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[Graknorke]

Could someone please clarify... what this game is? Is it a series of isolated matches, or do you have a persistent character, or is it an MMO type deal? I really have no clue.

I tried to get the idea across in the OP Could you tell me what you think is missing and where?

If you want to play the computer adaptation of the tabletop wargame, you use MegaMek. It's a program that implements all the rules and some basic AI, and has multiplayer. Used like this, it's just isolated matches.

Or you can use MekWars, which is used to take those isolated fights and make them have a meaning in a larger campaign. That means that you have a persistent hangar bay with your meks, vehicles, infantry, etc. If a mek is destroyed, it's destroyed and you need to buy a new one with your limited resources! If it's only damaged you can repair it and get it back in the fight, and the pilots sometimes gain experience and skills. You engage in fights over territory, production, raiding, etc to try to advance your faction.There's a massive campaign map with over 2000+ planets that you are fighting over.

Also, totally ninja'd by Knave

Also-also: I'll just say again the community is super nice, and we can totally give you the basics before you join the larger campaign

Ah alright, Megamek and MekWars aren't necessarily the same thing. That's what was confusing me.
I did read the OP but I was way too tired to understand it at the time, and then afterwards all I could remember while reading it was how confused I was before. So it's not that the OP is incomplete, I just didn't follow it very well.

[ndkid]

Since there hasn't been any consensus on faction, I'm going to go with my personal preference and join House Steiner.

[EuchreJack]

I can't get the .bat to work, any reason I can't just use the client file?

Eh, just using the Client file seems to work just fine.  EuchreJack is back!

Currently in Sol, dueled a helpful Capellan.  I conceded defeat but learned a lot.

I can certainly see reasons for joining both Steiner and Liao.  Liao is the smallest, weakest faction whereas Steiner is losing bad in this particular round.

I'm tempted to join the Periphery because:
1) I've never joined the Periphery.
2) I wouldn't feel bad leaving them, should a significant B12 community form elsewhere.

[Knave]

I've always had a soft spot for Steiner, so when I actually get around to playing I'll probably be joining up with the Lyrans as well.

[Anvilfolk]

Why is everyone using names I don't know? Why do you name the people in charge of each faction rather than the faction itself?

Also, I take it you are all well-versed in all things Battletech and thus don't need any help with the software, rules, tips, etc? I'm still up for MegaMek or MekWars tutorial games with anyone. I'm still learning, but have some basics. Plus we can use voicechat, making learning and things so much easier!

I can't get the .bat to work, any reason I can't just use the client file?

You should try to use them because it gives the JVM more memory, which MekWars needs. I would suggest you simply alter them. I changed "start javaw" to "java". That also gives me a console that stays open (in case of errors), and Steam recognises it as a non-steam game

I'm tempted to join the Periphery because:
1) I've never joined the Periphery.
2) I wouldn't feel bad leaving them, should a significant B12 community form elsewhere.

Well, since it's impossible to play 2players v 2players, being in the same faction gives us less interaction. Different factions means we can at least shoot each other. On the other hand, all working together to further Armok's chosen faction would be pretty awesome In any case, we can always wait until next cycle and then defect honourably

[Knave]

I used to play the mechwarrior rpg with my fam when I was younger, so I do have some battletech experience, but I was never very good

quick run down of factions

Free Worlds League - > Ruled by Marik
Draconis Combine - > Ruled by Kurita
Lyran Commonwealth - > Ruled by Steiner
Federated Suns - > Ruled by Davion
Capellan Conferedation - > Ruled by Liao
Periphery - > Ruled by various bandit lords and pirates
Comstar - > Basically a group of mystical telephone operators. They control all the interstellar communication in the galaxy and have old star league tech (Basically tier 2 advanced weapons, Gauss rifles etc.)

[Rabid_Cog]

However, as far as I have been able to tell from what limited contact I've had with the Battletech universe and story, you might as well do the following.

Free Worlds League - > Ruled by a scumbag.
Draconis Combine - > Ruled by a backstabbing scumbag.
Lyran Commonwealth - > Ruled by an arrogant scumbag.
Federated Suns - > Ruled by a devious scumbag.
Capellan Conferedation - > Ruled by incompotent scumbags.
Periphery - > Basically ARE a bunch of scumbags.
Comstar - > Bunch of apathetic, GMPC-type scumbags.

Anything I missed?

[Anvilfolk]

Well, I'll take an incompetent but well-meaning scumbag over any ill-intentioned scumbag any day of the week!

Capellan Confederation go!


Wait... scumbag kind of implies that they aren't really well-meaning. D'oh...

The Free Worlds League seemed pretty nifty, judging from the Sarna description, but it said their military was very combined arms, and I want giant mechs, dammit!

[Erkki]

However, as far as I have been able to tell from what limited contact I've had with the Battletech universe and story, you might as well do the following.

Free Worlds League - > Ruled by a scumbag.
Draconis Combine - > Ruled by a backstabbing scumbag.
Lyran Commonwealth - > Ruled by an arrogant scumbag.
Federated Suns - > Ruled by a devious scumbag.
Capellan Conferedation - > Ruled by incompotent scumbags.
Periphery - > Basically ARE a bunch of scumbags.
Comstar - > Bunch of apathetic, GMPC-type scumbags.

Anything I missed?

Clans = totalitaristic warrior culture worshipping social darwinistic cyborg scumbags?


edit:

Well, I'll take an incompetent but well-meaning scumbag over any ill-intentioned scumbag any day of the week!


Capellan Confederation go!


Wait... scumbag kind of implies that they aren't really well-meaning. D'oh...

The Free Worlds League seemed pretty nifty, judging from the Sarna description, but it said their military was very combined arms, and I want giant mechs, dammit!

Actually AFFS(FedSuns) is the most combined arms faction.  Which age are you at? What kind of units and equipment the factions use depends heavily on the time frame. 

edit2: ahh I see its 3025. Hmm. The factions are all pretty similar in 3025 I think with most of the meks being used by pretty much everyone(most faction-exclusive units(and the ones that are mostly used by 1 or 2 factions) start arriving only in 3050s or so.

[Erkki]

Myself I grew bored of the Mekwars campaign very quick. The problems to me were:

a) relatively low number of players, slow battles because everything from moving to targeting is done player by player - in other campaigns even 15,000 BV vs. 15,000 large map battle may only take 50 min...
b) 3025 - not a lot of unit variation
c) force size modifiers and unit type rules used... So you dont want to use an army bigger than a lance usually and theres no slow meks, little to no vehicles, no BA etc.
d) the match making is not random - many veterans pick on the newbies, stalking them, even using "bait and switch" to trap players
f) the repair system, unit pull system, everything just sucks in it
g) you cant even move pilots form unit to another, and thanks to the other rules you want to get rid of most LEVELED UP units asap - and do that by garbage-dumping them onto the faction pool. 


HOWEVER there are at least 2 fully dynamic MegaMek campaigns with the same (heavily modified to their own uses) mekwars clients that have all of those parts fixed. Only things that I'm not really a fan of in the others are the occasional IS vs. Clan battles and the c3(with ECCM spotters...).

The above is of course my relatively biased opinion which is effected by the fact that I got abused by the admins there. Battletech online campaigns played on MegaMek can be GREAT fun at their best! 

[Anvilfolk]

a) relatively low number of players, slow battles because everything from moving to targeting is done player by player - in other campaigns even 15,000 BV vs. 15,000 large map battle may only take 50 min...

Wow, I would really appreciate having games take less than they currently do. How do you usually play? Simultaneous shooting, physical AND movement? You'd need to guess where the others are going to be? Losing initiative can be a huge blow sometimes, especially when you NEED to get that kick in, but it also gives you more to think about and respond to, which I think I like. Also, I usually suggest simultaneous fire/physical, and it's common enough, though some players don't like it.


All in all, this doesn't necessarily need to be MekWars 3025. I picked it because it seemed to be the only campaign that had any number of players when I looked, but that's about it. I'd love to hear more about other suggestions, in particular ones that make games take less time!

[Erkki]

http://www.mekwarslegends.com/

When I played early last Spring that one had approx 3 times the players of MMNet... At times peaking as high as 70. It also has balancing mechanisms for helping out new (as well as poor enough) players a bit by raising or lowering their BV matching window limits somewhat.

[Kanil]

b) 3025 - not a lot of unit variation

Some people definitely consider this a strength, rather than a weakness.

Anvilfolk: I don't know how simultaneous movement works without being either very weird or doing bad things to initiative, but much of level 2 tech is designed around ending the game quicker. Things like XL engines, pulse lasers, gauss rifles, and DHS all result in things dying a lot faster.

But, to be honest with you, I don't really consider an hour for a game to be that long.

[ndkid]

Rather than snipping a bunch of quotes, general thoughts here:
- I haven't been impressed by the interface of MekWars, and some of the rules, such as the way that units get sent from/to the pool seem game-y to me.
- Speed can be an issue... part of that can be mitigated by combining phases, but part of it is just that MM isn't the speediest app in the world. In my last game, I had both java apps lock up and I had to bail on them and restart them to finish the match. (Full Disclosure: I have developer preferences against Java that color my view of it.)
- CC/Liao isn't well-intentioned... House Liao has the highest rate of crazies of any of the Great Houses, and their closest real world analogue in my mind, in terms of government, is North Korea.

I *do* like some of the ideas MekWars is trying to implement here, with industry on different planets churning out stuff and that being what we're fighting over. It seems to mostly lack the devolution of industry that was the hallmark of the era we're playing in; given that there are occasional resets, I'd be tempted for the industry to slowly get worse and worse as its fought over, rather than simply experiencing momentary glitches.

In any case, I am open to other MM-based campaigns, or even other MekWars campaigns, especially if they handle production/repair in a way more to my liking.

[EuchreJack]

I like MekWars 3025 primarily because I've played there before (over 4 years ago).  For what it's worth, MekWars 3025 had a lot more people when I was playing regularly.