Mech Warfare: Co-Op

[G.Squirrel]

Do you love mechs? Do you love computer games? Do you love Co-Op? How about free stuff?

Well, your in luck!

Introducing Mech Warfare: Co-Op!


About the game:

Mech Warfare is an arcade style third person mech warfare game. It is not ment to be realistic, as we feel that realism detracts from the entire point of piloting a multi-story tall death machine.

The game engine is based on the Torque engine which we are modifying to suit our needs. Hans, our team leader, has done some really amazing work with it. Visit the gallery on the mod profile or our website to see some of his work on the engine.

There are two teams currently in the game: The 'Human' mech team and the 'AI' mech team. Each team will feature it's own style to them; the humans are more blocky while the AI are more organic.

We are still debating what game modes to include in our first release, but the ones we have decided on are pretty basic:

Search and Destroy

The players have to destroy a certain target, or targets, within an certain amount of time. If they succeed, they win the round.

Retrieve/Capture the Nuke

Similar to Destroy, but instead of destroying an object, players have to retrieve it and return it to a safe area. If they succeed, they win.

Area Control

Players have to capture and hold specific area's in the map and prevent the AI army from taking them. The players win if they have more captured area then the AI.


FAQ:

Are you working on this game?
Yes, I am one of the concept artists.

Why should I play this game when it is released?
Because this game will blow your mind! Also, we need the feedback from the consumers so we can make the game better!

I went to your website, whats this about mech contributers?
This is the great part of this game, we are accepting original mech artwork from absolutely anyone that is willing to give it! If you wish to contribute a mech, please post so in our forums, linked to at the bottom of this post. Please excuse the mis-spellings, Hans is not a native English speaker.

EDIT: SORRY, WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING MECH CONTRIBUTIONS AT THIS TIME.

You mean I can contribute Frankens!?!?!
No, you cannot contribute frankens. While there are some very talented franken artists here, it doesn't matter if you can barely tell what parts it's made out of, the legal ramifications are just too great for us to take this chance. Sorry guys. Any artwork that is found to be composed or partially composed of Franken parts will immediately be deleted.

What else can I contribute?
Well, if you have some knowledge around 3D modeling software and would like to model, animate, or skin the mechs we give you for us, we would greatly appreciate it.

I'm using Linux, can I still play it?
Yes! We have recently, and sucessfully, ported our code into a linux build.

In what stage of completeness is the game?
Currently, we have an internal alpha. We plan on releasing the game in it's most basic form as soon as possible to you guys, so you can enjoy it and we can get the feedback. After the game is released, we plan on incrimental realeases after that; releasing new content every month or so. These releases will add new features, such as new maps, or mechs. This allows us to immediately respond to consumer demands and be extremely flexible.

Will this game be free?
YES! Unless some unforseen circumstance happens, we plan on releasing this game 100% free.

{Nerd Voice} But the term 'Mech' is copyrighted! I have half a mind to stop stroking my neckbeard, haul my lazy ass out of my extra-wide computer chair, walk up the basement steps and beat you with my casio! And further more...

Ok, that's enough. We are fully aware that the term "Mech" in the US is copyrighted. However, Mech Warfare: Co-Op is only the working title of the game, and we will change it as soon as we think of something better. If you have any suggestions for a game title, please post so in our forums or on our ModDB page.

(You wouldn't believe how many e-mails we've gotten about this. You guys can post your suggestions for a game title in this thread if you wish.)


If you guys have any questions or comments, post them here and I'll do my best to address them. If you have a great question, I'll add it to the FAQ. Also, if you have any suggestions for mechs, or just anything that has to do with the game, please post them in this thread.


Links:

Mech Warfare ModDB entry

Mech Warfare: Co-Op website and forums

[CHASER]

Even if only for a first test release, I think that something like a single player practice mode would help players get a bit of a handle on things before going straight into multiplayer missions.

The site also read:

choose a load-out and use your newtype skills to defeat the rushing enemy

<.< What's with the newtype part, though?

[G.Squirrel]

Even if only for a first test release, I think that something like a single player practice mode would help players get a bit of a handle on things before going straight into multiplayer missions.

We agree. We will be releasing a demo after we work out the bugs found in the Alpha. It won't be a big demo, but it should allow the player to get aquainted with the control scheme.

The site also read:

choose a load-out and use your newtype skills to defeat the rushing enemy

<.< What's with the newtype part, though?

Oh, that is just an in-joke within the developers. It doesn't really mean anything.

[Turinu]

Looks pretty good so far; the one thing that caught my eye was how nice the landscape looks compared to some other mecha games out there. Nothing like destroying giant mecha in a beautiful landscape,

As for title ideas, or the general term to address a Mech, I wonder if "Frame" is copyrighted by anything? I use it on my RPG and it fits quite nicely, like "Battle Frame" or "Worker Frame", things like that. Don't see it being used too often either, so there's throwing a suggestion to you. I'd also love to hand-sketch some mecha ideas for you, but as your post states you're not currently accepting such. D:

[Albireo_818]

How about "Warfare Evolved: Mecha Mayhem" or "Knights of Steel"

Or "Warfare Evolved: Newtype polt hakz"

[Turinu]

Sounds too much like Halo: Combat Evolved, and it'd be an obvious rip IMO.

[G.Squirrel]

Alright guys, it has been decided that we will open up mech submissions again in a few days. I'll link to the submission page in the OP when it gets back up again.

Please note that we do reserve the right to delete or dispense of materials that would be considered offensive or harmful.

Any and all materials submitted are reviewed and critiqued by the staff. Acceptance or rejection is based upon the following factors with emphasis placed on the first three: Style, presentation, quality and general believablity. There is no set submission size, but please use your best judgement. Please do not submit any mechs holding weapons. Colored line art is not necessary, but it would help us create a skin for the model, should your mech be accepted.

I look forward to your submissions.


Now, does anyone have any questions about gameplay or anything like that?

[Turinu]

I have a question when it comes to submitting art.

Are you looking for any particular style or amount of detail when it comes to general mecha design? Also, can we draw out weapons next to the mecha (Kind of like how some of it is done on your website), as long as the mecha isn't holding it?

And... does it have to be a sketch or can we clean it up and color/shade it in to fulfill the "quality" factor? (My uncleaned drawings tend not to look too good till' I clean em' up and straighten em' out.)

[G.Squirrel]

Are you looking for any particular style or amount of detail when it comes to general mecha design?

Currently, we are looking for more 'rounded, yet blocky' bipedial mechs. I like to point to the Original Garland as an example of this style. The amount of detail is up to you, but I should point out that we are modeling these mechs at around 1500-2000 polies, so some sacrifices will have to be made during the transition.

Also, can we draw out weapons next to the mecha (Kind of like how some of it is done on your website), as long as the mecha isn't holding it?

This is fine, just keep a reasonable distance between the mech and the weapon.

And... does it have to be a sketch or can we clean it up and color/shade it in to fulfill the "quality" factor? (My uncleaned drawings tend not to look too good till' I clean em' up and straighten em' out.)

Any and all submissions should be finished and, if possible, inked lineart. You may color or shade them, but please keep a backup copy of an uncolored or unshaded version just in case. We may need to look at it if some details are unclear on the colored or shaded version.

[WhiteWingDemon]

Would you be freaked out if I said I loved you?
So, here are my questions:
1. System Requirements?
2. Your tech demo screens show a lot of open terrain, will there be city like environments or forests?
3. Will the gameplay be more like Armored Core or Fed vs. Zeon or Journey to Jaburo?
4. Will there be long range and short range combat.

[G.Squirrel]

Would you be freaked out if I said I loved you?

Haha, no. We've gotten alot of e-mails stating things like this.

1. System Requirements?

I don't have the numbers on me right now, I'll check with Hans tomorrow. However, I do know for sure that we are aiming at low system requirements to make sure we reach the largest possible audience.

2. Your tech demo screens show a lot of open terrain, will there be city like environments or forests?

Both!

3. Will the gameplay be more like Armored Core or Fed vs. Zeon or Journey to Jaburo?

I'm not sure what you mean here, could you be a little more specific?

4. Will there be long range and short range combat.

Currently we only have long-range combat ingame. However, we do plan on adding close combat.

[WhiteWingDemon]

3. Will the gameplay be more like Armored Core or Fed vs. Zeon or Journey to Jaburo?

I'm not sure what you mean here, could you be a little more specific?

Journey to Jaburo(PS2) feels really realistic, mechs are kind of clunky, it only takes a few shots to kill, not a lot of speed.

Fed vs. Zeon(PS2) has average speed, you need a handful of shots to kill.

Armored Core 4(PS3) has very fast gameplay with mechs that can boost for long times. It takes a numerous amount of shots to kill an AC.

Does that explain it enough?

[G.Squirrel]

Thanks for elaborating. Well then, it would probably be most similar to Fed. versus Zeon but a little faster paced.

Oh, and Hans got back to me on the system requirements:

System requirements:
(bare minimum):
At least a Nvidia GF 5200 or a similar Ati model.
Pentium III 1000, 512 MB RAM
DirectX compatible Soundcard
Latest drivers for your system.