MechWarrior Online Developer Blog #2

In the second developer blog to hit the official MechWarrior Online website, Piranha Games’ Bryan Ekman, Paul Inouye, and David Bradley discuss the way in which information is displayed to and consumed by players during battle. The BattleGrid and new module concept are the entry’s primary topics:

The core of information warfare is the BattleGrid, a combination of command center and dynamic battlefield map useable by players during gameplay. The BattleGrid is an extension of the HUD and allows players to quickly review the tactical situation at hand. Players will immediately recognize elements from other successful shooters and previous MechWarrior® products.

‘¢ A scalable battlefield top-down map.
‘¢ Object and waypoint markers.
‘¢ Friendly and Enemy Unit Markers
‘¢ Support Units
‘¢ Orders

…

In order to evolve the concept of MechWarrior®, we needed a new layer of customization. After several scrapped ideas, we settled on a module concept. Modules allow players to customize their BattleMech with functionality without having to deal with the existing slots and tonnage rules.

Each BattleMech will come with a Module Board. Players can insert modules of their choice, provided they have space. Each module adds a layer of functionality. Modules are linked to the Pilot Tree and are unlocked by training various skills.

Modules are also a very important part of Role Warfare – a topic for a future blog.