87th Mechanised DropBears, unit 032 reporting in.

Well, its time I took a breather from all this beta-goodness I am loving at the moment. SWTOR has been relegated to a quick login to create screen-caps of the clipping issue *still* affecting armor (c'mon Bioware, this has been an issue for a while now). I've also downloaded the MECHWARRIOR ONLINE client and installed it, redeeming a bobble-head code in the process. It was only after I had done this that i realized that I would need to spend real money before I could make *any* progress in-game,  let alone see the bobble head in action. I have also been beta testing the excellent Connectify Dispatch which has been helping me deal with some of ongoing Optus Fails/DC's...

I am of course, spending just about all of my free time in HAWKEN, or talking about it here and in the forums. Personally, FPS has always been the less appealing game when compared to a traditional MMORPG. This is because you have the opportunity to level your character and increase in skill at a more sedate pace and not get destroyed by higher-level players. I enjoy a good PvE server more than PvP, although that's simply because I've never been much of a FPS fan,  and lets face it, PvP *is* essentially FPS in a MMORPG.

Don't get me wrong, I used to play a few first person shooters back in the day (Wolfenstien3D, Doom, Quake etc etc), I just never really saw the appeal to long term playability. It wasn't until LAN and of course the LAN Parties and that that my interest peaked. Trouble is, when you tried all this over old-school dialup, all it would take for you to disconnect would be for someone to pick up the phone...  Whilst most FPS are really "MMOFPS" simply because the majority of shooters these days have online modes (or use these as the foundation of the game), its invigorating for a MMORPG player like me to experience a game with such a smooth learning curve AND have it be FPS-centric.


I missed out on HAWKEN's first closed beta due to other commitments, however, playing frequently for the most part of CB2 and CB3 (about two weeks of my own beta-testing time) - i now feel ready for the fresh influx of n00b's and fuzzy bunnies that will be rage-quitting games. Or being haters-by-hating. HAWKEN opens its *beta*-doors to the general public on 12.12.12. The actual release date has been pushed back until early/mid next year, however open beta is open beta, so you can still play the game for free. I wont go into why this game is so good again, you can read more about that in older posts and online, I will instead just mention that I was more than happy to spend USD$60 on a pre-purchase pack to help support this game. Although the 10% GST (tax) charge was something i found odd (especially when you consider that it is *not* something that should have GST applied) the fact all players who paid the extra charges gained more in-game currency. The swift response to the communities outcry over other issues was handled incredibly well and its refreshing to see a game built on the feedback from its devoted community.

optimizations (skill-tree)

rocketeer <#std loadout>

rocketeer <new mid-chassis (cosmetic)>

the australian based clan (guild) I have joined

I'll quickly mention MECHWARRIOR Online here, so that this post isn't entirely about HAWKEN. I was able to download the client easily enough, installed fine and even managed to run it on a laptop with dedicated graphics. Comparing the two MECH games is almost impossible. Outside of the fact that they are both MECH based games, their play styles are completely different. The free-to-play (F2P) models they both claim, however, are also as different as night is from day.  MECHWARRIOR online is one for people who like simulators. If you want to jump straight in as a pilot of a giant robot that stomps about and shoots things, this is not your game. This is for players who are looking for an all-out mech-simulator, with hours spent navigating menu's and learning all the nuances.


I honestly did not spend more than five or ten minutes playing with this game. Why? well, aside from the fact that at the moment, HAWKEN is still in closed beta 3, as soon as I smelt pay-to-win, I left. Reading a recent PCPP article, I was astounded to learn that you needed real-money to buy "hero" mech's which were superior anything F2P could "earn". On top of this - and this is what sealed the deal for me - you could even use real-money to buy ammunition or repairs for your MECH's. This is definitely free-to-learn, not so much F2P. Maybe once HAWKEN shuts down for the six or so days before open-beta begins i will give it another shot - maybe after a few tutorial videos.

I will admit, however, the ability to look around inside the cabin by holding down a control key does make me want to see it in both games. I would even pay for a bobble-head like novelty for my cabin if i was able to customise it as such. Hmmm... better go and start a topic on the forums, especially seeming the Oculus RIFT will be compatible with HAWKEN when its released. ERMAGERD, stereoscopic 3D inside of a giant robot = epic win :)