# Remember when Mech games were a thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 11, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568 "2016-05-11T19:27:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/21 "2016-05-13T19:23:14Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > It’s a game with mechs. You’re just as likely to be running around on foot as you are in a mech and the mech operation is very simple compared to Battletech-based games. It’s essentially just you running around again, only now you have armor, bigger weapons and jump jets but nothing like damaging an enemy’s legs or hitting his ammo or worrying about heat, etc. its not even that advanced … imagine getting a tank perk in call of duty (which it plays exactly like and no surprise given the creators) and to destroy it you have someone pry open the hatch and toss a grenade in… that’s all you need to do to kill a titan is jump on the back open a port shoot it a minute or 2 and its down you can shoot an leg or arm off to slow it down but when we played it the shelf life of a titan was about 3-5 minutes… there were people who could snipe the driver out of one supposedly also ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/22 "2016-05-13T19:50:25Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > Pistols at dawn sir. Nah; I’d rather bring a fast, heavily armed mecha that maneuvers like someone shaped like a person while you bring something that handles like a tank on legs and only carries like 10 shots for its gun. 😜 ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/23 "2016-05-13T20:29:38Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > Nah; I’d rather bring a fast, heavily armed mecha that maneuvers like someone shaped like a person while you bring something that handles like a tank on legs and only carries like 10 shots for its gun. 😜 Why do you think I specified PISTOLS?, unrealistic fast mecha vs slightly less unrealistic “tank-like” mechas is a sucker bet. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/24 "2016-05-13T20:34:03Z")
Probably not the same type of mech games you guys are talking about, but one of my fave indie developers, Harebrained Schemes, makers of the new Shadowrun cRPG games, is developing a turn based, tactical mech combat game. Think Xcom 2, with mechs. Looks pretty amazing, and I backed the project on Kickstarter. I don’t think ther eis a release date yet, but 2017 seems likely. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/25 "2016-05-13T23:33:27Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > Why do you think I specified PISTOLS?, unrealistic fast mecha vs slightly less unrealistic “tank-like” mechas is a sucker bet. Exactly. 😉 One is way more fun. 😉 Though I’m not sure what’s “realistic” about slow mecha. If they’re not appreciably better than tanks, why aren’t they using tanks? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/26 "2016-05-13T23:40:54Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > Exactly. 😉 One is way more fun. 😉 > > Though I’m not sure what’s “realistic” about slow mecha. If they’re not appreciably better than tanks, why aren’t they using tanks? 😛 Because mecha are cooler. Tank like mecha are slightly more physically realistic, but as you say make (even) less sense. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/27 "2016-05-13T23:45:43Z")
As for fun, to each his own, but I like the Battletech board game, and (some of) the novels. ---
**Author:** ![Mekhazzio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@Mekhazzio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mekhazzio)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/28 "2016-05-14T01:25:18Z")
Mech games were a subset of the combat simulator genre. Flight, space, tank, submarine, you name it, they were a central pillar of computer gaming. They all died around the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/29 "2016-05-14T12:28:02Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Probably not the same type of mech games you guys are talking about, but one of my fave indie developers, Harebrained Schemes, makers of the new Shadowrun cRPG games, is developing a turn based, tactical mech combat game. Think Xcom 2, with mechs. > > Looks pretty amazing, and I backed the project on Kickstarter. I don’t think ther eis a release date yet, but 2017 seems likely. Here’s another turn based mech game. It’s called Bionic Dues and it’s available on Steam. Lots of customization to your mechs. It’s by Arcen games, the guys who made AI Wars. It sounds like the game from Harebrained is going to be in a similar genre. I can’t wait. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/30 "2016-05-14T13:01:57Z")
The only ones I ever played were EarthSiege 2 and Armored Core. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/31 "2016-05-14T17:33:45Z")
Does anyone else remember Virtual World? I’m not sure if they had other locations or there were other similar places elsewhere, but I used to go to one in Pasadena in the mid 90s. It was a Mech arcade, where you would play in interconnected mech pods. Long gone, of course, but we went a bunch of times and it was a lot of fun. Here’s a news story about it from the time: [The Simpsons - Guy Incognito - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jaAeTaG_ms) ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/32 "2016-05-14T19:41:41Z")
> [@Mekhazzio](#): > > Mech games were a subset of the combat simulator genre. Flight, space, tank, submarine, you name it, they were a central pillar of computer gaming. They all died around the same time. I think they just got too good. These games were generally one trick ponies. In a flight game you fly around and shoot stuff. At some point, you can’t really improve the flight engines and they were also getting really complex. They weren’t pick up and play. So, what do you do to top the last fly around, shoot or bomb stuff then land game? There’s not much really. You can’t give them new technology that doesn’t exist. You can’t start making up planes. You’re kinds stuck recreating different wars. Once that was done, that was that. Sub games might be a bit different. Generally subs are boring. You get a few tense moments of sneaking around, a few seconds of shooting torpedoes and a whole lot of cruising the sea. In a real time game, this really sucks. If you want stealth gameplay there are far better options and subs don’t hold the imagination like planes do. I have no idea why space sims have died but have they completely? It’s not my genre so I don’t know but isn’t the new elite a space sim? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/33 "2016-05-15T12:09:01Z")
I have fond memories of MechWarrior II. Seemed long range missiles were overpowered (I would modify mechs so they would have them), and going after legs was a viable strategy. Guess the computer always filed its piloting roll. Brian ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/34 "2016-05-15T12:16:56Z")
Oh, and I did play at a BT center [BattleTech Centers - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BattleTech_Centers) A bunch of friends played, and someone else. The other player was very good (at least comapared to us) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/35 "2016-05-16T00:36:36Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Probably not the same type of mech games you guys are talking about, but one of my fave indie developers, Harebrained Schemes, makers of the new Shadowrun cRPG games, is developing a turn based, tactical mech combat game. Think Xcom 2, with mechs. > > Looks pretty amazing, and I backed the project on Kickstarter. I don’t think ther eis a release date yet, but 2017 seems likely. Set in the Battletech universe. Catalyst Games, the owners of both Shadowrun and Battletech have basically made Harebrained Schemes their go-to for all computer games that are set in the worlds of Catalyst’s intellectual property. Mainly because the first Shadowrun game (AKA Dead Man’s Switch) vastly exceeded expectations, and the two sequels have admirably kept the ball rolling. And the relationship is so close that everything that the storylines in the Harebrained Schemes games are considered official canon for the tabletop universes. (And everything that is canon in the tabletop worlds is canon in the video games.) ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/36 "2016-05-16T18:42:12Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > As for fun, to each his own, but I like the Battletech board game, and (some of) the novels. Do you mean the miniatures battle game, or was there an actual (boxed) board game? I confess to never reading any of the ‘fluff’ so maybe there was good worldbuilding going on. The miniatures game was okay, but didn’t really invoke the feel of mecha combat for me. And the way they ported it to at least the early Mechwarrior games was shameful. No, you buffoons, just because in the miniatures game you only get 10 shots for your autocannon does not mean that in the 1st person piloting game, the autocannon should only have 10 really big bullets. I did enjoy Crescent Hawks’ Inception, though I feel like the mechs had little to do with that. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/37 "2016-05-16T18:43:27Z")
> [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > Here’s another turn based mech game. It’s called Bionic Dues and it’s available on Steam. Lots of customization to your mechs. It’s by Arcen games, the guys who made AI Wars. It sounds like the game from Harebrained is going to be in a similar genre. I can’t wait. Bionic dues was a very INTERESTING game, but it was almost more like a puzzle game blended with Diablo style random loot than a mecha game. I recommend it, but I don’t think it scratches any sort of “mech combat” itch. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/38 "2016-05-16T20:41:26Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > Do you mean the miniatures battle game, or was there an actual (boxed) board game? I remember having a boxed Mechwarrior board game with upright 2D cardboard mechs on plastic holders and hex maps. It was tons of fun and a lot cheaper than buying a bunch of minis. Must have been roughly 20 years ago though. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/39 "2016-05-16T21:04:10Z")
There is (or was) a boxed game with plastic minis: > **[BattleTech: Introductory Box Set](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/31759/battletech-introductory-box-set)** > > The Introductory Box Set was designed as the entry point into the game for new BattleTech players, allowing them to slug it out in thirty-foot-tall war machines known as BattleMechs. The rules provide construction rules for building or customizing... Anyone else play the RPG? You played mech pilots who occasionally did stuff outside the mech. With one GM every session was gauanteed to end in mech combat. Another we spent several sessions until we found our mechs (had to get them out of a cave) Brian ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568/40 "2016-05-16T22:28:56Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > There is (or was) a boxed game with plastic minis: > [BattleTech: Introductory Box Set | Board Game | BoardGameGeek](http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/31759/battletech-introductory-box-set) > > Anyone else play the RPG? You played mech pilots who occasionally did stuff outside the mech. With one GM every session was gauanteed to end in mech combat. Another we spent several sessions until we found our mechs (had to get them out of a cave) > > Brian I played the RPG ( [url=[MechWarrior (role-playing game) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MechWarrior_(role-playing_game))] with my gaming buddy back in the early 90’s. I ran him through the Galtor campaign. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-mech-games-were-a-thing/754568.md?page=3)