| Megamek is a computer-based version of the original Battletech™ board game, developed by the good folk at Sourceforge. If you check the site out, you'll find there are quite a few versions of the game. Some are fully completed 'stable' versions, while others are partially-finished 'development' versions. Development versions often have newer features than the finished versions, but are prone to crashing. Still, they can be worth playing, as long as you remember to save frequently. You can download Megamek from the Sourceforge website: Megamek - Sourceforge.net
Having never played the original board game, its hard for me to make a comparison, but having played board games of some description, I would say the main advantages of Megamek, over the original are that;
- Firstly, you don't have to worry about losing or breaking various bits and pieces. - Secondly, the board game requires players to use paper record sheets for each unit, which have to be updated by hand after every round (which to my mind sounds a little tedious). Megamek does all the calculations for you, leaving players free to concentrate on strategy and tactics. - Finally, with Megamek, you can play against people anywhere in the world - provided you all have a decent internet connection and the same version of the game. Don't ask why, but different versions are not compatible for online play. I should point out the game does require a fair bit of bandwidth and the more players, the better (higher speed) connection is required to avoid lag and crashes.
So, what does it involve? Well, basically, once you have the program up and running, you go through various menus and screens, picking which units you want to use (mechs, vehicles, infantry and aircraft) and the map (board) you want to play on. There are many different types of terrain, which can make the game easier or harder. For example units can be dramatically slowed by bodies of water and woodland. Elevated terrain can be used to hide behind or provide good locations for sniping, covering fire or artillery. Several maps may be combined to create larger boards / playing areas, if you wish to play with large forces. The largest I've tried (and about the largest my internet connection can handle) is around 72 units per side. A word of warning though. While small games (4-12 units per side) may take up to a few hours to play out, large scale battles may require several days to complete. I know...I've tried (see previous paragraph). You can also select / un-select a variety of options, which will affect the rules used during the game. The game screen also features a command bar, which you can also use to chat to your opponents. Again, this is a free utility. The developers do this as a kind of hobby as far as I can tell...which is nice of them If you think you might be interested, but haven't a clue how to play, or aren't even sure which files to download - don't worry. Pay a visit to Lords of the Battlefield or HPG Uplink: Reboot and check out the Megamek forums, where you should find the answers to most of your questions. Or, if you're really stuck, you can send me a private message on HPG Uplink: Reboot. I'll own up and admit I've lost the majority of the games I've played, but I do know what I'm doing...sort of... |
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