectile platform with a medium compact turret shoulder mount for medium lasers. Its torso boasts a Cherenkov Ray and boosted shielding, giving unprecedented protection. The Crane still utilizes two weapon bays, recoil compensator, and massive coolant systems, all protected by armor baffles.

A benefit of this system is space optimization, allowing for more upgrades to weapons, cockpit, engine and chassis system far earlier than most other less efficient designs. The Terror Crane is designed to use its speed and overwhelming firepower to seek out and destroy the enemy. Able to handle the heaviest recoil of today's big bore projectile weapons, the Terror Cranes two main heavy weapons systems bays utilize the old hydraulic recoil systems, allowing the cannons the ability to alternate fire by recoil to increase speed and stability of its main guns.

The Terror Crane,is a combined weapons system using big gun design, along with formidable heavy laser systems. futuristic recoil compensator, stabilized weapons platforms, and advanced coolant systems allow the Terror Crane to fire the largest cannons on the move with the precision other mechas rarely achieve and the long distance abilty of the lasers makes the Terror Crane very formidable.

Standard with paired Exacto Shots, Cherenkov Ray, Twin Grazer, Smoking Gun


Bonuses
Build           Proj. Damage + 8%
Build           Speed   +10
Build           Shield  +10
Level 3         Cockpit Slot
Level 4         Weapon  Slot
Level 5         Engine  Slot
Level 7         Chassis Slot
Level 8         Speed   +4
Level 8 every 4 lvls. Weapon Slot
Level 10        Proj. Damage + 8%
Level 10        Shield Slot
Level 12        Laser Shield 10%
Level 13        Shield Slot
Level 16        Engine Slot
Level 18        Critical Kill +4
Level 19        Chassis Slot
Level 20        Laser Damage + 10%
Level 21        Cockpit Slot
Level 22        Missile Shield 10%
Level 23        Dodge (5)
Level 25        Engine Slot
Level 26        Dodge (5)
Level 28        Speed +5
Level 28        Engine Slot
Level 30        Proj. Damage + 8%
Level 31        Chassis Slot
Level 32        Projectile Shield 10%
Level 34        Cockpit Slot
Level 37        Shield Slot
Level 38        Speed + 4
Level 40        Laser Damage + 8%
Level 41        Cockpit Slot
Level 42        Ice Shield 10%
Level 42        Chassis Slot
Level 45        Shield (20)
Level 45        Engine Slot
Level 48        Speed + 4
Level 49        Shield Slot
Level 50        Trample 15%
Level 50        Atlas Jumpjet
Level 50        Precision (10)
Level 58        Speed + 4
Level 61        Engine Slot
Level 66        Proj. Damage + 8%
Level 72        Engine Slot
Level 78        Laser Damage + 8%
Level 78        Speed + 4
Level 85        Critical Kill +10%
Level 90        Fork 10%
Level 95        Chassis Slot
Level 100       Speed + 6
Level 110       Cockpit Slot

Submitted by Allen Davis#165610

Double Weapon Reintroduction By Pat Willis#224534

Two weapons were reintroduced back into the armory stores this weekend. They were, the Multiplier Rail (Projectile weapon), and Sunflare (Fire weapon). Both are niode based weapons so be sure you have appropriate funds to purchase your desired weapon.

The Multiplier Rail is good to go for levels 8 and up, whereas the Sunflare is for levels 20 and up. Right now there are 169 out of 250 of Multiplier Rail left, and 176, out of 200 of the Sunflare. Currently with sales on in preparation for the next clan wars, I don't really expect these weapons to hang around long. Happy hunting to all, much luck, and grab what you can.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Damn You Auto Correct! by David McCallum #701548

Submitted by David McCallum #701548

Video Update By Pat Willis#224534

Commander's Log-NWHL by Deborah Roaché-Hudak ID# 289133

Good To The Last Shot

As I sit here writing my notes, the sound of the Wars last day's battles can be heard. Missiles and rockets bombard opponents but it's not what I expected for the grand finale. The Wars have taken a toll on many, the drop in participation is evident. Some spend hours waiting for the right circuit to jump into. Others planned to go together in the same group and find they have to wait for someone. A few jump in and forget about the battles, claiming the entry prizes only. The unlimited is the easiest, most worry free, event. You battle everyone in your circuit and work your way to the top if you have what it takes. Some still work to improve their formation, others gave up long ago it seems.

Seeing the wreckage reminds me of all the experience pilots received during this event. There's no place in the arena to go where you won't find bits and pieces. A burnt out mecha may be right beside a frozen one. Some are bullet ridden, the pieces blown off end up everywhere. If you don't watch your footing, you'll trip and end up next to one of the derelicts. A few could not finish the battles as I suspected, the energy required was more than they had. This was a Wars of stamina on many levels. For the most part it was low enough for the majority of pilots for most of the circuits. I've seen more than one level up since the Mechalympix began; wonder if they would have held back had they know what they were fighting for. This would be most true for the lowest levels. The unexpected push up in divisions for my brothers did not stop them from pulling in medals, despite having opponents over 70 levels above them.

On this final day, the prize list was dropped as well as many jaws. The promise of better prizes was only realized by the top pilots as they could pull in twenty weapons on top of all the other items earned. That's no small advance for weapon upgrades. The upper divisions were privileged with niode items, most worthy weapons befitting the level. If you weren't lucky enough to pull in Gold or Silver medals, you'll see the same type of gifts as any other wars, perhaps a few extras but nothing monumental. The confirmation that only the very best will ever have a chance to improve will not sit well with any not in the clique I suppose. I liked the skill points at three, two and one for Gold, Silver and Bronze, it will keep pilots from pulling ahead too far too fast in my opinion. If it was implemented from the start, more balance would have been possible but this move is too late. Those who had the advantage of playing from the start received the standard five points up until now. Even if they no longer hang on to the top position, it will take others twice as long to earn when they did. As the old Terra saying goes, better late than never.

Having so many circuits to deal with is taxing. Some did not bother to do more than enter for the participation prize on entry. Some would finish one before joining another. I juggled a few at once with modest success. The smallest group was easiest to handle. Even any with limited energy would have an opportunity to advance. Some could dominate through power while others had to show patience and restraint, waiting for the right opportunity. By this point, all had to be feeling the strain. If you were able to turn on the auto-pilot, you could cruise to this point. Any would did not regularly jump into the circuits may enjoy the windfall of new crystals, a most useful resource. The added medals on a daily basis are pushing up the counts on many trophy walls. A few of my men are pushing nearly 500 and beyond now.

If the medals could talk, they'd have many tales to tell. All of my men could highlight their first Gold win, the details may start to blur with others but the first is special. We have much more to work with now than back then, the increasing damage progresses and the factories boost power, speed and a multitude of aspects for each weapon class. Seeing the wreckage on the field of vision proves how well they've improved the means of destruction. Most pilots eject in time when necessary, a few are still lost. It is always sad to see, not as many recruits like there used to be. Less sign up each year. Any who burn out from doing double-time are a loss felt even more. I'd hate to see the stats.

We've had good men keeping up with the numbers. Before the news is released, we know the standings thanks to their hard efforts. Considering the limited number of pilots we took in, I'm impressed at the pilot versus pilot numbers. We're kept within a half point of the competition when it comes to points achieved per pilot. Through sheer numbers one crew can pull it off but their point standing is over 30 below the top scorers, on average. All my men have over a handful of medals already and a few may score in every round. In the end, none would sweep the Golds but a couple came close.

~note - collect data on stats and compare with previous Wars

The Raid is something to be looked forward to and dreaded at the same time. Another day or three of battles but the potential rewards.... something few will pass on. The smallest pilots have the most to gain and I've encouraged all to step in this time for a roll. I'm confident a few will do well. All can keep their earnings and work with it until the next Wars and we'll see what they looted. The flagship clan will need to wait on parts, production is backlogged and orders for engines have overwhelmed the manufacturer. Other essential pieces could use improvement and hopes are high this is coming before the next Wars does. Some will not field have naked mecha, others fly with the breeze-unconcerned. All would prefer to have the best but not all can afford the high cost. Each improves at their own pace and some can afford to move faster than others. All will have a big jump after this is calculated. An extensive itemized list has already been dropped and dozens of items categorized.

The prize for Gold winners of a Circuit isn't the BEST weapon available but it is worthy of use or recycling at the very least. I'd hate to be division 2, same prize regardless which place you medal, wonder how the first place winners look at that. Seeing division four and five clumped together raised more than an eyebrow. It's happened that divisions were combined in the prizes in the past but many more divisions were there as well, compared to this time. The Raid prizes do seem to have improved, only one mecha seems to have dropped in percentile compared to previous Raids and the timer is back to the standard seventy-two hours which is great. Having the roster we do, every man will have an opportunity for two rolls, doubling the chances for prizes, the excitement is evident and I hope we'll see lots of new toys from the efforts. The number of prizes given out was impressive in total, we never saw a written breakdown like that before. Perhaps it's the start of a new trend.

Missions continue to pop. The payment from mini bosses can earn as much as the guaranteed boss prize. The experience is more appealing for the higher level pilots looking to keep moving. The counter continues to track our progress. Ever increasing in strength, they will take longer to finish the boss fights as you continue to rack up the number of wins on the counter. The first mission is still shut tight, hopes of it opening soon have long been forgotten. If pilots haven't used enough energy, they'll have something to occupy the time.

Moving down the ladder I see pilots frozen in time, standing still while others caught up then pass them. The lower you move, the more abundant their numbers become, each one adding up. The self-destruction leaves zero tonnage on a few. Others show off the best acquired during their hay day. Each year that goes by, their number increases yet more pilots take their place and pass them by.

A big party is anticipated, another Galaxy Bash as I like to think of it. Looking forward to wearing my new level, it's been hard earned from the tonnage of many. There won't be any bells or whistles going off for the achievement but the anniversary celebration will suffice. Soon after the party I'm taking a well deserved break. Need to focus on the men and our standings overall. Time to come up with new ideas for interactive play, can't let them sit idle between Wars. Only so much polishing you can do to your fleet before the glare into the shine starts to glaze the eyes. Need their vision sharp and mind keen on the task at hand. So much to do every day, just need to keep reminding them. The lull between Clan Wars always has some scattering, leaving nearly as soon as the throw the last shot. I'm so proud they held their own, given the competition. A few bad breaks in a row, that trend will end and they'll have a good shot. It's a long term project, with attention to the daily tasks constantly needed.

There used to be a saying long ago, you can't always see the forest for the trees. I hope they can appreciate the concept. Any who can step back to see the bigger picture stand out. All are needed at every level. Exciting news about a few returnees will have the hangars buzzing, can't wait to see how they've fared while away. They'll enjoy seeing the newest production line releases, hope they've stocked up enough resources, they'll need a bunch. Once they re-outfit, they'll be up to speed again, ready to take on the next challenge. Back where they belong, taking the newest technology with them and enjoying the battlefield once more. Tossing in all for the glory of the Arena where it's all or nothing and it all goes down to the last blast. Both sides still good to the last shot.

~end transmission

Submitted by Deborah Roaché-Hudak ID# 289133

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

Submitted by Ron Frye#879655

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

Submitted by Ron Frye#879655

Dr. Mirreaux By David Miskey #30379

Dr. Mirreaux was inspired by the pictures of humanoid lizards that he saw a young boy to study genetics. Gene splicing to be specific. He was able to study at all of the top universities in genetics. The professors at these universities always combining genes from different species to create a new one could be dangerous. He was undeterred by this but knew he would have to find a place to conduct his experiments in secret.

He also would need someone to buy and/or steal the supplies he would need for his experiments. Luckily he encountered a man named Frank Nathan Stein while visiting a pirate moon. Frank had remote location and would be able to provide the money and supplies needed for his experiments. Dr. Mirreaux would be able to test his creations in actual combat. Dr. Mirreaux's first attempts at creating a lizard-human hybrids achieved mixed results. Mostly bad. He was using crocodile DNA which gave his subjects size and strength but also made them vicious and aggressive.

The handlers had difficulty controlling them and they were often combative towards each other. Training to pilot mechs was also proving to be difficult. Being cold blooded they did not tolerate the heat from the engines very well. They would also harm themselves while trying to escape once the engines were started since they were sensitive to the noise and vibrations from the engines. Dr. Mirreaux decide to use some snavurm DNA in the creation of his hybrids due to the stories he heard of them getting ensnared the joints of Mecha. He approached Frank with his request.

Frank thought this and decided to send Vlad and Quasi out to get some snavurm DNA for the doctor. They were glad they only needed DNA samples and not live samples. The cages needed for live would have been large and cumbersome, not to mention attracting lots of unwanted attention. Since the reptiles had a tendency to get entangled in mech joint they decided the best plan of action would be to patrol their stolen Namtars around in the jungle and wait for the inevitable entanglement. They would then be able to take a DNA sample before beginning the laborious task of disentangling the reptiles. The did this for several days in different areas to ensure as many different samples as possible.

Submitted by David Miskey #30379

Middleweight Face Off by David McCallum #701548

Let’s try something a bit different with a mech review.

Instead of reviewing a single mech, I’m going to look at two of them and draw comparisons. Again, I’m revisiting some old favourites in order to give up and coming pilots some sage advice… or something else to ignore because that’s what the youth of today seem to enjoy doing.

In the Blue Corner, we have that tried and trusted old favourite, the Oggun.

In the Red Corner, weighing in at the same 50 ton mark we have the Fides.

Now I’ve chosen these for a number of reasons. First, these are the first mechs you will need to train towards by putting points into piloting skill. Second, 50 tons is a magical transitional tonnage number whereby some important equipment systems overlap, thus meaning that what starts as a high end mech can have a set of equipment when you first get it then by upgrading the equipment it doubles its lifespan by being the low member of the next generation of mechs. Third, either by price or ease of acquisition as a prize, they are both common chassis.

The fact that you want them for a 50 ton speciailist formation should go without saying.

So let’s start off. Fides is a niode mech, the Oggun is a crystal one and therefore a lot would consider it to be the cheap and cheerful ‘alternative’. Not quite so fast…

First point of difference is that the Oggun is way more heavily armoured, boasting a full 25% more armour than the Fides. I guess metal plate is relatively cheap. On the downside it starts with less weapons and gains them at a slower rate, meaning in terms of firepower output its good defence has been offset by a poorer offense.

The Oggun also suffers when it comes to equipment slots, having less in all 4 areas than the Fides. Our niode mech can therefore hit more often, crit more often, dodge more often, fire more often and just plain deflect damage more often. Not looking good for the Oggun, is it?

The Fides is also a weapon specialist, meaning it can eventually do more damage with both projectiles, the fastest weapons in the game and missiles, potentially the most devastating for collateral damage.

So when all is said and done, why do veterans go on and on about the Oggun?

Well, that ability to absorb damage at this weight is a big bonus, but the real advantage is that the Oggun is not a specialist like the Fides but a hard hitting generalist. You can mount any weapon and in very short order each and every shot will have the chance to do double damage purely from built in bonuses. No special equipment, just every shot having the chance of 2 x damage. At higher levels the percentage chance is up to 60%, so that means each and every shot is on average going to be putting out around half as much again. The Fides only gets 16% unless you add extra gear.

And because you can fit any weapon on the Oggun to get that bonus, if you’ve been sensible, 1 in 5 shots is going straight through the vulnerable shield gap where the Fides couldn’t get that 5^th shield type on. The Oggun may only get 3 shields, but you can guess enough to put projectile and missile on which are the Fides strong suites.

And that generalist ability is the reason why veterans love the Oggun. You can use it for pretty much any application. It’s never going to be as good as a specialist chassis, but if you’ve guessed wrong in your assessment of the enemy, it’s strong enough and hard hitting enough to bull you out of trouble because it doesn’t have the big vulnerabilities a specialist has.

This match up, to put it another way, is very much like Rocky vs Apollo. One is fast, accurate, lots of good jabs, nimble and has a touch of class. The other has no defence to speak of, takes a lot of punishment and has a killer hit.

So which would you choose? Well, both of course. Even in the movies, the honours were even. And because in the grand scheme of things (and I’m talking here when you are trying to level 90 and 95 ton mechs) Ogguns are so cheap, you see armies of them.

There is a legend in my clan that a certain Colonel got to the point where he could use Ogguns and replaced his whole force with them. They were cunningly named Oggun 1, Oggun 2, etc. It wasn’t until a few levels later he finally got himself a Namtar.

Called ‘NotAnOggun’.

The crying shame is that the Fides, the nimble, well shielded, fast and accurate hitter gets shredded for scrap value. Sure, you would never own more fides than Ogguns, but those that you do have are so incredibly useful.

And you will be using both classes for a long while. 50 and 70 ton specialists, and I can guarantee that you will need to drop down to 50 ton levels to fill out a complete rainbow formation long after you have access to BFM class mechs.

So the big question, which is better? Best to call it an honourable draw, and that’s saying a lot for the Oggun because normally a niode mech will outstrip a crystal one. The Oggun is just that much better for its weight than other crystal mechs.

Submitted by David McCallum #701548

Epsilon Grade Shield Review by David McCallum #701548

‘Woohoo!!! New Shields!’ sez I.

‘Boring!’ yells the crowd.

‘But they’re red!’ sez I

‘Still boring… ‘

Nope, and I’ll tell you why. 100 ton mechs are here, and with it you would expect as a staple the next generation of niode shielding.

And here they are, Epsilon class shields. Book price of 54 Niodes, 500 Bioptics and 600 ferrite, and for that you get shield 42, damage mitigation of 33% vs one weapon type and a vulnerability of 8% against another.

Now the progression seems consistent with the niode shield family; better shield, worse protection percentage and less vulnerable.

‘Still Boring!!!!’ I hear you say…

Just hang on will you? That shield strength is a big jump of 13, but also pay attention to the mitigation percentage drop because in the world of X2/X3 damage added to big boy weapons, that is going to catch some people out. And remember, those percentages aren’t a straight number addition when you stack them…

And the other thing about the niode shield progression is that instead of the crossover point coming every 25 as it has with the others, the sequence now runs 25 – 50 – 75 – 95. So these things aren’t just going to be fitted to your Big Yellow Potato-tron.

Hang on, If I add big red shields to a Big Yellow Potato-tron, does that make it a Big Yellow and Red Potato-tron, or a Big Orange Potato-tron?

Sorry, got side tracked there. Anyway, if you have been lucky on raids, or if you are level 82 with the purchasing power of a medium sized developing nation, get ready to put your hand in your pocket again because there are 4 other mech classes that can be refitted.

Still bored? Oh, right, you are the guys who go for crit-kill over protection, right? Sorry can’t help you then… go and buy some big guns instead.

Submitted by David McCallum #701548

What Being An Editor Is Like By Pat Willis#224534

Probably one of the most asked questions I get is, "What is it like to run the news site?" My answer is usually,"What's it like? Hectic is a good word for an answer." That's not to say it is isn't enjoyable or worth it, just some days it's kind of hectic.

We have to check the site submission E-mails, as well as the Facebook group for any news or submissions. We have to record the names and ID#s if any have come in, as well as edit them for spelling, punctuation, etc (I know sometimes we miss some things but we try real hard!). We then have to upload it to the site, schedule it, put a category on it, make sure the right folks are credited, and then add some kind of picture to it that may make sense from in the game.

If nothing has come in, we then have to write something up ourselves for "Filler". We have to decide what kind of article it will be, again note it for proper credit, put it in the site, schedule it, categorize it, and set it to post. Some times when all that is going on we're also in multiple screen answering questions, or discussing ideas with other players, or even the Devs themselves. It sounds simple but the reality is some days it is rather fast paced, especially if we have many submissions come in on the same day.

Then I had to go and add video to this process. So now it is however many tries to make the video without too many screw ups, upload it, imbed it to the site and go. Thankfully from the looks of things on the site stats that implementation looks like it is a big success. So what's it like to work on the site? Hectic at times, entertaining mostly, and overall fun because myself and the other editors love this game.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534