A good deal?

[elmo3]

I see CompUSA has MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries for $20 at my local store. Have any of the regulars here played it? I've looked at some of the support sites and read a couple of reviews. Will also try the demo. There are obviously many similarities between TOS and MW4. One big diffference is the graphics and first person perspective. Another appears to be the ability of TOS to let you create your own jocks. Am I right that the lancers are all premade in MW4? Is the same true for Titans vs Mechs, i.e. there is a lot more variety in TOS? Do you need a joystick for MW4?

I'm really enjoying TOS and have no intention of giving it up for MW4. Just curious if there is a good enough game in MW4 to spend the $20. Thanks.

[elmo3]

Anyone?

[Burzmali]

Typically, like in TOS, 'mech are customizable in the MW series. The games tend to be fairly easy for humans to win as the AI is kind of stupid when it comes to optomizing its fire pattern (I haven't checked is MW4 has corrected this though).

[LarkinVB]

MW4 is action, not strategy. I had it, even bought a cool joystick to swivel with but stopped playing shortly after this. Not because its a bad game but because I did not have the patience to master controls.

[Burzmali]

Let me guess, feather touch on the swivel? The was a hassle when I was playing MW3.

[elmo3]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not a twitch player (don't own a joystick) and would be playing the AI so I'll probably pass on it then.

[Kovax]

MW3 had a rather poor reputation for that series, but I've heard 4 corrected that. It's a first-person shooter, and a joystick would be a big help, tho' not essential. You can customize your 'mechs, but the pilots are as-is. Consider it a "flight simulator" versus a strategy game.

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: elmo3

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not a twitch player (don't own a joystick) and would be playing the AI so I'll probably pass on it then.

Although TOTALLY different from ToS (the mech theme is really all they have in common)I really enjoyed MW4 Vengeance and Mercenaries... and still dabble online occasionally. They are "action" games, certainly, but at least they are thinking-person's action games [;)]. I'd disagree with Kovax on MW3 (not that you would be able to find that now, I suspect) - it took more of a simulator approach than MW4 and was the better game of the two IMHO.

If they aren't your "thing" though, have you had a look at MegaMek ?

[elmo3]

I was considering a joystick in case I want Starshatter. I'll try the demo without one but I'm too old (read "too slow") if it's really just another RTS game.

Edit - Looks like you just beat me to the post Herston. Never heard of MegaMek.

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: elmo3

I'll try the demo without it but I'm too old (read "too slow") if it's really just another RTS game.

Edit - Looks like you just beat me to the post Herston. Never heard of MegaMek.

I did link it, if you run your cursor over it. It's basically a pure conversion of the original Battletech board game for online play.

Did you mean "FPS" game rather than "RTS" ? MW4 is a shooter (not real time strategy), but is a least a reasonably intelligent one.

....... although talking of RTS games, both the Mech Commander games were actually rather good, I thought.

[elmo3]

Sure, FPS then. I just meant it doesn't appear to be turn based like TOS.